35: Extra: The People of Restaurant “Rocinante” 1

Jill had invited Matthew and the other three to the tea party, but in truth, there were others she wanted to invite as well.

One of them was the owner of the restaurant *Rocinante*, Roland.

She also wanted to invite his daughter, Tina.

Moreover, if she were to invite Roland and Tina, she’d want to invite the rest of their family… Tina’s brother and mother.

However, there was a limit to how many people Jill could host by herself.

For that reason, Jill thought to invite the entire *Rocinante* family on a separate day.

She thought, but…

“Hmm… What should I do…”

“Why not just invite them?”

“Well, it’s just… I’m scared.”

“Scared?”

Jill sat on a chair in the kitchen and confessed her worries to Maureen.

She wasn’t sure if she could create something that would please these professionals.

“These are people who prepare food for customers every day, you know? If I serve something mediocre, it’ll disappoint them.”

“I don’t think you need to worry, given your skills. Besides, wouldn’t they enjoy macarons and iced tea? I think they’d be satisfied with that.”

“Repeating the same theme feels kind of frustrating.”

“You’re such an artist in that way; it must be tough.”

Maureen gave a wry smile.

“Besides, I don’t think they’re expecting tea and dessert from me.”

“I don’t think that’s true… If I remember correctly, their daughter likes sweet things.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Jill had stayed at Roland’s restaurant for about three weeks. The deadline for the horse armor had been shortened, and if she kept working at a leisurely pace, she wouldn’t make it in time… So Jill had stayed at the restaurant to avoid the hassle of commuting between the mansion and the town. She lived on the second floor of Roland’s restaurant and commuted to Garda’s workshop.

Back then, her days had been so busy that they made her head spin, but now that it was over, Jill looked back on those days with fondness.

“Tina has an incredible palate… She can guess the ingredients and hidden flavors instantly.”

“Wow, that’s impressive.”

“Roland apparently has Tina taste-test his new menu items before deciding on them. I once served her pudding, so if I serve the same thing, she’ll probably figure it out.”

“That might be true, but just because she has a great palate doesn’t make her a judge or a professional gourmet critic, right? You can just host them normally. It’s not like it’s some kind of certification exam.”

“Do you think that would be enough to satisfy them…?”

“If it were the other way around, would you be disappointed?”

“Well, I don’t think I would be…”

Maureen couldn’t help but laugh at Jill’s honest answer.

“See? So why are you worrying?”

“… It’s not just about Roland, but the people who work as chefs in this town are very conscious of my uncle.”

“Conrad, right?”

At Maureen’s mutter, Jill nodded slightly.

“It seems he had a really good time in this town. He even opened a restaurant here.”

“Every chef in town says the same thing: there’s no one like him on this island—he’s one of a kind.”

“So, as his niece, chefs are probably very conscious of me… right?”

Maureen thought about it for a moment, then honestly nodded.

“… Yeah, they probably are. They might be wondering if you’ve inherited his skills.”

“That’s why it’s so scary… But if I just stick to desserts, it feels like I’m running away, and I don’t like that either!”

“What’s wrong with running away?”

Maureen shrugged, not bothering to hide her exasperation at her master’s overthinking.

“Besides, I want to properly thank them for respecting my uncle. Of course, it’s also important to express my personal gratitude to Roland for all he’s done for me. That’s why I want to host a proper dinner and face them directly, even if I’m not sure I can.”

“Ah, I see… So that’s what’s really been bothering you.”

Maureen nodded thoughtfully.

“Do you know much about my uncle, Maureen?”

“Sorry, I only went once with my brother, so I don’t know much. I did greet him, but… Roland probably knows more. I think they talked a lot.”

“I should’ve asked more about it when I was staying there…”

“At the time, you couldn’t exactly bring up your background, so it’s understandable. Roland and the others were probably holding back from asking you too. You could just ask them when you invite them for dinner.”

“Y-You’re right.”

“Then don’t hesitate, and send out the invitations!”

“… Okay!”

Encouraged by Maureen, Jill slapped her cheeks decisively.

She flexed her wrists and elbows and positioned herself in front of the kitchen table.

“Ah… but I’d hate for them to be disappointed… it could tarnish my uncle’s reputation…”

“Just get on with it! Make up your mind!”

“Okaaaay…”

For once, Jill was scolded by Maureen and finally started to move her hands.

However, they suddenly froze.

Just as Maureen was about to ask, worried, Jill muttered something.

“… Oh. I just had an idea. Maureen, would you mind fetching Matthew for me?”

“My brother? Sure, but what do you need him for?”

“Yes. I want to get some fresh fish from the sea. It’s okay if it costs a bit more money.”

◆

Roland’s wife, Chelsea, was a worrier.

For days before the dinner party, she fretted over every little thing, only to be gently admonished by Roland and the children. Even on the morning of the event, she was still in a state of panic, unsure of what to do.

“Hey, honey. Are Mars and Tina’s outfits really okay? What if it’s inappropriate or disrespectful?”

“Mama… let’s just go already.”

“Tina’s right, Mom.”

Both children were growing weary of Chelsea’s incessant worrying.

Moreover, they were on the verge of being late if they didn’t leave soon.

“Calm down, Chelsea.”

“B-but…”

“You spent several days under the same roof as Jill. It’s not like she’s going to eat us alive. Matthew and the others were also invited to the tea party. Just enjoy it like you normally would.”

Chelsea was even more shy than Tina. While she had no problem interacting with customers when helping at the restaurant, she became extremely timid when it came to private social situations.

“But I had no idea she was such an important person!”

“Well, that’s true…”

Roland scratched his head in frustration.

“Listen, Chelsea. You don’t need to overthink this as though we’ve been invited by some noble figure. Just think of it like greeting one of Tina’s friends. Keep it that simple.”

“Oh… that’s right! Tina snuck into the mansion without permission, didn’t she?!”

“We already apologized for that! It’ll be fine!”

That was one of the reasons they had offered Jill a place to stay—to apologize for Tina’s behavior. When Matthew first introduced Jill to Roland, he had bowed repeatedly in apology. Jill hadn’t minded at all and had even seemed guilty for scolding someone else’s child, so the matter had been completely resolved. Suppressing the urge to sigh openly, Roland gently patted his wife’s shoulder.

“Come on, let’s go. Being late would be even more disrespectful.”

“Y-you’re right…”

Dressed in their best clothes, Roland’s family climbed into the carriage waiting outside the restaurant.

“Are you all right, Chelsea?”

It was Matthew, the escort for the day, who had spoken.

The horse and carriage had been borrowed from a merchant friend of his.

“Well, we’ll manage somehow. She has nerves of steel in a pinch… probably.”

“Please be more confident! …Mars, Tina, are you two doing okay?”

Matthew glanced at the children.

“Sorry about my mother.”

“We’re fine!”

Mars lowered his head apologetically, while Tina responded cheerfully.

Matthew decided not to comment on how the children seemed more composed than the adults.

“Shall we head off, then?”

The carriage rattled down the streets of Shelland.

Starlings fluttered playfully onto the roof of the carriage, hopping and chirping as they went.