Chapter 257: A Toast To Friendship!
Being guided by Largo, Eric’s family was already sitting in a row inside when we entered the dining room.
The organizer - Egar-san - sits at the party seat in the back, and the order of people sitting from the seat of honor is, Natasha-san, Luna-san, and Eric.
There are five of us from the Slowlett family, but since Egar-san is sitting on the party seat at the back, there are only three people from Eric’s family.
Meaning, that it will become a bit lonely as there are not enough people to sit face-to-face, but perhaps they have taken that into consideration since people from Eric’s family were seated with quite the space from each other.
「Take a seat wherever you want」
「Aah, I will do just that」
After Egar-san said that, Nord-tousan sits on the seat of honor.
I guess it’s because they have been talking as an adult during the day, it looks like they have become quite close.
Oh well, the Slowlett house and Sylvord house are the same Baron house after all. Since both of our family statuses are the same they probably feel that there’s no need to be reserved with each other.
Besides, if anything both of our families are more of a part of the militant group of nobles.
As Nord-tousan had sat on his seat, I also follow suit, and when I try to sit on the lowest seat…
「「Excuse me」」
Elna-kaasan sat down gracefully while grabbing the hem of her one-piece and Eleonora-neesan sat down neatly with brisk movements. They also don’t make a mistake like making the sound of *gata* when pulling the chair or sitting.
Both of them have very beautiful movements that seemed to fascinate the people looking at them.
Rather, it’s still fine for Elna-kaasan, but as for Eleonora-neesan, she makes me want to ask who is she now.
If it’s the usual her, then she will make a sound *gata* when she pulled the chair and she will vigorously sit on her chair.
But now she sits on her chair with a straight back and composed expression.
Nonetheless, when it comes to this kind of course of events, Sylvio-niisan and I also can’t help but behave politely.
「「Excuse me」」
Sylvio-niisan and I also sit neatly on the chair according to the etiquette lesson we learned back in the mansion without making any sound.
「Hahaha, we are all the same Baron house. You don’t have to fuss over etiquette」
「That’s right. Let’s be comfortable with each other just like during the day. All right? Today is a gathering to deepen our relationship after all」
「Since Egar-san and Natasha-san said so, then let us be more casual with each other 」
At Egar-san and Natasha-san’s advice, Nord-tousan told us to be more casual.
Immediately after, Elna-kaasan - who had been sitting elegantly - relaxed her body a little.
「I’m glad. It’s actually hard for me to eat while paying attention to my manner and gestures 」
「But, Elna-san’s gestures are so elegant that I can not think like that, you know? And besides, Eleonora-san also has a clean movement just like a knight」
That’s because the women in our house are skilled in keeping up appearances, after all.
When I look beside me, Eleonora-neesan was also sitting in the same relaxed manner.
Oi oi, Eleonora-neesan. No matter how the other side told you to be more casual, don’t you think it’s better if you put your legs closer and be more ladylike?
「Haa, I’m so glad. I’m not good at paying attention to my manner」
「……I know. We won’t be able to taste the delicious food if we had to brace ourselves and mind our manners」
Luna-san says as she also sits in a relaxed manner.
However, neither of them has their elbows on the table and they don’t look sloppy. It seems like they properly keep abiding by the minimum rules of table manners so they won’t be told off.
「And so, both of you should also make yourself comfortable」
「If that is the case」
So if Sylvio-niisan and I were still paying attention to our manners here then it will be an action where we can’t read the situation.
Let’s take a relaxed attitude here as advised.
So I sit comfortably and relaxed my attention as though flipping a switch in my mind.
「Uooooh!? Alfried, are all right? Just now, the lights suddenly disappear from your eyes, you know!?」
「What are you talking about now? You’re exaggerating」
What do you mean ‘lights disappear from my eyes’? I don’t understand.
「……it’s as though seeing the life from a living creature fades away」
No no, Luna-san. Don’t you think you're using an awful expression over there?
「Yosh, Largo. Everyone has seated themselves now. Bring the dishes」
「Yes, sir」
Bowing to Egar-san, Largo opens the door at the back.
Immediately after that, there were three maids who are standing by with tea wagons.
One of those three is our maid, Mina. Her expression is somehow stiffer than usual.
I guess that’s obvious. This is Sylford house. Since it’s a different workplace from the usual, and a noble’s mansion to boot.
……I’m worried.
Even while I was thinking like that, the maids start to push the tea wagon forward.
Although she was late for a moment, she directly headed toward us without hesitation. The other maids continue to push the tea wagon in a familiar manner.
I guess they already discuss it in advance, about things like which dish goes to whom.
They start to arrange the dishes and tablewares in order from Egar-san and Nord-tousan.
Since this side has a lot more people, Mina cooperated with Sylford’s maid to serve us.
Still, this kind of work was always done by Sara or Mel, so it’s never slow.
Beautifully arranged carpaccios come out and are served on the table.
And different from the dish on the ship, there is also lavishly decorated sashimi with all sorts of colors.
In any case, I guess this is to make the people conscious of the nice appearance of the food, I could see the chef's consideration and delicate work to please the people who see them.
「This is raw fish meat……is this sashimi, I wonder?」
While I was fascinated by the sashimi, Elna-kaasan say that with a curious expression on her face.
「Yes, they are raw fish meat. From what I have heard, there is also a culture of eating fish raw even in Kagura. They are very delicious, so I wish you can try them if you like 」
「Although I ate them on the ship they are delicious」
「Un. Elna-kaasan and Nord-tousan should also try them」
The sashimi I ate on the ship was already delicious enough. I definitely want them to know the deliciousness of the sashimi.
「Is that so? Well then, I will try them later」
「I have never eaten raw fish before so I’m a little nervous」
While we were having such a friendly chat, seafood salads such as shrimp, seaweed, and small fish are served on the table. Sea fish grilled with salt, salt-grilled shellfish, white-fleshed fish grilled with olive oil, and lobster ajillo1 with mushroom. There is also garnish bread.
(Ajillo)
A feast comparable to the barbeque I had back in the port city Esport is lined up on the table.
Eleonora-neesan and Sylvio-niisan - who had never seen seafood dishes before - are looking at the food with sparkling eyes, Elna-kaasan and Nord-tousan loosened up their expression while also looking happy.
Seeing our expressions, Eric proudly nodded as he crosses his arms.
Though it wasn’t cooked by Eric, you will still be happy if people know that you have these sorts of amazing ingredients in your territory, so I can sympathize with him.
As I look at the happily smiling Eric, Mina pushed the tea wagon and lines up the dishes in front of me.
She has a relieved expression after having finished a difficult task. You haven’t done setting the table for me, so I wish you don’t feel that openly relieved yet. You have to keep concentrating until the end.
The first one to be arranged is the tableware, then the individual plate. After that are the seafood salads.
「Don’t spill the ajillo, all right」
「Jeez, Alfried-sama. No matter how you look at me, I won’t make that kind of rookie mistak――ahh」
A husky-sounding voice comes out of the careless Mina’s mouth.
I can see ajillo presented to me slip off from Mina’s hand and start to tilt in slow motion.
Look, did you see this, you poor maid!
I instantly cast the non-attribute magic Psychic even while shouting like that in my mind.
The plate of ajillo - that had tilted and fallen at an angle from Mina’s hand - moves naturally, and it returned to Mina’s hand.
「Hoeh?」
「It’s fine, just put the plate as it is」
So I whisper to Mina when she can’t really comprehend what happened and stiffen as she comes to her senses, I guess she reboot-ed. She places the plate of ajillo in front of me.
After that, Mina recover her concentration and smoothly set the table for me, guess she got scared after all.
And after that was done, Mina’s work of setting the table is finished for now so she returned to the back room while pushing the tea wagon.
「「…………」」
Perhaps they sensed the faint magic I used by their sharp sense since Nord-tousan and Elna-kaasan’s gazes that look at me suspiciously are stabbing me.
When I look at their face, they probably thought something along the lines of 「What kind of magic did you use in this sort of place」.
I didn’t do anything wrong since I was just covering for Mina, you know. So, please don’t look at me with such a suspicious look.
And perhaps he sensed the strange atmosphere between us as Egar-san asks as he looked at us while being puzzled.
「Hm? The two of you, was there something amiss?」
「……no, it’s nothing. Please don’t mind it」
「Yes, it’s all right」
So the two of them replies with smiles on their faces, although I felt that they will ask about what had happened later.
I think Nord-tousan and Elna-kaasan’s magic perception is too sharp. If only they don’t realize it like everyone else, then I think I can even use Teleport if only they relax their attention a little though.
「I see. Then, since everything has been prepared, shall we immediately dig in? We have gathered plenty of our territory’s specialty. Everyone, enjoy the fruits of the sea to your heart’s content!」
After Egar-san said those words, everyone has a wine glass and such in their hands as though they are already prepared. Of course, since Eric and I are still underage, we only have fruit juice in our glasses.
「Now then, let us have a toast for the friendship between Sylford house and Slowlett house, cheers!」2
「「Cheers!」」
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