Chapter 123
It would take a little longer to reach the market. Should we talk about something else...? Just as I was thinking that, Artur-sama murmured.
"Lucien, do you know that people make the food you eat?"
"Of course I do. Isn't that obvious?"
"Stefan-sama and Martine-sama, did you know that too?"
"Yes, we learned about it."
"The royal family must know about commoners' lives, after all. At least, that's what I believe."
"I see..."
Artur-sama fell silent after that. He seemed pretty depressed. I was starting to feel sorry for him; it felt like I was bullying him.
Besides, he might not realize it yet, but this conversation was ultimately going to raise the question of why the adults around Artur-sama had never taught him any of this.
They might call it disrespectful if I spoke up, but I couldn't keep quiet.
"Artur-sama, it may be presumptuous of me to offer an opinion from my position, but I think it's only natural not to know something you haven't learned. ...If there are things you don't know, wouldn't it be best to learn them from now on? If there's anything I can help you with, I'll gladly explain it..."
"You're right... Thank you."
I wasn't very good at saying things like that, but had I done the right thing? His relationship with his father was something Artur-sama would have to think through himself... and so was what the Pleobert ducal family would do from now on.
"Leon, tell me about commoners before we reach the market."
"Certainly. Then I'll explain what commoners usually do."
"Yes, please. Come to think of it, I can't think of a single thing commoners do."
"As I mentioned earlier, some people grow vegetables, others work in dairy farming or livestock raising, some prepare food, some make tableware and cutlery, and others sell those things. All these commoners play a part in the meals Artur-sama eats every day."
"I see..."
"Also, the clothes Artur-sama is wearing were made by commoners. They make thread, weave cloth, and sew clothes. The furniture in your residence was also made by commoners who cut and processed the wood. Commoners probably built the residence as well."
"I had no idea I was supported by so many commoners... Surely I'm the one who isn't needed. I've done nothing all this time."
He really was an honest child to think that way just from hearing this...
"I'm sure nobles have roles of their own. I think you'd be better off asking Lucien-sama about that than me."
"That's true... Lucien, will you teach me?"
"Yes, I'll teach you whenever you like. But we'll be at the market soon, so let's talk about this later."
"I understand."
The carriage reached the market and slowed down considerably.
"Artur-sama, this is the market. They sell all sorts of things here, so please look around. I'll answer any questions you have."
"Yes. What's that large bag over there?"
"That shop sells flour. The one next to it sells seasonings. They have salt, sugar, and things like that in bags. Would you like to see the actual products?"
"I'd like to see them."
"Certainly."
I told the coachman I'd like him to buy flour, salt, and sugar. The carriage stopped, and a little while later, the coachman handed us three bags.
He works fast... Wait, the coachman didn't even get out of the carriage, did he? Is he another royal guard?
If I got used to a life this pampered, I'd become a good-for-nothing.
"Artur-sama, this appears to be flour, this is salt, and this is sugar."
"So this is what they are... They all look more or less the same. May I try them?"
"Flour is dangerous to eat as-is, but salt and sugar are fine. However, there are no utensils here, so you'll have to eat them with your bare hands... If you're still willing, I can taste them first to test for poison."
"No, there's no need to test for poison. I'll try them with my bare hands."
Saying that, Artur-sama took a handful of salt. Huh? That was far too much! This wasn't candy from a grab-it-yourself sweets stall!
He didn't even know how salty a single pinch could be.
"A-Artur-sama! Please wait!"
"What? So I shouldn't eat it after all?"
"No, that's not what I mean. That's far too much. Even a small pinch between your fingertips is quite salty, so please try a little at a time."
"I see. About this much?"
This time, he had only enough salt resting on his fingertip. This should be fine.
"That amount should be fine."
"I understand."
Artur-sama said that and gave the salt a quick lick. His expression immediately turned stern.
"What is this...? It's not tasty at all."
"Seasonings aren't meant to taste good by themselves. They become part of a delicious dish when combined with other ingredients."
"I can't believe this could possibly become delicious."
"I suppose it might seem that way if you eat salt alone, but I imagine the food you normally eat uses plenty of it, Artur-sama."
"Really...?"
I knew he wouldn't believe me. I'd never met anyone whose common sense was this different from mine, so explaining things was difficult!
Just as I was thinking that, Stefan came to my rescue.
"Artur, you'd understand if you went to the dining hall and saw how food is actually made. I've eaten chicken roasted with salt sprinkled on it and chicken roasted without salt, and the salted one was overwhelmingly tastier."
Nobles really do understand one another's feelings better. Though Stefan is royalty.
Still, I'd thought Stefan had common sense, but even that was something he had learned. I'd picked up all these things simply by living my everyday life, so it felt strange to think of deliberately learning them.
"So you learned that as well, Stefan-sama."
"Yes, Artur. You'd understand if you compared the two yourself. Once we get to the dining hall, have them make both for you."
"Certainly. Thank you for taking the trouble to help me."
"Don't worry about it. More importantly, try the sugar as well."
"Certainly."
Artur-sama said that, took about as much sugar as the salt he'd taken earlier, and put it in his mouth.
"This is... It is sweet, certainly, but I don't think it tastes all that good by itself."
"As I expected, sugar is like salt—it tastes even better when used in cooking."
Artur-sama fell silent after hearing that. He seemed to be thinking about something.
After a little while, he turned his gaze back to the market.
"Leon, what are they selling at that shop over there? There are green things and things of other colors, too..."
"That shop sells vegetables."
"Vegetables!? So vegetables were such large things!"
"Would you like to see those in person as well?"
"Yes, and the things that shop sells, and that shop over there, and..."
From there, Artur-sama bought whatever he saw at every shop, examining the actual goods and sometimes sampling them, as if trying to see everything the market had to offer.
The carriage was getting stuffed with goods. Surely buying any more would be a problem.
I caught Lucien's eye and had him stop Artur-sama. It didn't seem appropriate for me to stop him myself, after all.
"Artur, it's about time we went to the dining hall."
"Oh, has it gotten that late already?"
"We've already been in the market for more than thirty minutes."
"Has it really been that long...? Then let's go to the next place. Stefan-sama, Martine-sama, I'm sorry to have kept you here for so long."
"I was the one who insisted on coming, so it's fine."
"Indeed. Besides, I rarely get the chance to come to a market, so I'm enjoying myself quite a bit."
They were royalty, after all. It must be even more difficult for them to come to a place like this than for nobles.
Come to think of it, was it really all right for me to drag the two of them around like this? They seemed to have quite a few guards with them...
Well, it wasn't something I needed to worry about. They both seemed to be enjoying themselves, so I decided it was fine.
"I'm glad to hear you say so."
"Then may we head to the dining hall?"
"Please do."
And so, we headed by carriage to the dining hall that the royal family's guards had reserved.