Chapter 51: Actually, It’s My First Time.

Actually, it’s my first time

“Fu~unfufu~un”

I am currently humming while preparing breakfast.
For the sake of not repeating yesterday’s tragedy, breakfast duty was switched from Tré and now I am in charge of cooking.

“G-good morning.”
“Hm?”

When I turned around because of the beautiful, clear voice I heard, it appeared that the saint had awakened and she was standing there.

“Ah, good morning Saint-sama.”

Although I was surprised at the sudden appearance of the saint, properly returning her greeting was good etiquette.

“Um, I’ve been thinking for a while, but you stopped using honorifics in order to conceal that I’m the saint, didn’t you…?”
“Eh, well, I guess so……?
“Then, wouldn’t calling me [Saint-sama] defeat that purpose?”
“……Ah.”

Now that you mention it, that’s certainly true. Or rather, what was it that I wanted to do?

“Er.. Well then, Luna……?”

I frantically tried to recall the saint’s real name, that she had supposedly told me yesterday, from the depths of my memory.

“Yes, please use that.”

 

On that note, I realise that I haven’t introduced myself yet and so I do so in a rush.

“M-my name is Arnest. Those who I’m close to, or rather, recently nearly everyone has been calling me Nest.”
“Understood. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Nest-san.”
“Ah, yeah, nice to meet you……”

She seemed to have said my name cheerfully but as expected, her beauty could compete for the first or second position among the people I’ve met until now, so I unintentionally averted my eyes when replying.

“Um.. And so, what are you doing now, Nest-san?”

Since we were able to verify the manner of calling each other’s names, I thought she would leave just like that. But the person in question, Luna, looked at my cooking figure with a very curious look on her face.

“……..you ask what, but I’m just cooking though.”

I replied as such, with the implication of ‘to think you really didn’t know?’

“……I-I do know that much, and even I can do it!”

Maybe because she noticed me slyly implying such a meaning in my words, Luna did a complete change from the cheerful mood she had until just now and scowled at me.

“Heh, then do you want to try?”

By all means, I’d like to try the cooking made by the saint, Luna.
After I promptly cleaned up what I was making just now, I turn the kitchen over to Luna.

“……”

And then she started cooking in silence.

 

……I wonder what she’s going to make here.
I watched from behind as Luna was cooking, but I couldn’t understand what she wanted to make at all.
It wasn’t something that that could be seen from its appearance, and yet it wasn’t something that could be grasped from its aroma either.
Thinking that I might not be able to taste it when she’s finished cooking if I look any more than this, I quietly sat on a chair and laid my head on the table.

“…… t-san…… st-san.. Nest-san.”
“……hm………?”

When I opened my eyes, a dazzling light entered my vision.
It seems that I had fallen asleep while waiting for the cooking to be finished.

“I-it’s done.”

Saying that, Luna put the plate, on which she probably served the cooking, on the table.
……I wonder what it is.
I couldn’t grasp what it was during its creation, but even now I am unable to guess what she has made.

“Th-then I’ll have a bite.”

Though I felt nervous, I slowly ate a mouthful of Luna’s cooking.

“H-how is it……?”

Luna requested my impressions but, this is……terrible……
And what’s worse is that unlike Tré, it’s not at a level that can’t be eaten.

“……Luna, the things you’ve cooked until now are……?”
“I-I’m sorry. This is.. my first time…”

From the looks of that cooking, whether it be fact or whatever, it could be immediately understood that this was a beginner’s level of cooking.

“Sigh, then it would have been fine to just say that from the start.”
“B-but..”

While feeling despondent, Luna timidly takes a bite of her own cooking.

“Uu, this tastes really bad……”

And just from eating one mouthful, both of us avoided eating any more of it.
However, it might be due to her being greatly frustrated at the results of her own cooking, but even now she had her head cast down while staring at her cooking, with a mood like she was going to burst into tears.

“Sigh, Luna.”

While breathing a sigh, I called out to the gloomily sitting Luna.

“……What is it?”

Finally taking her eyes off her own cooking, she turned her weepy-looking face towards me.

“Ah, if you’re fine with something simple, I can teach you to cook, but will you try?”

This was probably the best consolation I could do for the sad Luna. Luna can decide for herself whether she will do it or not.

“Is that true!?”

Just now, her face brightened up with the hope of possibly being able to become able to cook while looking at me. It seemed like it was a success.

“Well even though I said I’ll teach you, we first need to clean up.”
“Ah……”

 

“I-I did it……!!”

That was the nth time since I first started teaching Luna to cook.
Laying on the table in front of our eyes was, a misshapen and yet something that could properly pass as cooking was sitting there.
Even the scent entering my nose, was aromatic.

“Th-then let’s try eating it.”

And then, we both simultaneously had a bite of it.
After fully savouring it with our tastebuds, we finally swallowed.

“……It’s normal.”
“……It is normal.”
“Which means…..?”
“…………It’s a success!!”

To be honest, it was probably below-average.
However, Luna, who has never cooked until today, has grown this much.
We were both filled with delight as we ate all the remains.

“Haa, isn’t that good, you’ve come to be able to cook.”
“Yes!! It really is good!!”

Luna nodded while smiling her biggest smile to date. This time I didn’t turn away and managed to return the smile properly.

“Well then, it should be alright to leave the other two’s portions up to you, Luna.”
“Yes, please leave it to me!!”

Having left the cooking to Luna, I stood up from my seat and was about to head to the room to wake up the still sleeping king and Tré, but when I realised, Tré was already standing behind me.

“……”

Tré continued standing silently.

“Oh, well if isn’t it Tré. You happened to wake up and come at the right moment so I was surprised.”
“……”

Even though she should have heard my voice, Tré was looking down silently.

“Er… Tré……?”

I timidly call out to Tré who was unlike usual.

“…………What I wasn’t able to manage so far, is indeed possible normally……”
“……”

Hearing Tré’s words, I finally understood the reason for Tré’s strange state.
Tré, who had been continuously practicing until now, felt down about the fact that Luna easily surpassed her.
We probably didn’t realise, but Tré might have been watching our situation from even earlier on.
……N-now then, how should I console her…….
If I say something clumsily then it might have the opposite effect.
…………………….

“T-Tré.”

Having found the words I ought to say right now, I gently grasped Tré’s shoulder.

“……Master……”

Tré also stares back fixedly at me.
The words I ought to say right now are――

“Everyone is suited for different things, so it can’t be helped.”

 

 

Tré confined herself in her room for quite a while.