Chapter 179: Operation to Win Sheila２
「Al, what to do? Are we going to negotiate now? I think that now is a good time」
「But, we’re going to sample the souvenirs after this right? Then let’s do it after Sheila-san ate the food. If she refuses at that time, we’ll just take the food from her and Sheila-san - who likes food - should have no other choice than to agree to our request」
「………a demon. To take the delicious food from neechan away just after a bite…… That neechan won’t be able to endure it………!」
Asmo trembled after listening to my strategy.
For the younger brother who understands his older sister to say this much. This is probably going to work.
「If we were to give her a pretext, then Sheila-san’s feeling of guilt for keeping quiet will also lessen」
Human is creatures who want some reason to act.
For example, even if a person knows that it’s a bad thing, they will likely act as long as there is a definite reason for them. So this is an equivalent exchange.
「So it will even cover Sheila’s distress!」
「Hmm, though I don’t think that neechan will think too much about it 」
Because of Sheila-san’s personality, I know that she won’t take it seriously, but this is just in case. It won’t do us harm to do this.
「Yosh, let’s open the souvenirs now! Torr, let me borrow your kitchen」
「Ou, sure thing!」
After receiving Torr’s permission, I head to the kitchen while bringing the wooden box with me by making it float with Psychic.
Torr and Asmo - who are curious about foreign country’s seasonings - also came with me with a curious look on their faces.
「What is it what is it? Alfried-sama’s souvenirs? Is it food?」
Perhaps Sheila-san notices our expression and our conversation that she came over looking happy.
Being able to hear something relating to food so suddenly, truly just like Asmo.
「It’s seasonings that came from a country called Kagura. I’m going to use them to cook now」
「Really!? I also want to cook with them!」
So it’s been decided and it will be better if we’re going to cook with the lovely girl, instead of three guys cooking in the kitchen.
According to our strategy, Sheila-san is the one being entertained, but the person herself asserted that she wishes to join the cooking process. It’s probably going to be fine allowing her to do this much.
I saw Torr’s eyes, which tell me that「It’s fine」, so we nodded to each other and I reply to Sheila-san.
「Sureー」
「Thank you very much! Seasonings from a foreign country……I wonder what it’s like?」
Looking at Sheila-san’s lips, it appears that she’s slightly drooling.
「………neechan you’re drooling」
「N, no! This is due to me pressing my cheek against the table before you know!」
Then I wonder what about the fact of you being a woman doing that?
I can’t tell whether what she said is the truth or she was drooling because of hearing that the souvenirs are seasonings.
I look away from Sheila-san’s figure of wiping the drool on her lips away and start to open the wooden box.
「Torr, get me a suitably small plate to use for tasting the dishー」
「Okay!……eh? The small plate is not at the usual place?」
Torr replied and look for a small plate in the cupboard, but it seems that he can’t find them.
「Yesterday, Myula-san (ミュラさん) was shouting that it was on the lower shelves from the usual place wasn’t she? 」
「Uooohh! You’re right! Good grief, it’s always placed at the usual location, don’t change the position like that. People won’t be able to find it」
Torr grumbled in dissatisfaction after finding it on the lower shelves.
「How should I put it, Asmo even know about such minor details」
「It was by accident. I heard about it so many times since Myula-san shouted it like that so that Torr and Ema-san won’t have any difficulty in finding it」
「It’s kinda interesting that Asmo can remember after listening to what his neighbor was talking about」
Myula-san must have warned Torr many times over so that this kind of situation won’t happen but it still did happen. I kind of feel sorry for Myula-san.
After Torr arranged the small plates on the table, I took out the jars of soy sauce and miso and put them on the table.
This time, my souvenirs for Torr and Asmo’s place are the common dark soy sauce.
I think that this is the easiest ingredient to use for them, so I only brought them one type of ingredient.
I mean, even if I were to suddenly bring tamari soy sauce, it would probably be difficult for them to utilize it.
「Is this seasoning? Both of them strongly smells」
「The flavor looks like it’s going to be strong」
Torr and Asmo said while grimacing after smelling the strong scent of the soy sauce and miso.
This smells several times stronger when you compared it to salt, pepper, and sugar, so that’s a natural reaction.
「What’s it’s called?」
It appears that Sheila-san is fine with the strong smell of the soy sauce and miso as she looks calm.
「It’s called soy sauce. Why don’t we have a little taste first 」
After saying that, I use the long and narrow ladle I brought with me along with the soy sauce and scoop up some soy sauce.
Then I slowly raise it and pour the jet black soy sauce into the small plate.
「……this is, is this really a seasoning? You don’t bring something that can’t be eaten to tease us, right?」
「Why should I do something like that」
Really, what are you saying to someone who had brought you some souvenirs after much trouble?
……but, that’s an interesting idea, I think I’ll definitely do that next time I got the chance to bring them souvenirs.
「Tasting this you say, can you drink this?」
「Soy sauce has a strong flavor so you can’t drink them. It’s fine if you just dab a little soy sauce on your fingertips and lick them to have a taste」
When I answer like that, Asmo stiffened as he fixedly stares at the soy sauce.
Maybe it’s because of the previous remarks from Torr that made him hesitate to try the soy sauce.
「Then, I’ll try it now～」
Just when I’m thinking about such a thing, Sheila-san is the first one to stretch out her arm without fear.
She directly stretched out her white arm, and gently dip her fingertip on the soy sauce.
After that, she brought her fingertip to her mouth and held it inside.
「Ahh, it’s true! It tastes very strong! It’s salty but, slightly sweet, I think?」
Looking at Sheila-san calmly voicing out her impression, Asmo and Torr gingerly reach out with their arms.
This scene, I feel like I have seen it even back in the mansion.
I attentively watch Torr and Asmo guide the soy sauce from their fingertips to their mouth.
「Uooohh! It’s true! It’s salty and sweet!」
「It’s going to strengthen those dishes with mild flavor if you add this」
Torr and Asmo were surprised at the strong flavor of the soy sauce.
「We could make a tasty soup if we make a stew and add this along with sugar～」
「That’s right. It will taste better if you dilute it a little more to mellowed it」
Asmo and Sheila-san - who can cook - seem to be thinking about the use of soy sauce immediately after they tasted it.
They have only tasted the soy sauce so their reaction is still ambiguous, but it’s a relief that they don’t appear to dislike it.
「Then, the next one is miso」
Relieved at seeing those three’s appearance after tasting soy sauce, I serve the miso I took out from the jar to the small plate just like with the soy sauce before.
As soon as he saw that, Torr say with a straight face,
「……oi, Al」
「I know what you’re trying to say but you must absolutely not say it, alright? I'm going to hit you if you were to say it’s something like dirt or ‘that’, right?」
It’s Torr after all. I warned him ahead of time so that it will be hard for him to say some coarse things that can reduce one’s appetite before all else. Immediately after that, Torr snapped his mouth shut while groaning briefly.
「It’s because Torr likes to say some strange things that it makes others fearful to taste something isn’t it 」
「It can’t be helped isn’t it, I mean, it looks like that!」
「What did it look like?」
「…………」
Torr becomes silent after hearing Sheila-san’s spontaneous and genuine question.
Troubled, he send a gaze asking for help to Asmo, but Asmo ignored Torr’s gaze as he pretended to be interested in the miso.
「In any case, let’s try tasting it first. This one is also a bit strong, but you can taste the umami of the seasoning and it’s delicious」
「Really!?」
After I hand her a spoon to taste the miso while telling her that fact, I was able to distract her completely from the previous topic.
Torr deeply sigh in relief and thanked me with his eyes.
Oh well, let’s make it so that Torr owes me a small favor.
After taking the spoon, Sheila-san scoops up a small amount of miso that was already placed on the table and eats it.
「This one also has a strong taste, but there’s the umami inside and it’s delicious!」
「It’s true. It tastes good despite its appearance」
Then, Torr tasted the miso with his own spoon after her and whispered.
I think that ‘despite its appearance’-thing was unnecessary though, but he’s not used to it after all, so I guess it can’t be helped.
「This is the same as the soy sauce and this will also going to make the dishes delicious」
Asmo voiced out his thoughts on the miso after tasting it.
「I know, right～. I think we will have more variations in the flavors, I’m looking forward to it～」
Yosh, if Sheila-san likes it then we’re won’t have any problem.
Let’s win over Sheila-san with a simple dish that uses soy sauce and miso.
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