...
When they left, Ashes, who was following Princess Tilly, suddenly stopped, turned around and said, "I owe you an apology, Your Majesty."
This was the first time that Roland had heard her use honorifics to address him. "It doesn't matter. The things that happened in the palace, I'm also a little..."
"We all know that it wasn't you," Ashes shook her head. "Such a person would never have been able to lead us to victory against the Church, nor would he have been able to give the witches full freedom and trust. I'm sorry, it wasn't until you defeated the Church that I believed this." She paused. "Every witch will remember everything you've done, and you're more suitable to be Lady Tilly's brother than him."
For Ashes to say such a thing, it could only mean that Tilly herself also thought so. But in the end, they still didn't believe that he was Prince Roland... Roland did not know whether to laugh or cry. But was this an alternative way of recognition?
Looking at his sister who was smiling behind her, he suddenly understood something.
The Extraordinary put her right hand on her chest and slightly bent over. Her black ponytail hung over her shoulder, and her golden eyes were like the dazzling stars in the dusk.
"Messenger Ashes pays her respects to you, Your Majesty."
*****
Three days later, the farewell banquet that Andrea had been waiting for finally arrived.
She was not looking forward to leaving, but looking forward to the new delicacies that His Majesty had announced.
Since the last time they parted, she had been thinking about the food that His Majesty said was more delicious than ice cream, so she had great expectations for it this time. However, the war with the church was of great importance, so she was too embarrassed to mention it. Now she could finally get what she wanted.
The banquet was not held in the castle, but in the expanded back garden.
She walked through the olive trees and into the center of the garden. Before she even saw any food, an extremely rich aroma had already entered her nostrils. Crystal fish from the Everwinter Glacier? Hundred-Flavored eggs from the cliffs of the Kingdom of Wolfheart? Or rainbow trout from the Fjords? No... it was all wrong. She had never smelled such an attractive aroma. Even the rarest ingredients could not be so fragrant.
"I suddenly feel so hungry," Shavi shouted.
"Have you always lived like this in the Western Region?" Molly licked her lips. "How enviable!"
"I haven't enjoyed it much," Breeze hugged Lotus and Evelyn. "They're the ones you should be envious of."
"This kind of banquet is not held every day," explained the candle, "and usually the dessert is made only once every three days."
"It's only been three days …" Molly held her forehead. "Why do I feel like you're showing off?"
"Eh, I didn't."
"Hey, don't drool." Ashes glanced at Andrea, even though her Adam's apple was also moving.
Andrea did not respond with her usual sarcasm. Her attention was now completely focused on a few round tree stumps placed at the side of the garden.
At first glance, they looked as if they had grown out of the ground. Their thick trunks required seven or eight people to encircle. Hot air billowed in the middle as if something was burning.
When she walked closer, she found that the inside of the tree stumps had been hollowed out, and a huge iron pot was set up on top. The strong aroma came from the soup in the pot.
The short table next to the tree stumps was piled with all kinds of food. Although there were many kinds of food, they were all common things to eat, and there were no rare dishes. Another thing that she couldn't figure out was that the food was raw.
This was the first time Andrea had seen this kind of banquet. There were no attendants shuttling between the tables, no white cloth, no music, and no crowd. Everyone sat around the tree stumps. Looking at this posture, it seemed that they had to do it themselves.
Sure enough, when all the witches had arrived, Roland clapped his hands and announced the start of the banquet. "This is a hotpot banquet. The way to eat it is very simple. Put the food you like into the pot, cook it, and then enjoy it!"
Autumn was a good season for eating hotpot. As a cooking method that was widely loved by the people, it was easy to operate and could be understood at a glance. Even the simplest vegetable dishes could taste delicious. Most importantly, it was very down to earth. The diners gathered together and shared the delicacies from the same pot. Compared to traditional banquets that were particular about style, it was easier to enhance mutual affection. As a banquet before parting, it could also wash away the reluctance and depression in people's hearts.
The essence of hotpot was the soup. In this era, cooking methods were very monotonous. Usually, each ingredient had its own taste, so they paid special attention to the quality of the ingredients themselves. Roland ordered the chef to mix all kinds of food with unique tastes, such as whole chickens, pork bones, bird beak mushrooms, seafood, spices, and so on, and boil them in the pot. The rich taste of the soup was far from what could be achieved by cooking one or two ingredients separately.
As for the natural style of the hotpot table, it was made by Leaf. The Heart of the Forest could make plants grow according to her wishes. Without any additional processing, it could take the shape that Roland wanted. The inside of the table was covered with an insulating coating. Even if an alcohol lamp was lit, the table would not burn. On the contrary, the temperature of the inner wall would slowly spread to the whole tree stump. You could feel the warmth when you put your hands on the table.
When Andrea put a piece of cooked meat into her mouth, she couldn't help but moan at the rich and strong taste.
The aroma of dozens of ingredients attacked her tongue one after another. Coupled with the hot soup flowing down her throat and into her stomach, this feeling was completely different from ice cream bread, but it made her unable to stop eating.
According to the dining etiquette of the nobles, they should finish the food on their plates first before taking new food. However, they obviously could not eat the new thing that His Majesty had made. Otherwise, they could only watch as others scooped up all the food.
Her sisters at the same table were not very elegant either. Or it could be said that the way to eat hotpot was fated to be elegant. Even Lady Tilly had a few plates of delicacies neatly placed in front of her, and Ashes even scooped up a spoon in front of her several times.
"The true essence of food is the original taste... Only when nothing is added can the soup be more similar to the original taste. Who said that?" The Extraordinary imitated her tone and said, "I remember that someone regarded salt and spices as a barbaric way of cooking and said that real nobles would never use it. Why is it so different from what I see?"
If it were in the past, Andrea might have argued a little and even felt a little upset. But now, she understood what was most important.
It was much more meaningful to seize the time to enjoy the food than to waste words.
She glanced at Ashes indifferently, and without hesitation, she pushed away the other's spoon and put the rolling meat into her own bowl.
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