Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Uninvited Guest

Naturally the Earl of Derby who had suyuk in front of his eyes was quite displeased.

"Hey, you! Table manners!"

"Ah... So-sorry! I didn't know you were in the middle of a meal!"

No matter how much it's the royal court's business, interfering with another's meal time was a great rudeness even in this era.

Unless it's a really tremendously urgent matter.

However this was also something the servant could feel wronged about. He just conveyed that a person visited, right?

Moreover considering here is a manor belonging to the royal court, the name of Windsor Castle would have approached very largely to the servant.

So I answered softly with a smile so he wouldn't be flustered.

"I was just about to have a meal, is it an urgent matter?"

"I don't know well! From that side also a servant's visit... It seems they brought some document!"

Document? Was there a document I could receive from Windsor Castle?

But for now hearing those words I was relieved. If it's a real big matter they don't send a servant.

"It doesn't seem an urgent matter. Please have them wait a moment in the lobby. I'll finish the meal and go out soon."

"Understood! Thank you!"

When the servant hurriedly retreated outside the room, the Earl coughed and said.

"Ahem, you don't need to take such a low posture toward servants! Even if you finish the meal and leisurely see the business there will be no problem! Even if His Majesty called directly, if a rumor spreads that they interfered with a noble's meal time everyone will point fingers!"

As expected typical noble mindset. The Earl of Derby is an excellent person, but when he occasionally shows such noble thinking modern me can't help but feel a slight gap.

"Well, if it's not a special matter it'll end soon. But because I'm curious what it is. If I have something curious my nerves are drawn and I can't eat well."

"Ugh... I have to hope it's really not a special matter. Surely it's something like a tea party invitation!"

"Yes? Tea party?"

Tea party? That one of eating dessert with afternoon tea? The one that might appear in medieval background romance novels?

Literally a perfect nobles' event.

In fact such invitations kept flying from somewhere, but until now I just ignored them. But if it's a call from Windsor Castle, it seems I have to ponder a bit more?

"If a new owner appeared in the manor attached to Windsor Castle, and if it's a person appointed by His Majesty's order, wouldn't Windsor Castle also naturally be curious who that owner is! Once you receive the document bring it. If it's an important matter then let's ponder together."

"Well... Understood. Then for now please eat the cooking first. Before it gets colder."

"That's exactly the answer I wanted! Anyway continue the explanation! It seems thunder will sound from my stomach!"

We both turned our gazes back to the dining table.

Suyuks raising steam on the white plate. Whatever meat dish it is, right after cooking is the method of producing the most optimal taste.

Seeing the appetizing cooking in front of my eyes, I couldn't endure anymore!

I who quickly washed my hands with a finger bowl (*Finger Bowl, bowl for washing hands), immediately picked up one butterhead lettuce.

"Well, first open your palm and place this vegetable on your hand."

"Like this?"

"Yes, then with the fork pick as much meat as you want and place it on the vegetable. Don't put too much."

"Is this much okay?"

"Yes, it's appropriate."

"Hmm, the feeling is somehow strange. I've never placed food on my hand like this in my life so far... Is this really okay?"

Honestly if the proposer wasn't me the Earl of Derby would also have refused with one cut.

Britons of this era even ate bread by piercing with a fork.

Touching food with hands is only about tearing finely into bite size before eating bread. Even that calling the annoying act of piercing the torn piece again with a fork and bringing it to the mouth 'etiquette.'

It would be convenient to just hold it in the hand and eat!

Of course because it was an era when hygiene wasn't good I understood to some extent.

"There are two methods of eating this dish. The first method is, gathering the lettuce neatly like now so the contents don't flow down, then putting it in exactly one bite and eating. You must stuff it in one bite. Well, I'll show a demonstration."

How long has it been since I eat suyuk?

As soon as I finished speaking I pushed the ssam into my mouth in the posture of a skilled assistant.

Munch munch.

Then a tremendous feast of flavor spreading in the mouth!

The tremendously tender pork started melting smoothly in the mouth literally!

Moreover every time the crispy lettuce leaf was chewed it swirled here and there, exquisitely crossing with the softness of the meat!

Not wanting to end this emotion right away I chewed slowly, and swallowed slowly again.

Gulp.

Even after swallowing the lingering aftertaste of taste full in the mouth madly urged the next bite!

This is exactly the charm of ssam! The taste I wanted so much!

So I unconsciously trembled my body.

Such my reaction was enough of a declaration of war to immediately make the Earl of Derby who was hesitating holding lettuce in one hand participate.

"Hmm, I absolutely can't endure! Trusting only you I'll also try! Oh, Saint George! As one who became an earl please forgive abandoning table manners today alone!"

The Earl of Derby also tightly closed his eyes and opened his mouth wide.

Chomp, munch munch.

"Hmm...! Hmm..."

Trickle.

That slightly formed at the corner of the eyes, is it tears?

He was moved, this.

"Th-this is really excellent taste!"

The Earl's excessive reaction! Because it's something I see every time I'm now used to it.

But, well, since it was a taste even I marveled at I could sufficiently understand.

Because in Britain there was no meat dish that developed softness and moistness to the extreme like suyuk... How delicious must it have been?

The Earl shouted right away without even swallowing the contents in his mouth!

"Yo-you! Immediately this has to be sold at the restaurant... No, no! This can't be made so anyone eats! Sell the recipe! How much, call as much as you want so you can use my checkbook freely!"

I ignored the Earl's proposal and picked up the vegetable again. This time instead of lettuce bitter kale.

Personally I like perilla leaves more, but as a substitute slightly blanched kale is also excellent.

"It's not ended yet. This time I'll tell the second method. Place the vegetable you want on your hand again, this time..."

The charm of Korean food is exactly in the point that one can freely adjust the taste according to personal preference.

And in my thought the result that that unique food culture most originally exploded is exactly ssam.

Whatever ingredients one combines on the hand it produces excellent taste without failure, literally a cooking method with infinite possibilities.

For example even when eating one ssam some put one piece of meat, some put three pieces, right?

Or one can choose and use ssam vegetables diversely such as lettuce, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, perilla leaves, bok choy, kale, crown daisy etc.

Moreover up to making the texture and flavor even more stimulating by using sources and garnishes diversely is possible.

Spicy taste like garlic, chili, chives, salty taste of jeotgal, jangajji, doenjang etc., sour taste like kimchi or pickled onion, bitter taste of water dropwort type, savory taste of sesame oil sauce, umami of ssamjang.

Filling the mouth full with various flavors in tremendously diverse combinations is exactly the greatest advantage of ssam!

"Try wrapping and eating by placing pickled onions on the meat like this. You'll probably receive a completely different feeling."

Unfortunately I couldn't prepare many garnishes. Because of the era's limit there were no materials to use. Inevitably I changed it somewhat British-style.

Spicy taste is onion and garlic, sour taste is pickled onion and pickled cucumber, savory taste by slightly mixing salt and pepper in olive oil, umami is gravy sauce.

This not having ssamjang is critical! But well, with this level one can produce a somewhat satisfying taste.

I have to ponder ssamjang later once... How can I naturally introduce it? By any chance does Limehouse not sell doenjang?

Or really go to the Joseon embassy?

"Th-this is also amazing! You, how did you devise such a method? Eating like this I can really eat meat until my stomach bursts without getting tired! There's no need to separately eat salad either!"

The Earl's exclamation continued endlessly until the plate on the dining table was completely emptied.

The true charm of ssam is the infinite possibility of combinations. The Earl started exploring combinations one by one like a scientist, and trying various attempts.

Later even without being told he started laying vegetables in multiple layers and mixing sources haphazardly and eating.

As expected human creativity has no end.

In fact ssam is also a kind of Columbus's egg. Before directly eating one doesn't know how amazing this combination is, but once tasting it one wonders why one didn't eat like this.

I prepared almost 4 servings saying eat as much as you want, but in the end it was useless.

Later the Earl deeply immersed in the charm of ssam and suyuk, thinking I wouldn't make this dish again became tearful. So in the end, only after exchanging one wish ticket and the promise to continue making it later did he regain laughter.

Well... Slightly inserting when I want to eat should be okay.

Finally the paper held in my hand after finishing the meal.

As the Earl expected, it was an invitation to a tea party. And that right this afternoon!

The sender...?

The fourth daughter of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, and younger sister of His Majesty Edward VII...

Princess Louise.

The husband is the Duke of Argyll of Scotland who served as Governor General of Canada before the Earl of Derby, and currently is a member of the House of Lords.

But the Earl of Derby who received the invitation immediately distorted his expression as soon as he saw the content.

"Ugh, why is the person who was in Kensington Palace suddenly here... You, you've been properly caught."

"Yes? Is there some problem with the invitation?"

"Princess Louise, there was a not very good rumor in high society. She's also separated from the Duke of Argyll, and especially the fact that there's no child under her is talked about a lot."

Not good rumor.

When young she was also involved in various adultery theories, and a story that she has a lot of jealousy and isn't on good terms with other princesses.

Moreover in this era a high noble having no child was evidence that there was a problem in married life.

In one word it means a person who is tiring if involved.

Shall I refuse the invitation? Of course if a noble there was sufficiently the right to refuse an invitation. Unless the sender is the king.

Even if the daughter of Her Majesty the Queen, as much as there's no substantial power even if one makes an enemy there won't be a big problem was the Earl's explanation.

Ah, is that so? Then since it's annoying I don't have to go?

But the Earl who heard my opinion shook his head.

"It's better to go. No, you must go. I recommend going."

"Yes? Just now you said annoying invitations can be ignored?"

The Earl let out a deep sigh.

"So I said you've been wrongly caught. Because the person currently dominating high society is Princess Louise. If you don't want to make an enemy with high society later go and at least greet and come."

"...Yes?"

"I hope there's no special matter. If it's you you'll be able to handle it well safely. Because your brain is sharp enough for me to acknowledge! Hahahat!"

"...Yes?!"

As in any country in Europe, political power is determined by priority according to factions regardless of title or position.

But high society was different.

The place where bloodline received innately and age have absolute influence is exactly European high society.

And among them a big shot of high society that even the Earl of Derby can't ignore.

Her Majesty Queen Victoria has passed away, and now that His Majesty Edward VII has inherited the throne,

The elder of the royal court with influence next to His Majesty in the British Empire is...

Exactly Princess Louise who sent me the invitation.

Because she was a daughter Her Majesty Queen Victoria cherished and raised, and thanks to attending important events of the royal court without missing, she has always taken a central role in high society? And that already for dozens of years?!

Moreover a person who exercises strong influence even in the art world thanks to interest and support for culture and art.

That is, the moment one is seen wrongly by her, my restaurant might be dismantled piece by piece by high society influencers!

Damn! I really have no choice but to go!

The Earl threw the last advice at my back heading outside trudging!

"Ah, I heard a rumor that some guy who slandered Princess Louise was completely expelled from high society and ignored even by banks and went bankrupt, so pay special attention so later words don't come out!"

This is really screwed!