CH 255

We Tasted The Herbs

“Well, let’s try it then.”

“As they are divided this time as well, the effect will not be strong…”

“Yes, I didn’t make many of them.”

And so we separated the three types of herbs and the people in the kitchen tasted them.

It wasn’t just Ms. Helena and Sebastian, but the other cooks as well, as they were listening with great interest.

The effect wasn’t that important right now anyway, and it was only important to see if it tasted fine.

“Well, let’s eat it then.”

Said Sebastian, and everyone put the herbs in their mouths.

First, it was the protein herb… What was this… There was a slight bitterness there, but also a sweetness… It was a combination of different flavors, with nothing being stronger than the other.

A strange taste, that was neither bad nor good.

Next was the iron herb.

Unlike the first one, this one had a clear taste.

The taste of blood.

But that made sense, since it contained iron

Last was the vitamin herb.

It had a citrus-like smell, so I put it in my mouth without hesitation.

“This-this is very…sour…”

“Indeed… Like a fruit? No, something else…”

“I can’t stop salivating…”

To put it simply, it was like a combination of a lemon and a pickled plum…

There was no sweetness there at all. It was just sour.

Ms. Helena seemed to detect something else in it, but I could not. Perhaps it had a lot of citric acid.

I had once heard that citric acid was unrelated to vitamins… But since I made it with Weed Cultivation, it should be rich in all kinds of vitamins…right? 

I had expected it to be sour due to the smell, but… I did not think it would also have the sourness of a pickled plum as well…

But both lemons and plums were fruits… Though, it was when you pickled plums in salt and let them out to dry that they became so sour. Well, that didn’t matter right now.

“This is very strong. It’s as if various types of sourness are clashing inside of my mouth.”

“Indeed. It is not even one kind of sourness… How very interesting.”

Sebastian frowned and drank some water in order to wash away the taste.

But Ms. Helena and the cooks were all tasting it slowly and with deep interest.

They really were studious.

Perhaps it was because they didn’t have pickled plums here, and they didn’t recognize the sourness.

“Mr. Takumi. Thank you for letting me taste something so unusual.”

While it was just a sour leaf to me, it was interesting and educational for Ms. Helena and the other cooks.

I didn’t like food that was only sour, but if they could use it to make something delicious, then that would be very welcome.

…But what kind of dish would that be?

I couldn’t think of anything right now.

“However, putting this in wine…”

“Indeed. The sourness is so strong that it will ruin the taste of the wine.”

“Yes. Mr. Takumi. You must make adjustments then when combining them…”

“Haha. I will do my best.”

After all, I had never done it before.

I didn’t know what it would taste like, but as Ms. Helena said, I would have to think about how I can make the sourness more mild.

Otherwise, it would ruin the taste of the wine.

They didn’t seem to have medicinal wine in this world. And so it wouldn’t sell…even if people believed that the best medicine was bitter.

“Well, I will be going now. I will talk to Milina and study about how to mix the herbs. …And I will bring you more of the restorative herbs tonight.”

“Thank you. You can leave the processing of them to us. Ah, that’s right. About the wine that will use Ramogi. I mean to start soaking them soon. So you will be able to check it tomorrow.”

“I see. Then I will bring Leo so she can check it.”

“I have to discuss matters concerning dinner with Ms. Helena, and I will stay here.”

“Well, excuse me then.”

And so I separated from Sebastian and left the kitchen alone.

I now had more work to do, as I had to study with Milina and learn how to combine the medicine, but it was for the wine, so I would do my best.

“Ah, now that I think about it, I was going to go and visit Ms. Anne.”

I remembered this just as I was walking through the mansion after leaving the kitchen.

If she was still locked up in her room, then I had to go and check up on her… Though, I doubted she would stay there forever…

“Ah, excuse me.”

“Yes, what is it?”

As I was walking through the hallway, a maid was coming from the other direction, and so I called to her.

It wasn’t Ms. Gelda or Ms. Lyra.

There were over ten maids, and so I couldn’t remember all of their names… Perhaps I should ask someone later, and confirm them?

“Uh, is Ms. Anne still in her room?”

“Yes. I checked just now. Lady Anneliese seemed like she did not want to come out…”

“I see… Thank you.”

So Ms. Anne was still in her room.

I thanked the maid and moved away.

Then I recalled the location of the room that Ms. Lyra had told me, and I headed in that direction.

“Uh, it’s close to my own room… Here.”

As the mansion was very large, and it was far from the kitchens, it took me a while to reach. But I was now in front of Ms. Anne’s room.

I stood in front of the door and raised my hand to knock. But then I hesitated.

Now that I thought about it, this was the first time I had visited a woman’s room… I felt a little nervous.

I wondered if I wouldn’t look rude or strange… But I had already come this far, and it would be a waste to turn back now.

“Fine…”

I made up my mind and knocked on the door.

Knock. Knock.

The sound echoed down the hall and in the room.

“Yes, who is it?”

“…Takumi. Are you alright, Ms. Anne?”

“Mr. Takumi!?”

I was relieved to hear her sounding reasonably cheerful.

That being said, she also seemed very surprised, and the sounds from inside suggested she was scampering around frantically.

…Perhaps I should not have come after all?