NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 134.1
A Bit Extravagant, A Bowl Of Rice Topped With Egg Yolk Soaked In Men-Tsuyu
Plop, plop, plop.
Yuuri was quietly breaking eggs into a bowl in the empty kitchen after finishing the dinner cleanup. To an observer, the sight of someone endlessly cracking eggs might seem slightly eerie. Fortunately, the only one watching was Rooks, peeking from the dining area. The wise familiar showed no particular concern, simply staring intently.
Humming a tune as usual, Yuuri seemed to be in a good mood, even joyful. Objectively, the act of cracking eggs alone at night might raise eyebrows, but Yuuri’s cheerful demeanor, as if musical notes were floating around his head, lessened the creepiness. The fluffy aura of an otomen is truly something to behold.
“I think this should be enough?”
In the bowl Yuuri was looking at, there were a total of 10 eggs. After washing his hands, Yuuri carefully separated the yolks into another bowl, making sure not to break them. This resulted in two bowls: one with 10 egg yolks and another with the whites. Satisfied, Yuuri smiled and took out a bottle of men-tsuyu from the fridge—leftover from the batch he had made in the alchemy pot a few days ago. Now, men-tsuyu was a proper product on the market, thanks to aspiring alchemists diligently making seasonings in their pots. All because someone had recklessly pushed forward without thinking.
Though it was technically classified as helping others and expanding the possibilities of alchemy, it was generally well-received by alchemists. Some overly serious types were pulling their hair out, but most didn’t mind the details.
Now, back to the men-tsuyu.
Yuuri opened the bottle and poured it into the bowl of yolks. The light, rhythmic sound of the liquid filling the bowl was almost musical. He poured enough to completely submerge the yolks, then smiled contentedly.
“If I leave this in the fridge until tomorrow’s dinner, the flavor should soak in nicely.”
With a fluffy smile, Yuuri covered the bowl with a cloth and placed it in the fridge, making sure to tuck it away where no one would disturb it. Letting the yolks soak in men-tsuyu would infuse them with flavor, slightly firming the surface while keeping the inside creamy.
Yuuri had been working alone because this was for tomorrow’s dinner. He didn’t call anyone else since it wasn’t a particularly labor-intensive task. As for why he used 10 eggs, he figured that would be enough. Who knows what might spark someone’s appetite in the daily life of the Scarlet Lynx?
…Thanks to—or because of—Yuuri, the idea that “deliciousness is justice” was steadily taking root.
“Roo-chan, will you eat these eggshells?”
“Kyui kyui!”
“Thanks as always.”
“Kyukyuu!”
Rooks, seemingly eager to help, entered the kitchen and absorbed the eggshells Yuuri handed over, digesting and breaking them down. Today, too, the slime was diligently handling the food waste. …What? Is this the wrong way to treat a familiar? It’s too late to care now.
The next evening, as dinner was winding down, Yuuri posed a question to everyone.
“I’m going to make men-tsuyu egg yolk rice bowls. Anyone want some? You can just eat the yolks if you prefer.”
““Mentsuyu egg yolk?””
The group’s confusion was understandable. But Yuuri wasn’t wrong—the yolks had been soaked in men-tsuyu, so calling them “men-tsuyu egg yolks” was accurate. Probably.
Realizing that words alone wouldn’t suffice, Yuuri went to the kitchen and brought out the bowl of men-tsuyu-soaked yolks. The yolks, now slightly firm and tinted with men-tsuyu, wobbled gently in the bowl. Holding it up, Yuuri explained again.
“These yolks have been soaking in men-tsuyu since last night, so they’re fully flavored. I’m going to put them on rice, mash them, and mix them into a rice bowl. Some people also eat them as a snack with drinks.”
“Like a raw version of boiled eggs?”
“Ah, good analogy, Yakk. Yeah, something like that. It’s like the yolk part of a soft-boiled egg.”
“Yes! I’ll have some!”
“Got it.”