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“Forgive me for the wait, Lord Mikhail…”

Ekaterina and Flora hurried over to Mikhail, who was leaning his elbows on the window sill facing the hallway, looking as if he were waiting for someone.
Mikhail smiled gently at them.

“I was just waiting here on my own initiative. Besides, I actually heard that Lydia had been going back and forth around here, so I figured you’d probably be late.”
“……”

Lydia-chan… I used to think her ability to show up at just the right moment was a remarkable skill for a young lady, but I guess it was the result of that kind of quiet effort… She’s like a swan, a graceful thing paddling away diligently beneath the surface…

“Since you’re always treating me to lunch, I think you should feel free to boss me around a little more.”
“Well, I wouldn’t dare to.”

Even as she replied with a smile, Ekaterina found herself thinking, “Now that you mention it, you’re right.”
But if you’ve kept a dog you’ve been feeding waiting, you’re bound to feel guilty. As a human being.

……Even if it’s just in my heart, calling the prince “puppy” means I’m being incredibly bossy. Sorry, Prince.

“I owe you too much, Lord Mikhail; it would be unthinkable for me to insist myself on you.”

Saying this nonchalantly, Ekaterina opened the basket.
Ufufu, today’s my signature dish!

“Please, have one.”
“Thank you.”

The basket was filled with sandwiches. Without hesitation, Mikhail took one, and his face lit up at the sight of the thick slice of meat visible through the cross-section. Even the prince is a young man with a hearty appetite—a meaty meal is sure to be a hit.

“Is it fried?”
“Yes, I coated it in breadcrumbs and fried it in plenty of oil.”
“That looks delicious.”

As Mikhail took a big bite, there was a satisfying “crunch.” With his summer-sky-blue eyes wide open, Mikhail chewed on the sandwich.
After swallowing, he said with deep appreciation:

“Wow. This is delicious.”

Yesss!
It was quite a lot of work, but I’m so glad I made this tonkatsu sandwich!
Making a silent victory pose inside her head, Ekaterina smiled gracefully.

“You must be quite fond of meat, Lord Mikhail. I tried to make it something easy to eat for lunch. I told you a while back that I’d make your favorite dish for lunch, but you never told me what you wanted. So, I thought about what might suit your taste.”
“Everything you gave me was so delicious, I couldn’t choose. So, did you make this just for me?”
“Yes.”

Ekaterina nodded simply.
In truth, however, this had been quite the challenge.

.

Ever since I started making lunch, I’d been wondering if I could make Japanese food. I wanted Onii-sama to eat something delicious.
But 21st-century Japanese cuisine can only be made with 21st-century cooking tools and ingredients!
And seasonings! Soy sauce and miso, of course, but also tonkatsu sauce, mayonnaise, ketchup, ponzu—they were all so delicious. I don’t remember the exact ingredients for the sauces at all, but I have a vague memory of a long list of various vegetables, fruits, and spices. Ah, the noble corporate efforts of the manufacturers… Oh, the theme song from a certain economic program is playing in my head.
And then there’s dashi… I heard somewhere that when chefs from overseas—like those specializing in French cuisine—visit Japan, they used to buy kitchen knives to take home, but lately they’ve been buying things like konbu kelp to make dashi. That just goes to show how exceptional the flavor of dashi is—so much so that it’s even being incorporated into cuisines other than Japanese.

But in the Imperial Kingdom, there are almost no ready-made seasonings. As for cooking equipment, there’s nothing comparable to induction cooktops, gas ovens, or microwaves—only hearths and ovens fueled by wood fire, with highly unstable heat. Trying to recreate 21st-century Japanese cuisine under these conditions is pretty much impossible.

If Yukimura Rina had come to this world just as she was, she’d have been desperate to find some Japanese food to eat. But Ekaterina had never actually tasted Japanese cuisine. All she had to rely on was her memories, and she doesn’t seem to have the burning desire to eat it, so she’s content with the Imperial cuisine the chefs prepared for her. The meals she was served while she was imprisoned were truly terrible, so she’s simply happy to enjoy her current meals. Hence, for lunches as well, she had been making Imperial dishes that Flora had been teaching her.

However, after a few months, she naturally started to feel like taking on a bit of a challenge.
So, since the basic ingredients were readily available and it was sure to be a hit with teenage boys, she decided to make tonkatsu.
However, Ekaterina—who believed in not overestimating her own abilities—went ahead and fully enlisted the help of the Jurnova family’s chef.

She’d heard that the original form of tonkatsu was the Milanese cutlet. Similar dishes do exist in this world, thanks to its culture resembling Europe.
But it’s different.
Although they had breadcrumbs, they were much finer than the Japanese kind. She had to start all the way with the search for a grater to make the coarse breadcrumbs suitable for tonkatsu.
Also, perhaps because the pigs weren’t the highly bred Japanese variety, the pork had a slight gamey odor and was tough. The chef pounded the meat thoroughly with a meat mallet and marinated it in yogurt, which did make it reasonably tender, but it still felt a bit different from the kind of tonkatsu one can easily bite through even when it’s thick.
Then there was the oil. It’s hard to find oil that produces a crispy fry. Even when Ekaterina finally found some, using enough of it for deep-frying would have been a huge waste. The chef was taken aback by the idea.

So, she steadily worked through these challenges, one after another.

.

Usually, I’d make the lunch using ingredients from the kitchen.
But for this, I had to bring in a significant portion of the ingredients myself. The breadcrumbs were made by the Jurnova family’s chef. The pork was a high-grade breed that had been selectively bred—including the addition of blood from boar-type magic beasts—to enhance its flavor. It originated in Jurnova, and my grandfather Sergei had brought it to the outskirts of the imperial capital to raise. Even the oil was transported from the Jurnova estate.

With the kitchen staff watching with keen interest as I went to such lengths to prepare the meal, I’ve finally completed this Tonkatsu Sandwich.

“I’ve noticed that you took indulgence in the roast pork we served at dinner in Jurnova. Grandfather raised that very breed of pig on the outskirts of the imperial capital. I had it shipped here specifically to make this.”
“That’s a high-end ingredient. …Thank you so much for going out of your way. Knowing you made this just for me makes it taste even better. I’m really happy.”

Mikhail smiled happily, and Ekaterina nodded with a beaming smile.

Boys really do love their meat, don’t they!
You helped me out so much with the whole Olga situation. I’m glad you’re happy with it.
I made it wondering if he’d like it… No, it’s a thank-you gift! It’s just not my style to leave a debt unpaid!

“Lady Ekaterina, it’s about time.”

At Flora’s words, Ekaterina snapped back to reality with a start.
Oh no, I’m keeping my dear Onii-sama waiting! I really want him to eat it while it’s still warm!

“Thank you very much, Lady Flora. Lord Mikhail, good day—”
“Yeah… see you tomorrow.”

Ekaterina thought it must have been her imagination that Mikhail had given Flora a sidelong glance.

I hope Onii-sama says it’s delicious!
Though he says everything I make is delicious! He’s such a siscon, after all!