Chapter 50

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Translated by Sylph

Read only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net.

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Just like the dinner menu, there were many dishes on the lunch menu with names Evi had never heard of.

Even if she had heard of them, there were many she had never seen in person.

Evi was a bit flustered by the feast of diverse foods.

Irene, who was watching Evi agonize, said kindly.

“Is it because you want to eat several of them?”

“It’s not that, but there are many foods I don’t know, so I don’t know what to eat.”

“Many you don’t know?”

Irene looked at the menu.

Whether they recognized that children from noble families were getting too stressed about meals, diverse menus were always prepared.

But there weren’t particularly strange menus.

“Flamiche… what is that?”

“Hmm?”

“I also don’t really know what Choucroute is…”

Evi’s voice became smaller and smaller.

The Director strove not to let them go hungry.

Thanks to that, even on days when the amount was small, there were no days when they went hungry.

But there were definitely limits.

If other people cooked with potatoes, they would have mashed or ground them to cook in various ways.

But at the orphanage, satisfying hunger was the most important thing, so they didn’t have the luxury or time for such complex cooking.

So the dishes Evi knew were just boiled or stir-fried ingredients as they were.

As a result, the cooking at the Gifted Center was close to a foreign language she didn’t know the meaning of.

At that moment, Ruska, who had ordered first, came back with his meal.

“Wow…”

All sorts of ingredients were in a deep bowl, and steam rose from the tomato sauce on top.

Evi swallowed her saliva at the smell that stimulated the tip of her nose.

Until now, she thought a sandwich full of fillings was the best.

Seeing the dishes served right after being cooked, she understood why no students ate sandwiches.

Evi checked the name of the dish with Ruska.

“Are you going to order the same thing?”

“No. I’m going to try ordering other dishes I don’t know. What are you going to order, Irene?”

“Well. What do you want to eat, Evi?”

“I want to try ordering something different from what you three ordered.”

Then she would be able to see as many dishes as possible.

Ruska, who realized why Evi was doing this only then, said.

“Do you want to just order them all?”

“What? Then too much will be left over.”

“It’s okay. Arcel and I can eat it all. So let’s try one of each.”

“Who’s going to eat it all?”

Arcel sighed from behind, but Ruska, regardless, went to the distribution counter and came back with a large tray full of plates.

And soon he put them all on the table.

“Really… is this okay?”

Evi couldn’t close her mouth seeing the diverse dishes filling the table.

It was just a school lunch, but it seemed to have more variety and quantity than the banquet feast tables she had seen in books.

But it wasn’t the time to be surprised and moved.

“If we can’t eat all this, there are penalty points…”

Actually, at first, they didn’t receive penalty points for leaving food.

But every day, students who threw away food saying they couldn’t eat this or that appeared.

Furthermore, as throwing away more and saying so was evaluated as being noble-like, students who threw away food increased even more.

So during dinner time, Evi couldn’t close her mouth seeing the amount of food the staff threw away.

The Gifted Center also seems to have thought that problem was serious, as they eventually set a new rule giving penalty points if food is left over.

“No, even if it’s more prosperous after the war, leaving this much is a bit…”

The elderly professors said that kids these days don’t know how precious food is and welcomed the new rule of the Gifted Center.

Of course, the students were in tears.

In any case, such a rule was newly created, so they would surely receive penalty points if they left any…

“I’ll dish out a little for you first.”

Ruska jumped up and dished out a little of every food onto a clean plate for her.

Irene was the same. Meanwhile, Arcel, seeing the two move, went back to the distribution counter and brought various drinks.

It was clearly the first time they were all having a meal together like this, but their coordination was perfect as if they had been together for a long time.

“I’ll help too!”

Evi, who saw the three moving busily, rose from her seat.

But as if it were natural, Irene caught Evi again and sat her in the chair.

Ruska and Arcel also gestured as if telling her not to get up.

“The table is too high for you.”

“The plates are also heavy because they have a lot of food.”

“Your hands are small, so it’ll be hard to hold all these cups.”

The three demanded Evi just sit for undeniable reasons.

‘Is this okay?’

No matter how much she thought about it, she felt she should be the one running around busily and preparing the meals for these three.

While Evi was restless, the three had neatly dished out the food and finished the meal preparation.

“Then, let’s eat.”

After a simple prayer, the four picked up their forks.

Evi couldn’t stop marveling at the diverse yet neatly dished out foods.

While she was agonizing over which one to eat first, Irene told Evi the name of the food and what it was made of.

“This is a traditional food from the western region. It seems they changed the recipe a bit to the capital style…”

“This is a herb called Tarme, and it has a sweet scent like honey, so it’s often used in cooking in the south. It’s southern food, so try this first!”

Evi put what Irene recommended into her mouth.

It really had a sweet scent along with a unique grass taste.

If she had just eaten it, she would have wondered what it was, but eating it while listening to Irene’s explanation, it was just fascinating and fun.

The fun wasn’t only that.

The table was piled with food. She was worried that they would receive penalty points if they couldn’t eat it all, so she was determined to eat as much as possible even if it was hard.

But…

“Wow…”

Evi could only marvel.

It was because Ruska, sitting across from her, was eating the food almost as if he were swallowing it.

It was truly like magic.

Just when she thought he had grabbed a chicken leg, only the bone remained. A large piece of pork also disappeared after a few bites.

Yet there was no gluttonous feeling.

To think he could eat so quickly and yet so cleanly.

“Still, wouldn’t it be hard for Master Ruska to eat all this alone?”

“Why do you think I’m eating alone? Look at Arcel.”

Ruska pointed to Arcel sitting next to him.

“Ruska, don’t point your finger at people.”

Arcel frowned as he said that and then moved his hands.

The fork and knife moved elegantly.

She had clearly thought it was a slow, formal, textbook-like dining etiquette…

“Huh?”

Although more elegant than Ruska, Arcel was also eating an amount that was not to be outdone.

The two swallowed the prepared things in an instant, making her wonder how all that much food could possibly fit.

At that amazing sight, Evi even forgot to move her fork and watched the two eating.

Irene also had a surprised expression and muttered.

“To think I’d be watching someone eating with such admiration…”

In the end, rather than leaving any, a short while later Ruska brought back the most delicious things among what they had eaten.

And twice more.

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‘I ate too much.’

Evi gently pressed her bulging belly with her finger.

Not only was the first-time food fascinating and delicious, but she also ate more than usual thanks to Irene explaining each one next to her.

‘But it was fun.’

It was the first time she had such a joyful meal since coming to the Gifted Center.

‘The people staring were a bit scary, though.’

Students who had finished their classes came to the dining hall as the four’s meal was ending.

Then they looked at the four having a meal together with eyes of disbelief.

Especially the students who hung out with Ezriella looked at the four in fluster.

Irene saw them, gave a small laugh, and didn’t even look at them again.

The four had to part after the meal.

Because the classes they were to take in the afternoon were different.

“If only we could also choose the mandatory subjects, we would have taken them together.”

Irene said so with regret, but there was no way.

Arcel and Ruska returned saying they had to take swordsmanship class, and Irene also parted with Evi.

“I think I’ll be a bit late by the time I finish my last class. But we’re having dinner together. Got it?”

At Irene’s words, Evi nodded her head vigorously and then parted with her.

She hurried to her classroom, but students were coming out from inside.

When she went inside, it was written on the blackboard that today’s class was cancelled because the professor in charge suddenly felt unwell.

Instead, it said the class would be held on another day and at another time.

Evi memorized that date and time and left the classroom.

“My stomach is full, and it’s good to rest today, but.”

Suddenly a lot of time was left.

‘Where should I go?’

She didn’t want to go back to the dormitory just like this. The sunlight was really nice.

Then she suddenly thought of a person.

‘Come to think of it, where is Professor Sian in the Gifted Center?’