A glistening, amber-colored ankake-jelly was generously poured over the white mound.
T/N: “Ankake” refers to a Japanese style of thick, starchy sauce, often thickened with potato starch or corn starch.
On top, something finely chopped and green was scattered. According to the waitress, it was a herb called “negi”
T/N: Negi is Japanese green onion, similar to scallions.
A pleasant aroma, mixed with steam, tickled Johan-Gustav’s nose. It was as if the initial impression of this place as a seedy back-alley izakaya had been a lie; his heart was now captivated by the ingenuity of this dish. He felt a forgotten pang of hunger resurface in his stomach.
He wanted to eat, and quickly.
Even though the inside of the restaurant was warm, a biting cold still lingered in his fingertips and the core of his body.
Looking to Hildegard, who sat beside him, he thought her situation was even more comical.
As befitting a viscountess, her upbringing had ingrained a certain level of self-control. However, her right hand, resting on her lap, was fidgeting with tiny movements, moving forward and back, forward and back. Her gaze darted between the dish and her spoon. Observing her restless state from the side was rather endearing, and he found himself smiling.
While she usually tried to maintain a mature demeanor, glimpses like these revealed the charm of a girl her age.
“Here you go, this is Ankake Yudofu. It’s very hot, so please be careful,” the waitress said.
“Yudofu, huh?”
T/N: “Yudofu” is a hot tofu dish, simply tofu simmered in water.
Before the waitress could even finish her warning, Hildegard had already picked up the wooden spoon.
She carefully scooped up the quivering white yudofu, trying not to spill any of the ankake-jelly. She brought it to her mouth.
“Ah, hot!”
It was hot.
The yudofu melted in her mouth. The ankake mixed with it, and the smooth texture spread across her tongue.
Just one more bite.
This time, she blew on it, making small, adorable puffs before eating.
Hildegard was blowing diligently as well, her little lips pursed endearingly.
Scoop.
Blow.
Eat.
Scoop.
Blow.
Eat.
“Ahoohh!”
A large cloud of steam billowed from her mouth. There was no complicated chewing or savoring involved.
Only the warmth and gentle taste passed through her throat, giving warmth to her body.
Despite it being winter, she couldn’t stop sweating.
Her mouth, her throat, her stomach – everything felt hot.
She drank from an expensive-looking glass of water. Never before had she felt so grateful for cold water in winter.
“…It’s delicious,” Hildegard murmured, earnestly conveying yudofu into her small mouth.
“…It’s not stinky, not spicy, not sour, not bitter, not hard, not bread, not potatoes, not porridge, not egg, not stew… It’s delicious.”
She was a child who hadn’t received much parental love.
It was Johan-Gustav who had ordered those around her to do everything they could to care for her. He was aware that his clever niece’s tendency to test the love directed at her could be traced back to his own actions.
“Is it good, Hildegard?”
“It’s okay, I guess,” she said.
Even as she said that, her gaze towards the yudofu was serious.
She gripped the spoon with her palm facing down, and with a puff of her breath, sent it to her mouth.
The way she tilted her face toward the spoon and pushed away a stray hair with her little finger was very reminiscent of her deceased mother.
“…Yeah, I guess it’s okay,” Hildegard mumbled again.
Even after finishing her share, she kept looking at the empty pot. She had eaten every last bit of it, leaving it completely clean.
The water that had been used to simmer the yudofu was still bubbling away in a light, pleasant rhythm.
“I have one complaint, though,”
“What is it, Hildegard?”
“Well… it’s a little bit small.”
He was surprised, and then he laughed. So, Hildegard, with her picky eating habits and small appetite, had actually liked this yudofu.
Indeed, it was good. It was, in a way, a flavor that had made the winter cold an ally. The flavor was light, but that was what soothed the chilled body.
“In that case, could you make it again?”
When he asked the waitress, she initially smiled sweetly, and then gently refused.
“The yudofu is the first dish. There will be many other things coming out after this,” she said.
She cleared the pot and the brazier and then brought out new dishes one after the other.
Simmered dishes, grilled dishes, fried dishes… all were dishes he had never seen before.
Hildegard’s eyes sparkled, and she took a bite of each, writhing slightly as she relished the flavors. They must be truly delicious.
He felt foolish for having worried so much. He reached out for a large soup dish and dug in with his fork.
This too was incredibly tasty.
Two months later, Hildegard would be married.
Until then, he would bring her to this restaurant every week. Johan-Gustav secretly decided that.
