Renovation (5)

He returned around dawn, and the sun rose soon after.

When I woke up after what felt like barely a short sigh of sleep, Leonardo was still by my side. I wasn't sure if he had never left or if he had been there the whole time. But in either case, it would have been hard for me to guess.

Though he was generally lacking in the art of acting — in other words, believable lies— he had an uncanny knack for things like this, moving in and out silently and erasing his presence.

I briefly considered if that was somehow related to his days as a mercenary or his childhood as a street urchin, but it felt too rude to think, so I quickly pushed it from my memory.

Leonardo greeted me with a faint smile.

"Good morning."

"Yeah…"

Sunlight seeped in behind his shoulder, sharp enough to pierce my eyes. The windows in the fortress only had thin, worn curtains, so the sunlight streamed in unfiltered. As I thought that the curtains would be the first thing to fix if I were to start repairs, Leonardo subtly shifted his back to block the sunlight for me. He willingly served as a human shield, waiting until I brushed my messy hair back, rubbed my eyes, threw off the blanket, and placed my bare feet on the floor.

When I whispered "Thank you," Leonardo wordlessly brought the shoes he had taken off my feet last night back to my bedside. I can't even jokingly call him a servant anymore. Sometimes, it feels like Leonardo himself isn't aware of how far he goes, leaving me with no way to stop him.

I start to wonder if I might be getting a bit too used to this kind of treatment. Hmm… I really shouldn't get too comfortable with this. Am I going to get spoiled?

While grumbling to myself, I decided to return the favour with the one thing I could offer.

"Let's have breakfast."

At that, Leonardo added, as if recalling our conversation from last night,

"A nourishing meal."

"Right, to ward off the lingering cold that's already long gone."

And together, we walked to the kitchen side by side.

There wasn't much that I bought while browsing through the market in El Dante. I decided against taking a donkey with me since I didn't want strange rumours spreading through the castle that Leonardo had been abandoned.

After gathering some information about the back alleys and heading back to the castle to prepare, I bought a little meat, fresh vegetables, bundles of spices, and a few cooking tools from the marketplace. Today's breakfast will make use of these.

'Hopefully, the oven in the kitchen doesn't collapse while I'm cooking…'

The kitchen in this old fortress was rather worn down. Thinking about it, the place was filled with things that would probably collapse if Leonardo threw a punch. If he hit them, most would just turn into junk. All I could do was hope they were sturdy enough.

I took out a plump chicken from the cool, shaded storage room and asked Leonardo to help prepare it. Leonardo started working with a kitchen knife, separating the meat from the bones, while I turned back toward the storage room to grab something I'd forgotten: onions.

As I picked up two large onions from the shelf, a weighty presence approached me from behind, almost as if it were leaning in close. There was no reason to be surprised. I had already sensed the presence following me from the moment I turned my steps in the kitchen. I stepped closer to the shelf to avoid the shadow cast over me. With each step I took, the presence behind me took another step closer, closing the distance.

"Hey… it's cramped."

Leonardo, this guy, is he conspiring with the pantry shelves to crush me to death?

'What's with him today?'

I turned to look at Leonardo, but he seemed completely oblivious, which made it even more absurd.

"Are you trying to turn me into jerky? Or are you looking for something too?"

I teased him lightly, and he finally backed off a bit, shaking his head.

"I'm not really looking for anything… Is there anything I can help with?"

"How about finishing up with the chicken?"

"Ah."

Did he actually forget he was in the middle of prepping the chicken? Honestly, sometimes he's so absent-minded it's concerning.

"I wonder… Are you even making progress on exploring the underground passage while I'm away? Maybe I should go with you after all."

"That part's fine. It's not as large or complex as Sinistra's. There's a clear difference between an entire underground city created by a whole population and a simple escape route."

Watching him nod as if to say, "Just trust me," I couldn't help but feel a bit skeptical. Can I really rely on him?

On the second morning at Lilium Fortress, when the scenario was assigned and work on the underground passage began, I suggested going together, but it was Leonardo who shook his head first.

[You already have things to do this afternoon, don't you?]

[You mean gambling.]

[And during the day, you'll be busy mingling with the people in the castle, gathering information. So it's best for you to rest at night. I'll scout out the area first, and we can explore it together later.]

It wasn't just that I was busy; I had another reason for disliking the underground. Someday, I'll be fine with it, but I still need a bit more time.

[…If you find anything, let me know right away. I'm available anytime.]

[Will do.]

I'm curious about the entire conversation between Baron Roald and Count Ertinez regarding the 'plan.' It seems the Count is plotting something… but without enough information, it's too early to make assumptions. The only part I can deduce so far is that the term plan is often used in the context of rebellion.

Therefore, it's possible that there are discussions brewing between King Godric and Count Ertinez. Similarly, there's a chance that Leonardo, who harbours vengeance toward King Godric, might form some kind of alliance with Count Ertinez. To understand the situation in more detail, I still need information.

'I call myself an informant, yet I don't know anything.'

With a playful sigh, I returned to the kitchen to continue preparing the meal. Leonardo was back with the kitchen knife, skillfully separating the bones and meat with precision.

I placed a pot of water over the fire and added chopped onions, carrots, and leeks with a satisfying thud on the cutting board, along with thick, sturdy chicken bones. I added a bit of sugar and salt and waited for the broth to develop its flavour. The meat was seasoned with spices, allowing the flavours to seep in.

Making the broth takes a long time, so I decided to wash up in the meantime. Maybe it was just my imagination, but it felt like the smell of stale alcohol, old dust, and the heavy air from the gambling den had followed me.

When I returned, Vittorio was awake, watching the bubbles swirl in the simmering broth in the kitchen. As the chicken broth became richer, I seared the seasoned meat in a pan until golden brown and lightly sautéed the remaining vegetables. The sautéed ingredients were then added to the pot, where they would cook thoroughly.

Originally, pasta noodles would go into this, but instead, I tore bits of flour dough to make hand-torn noodles. Finding pasta noodles was harder than expected, and I was starting to crave a more local taste.

Vittorio happily tore the dough and dropped it into the pot, while Leonardo stirred with a ladle to keep it from sticking to the bottom.

While I gently wiped the flour off Vittorio's cheek, the well-cooked dough pieces floated to the surface, lazily drifting. With the delicious aroma and steamy haze filling the room, the fortress felt like a small pot of bubbling soup. Just then, Leonardo glanced outside.

"Someone's here."

I turned to follow his gaze. Through the narrow kitchen window, I saw the fortress drawbridge lowering. Who could be visiting the castle?

Saying I'd go out to check, I stepped outside and found Ferdinand there.

"Lord Ferdinand."

"Hello, Isaac. I've come to see Leonardo."

Judging by his expression, it didn't seem like it would be a short conversation, so I invited him inside. Ferdinand followed the path toward the kitchen and began speaking.

"It seems you were in the middle of a meal. I hope I'm not intruding"

The next moment, as we turned the corner and the kitchen came into view, Ferdinand froze in shock, as if he had just seen a mythical creature. He stammered, raised a hand, and pointed at Leonardo.

"...Leonardo, are you… cooking right now? Yourself?"

Leonardo, holding onto the ladle, responded curtly.

"Yes."

Such a lackluster response. But Ferdinand didn't seem to have the energy to point it out. From the perspective of someone who knew the original Leonardo, was this strange? Hoping that the change didn't seem too drastic, as if he were a different person, Ferdinand spoke up.

"You…? Since when…?"

"We were just about to have a meal. Have you eaten, Young Count?"

"What? No, not yet."

"Then join us!"

There are a few effective ways to keep someone quiet, and the least violent and most flexible way is to put something in their mouth. And so, Ferdinand, swept along, joined them at the table.

The dough for the hand-pulled noodles thickened the broth a bit, but in the end, it was a clear soup. The broth was soaked into tender vegetables, chicken, and soft noodles, filling the bowl. It was a simple dish, ready to be eaten with just a spoon.

'Chicken noodle soup…'

It was a bit saltier, and the ingredients were different, but the taste was similar. The warmth of the soup travelling down from my throat to my stomach felt comforting.

Ferdinand, who had been eyeing the soup with suspicion just because Leonardo had participated in making it, took a taste and was impressed. At the same time, he seemed to be impressed for a second time by the scene of them naturally dining together.

"You really have changed."

Ferdinand said, watching Leonardo, who had already eaten half of his bowl in the blink of an eye. Then, with a somewhat serious expression, he continued speaking. After all, he had come here because he had something to say to Leonardo.

"I'm sorry I didn't properly defend you at the banquet. I didn't expect Father to react so harshly. I hadn't anticipated that he'd have such a strong aversion to matters between commoners and nobles. I'm also sorry for bringing Isaac and his son into such a situation."

"It's fine."

Under the table, Isaac tapped Leonardo's foot. Shh, he felt like something interesting was about to happen. Finally, Ferdinand firmly declared.

"If you want, I'd like to help you get your relationship with Isaac recognized."

And then he added.

"Friendship is indeed a precious value."

[The persona snorts mischievously.]

Tsk. You go back in.