50
It wasn't just the dinner menu that surprised Evie, the lunch menu was also full of names of foods she had never heard of before.
Even those that looked a little familiar, her eyes had never seen anything like them.
The variety of dishes and their harmonious smells confused Evie a little. While she was immersed in her confusion, Irene noticed her and addressed her in a warm, gentle tone:
“Are you hesitant because you want to try more than one dish?”
“No, not that...but there are a lot of foods that I don’t know, so I don’t know what to choose.”
“You don't know her?”
Irene looked at the menu in amazement.
She knew that children from noble families might feel pressured by the variety of choices, so she always made sure to offer a wide variety of dishes.
However, there was nothing strange or unusual about her.
“What is… a balmish?” Evie asked cautiously.
"What?"
“And choucrot… I don’t know what else that is...”
Evie's voice gradually softened, as if she was afraid to reveal her ignorance. The director was always careful not to leave them hungry, and even on days when the food supply was low, there was not a day that went by without food.
However, there were clear limits. While others were creative in cooking potatoes in various ways, by mashing or grinding them to transform them into innovative dishes, the goal in the orphanage was limited to alleviating hunger.
There was no time or luxury to prepare complex dishes. So, Evie's knowledge of food was limited to simply boiled or fried ingredients.
Therefore, the academy's dishes were like a mysterious foreign language to her.
At that moment, Lusca returned with his plate after completing his order.
“Wow...”
The dish was a deep bowl filled with various ingredients, topped with a steaming tomato sauce with a delicious aroma.
Evie swallowed as she smelled the scent that tickled her nose. Up until that moment, she had thought that a stuffed sandwich was the height of deliciousness, but seeing this freshly cooked dish made her understand why none of the students were choosing sandwiches.
I asked Evie Loska what the name of the dish was.
“Do you want to order the same thing?”
"No, I want to try something else I don't know. What would you order, Irene?"
“So...what do you want to eat, Evie?”
“I want to try something different from what you and the rest asked for.”
This way, you will be able to see as much of the dishes as possible. Lusca suddenly realized the reason for Eppie's behaviour, and said:
“Why don't we order everything?”
“What? But that will leave a lot of food!”
“It's okay, Arcel and I can finish everything. Come on, let's try every dish!”
“Who said he would eat everything?”
Arcel sighed behind him, but Loska ignored him and headed to the food distribution area, then returned carrying a large tray stacked with dishes.
Put them all on the table.
“Is this really permissible?”
Evie couldn't close her mouth as she saw the table covered with a variety of dishes.
It was just a school lunch, but it seemed more luxurious than the banquet table I had read about in books, of all kinds and huge quantities. However, this was not the time for amazement and amazement.
“If we don't eat all of this, we'll get penalty points...”
In the beginning, skipping food did not mean punishment.
But over time, some students began to complain about the dishes and leave them, and even leaving more food became a sign of “aristocratic elegance,” which increased the number of students who did so.
One night, when Evie saw the amount of food being thrown away, she couldn't help but stare in amazement.
It seems that the academy administration realized the seriousness of the problem, so they decided to establish a new rule: Leaving food means deducting points.
“Even if prosperity returns after the war, wasting food in this way is exaggerated...”
The old professors were saying that the new generation did not know the value of food, and they enthusiastically supported the new rule.
As for the students, they were frustrated. However, with this rule in place, leaving out food was sure to result in a punishment.
“I will distribute the food on small plates.”
Luska suddenly got up and started putting small amounts of each dish on clean plates. Irene joined him, while Arcel went to the food distribution place and returned with an assortment of drinks.
This was their first time eating together, but they moved together as if they were old friends.
“I'll help too!”
Evie got up from her seat to see the three of them moving around actively, but Irene gently grabbed her and put her back in her seat. Lusca and Arcel waved their hands, motioning for her to remain seated.
“The table is too high for you.”
“The plates are heavy because they are full of food.”
“Your hands are small, you may find it difficult to hold these cups.”
The three gave indisputable reasons, demanding that Evie stay where she was.
“Is this really appropriate?”
No matter what she thought, Evie felt that she was the one who should move and prepare food for these three.
While she hesitated, the three finished distributing the food quickly and elegantly.
“Okay, let's get started!”
After a short prayer, the four raised their forks. Evie was amazed by the beauty of the carefully arranged dishes in front of her.
How could she decide where to start? At that moment, Irene began explaining to her the names of the dishes and their ingredients.
“This is a traditional dish from the western region. It seems they have modified the cooking method a bit with the capital style...”
“This is an herb called tarmi. It has a sweet honey scent and is often used in southern dishes. Since it is a southern dish, try it first!”
Yvette put the bite Irene recommended into her mouth. There was a sweet scent mixed with a unique herbal flavour.
If I had eaten it without an explanation, I might have wondered what it was, but with Irene's explanation, I was surprised and delighted.
This wasn't the only fun. The table was piled high with dishes, and the fear of punishment for leaving food drove her to eat more than she could handle. But…
“Wow...”
Evie couldn't help but be amazed. Luska, sitting across from her, was munching on the food as if he were swallowing it.
It was magical. He grabbed a chicken leg, and in an instant all that remained was the bone.
A large piece of pork disappeared after a few bites. However, it never looked messy.
How can someone eat so fast and stay so fit?
“But, isn’t it difficult for Mr. Lusca to eat all this on his own?”
“Why do you think I'll eat alone? Look at Arcel.”
Lusca pointed to Arcel sitting next to him.
“Lusca, don’t point your finger at people.”
Arcel frowned as he scolded him, then began to move his hand. The fork and knife moved very elegantly. He seemed to be following perfect dining etiquette slowly and reverently, but…
“What?”
Although he was more elegant than Lusca, Arcel ate no less than him.
The two were devouring the food at an astonishing speed, until Evie wondered how all of this could fit in their stomachs.
She forgot to move her fork while watching this amazing scene. Even Irene seemed surprised as she whispered:
“I didn't expect to watch someone eat with such admiration...”
They left nothing behind, and Luska came back later to bring another plate of the food he liked, twice more.
—
“I ate too much.”
Evie pressed her finger to her slightly swollen belly. The new dishes were exciting and delicious, and with Irene explaining each dish, I ate more than usual.
“But I had fun.”
This was the first time she had enjoyed a meal at the academy like this.
“Although people's eyes were a little scary.”
When the four of them finished eating, students who had finished their lessons began to flock to the restaurant.
They looked at the foursome eating together with incredulous eyes. Especially those who were accustomed to accompanying Ezriela, they looked confused as they saw the scene. Irene laughed lightly when she saw them, then paid them no further attention.
After the meal, the four had to separate, as they had different lessons in the afternoon.
“If we could have chosen compulsory subjects, you would have studied with us.”
But there was no choice, Irene said sadly. Arcel and Luska headed to sword lessons, and Irene broke up with Evie as well.
“I'm going to be a little late because of my last class. But we'll have dinner together, okay?”
Evie nodded enthusiastically, then said goodbye to Irene.
She ran to her classroom, but found the students leaving. When she entered, she saw on the blackboard a notice stating that the lesson had been canceled due to the professor's sudden illness, with another appointment scheduled to make up the lesson. Evie memorized the date and time in her mind, then left the hall.
“My stomach is full, and today is a day off, that’s good.”
But, suddenly, she had a lot of free time.
“Where do I go?”
She didn't want to go back to the dormitory. The weather was sunny and beautiful.
Then, a sudden idea came to her mind.
“By the way, where could Professor Sian be in the academy?”
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