The Reincarnated Count's Daughter Is the Strongest as She Is Loved by the Spirits, Though She Is Only Wishing for Regular Romance!

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Author Notes:

  This is the second post of the day.

  If you haven't read the previous chapter, please do so first.

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"Don't spoil her too much. Now, shall we get down to business? What have you brought today?"

"Yes. In Luftanen, we are exploring new crops that we can cultivate in our country by visiting the southern nations and eastern islands for the revival of Nishijima. Both the Empire and Bejaia will soon be self-sufficient and won't need to import these crops anymore."

As long as we coexist with the spirits, we don't have to worry about droughts or famines. Right now, we're shifting from quantity to quality, focusing on growing tastier crops to differentiate ourselves.

"We've made dishes using some of the crops we've found."

Keith pulled out a familiar temperature-controlled magic box from his bag. The box seemed much larger than the bag itself, thanks to spatial magic. From the box, he took out a flat iron pan with two handles. It looked more like a frying pan.

Though I couldn't see the contents because the lid was on, the mention of eastern island nations already had me excited. I'd seen this kind of pan before in my previous life.

"It's a seafood paella."

I had a lot to say about the name, but I let it slide. More importantly, the delicious aroma wafting from the pan as the lid was lifted was extraordinary, coupled with the rising steam. This was paella, or paella in Spanish. Rice, glorious rice!

There was no saffron, so it wasn't yellow. In Spain, the ingredients and seasoning varied by region, and I had tried versions without saffron, so it didn't feel odd at all. However, it was a bit disappointing that there were no head-on shrimp or mussels with shells. Everything was already prepared for easy eating, making the appearance a bit plain.

But that didn't matter. The taste didn't even matter much. As long as they left the rice behind.

"Please, have a taste."

Keith served the dish, and I took the plate with both hands, first taking in the aroma. As my spirit circled the pan and plate a few times to check for poison, it lost interest and returned to its place above my head. I scooped up some rice with a spoon. Judging by the long grains, it seemed similar to Thai rice. I expected it to be dry, but to my surprise, it was quite moist.

"Delicious!"

Maybe it was nostalgia or the excitement of the moment, but the seafood flavors, the plump squid, the crab pieces, and the three types of shellfish were just perfect. It was undeniably delicious.

"This is wonderful. This piece of meat tastes like Luftanen sausage."

"Yes, we tried it without the casing."

"The spices give it a nice kick. Delicious, right, Dia?"

My mother seemed to enjoy it too. But...

"Indeed, it's delicious. It's restaurant quality. But I..."

"You want the rice, right?"

"Is it called rizo?"

"I think so. I brought some for you."

"You're the best!"

Here, having white rice as a staple might be hard to accept. In my previous life, during Western-style courses, you would have one or two pieces of bread while savoring the various dishes. Here too, bread serves to enjoy the sauces of each dish, often crusty French bread.

Sandwiches are available, especially before balls or during busy times when a quick meal is needed. But they're not really sandwiches. Instead, neat toppings are arranged on crisp bread, making for a visually appealing meal.

For commoners, it's different. They eat hearty sandwiches or something like penne pasta during busy workdays to quickly fill their stomachs.

"Mother, this is groundbreaking. Especially for commoners."

"What does rizo taste like without seasoning?"

"It has almost no taste, just a slight sweetness if you chew it long enough."

"We should have brought that as well."

Camille looked disappointed, but I reassured him.

"It's fine. From here, I'll work with the chefs to experiment."

If we made rice burgers, grilling the rice and adding meat, it would sell like hotcakes at street stalls! At Fairy Company, I'd love to serve omurice! There's a neighboring territory famous for its tomatoes. Chicken, onions, half-cooked eggs, and tomato ketchup! Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

"Dia, don't get too carried away. You often get so absorbed in new ideas that you forget what you're already working on. How's the textbook coming along?"

"Of course, Mother. Chris-oniisama has outlined everything needed, so Erda and Brigitte are leading the effort. With help from other friends, there's not much left for me to do."

Patty helps too, right? Even Jude and Douglas are pitching in. Noel, Brigitte's brother, and Alma, the current Marquess of Corquette's daughter, are also helping.

"They're actually here..."

Camille murmured something, but I didn't catch it.

"It's nice to have so many friends around."

"So I'll focus on cooking with rizo."

"You should join the work."

"Um, we have one more dish."

Keith shyly handed over a small glass dish with a white mousse-like substance. It looked like milk jelly. The topping reminded me of a chain store doughnut, possibly coconut.

"Please, try it."

The dish was cold to the touch. I scooped some with a spoon, wondering if it tasted like almond tofu.

"Yummmm!"

The mousse melted in my mouth with a rich flavor I'd never experienced before. The topping was indeed coconut, though I imagined thinly shaved white chocolate would be delightful.

"Dia, don't keep the spoon in your mouth."

"But Mother, this is unfair. It's so delicious it captures a girl's heart."

"It's made with a fruit called kuka, found only in the southern countries."

Camille explained, hiding his smile. He was definitely laughing. But with such a delicious dessert, I couldn't even be mad.

"This is indeed delicious."

Mother, having taken a bite, inspected the dish closely.

"Could Fairy Company handle this?"

"Well, it might be best not to."

"Really? You seemed to like it."

Seeing their surprised faces, Mother sat up straight and explained.

"Both dishes are wonderful and could immediately be added to Fairy Company's menu. But Camille, are you sure you want to sell such valuable products from Luftanen?"

"What do you mean?"

"With the Empire and Luftanen entering a friendly alliance, and more people able to use teleportation magic, luxury sea voyages will attract many. If they have already had these dishes at Fairy Company, the novelty will be lost when they visit Luftanen."

"True. Camille often talks about industries in the South and West Islands, but what about the North Island?"

"Oh..."

Seeing Mother and I watching him closely, Camille also sat up straight.

"The North Island profits from trade with the Empire and distributing those goods throughout Luftanen. Our territory has a port, and people from all over Luftanen come for Empire goods."

"That will make news when Fairy Company opens a branch there. But perhaps you should focus more on tourism. In the marquisate of Johannes, coastal facilities styled after Luftanen are a successful summer retreat. Many nobles would prefer to visit Luftanen itself."

Mother's words were convincing. I was glad I didn't have to explain it.

"Luftanen's architecture has wide terraces and balconies open to the rooms, right?"

"Yes. While we can install walls on rainy days, most of the time, there's no division between inside and outside. We lay down rugs, set up cushions, and hold banquets while enjoying the view."

"That's so exotic and lovely. Luftanen's beautiful textiles and the rarity of black-haired Luftanen people are also appealing. And these delicious dishes would make visitors want to return."

Yes, yes. Mother is right. But this kuka fruit is amazing. Rich yet refreshing, it pairs well with tea.

"Dia, you can't just keep eating."

"Thank you for the meal."

"You really liked it, didn't you?"

"Yes, very much. Wealthy nobles might visit Luftanen just to eat this."

"And you?"

"I'd go. I can use teleportation magic."

"You're being spoiled, aren't you?"

Spoiled? Is this about winning over through the stomach? Isn't it usually the reincarnated heroine introducing new cooking methods? Am I the one being spoiled?

"So, I should use food to win her over?"

"No!"

"Fufu."

Mother, please don't "fufu." Are you getting too fond of Camille?

"Does Luftanen want the Fairy Princess too? Are you vying for Dia?"

"We don't necessarily need the Fairy Princess..."

"Oh?"

"We have a good relationship with the Spirit King. But we don't want her taken by another country, especially not across the strait. I thought it would be best if someone in the Empire proposed, but they haven't."

"Are you my guardian?"

"If I said there's someone who already proposed, would you step aside?"

"...."

"What? Someone has proposed?!"

"Dia."

Ah, I was speaking hypothetically. My apologies. Yet, the disappointed looks still sting.

"I won't step aside."

"Huh?"

"I won't."

That's practically a declaration to Mother. It could be taken as a marriage proposal.

"Why do you want Dia?"

"She's the only girl I can talk to without worrying about what to say."

Wait. That makes me sound like I'm different from other girls.

"Being together is important. I feel like we can laugh through anything together, and we can do new things for the company and otherwise. Plus, she could bridge Luftanen and the Empire."

No way. He's echoing my own thoughts. Has he really been thinking like this?

"She does strange things, so it's never boring to watch."

Hey, don't ruin it.

"Alright.

 You need to make a strong impression during the May visit to Luftanen. Dia is oblivious and more interested in food than romance."

"Mother?"

"I just need to successfully win her over with food."

What do they think I am?

"Are you sure it's okay to take Dia to Luftanen? I feel like something might happen with her around."

Please stop, Mother. That's a flag.

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Author Notes:

  This chapter is getting lengthy, so we're ending chapter two here.

  Next time, we'll start chapter three, the Luftanen Arc.

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