Outaishihi ni Nante Naritakunai!!

Hmmmmm.

Although my husband loved me plenty, I was released relatively early in the evening, and the next day I was holed up in the kitchen in the morning in good spirits. I got a decent night's sleep and was full of energy. I am making o-hagi.

I chose o-hagi because it's one of the most popular items on the regular menu at a Japanese café, and it's popular among the elderly. I remembered that I hadn't asked Delis to try it yet, so I made it for her.

If you like daifuku, maybe you like o-hagi, too.

I had been working hard all morning to make Delis-san happy, as I always want to offer something new and different.

''Master, are you an o-hagi?''

Yeah, I see.

As I was working, the cooks would naturally gather around. They looked at me and knew right away what I was making.

'I'm going to give this to the people who have been good to me. They're a little older.

'I see. It's true that o-hagi is very popular with the elderly. I like it too. Oh, master, is that oagi a koshian?　I'm more of a grainy sauce guy.

I'm a fan of koshi-an, too. I just thought you might like koshian better, so I went with that. I don't want to kill the whole thing inside, either.

Yeah.

The movement around me stopped.

'?

What did I say that was so funny? As I was tilting my head, the cook I had been talking to earlier asked fearfully.

''Master, what's that ...... half-dead or all-dead thing you're talking about?''

Oh!

Satisfied, I smiled and said.

'Well, you know, o-hagi has sticky rice inside, right?

Yeah, I guess so.

The one where the glutinous rice is mashed so that no grains remain is called 'half-killed' and the one where no grains are left is called 'none killed'. The one with no grains left is called 'Minakaziri'. We only serve the 'Half Killing' at the Japanese Cafe, but the 'Minakaziri' has a different texture and is delicious.

...... haha. It's very disturbing. But is that what we're always eating, half-dead ......?

Yeah.

It is indeed a very disturbing thing. I was very surprised when I first heard about it in my past life.

I was just a child at the time, but it was so interesting and disturbing that I never forgot it until now.

'I always thought that masters know a lot of things. Are o-hagi made in some region?

What?

This world has many similarities to previous cultures. So it may or may not be there.

But at least I don't know, so I can only answer, "Come on.

I guess he knew I wasn't going to answer, but he gave me a look that said he had no choice. I'm sorry to keep so many things a secret, but I don't plan on taking care of anyone else but Freed at the moment.

The Crown Princess of Wilhelm doesn't want to be thought of as a crazy woman.

'I'm sorry. But I can't tell you.

No, I'm sure there's a lot of confidentiality involved. I'm the one who's sorry.

I'm grateful that they're willing to back off honestly.

However, it is interesting that everyone's taste is splendidly divided into two kinds of Japanese sweets, o-hagi - also called botamochi.

There are those who like koshian and those who like grainy sauce. And more importantly, everyone is strangely particular about things like kinako and aonori.

I am definitely a kotsuan fan.

I want koshian.

Kinako is the best.

And so on.

By the way, there is a different type of 'o-hagi' (rice cakes) for each day at the Japanese Cafe. Some of the regulars even ask me what kind of o-hagi they would like to have today.

I'm thinking of making a 'Minakiri' version at a Japanese café too. I'm sure there will be more of a difference in tastes.

That sounds interesting. As I was thinking like that, the cooks who had been observing my work closely nodded with serious faces.

''Anyway, we're really curious about that 'kill everyone' thing. We'd like to try it once.''

So, I'll give you guys the rest of it.

There's not that much to take to Mr. Delis. I originally thought there would be a surplus, so it would be nice to have it consumed.

''Yes!''

When the cooks heard my response, they threw a gut punch.

Relaxing my cheeks at their joyful expressions, I took out the wooden box I had prepared and carefully filled it with o-hagi.

I made two kinds of koshian and nanako. I made both because I thought the colors were beautiful, and I think I did quite well.

All right, ...... is done!

Close the lid and hang a beautiful colored string instead of a ribbon. I wonder if Mr. Derris will be happy with it. I hope she likes it as much as Daifuku does.

'Master, we'll take care of the cleanup. Since you can have the rest of the o-hagi, please let me do that much.

Yeah?　Then I'll take care of it.

I was usually grateful for that, so I ask. I left the kitchen with the wooden box of o-hagi and left the kitchen.

'Liddy,'

Freed.

The master was waiting for me when I left the kitchen.

The reason he didn't go inside was because he was concerned about the cooks. As the Dauphin, the cooks were more or less nervous when he arrived. He didn't want them to do so. As I ran up to him at a small run, Freed looked at the crate I was holding and asked, "Is that the souvenir you're taking with you? He asked.

'Yeah, right. 'I don't think you've had o-hagi yet, Mr. Derris. Didn't we have freed?

'Yes. I don't know if I've ever heard that name before either.

Fried doesn't like sweetness, so I haven't been able to get him to eat many Japanese sweets either.

However, from what I've heard about the sweets he's eaten so far, he doesn't seem to dislike anko, so maybe o-hagi is okay too.

I'll make some for Friedo next time. Will you have it?

Anything Liddy can make for me.

Freed returns it immediately. I know he means it, so I thank him honestly and say thank you.

I was going to go back to my room, but now that Freed is here, I decide to continue on my way to Mr. Delis' place.

He had come out with that intention, too, and was dressed enough to not float out. He has a jute bag in his hand. Inside are the flower seeds that Delis-san asked for.

She had gone out of her way to request it so that Freed could easily come too.

Delis-san can be very kind like that. Even if I said it, she would never admit it, though.

I know she's a kind person, and that's fine with me.

Yo.

Oh, Cain.

A black-eyed Cain joined them as they left the castle gates. He was dressed in his usual 'the, ninja' outfit, not the Ilvern style of yesterday.

It's been a while since I've seen him in his usual form, and I somehow thought, 'Oh.

You're going to your grandmother's, aren't you?

Yes.

Basically, Fried doesn't want to have an escort, but Cain is the only one who doesn't get angry when I follow him (apparently because he's not under his control and wants to keep me safer), and when his brother noticed this in Irvine, he completely forced Cain to take care of the two of them, saying, "Take care of those two.

Cain, who originally had no intention of leaving my side, accepted the offer and earned the right to stay by our side with impunity.

I've been told by Alec to 'keep an eye on those guys' just now. I'm going to follow you because I'm the princess's bodyguard even if you don't ask me to, but it's easy to do because it's official.

It's true.

Cain would be able to go to Mr. Delis' place with us (if anything, I even think he lives there sometimes) and there's little to hide from him. Freed wouldn't complain if it was Cain, so it's a big help to us as well.

I'm not sure if it makes sense since they know I'm the crown prince, but Fried changed his hair color to black just to be inconspicuous.

The three of us walk together. Fried and I held hands, with Cain following close behind.

Although we often go out together, it was new to me that Freed was also going to Mr. Delis' place.