Thump thump thump.

　As I walked down the hallway, I heard the sound of food being cut from the kitchen.

　It's almost snack time and I wonder if Bartolo is making something. Or maybe he's developing a new dish.

　Either way, there's a pretty good chance I'll be left in charge of your company, so I look into the kitchen in anticipation.

　Then, the person in the kitchen was a far cry from the muscular old man, the maid, Saara. I looked around the kitchen, but Bartolo was not there.

''Huh?　What are you doing, Sarla?

"Yikes!

　When I called out to her out of curiosity, Saara let out a short scream and jumped away. That's a stiff scream now, isn't it?

'It's not safe to jump while holding a knife like that, is it?

''That's because, Master Alfried, I'm going to sneak up on you and surprise you.

　I said it out of concern for Saara, but for some reason she gave me a white look.

''No, no, I approached you head-on, just out of concern?

　Where we are now is straight from the entrance. I don't think it would be this place if we tried to take a detour.

'Huh?　Are you sure?　I didn't notice it at all. I'm sorry.

　I guess my words made me realize the truthfulness of my words, and Saara apologizes honestly.

　It's more sober and hurtful to be said like that in the bare minimum.

　I know too that it's not good to surprise someone with a knife, so I thought I went in with proper care, but this is it. I can't do anything about it.

Well, okay. By the way, I've never seen you cook. What are you cooking?

We've borrowed Mr. Bartolo's kitchen to make dried fruit.

　I looked into the kitchen table and saw a row of thinly sliced apples and oranges.

'Dried fruit is the kind of thing you cut up and dry fruits and vegetables in the sun, right?

Yes, it's easier to make in the winter when the air is drier.

　Certainly, in this dry season, it will dry out quickly if you hang it out to dry.

　Besides, if you dry it, it will keep for a long time and the flavor will be concentrated.

　So it's the perfect food for this season.

　There is no need for a complicated process or treatment, so it will be fun to make it.

"Hey, can I help you with that, too?

'This is my job too...'

'You know I don't care about that, right?　I want to do it because it sounds like fun.

　I said honestly, and Saara gave a soft smile.

'Then please,'

I'm on it.

　I'll make it for the whole family anyway.

　We're all out of the house because it's getting cold outside. And there's plenty of people to eat.

　I washed my hands in the kitchen and found Sarla had set out a table, knives, and cutting board.

I'm going to cut up some apples.

Yes, I'm going to cut an orange.

　With the apple in my hand, I slowly apply the knife.

'Hmmm, maybe I should just cut it from the top. Or should I just lay it down and cut it from the bottom?

...wouldn't the result be the same either way?

'Oh, yeah. That's true, but...

　Yes, but that's not the kind of conversation I was looking for.

　I was hoping for a peaceful conversation with no substance, like it would be easier to cut from the top a bit more, or that it would be better shaped if I cut from the side.

'Sorry. If you're Meena, you're good at this kind of conversation, but...''

　It's true that Meena is very good at this kind of content-free conversation.

　It would be too rude to parse out and state the reason for this, so I try not to think of any more reasons.

'There's no need to take it so seriously. Just fit it in and say it as you see fit.''

Appropriate...?

　Yeah, Saara has a difficult look on her face.

　Unlike me, the serious Saara must be trying to read a deeper intent into even words like this.

'What does Sarra think of an apple cut from the top and an apple cut from the butt on its side?'

　I took two apples and showed him an apple, sliced in each way.

'What do you think...'

The one cut from the top is more apple-like in shape. And the ones cut from the side are round and pretty.

'I see, so that's the way you think about it.

　When I gave her an example, Saara nodded admiringly.

'It's enough to make me say something unbelievable.

If I interpret it that way, I feel like I could have these conversations with you.

　Saara smiled at that and sliced the orange.

'It makes me happy when I can slice them nice and thin, doesn't it?

'Oh, yeah. That's how it feels.

　That's Saara, indeed. You understood the meaning of my words and put them into practice.

　Such words are the kind of response I was looking for.

　Humans get tired of giving any words deep meaning.

　Sometimes I wish we could have an exchange of empty conversations like this.

　I was relieved to see that Saara didn't stray and I sliced up an apple in the same way.

　Since it's a dried fruit, it's best to make it as thin as possible so it's easier to dry.

　It's fun to slice apples thinly like this.

　The feeling and sound of slicing the apple with the blade is very pleasant.

　And most of all, it was refreshing to cook side by side with a beautiful woman like this.

　I've always been rubbing shoulders with an obnoxious Bartolo.

　When I get married and have a wife, will it be like this?

'Oh, I failed.'

You tried to make it as thin as possible.

　Saara was right.

　I was asking for too much thinness, and I found myself deviating the blade at an angle.

　It could be because I was delusional, but sometimes this happens.

　I put the scraps in my own stomach and hide them.

　Mmm, the apple's just the right amount of sweetness and freshness is unbearable.

''Alfried-sama, could we have the vegetables here next?

　I had just finished slicing two apples when Saara handed me carrots, onions, squash, etc.

Oh, you're going to dry your vegetables, too.

Yes, not only can they be used for preserving food, but they can also be used in soups and stir-fries in their half-dried state.

Oh, I didn't know that.

　Does the sunshine increase the flavor, so you don't have to dry them to crunchy to use them as a cooking ingredient enough? I didn't know how to use it.

　I didn't know how to use it, but it would be even better if I added it to miso soup or something.

　I sliced up vegetables one by one, while Sara sliced up fruits like lemons and berries.

　When I finished slicing, I moistened the slices with a cloth and placed them on a colander to prevent them from overlapping.

　Place the slices on a sunny patio and cover them with a net to keep insects away.

All I have to do now is turn them over at the right time and wait.

It's so convenient to be able to preserve food with just a little care.

　Normally I wouldn't think of keeping sliced fruits and vegetables out to dry. I think whoever thought of this method first was a genius.



　◆.



Mr. Alfried, I think I'd like to incorporate some of the dried fruit I made the other day, if you'd like to join me?

'Oh, come to think of it, it's already the fourth day. Thanks, I'll go with you.

　As I was lounging in my room, Sarla called me over and I headed out to the patio to take in some dried fruit.

　When Saara took the net, I found it completely shrunk and lined with dried fruits and vegetables.

　I came back to check on them on the second day, and they were definitely more dry than they had been then.

'They're a lot smaller than the size they were actually cut from,'

That's especially true of anything with a high water content.

　Well, fruits and vegetables also contain a lot of water, so it's no wonder they wilt when they're gone.

　Even though they're small, the flavor is concentrated, as I've learned from the half-dried vegetable miso soup we had for dinner on the first day.

　If half-dried vegetables have that flavor, what happens to fruits and vegetables that have been dried for nearly four days?

'Can I try some of them?'

Yes, we need to make sure it's dry.

　I picked up an apple that I had cut myself, troubled by its cause.

　The outer skin seems to have been completely drained of water and is completely hard. The flesh of the apple looks like bent potato chips and is surprisingly soft to the touch.

　It was like a sponge with all the water missing from the flesh.

　When I finished observing the dried apples, I took a quick bite.

'Sweet!'

　The strong sweetness of the apple spread in my mouth.

　Unlike the normal eating, the taste is more intense because there is no water.

　It's a sticky sweetness.

The orange has a nice sweetness too.

　As I mentioned my opinion of the apple, Sarla was next to me, sipping an orange.

　That one looked very tasty, too, and I reached for the orange as well.

　The oranges are beautiful, they don't wilt too much in the dried fruit and they maintain their shape.

'Oh, they don't seem to have any moisture in them, but when you bite into them, they gush and spread their juice.

　The feel of the fruit is dry to the touch and chewing. However, when you bite into it, the concentrated juice comes at once.

　It's like a rush of concentrated flavor and slight moisture from the drying process.

　After eating the apples and oranges, I try the berries and lemons next.

'Mmm!　What seemed sour when it was raw, becomes so much sweeter when it's dried.

The more sour, the better it tastes.

　Perhaps it was because I was under the impression that it was very sour, but it was such a shock when something sour felt sweet.

　Other carrots and squash, which had become crispy, were also sweeter. However, the onions seemed to have become a little more pungent as well.

'In general, I'm pleased with the results,'

So we'll take it back.

Yes, sir.

　It's finished as dried fruit with no problem, so I take the colander out of the net and pull it up.

'Hey, do you want to make some more dried fruit now?'

　I just ate the finished product and collected it, but I found the dried fruit, which could be cut and dried, appealing.

　Hearing my quick-tempered words, Saara chuckled.

'Good. Now let's try it with different ingredients.''

Yes.