Apparently, I'm the Infamous Earl's Legendary Bride

Book 2: My Lord Saves the Citizens - Chapter 62

Grandma Liz came scurrying over to me and took my hands into hers. "My lady," she said. "How have you been today? The horrible Norsewood weather doesn't bother you too much? My, but you're wearing awfully thin garments. Please, you must don on a jacket. I'm happy to offer mine."

I shook my head. "No. No. I'm fine, Grandma Liz." Even though we were outdoors, technically speaking, we were still indoors because of the glass dome roof arching over the entire complex of the lodge. Besides, it was always comfortably warm in here.

"My, what interesting-looking food," Gladys said, eyeing my bowl. "What is it, my lady?"

I held in my urge to chuckle. That was Gladys, all right. Every time I conjured new dishes, she'd eagerly show interest and want a taste. No, not just a taste, but rather, to devour and savor every bit of it. But of course, she wouldn't say it outright because she thought it'd be too ill-mannered.

Since I simply wanted to dig right into my pho, I said, "Why don't you take a seat, Gladys, Irene, Grandma Liz? Let's eat together."

"Really, my lady?" Gladys asked.

"Yes, really," I said.

"Are we dining with my lady?" Grandma Liz asked, her eyes sparkling at the prospect.

Irene said, "Sometimes, my lady magically makes new dishes, and we're allowed to taste them with her."

"Oh!" Grandma Liz said. "Then this dish has never been eaten in Norsewood before?"

Gladys said, "That is correct. My, but I've never seen such a dish before, long strings of white food thing in a clear broth with balls and slices of what looks like meat, and it smells divine."

"Does that mean we have the honor of tasting this very dish first with her ladyship?" Grandma Liz asked, her eyes large at that realization.

"Yes, indeed," Irene said. "Now quick, let us be seated."

Hence, the three eagerly made themselves comfortable, filling up the long table, squeezing the boys closer together. I summoned my magic circle and three more bowls of pho materialized.

From the other side, Rory asked, "Is this one of the dishes in a mom-and-pop restaurant that you mentioned, my lady?"

I nodded. "Yes and no. This dish is in high-end restaurants, too, but it's the best when it's a mom-and-pop's one. It's rice noodle soup. The soup is made of chicken and other secret ingredients. There are pork meatballs and slices of chicken meat and beef briskets in there as well as the rice noodles." Picking up the chopsticks and spoon, I said, "Let's dig in."

Since I had been craving pho for so long, I eagerly scooped some soup into the spoon and then tasted. "Mmmm..." With the full depth of flavor and the aromatic freshness, it was simply divine.

The moment I tasted it, it took me back to Vietnam, to the scene of lush greens and fields of rice paddies against the backdrop of mountains in the distance. It was just... beautiful and serene and peaceful. Next, I tried the noodles, and I even slurped in the process.

"I've missed this so much." I sighed and closed my eyes, just enjoying the moment. When I fluttered my eyes open again, I noticed that everyone was looking at me.

"So that's how you eat it," Josh said and then picked up his chopsticks, too.

"It's easy," Jonah said. Then he demonstrated and expertly picked up noodles with his chopsticks, which pleasantly surprised me. He had mastered the use of chopsticks, as he had declared a week ago.

I chuckled. "Well done, Jonah."

He raised his head and said, his eyes wide, "It's so good."

The others hesitantly started trying the noodle soup, too, quite carefully because they had never used chopsticks before, with noodles and soup escaping here and there. Grandma Liz was especially a mess, but that did not deter her from consuming her very first bowl of noodle soup. With her face stuck close to the bowl, she slurped the soup and noodles at the same time.