There are tricks to cooking rice.
First, you wash the rice, but immediately throw out the initial water used to clean it, since the rice dirt will dissolve into the water, and the rice would end up absorbing it.
Throw away the first water and wash the rice again. This time, 3 meal portions will be cooked, so washing it 4 times is enough.
Move the cleaned rice into an earthenware pot and add about 1.2 times more water than rice. Here, since it"ll taste better with cold water, Lily created some using magic.
Add heat to the pot and then cover it.
Once it starts to boil, weaken the heat for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, weaken the heat again for 4 minutes. After 4 minutes, for a second weaken the heat, then leave it at room temperature. The remaining heat will cook it.
While the pot is sitting, add the river fish to the frying pan. To teach Lily the tastiness of soy sauce, Lapis deliberately didn"t let her add any salt. Cook at a low heat, while covered.
Next, add water and some kelp sold from the fish store. Apply heat and just before it boils, remove the kelp and dissolve miso into the frying pan. Finally, crack two eggs and add diced spring onions to the pan and the dish is done.
「Lily-san, I finished. Help me carry this.」
「Ok~ay」
With Lily"s cooperation, Lapis arranged the food on the table. The two of them sat opposite from each other at the dining table.
「In the eastern island country, they say 『Itadakimasu』 before eating.」
「Heh, is that so. Then, Itadakimasu.」
「Go ahead and eat up.」
With a fork, Lily scooped up some rice and brought it to her mouth. Then, she tilted her head.
「Um, Lapis-chan. It"s kind of hard to say this, but there isn"t much of a taste.」
「Ahaha, beginners often make that mistake. Rice shows its true worth when eaten with other things. While you have rice in your mouth, try drinking some miso soup. Ah, bring the bowl directly to your mouth.」
「? Okay」
While thinking that such a thing wouldn"t change much, Lily followed what Lapis suggested and ate some rice with miso soup.
「!!」
In an instant, a shock ran through Lily"s body.
Due to the miso soup, the rice had a new sweetness that stood out.
More than anything, the miso soup. It wasn"t just salty, it had a depth of taste. In addition, the physical warmth makes one give a sigh of relief; a mysterious kind of feeling.
「Good, right? Also, try the fish. Cover it with soy sauce, okay?」
As Lapis said, Lily poured some soy sauce onto her fish, cut it with a knife, and ate it. That alone caused her to become deeply moved by the taste. The refreshing salty taste made good usage of the fish fat. It was surprising because it still wasn"t completed yet.
While feeling slightly nervous, Lily scooped more rice into her mouth.
—Harmony—
That single word came to Lily"s mind.
That moment, Lily completely converted to a rice group person.
「—Delicious. It"s really delicious. Thanks, Lapis-chan, thank you.」
「Ahaha, you"re exaggerating. This is just a hobby, so a pro"s would be much more delicious.」
「That"s not it. That"s not it. Uu, thank you…」
「From me as well, thanks for saying that its delicious. I understand, so, let"s eat before it gets cold.」
「Okay… hm?」
Then, Lily realized that Lapis was using an unfamiliar cutlery. At a glance, it appeared to be just two sticks. …Looking closer it is just two sticks.
Lapis was skillfully using those two sticks to scoop up rice, break apart the fish meat, and on top of that, removing the bones.
「Lapis-chan, what are those unfamiliar cutlery?」
「These? They are 『chopsticks』. These are the typical utensils in the eastern island country. Aside from soup, these are universal utensils for eating.」
「The eastern island country is amazing! Also, the eating style seems elegant.」
「Right. I also bought one for Lily-san, so try them out later.」
「Understood. I"ll definitely try them out.」
Lapis smiled at such an enthusiastic Lily.
Afterward, while making light talk, they peacefully finished their meal.
「Fuu, that was delicious. Um, gochisousama was it?」
「Yeah, you"re very welcome.」
After exchanging post-meal formalities, the used tableware was brought to the kitchen. Lily left washing the dishes to Lapis, saying "Until now is the creator"s responsibility", and started the practice using chopsticks.
But, things weren"t going well. How could Lapis move them so skillfully?
Lily tried through trial and error, until Lapis finished washing the dishes and grabbed Lily"s hands.
「!!」
「Like this, similar to holding a pen. Then, in the s.p.a.ce here, you put the other stick. You don"t move this chopstick, but this one. See? Simple, right?」
「I-it seems so. It looks like I can do it.」
The moment their hands touched, Lily"s heart jumped.
In the city, they had held hand and linked arms. On the flying carpet, they had embraced together. More or less, she felt bashful, but she had broken her composure as an older woman.
But right then, with a little hand contact, she was becoming aware. At first, it was just a being that she had accidently found and saved. She thought she was cute, but that was it.
Even when she saw magic, she didn"t try to stubbornly deny it, but was an honest girl.
When she wanted to wear a maid uniform, I understood that she was a weird girl.
Lily understood that she has pride in housework, she bluntly said that a messy place is no good.
Lily could learn that Lapis was afraid of high places and speaking with men.
When she confessed that she liked girls, Lapis didn"t draw back.
She made delicious food and smiled.
Until now, there had been a sign.
However, from the trauma in her past, as if not to notice, Lily had put a cover over her heart.
Even then, her heart could not lie.
Lapis"s satisfied smile, along with her insistence to make delicious cooking, had caused the barrier on Lily"s heart to quickly fall apart.
Lily knew the name of that emotion.
「(…c.r.a.p. I might"ve come to like her.)」
—Love.
Lily・A・Obsidian. Indeed, it was love after 6300 years.
(TN note: Some of the cooking and other stuff was kind of confusing, so I can"t say for sure that the exact meaning is correct. Anyway, I finally finished my depictions of Lily and Lapis after a few hours in Photoshop. Just remember that this is just fan art and not anything official.)
(Lapis is not in maid clothes because I was drawing this at school and I don"t want people to think that I"m weird.)