Ascendance of a Bookworm

Are you sure you will succeed, nervously I watched the oven. This cuttlecurl is a treat that uses quite precious ingredients at all costs.

I use other people's ingredients in someone else's house, and besides, it's the first treat I'll make for Frieda, so I can't fail.

"Mine, haven't you?

"Time to see how it goes once and for all?

Ilse opens the oven and sees a little. I could see it swelling in a good way. However, the baking colour is slightly different in the back and in front.

"Mr. Ilse, you seem to be baking better in the back, so could you turn it down and let me in?

"Ah."

Opposite the crease, Ilse pushed the iron pan.

I can never stick my hands in this hot oven, even with thick gloves like mittens. I am impressed by the cook's accustomed work.

After Gachan and I closed the lid exactly, Ilse looked down at me.

"How do you tell if you're burning or subtracting?

"Uh, I plug in a long stick with a thin, pointed tip like bamboo gushi, and I check, do you have one?

"Hmm, the only thing I can think of is these sticks for baking meat"

What he looked for in the mess was an iron skewer that pierced meat and vegetables during barbecue. I've never seen baking add or subtract on an iron skewer, so honestly, I don't know if it's okay unless I try.

... There's gonna be some really big holes, but if you don't have bamboo gutters, you can't help it, can you?

I used to have no bamboo gushi and stuck vegetable chopsticks in it, so I think it's probably okay.

If Ilse plugged in the stick softly to see how it was, the dough only followed a little.

"Looks like he hasn't cooked inside yet"

"How do you know?

"It's got a little raw baked dough on here, right? If it doesn't come with this kind of thing, it's a burnt signal."

When I cooked it all the way inside, the oven might have been a little too hot because the top was just a little dark brown. But unlike the oven I used, I can't easily regulate the temperature, so I have to leave all this to the artisan experience and consideration.

"Let's watch the oven next time."

As Ilse shrugged so, she removed Katorkar from the oven. When removed from the mold, the cake is baked like a fluffy, round castella.

"Wow!

"Oh, that looks delicious."

The eyes of the two staring at the baked cattle curls sparkle, and an indescribable sense of accomplishment springs up in my chest.

"The truth is, after wrapping it in a tightly squeezed wet cloth like this to keep it dry and letting it rest for a couple of days, it tastes better to eat, but why don't we just taste it?

Have Ilse cut it thin with a knife, pinch it with her fingers and eat it puckered. Instead of using a fork, I think it's a flavor of taste to just eat it while people don't come by the smell.

"Yeah, the taste of great success"

I had only eaten it in the form of pound cake, but the flavor was fine, whether it was round or the cake mould was an iron pan.

Following me, Ilse, who is accustomed to taste, puts it in his mouth.

"Heh, this is..."

Frieda, who had hesitated to pinch with her fingers for a few moments, also saw Ilse tasted it and hurried it into her mouth.

"Well!"

After the two people I tasted turned their eyes round, Guru and his face turned to me. It's a predator's eye similar to that of the guild leader in the morning.

... Something a little nasty?

Looks like we'd better get out of here before we get some weird questions. I grabbed Frieda's hand.

"Bye, Frieda. Let's have this served for dessert after dinner so we can all eat it. Next time, we'll take a bath."

I look back where I leave the kitchen, and I just don't forget to thank you.

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Ilse"

In making confectionery, we haven't worked like work, but the cuffs are covered in powder because of the sieve of flour. We've got plenty of time, and we'll use a phosphor to clean it up.

When I took Frieda's hand and got out of the kitchen, there was a working woman waiting for me who helped me with my morning support.

"Both of you, take a bath before you travel here and there."

"Well, you say the same thing about Utte as Mine"

Frieda walks off laughing couscous.

Utte seems to have assumed that we would be soiled with confectionery making, and they are preparing hot water for us. Utte leads us through a cage with a change of clothes and a kettle with towels and a phosphor.

"This way, please."

I watched as Utte went down the stairs in the house.

Even Benno's store had a staircase connected to the top in the back room, so it's not surprising that there's a staircase where you can go from inside the house to the store. But can I walk there myself? I asked Frieda sneakingly.

"... when you get down these stairs, why don't you go to the store?

"It's okay."

Utte passes the door on the ground floor where the store is located and goes further down. Apparently, he's going to the basement.

Down the stairs, there were two doors. Nice, decent doors and regular doors.

And Yutteh openeth the door of the fine man, and letteth us in. It was a room with warm feet and high room temperature enough to make me want to say if it was even floor heating.

There are two large wooden platforms, with cloth on top. It's like a massage table. That's what I thought, but I'll find out later that it wasn't a mistake.

"Come on, take off your shoes and clothes"

Apparently, this was a massage room and stripper.

Urged by Utte, I take off the clothes I was wearing. Frieda had also taken it off with Utte's help.

And when I opened the other door, there was a bathroom about six tatami sizes. It's about the size of a family bath in a hot spring in Japan, and the hot tub is big enough for two to three adults to stretch their legs.

There were white marble-like floors that I saw pampered, and hot tubs of the same material were stretched with hot water on each side. At the edge of the hot tub is a statue of a girl holding a kettle, with a little hot water coming out of that kettle.

For the amount of hot water coming out of the statue, the hot water runs out of the hot tub one by one, warmed by its hot water, and the bathroom is warm.

The ceiling is tiled, and the light falls from the window close to the ceiling. It's surrounded by white marble, so it's reflective and bright.

"Yeah!? What is this!?

When I raise my voice unexpectedly to the appearance of a luxury bath that I did not expect, my voice reflects on Kuwa-kun.

Seeing my amazement as it solidifies with the door open, Frieda laughs with pleasure and walks into the bathroom.

"Ugh, surprised? It's a reproduction of the bath your uncle had in the aristocratic hall. I don't normally use it, but I was told it would be good to use it specially because it's a baptismal ceremony tomorrow."

"I can't believe I took a bath... there was one"

I had a bath in front of me that hadn't been in for over a year. It is also bigger and more luxurious than the bath of Reino's house.

"It's something that came in from a foreign country, and it seems to have a reputation among the nobles for beauty and health. Just be careful because your feet slip."

"Yeah."

Utte came in with her clothes on. Only the apron is changing. It surrounds the skirt area with a slightly stiff material that assumes it will get wet. I was given a little bit of that skirt so that it wouldn't get wet either, and a part of it was tied.

As Utte came in and tried to wash Frieda quickly, I rushed to take out the phosphor.

"Mr. Utte, use this when washing. This way, shake it a little..."

Although I explained, Utte looked down at Frieda with a slightly troubled look.

"Utte, why don't you let Mine wash you today?

"Um, can I wash it?

Since Utte gave way to the place, I began to wash Frieda's hair. In the meantime, Utte rubs the soap against the towel and starts washing Frieda's body.

"When you have a washing area like here and you can use plenty of hot water, wash it with what you took directly into your hair like this. Carefully wash your scalp with your finger belly so you don't get your nails up."

"It's ticklish, but it feels good"

Frieda is probably well cared for by Utte. Originally, my hair was lustrous and glossy. I might not have had to use a phosphor.

It's likely that the millionaires have already established their own beauty art, so it might be difficult to sell them.

I was thinking about that while washing Frieda's hair. Maybe Benno needs to know.

"If I wash the whole thing like this, I wash my hair away. Rinse carefully so that you can flush all the liquid on your scalp."

When I said so, Utte flushed the bubbles of Frieda's body in a bucket. When only her body is clean, Frieda goes toward Stasta and the hot tub and goes inside with the topun.

Looking at what she was going to do, Frieda put her head on the edge and drooled her hair outside the hot tub. Then Yutte carefully rinses her hair dripping from the hot tub.

Ho, do you want me to wash my head like that? I said, "I'm going to rinse," and I said, "I'm glad I didn't cover you with hot water." It was going to be a big deal.

While I was rounding my eyes on the way the lady bathed, it seemed I was done rinsing. Great environment with Zapazapa and hot water.

Now that Frieda had finished washing, I had also reached for the kettle to wash my head, using a phosphor. Frieda, who came out of Zapali and the hot tub, brightens her eyes.

"I want to wash Mine's hair, too."

"... I'd love to"

Can I let the lady do that?

When I turned my gaze to Utte asking if it was okay, I exhaled lightly, and Utte also lowered her back near me.

"Okay, lady. Wash with me. I want to practice using this phosphor, too."

"Fine."

You say you want to practice, and you follow your daughter when she's about to fail. Thank you, Mr Utte.

If you wash your hair by yourself, your big and small fingers will move. I felt badly tickled, but I couldn't even laugh and put up with it.

"Mine has very good hair on her fingers."

"I originally had straight hair, so I ran away and couldn't tie it up with strings. That's why I'm using pimples."

"It's a wonder you can put your hair together with a stick of wood."

"Hmmm, there's nothing around me, so as far as I'm concerned, it was a bitter measure..."

After Yutte had washed my hair to some extent, I entrusted Frieda to wash my hair and began to wash my body. I could not escape while Frieda was washing my hair, and I was left quiet.

"Now Mine's clean, too."

For a while I squealed my hair, and Frieda withdrew her hand satisfactorily, and I tried to take the bucket.

But Utte takes up the bucket sooner than I take it.

"Come on, I'll flush your hair, put it on hot water"

"Ji, can you do it yourself?

"Mr. Mine is a customer. Come on."

I was pushed off with a smile, so I followed the hot tub, just like Frieda, and put my head on the edge.

Yutte washes her hair carefully when she drips the bass. It takes warm hot water, gentle hands rub my hair and stroke my scalp.

Oh, it's like a hairdresser. Feels good.

I guess Utte always helps Frieda bathe in the water. I'm so comfortable with the gestures I'm used to, I'm going to fall asleep like this.

"Hey, Mine. How do you wash your head when you don't use the bathroom?

I awakened haphazardly to Frieda's question. This is not a hairdresser. You can't sleep.

Looking only at the person who heard Frieda's voice, I could see Frieda, who was soaking up next to me, laying her head on the edge and posing the same way.

As I look up at the mosaic pattern of the tile, on the ceiling beyond the hot air, I will explain how to wash it all the time.

"When you don't use the bathroom, put about half of the hot water in that bucket, add the phosphor and mix well. Then, soak your hair in a bucket and wash the liquid over your hair. Wipe it with a cloth over and over again so that it doesn't leave any liquid in your hair, and comb it with a hammer."

Wash it again and again with a towel so that it doesn't leave as much phosphorus as possible. This is also my bitter measure of flesh that I managed to wash my head in the absence of hot water.

If we had a bathroom like this, I wouldn't have bothered.

"Is Lincian Mine's?

"Yeah, Mr. Benno has all the rights. It's time for them to sell it."

"Yes..."

Frieda said something. I did, but faster than Frieda spoke, Utte's hand stopped.

"Will this be okay?

"Thank you. It felt so good."

And when I rose up and thanked him, Utte rose up softly.

"Then I will prepare myself for: Come out warm, both of you."

"Huh."

Drop Yutte out of the bathroom, and I will grab the water to my puffy shoulder. I shrugged hot water, washed my face in a pastry, and exhaled deeply.

Huh, extremely easy, extremely easy.

"Mine, he looks like he's gonna melt."

"Because the bath, it feels good. It's too luxurious to stretch your hands and feet so far and grab them in hot water to your shoulders."

"Mine liked the bath, didn't he?

"Well, already! I want to come in every day."

I nodded heavily with a full grin at Frieda's words. But Frieda doesn't look like a very enjoyable smile.

"... Frieda doesn't like it?

"I don't hate it, but it's hot, and after I use the bath, I lose my head."

"That's what I'm putting up. Too much."

Reflectively, when I answered, Frieda turned her eyes round.

"Really? They tell you to warm up a lot, so you're just as warm as you were in the hot tub, right?

"Hot water in the bath, it cools right down, doesn't it? But this bath has a lot of hot water from that statue. So if you were in there the same time, you'd get up there and make me sick. Why don't you come out early today?

"I will."

Up early with Frieda. It was early in my senses but Frieda seemed pretty warm and her whole body was stained with pink.

"Isn't that disgusting? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine today."

When I left the bath, Utte said I would give a massage with scented oil, but I declined to do so.

Although I am concerned about fragrance oil massage, in my case, I cannot take a bath next time. I don't know if I can clean off the fragrance oil with a wipe with Touri after I get home to us.

I was dressed, wiping my hair, watching Frieda get a massage.

"Massage is so elegant."

"I don't really like this kind of time, but my uncle says if you're going into aristocratic society, you should get used to it."

Oh, I was convinced. It's all an exercise to get used to the aristocratic society, whether it's hot for Frieda, taking a bath even though it just makes her sick, or getting a massage with a slightly troublesome face.

There would be a huge difference in Frieda's life ahead of her, not knowing it at all.

"... right. If you have a chance to get used to it, you should get used to it. Because differences in common sense and habits are pretty big."

"That's what my uncle said. That's why there are so many things in this house that belong to the aristocracy."

Though I thought the atmosphere was a lot different in the same merchant's house than Corinna's, which is supposed to be living not much different from her pre-marital life, it doesn't seem like the only reason the guild chief's house is lavish is because it's a rich merchant's house. I guess the quality of all the meals, baths and household goods is out of step because they incorporate what is in noble life for Frieda.

"You're drowning."

"… an investment in the future. My uncle thinks a lot of things now so that I don't have any trouble owning a shop in the aristocratic neighborhood, and I don't waste my stepping stones."

Frieda pointing her lips a little dissatisfied. It's not something I can do without love, although I don't think all of Frieda's opinions are wrong.

"It's Frieda's dream to have a store, so you're here for me, aren't you? When I ordered the hair decorations, my granddaughter was the only grandfather I could see."

"... yes"

Maybe Frieda misses you a lot?

When I was not able to get out much because of eating, and finally freed from eating, I was tied to a contract with the nobility. You will live towards it more than you have decided to be a concubine of nobility, and you will not be able to have friends or anything else around you with completely different circumstances.

Frieda, who needs to acquire strength and computational height to live in an aristocratic society and must acquire by adulthood the knowledge to be able to run a shop, is undoubtedly a study-soaked day. Even if it has to be for me, my life, my life and my family's expectations come under pressure, so maybe I don't have half the heavy pressure on my toddler's shoulder.

Besides, my family spends money on me, but I also see my intentions for myself in the future clearly, so maybe there are some things I honestly can't sweeten.

So are you obsessed with me?

They have the same eating, they've been sticking their feet in business since before baptism, and they have a lot in common with Rutz that makes them run wild on weird hobbies. Compared to other kids, they have a lot in common and I'm pretty sure they seem to fit the story somewhat. So do you want to have an enclosure?

"Mine, wow. Your hair's gonna be tight!

While I was blurry, after the massage, Frieda, dressed up, threw her fingers through her hair and raised a voice of amazement.

Yutte, who is carefully combed, is also happily taking Frieda's hair.

"Yeah, it's a very good finish."

"I'm glad you're happy. Hey, I got some magic gear. Did you thank me?

"Oh, Mine paid the price, so you don't have to worry about that, do you?

I shook my head, grinning bitterly at the words of Frieda, who was indeed a merchant.

"I wanted to thank you. It's how I feel. If the guild leader hadn't collected his magic equipment for Frieda, there would have been nothing he could have done with the money."

"... so is that."

There was another good smell coming from the kitchen when I went back upstairs after a slow bath. Apparently, Ilse is trying Katorkar again.

"Because it's a new recipe, I need to remember it."

I laugh small at Ilse's reliable smile. If a delicious recipe becomes popular, I'll be happy too, so I'll just be sure to support it.

"If Ilse cooks new, it's okay to eat what I make, right? I want to have some tea with Mine, so get ready."

"I'll have him transported right away."

I tried to have tea in the dining room, and Lutz just arrived.

"Oh, Mine. You smell amazing."

Is there a sharp sense of smell about sweets? Oh, my God, when I was secretly laughing, Lutz looked at me, his eyes narrowed, and he peered into my face.

"What, Lutz? What's the matter with you?

"Hey, Mine. You, aren't you a little too impotent today? You were too uptight because the fever went down, weren't you? Go to sleep now. I'm gonna heat you out of tiredness."

"Huh? Huh? Are you feeling all right?

I leaned my neck as I touched my face with a pepper, but Lutz shook his head with a frown.

"I'm just excited and unaware. Not very good."

"Oh, but the fever must have calmed down, and we just made sweets today and took a bath together, right?

Frieda also leaned her neck in line for what she had done today, as she would cover me.

Lutz tried to hold his temples and exhaled.

"... well. If you don't eat, you're a healthy person. Mine doesn't have to eat to be weak. Whether you fell from eating, tired, or unfamiliar, suddenly you fall on a level that's hard to distinguish."

Frieda and I looked at Lutz's words unexpectedly.

"Mine, did you!?

"Isn't Frieda frail!?

Looks like we were meant to figure each other out on our own.

Frieda thought it was okay as long as she ate herself, and I thought it was okay to work with Frieda because she was weak because she ate herself too.

"Bath or something, I don't know, but it's my first time anyway, so didn't you just stick around and do all kinds of work trying to show off the good stuff?

"Ugh...... Not so much work, though."

It's true that I've always been surrounded by tension, and I've been sweet enough to think that if Frieda was okay, I'd be fine.

"You're making too much of a move today. Don't take a sweet look at your weakness. Are you sure you're weak?

"You don't have to call me weak and weak."

"Isn't that true? Mostly, tomorrow's your day home at the christening, isn't it? If this heats up, it's not like my family's gonna be mad at me, is it?

If you do something about the fever of eating, and you think you're thankful and you do things on your own, and you can't believe that you fell down with a fever, you're going to give back your gratitude with vengeance.

My father, looking forward to getting home fine, was angry, scolded by my mother for causing so much trouble to Frieda's house, and told Thuri, "Why can't Mine stay quiet? It is decided to be frightened."

"Awwww..."

"Right. You can't keep it and make me sick. Mine, take the day off already. Right?"

That's what Frieda seemed worried about, and I nodded heavily.

"I will. Thanks, Lutz. Tell me.... Frieda, I'm sorry, but can I ask Lutz to share this' cattle curl '?

"Yeah, of course. Utte, I need you to take Mine to her room."

"Yes, sir."

When the guest guides me to the room and I lie down in bed, I know very well that I was quite tired.

My whole body was relaxed and my body was slightly hot, which didn't seem to be the only reason I took a bath for a long time.

That's Rutz. I didn't know you could spot it at a glance......

I guess I didn't know to add or subtract because it was the first time in Mine's body to make sweets in the pressure of not being able to fail, not in the usual bath of water, but in the bath.

I'm pretty nervous about someone else's house, and I guess Lutz's right, too nervous.

By the time the soft futon warmed with its own mud, my consciousness had completely fallen.