After Ralph and Sheik have disappeared into the night, chomping on bone crackers and shedding tears of frustration.

The customers in the diner are getting full, and the wave of orders has calmed down a bit.

As I sit idly frying the last of the bone crackers I can serve, Lettie comes in.

Can I ask you to wait on Michal? I can't pour wine or anything.

Yes, because serving Michal = pouring that fine wine. It's a bit much for Letty to handle.

I understand. I'll go serve.

The bone crackers for Michal's table have just been fried, so I put them on a plate and head out.

The table at Michal's table is covered with a tablecloth, and there are knives, forks, and wine, so I feel like I'm in a French restaurant.

Michal, Urgus, and Elf, who are seated at the table, are sitting in a more dignified manner than the other guests.

Somehow I'm not used to serving food as usual, so I playfully try to serve them the way Michal taught me.

'Here you are, the bone cracker of the day, sir.

Yes, Tori, you are really good at making customers happy.

Apparently, the service that matched the atmosphere was appreciated. Michal smiles happily.

I'm sorry, sir.

But this is what I like to do, so you can do it as usual. That's all I need.

'You say that, but the wine has to be poured carefully, doesn't it?'

Of course. A fine thing should be treated in a proper way, you know.

When I asked in a casual tone, Michal nodded as if it were a matter of course.

You are contradicting yourself, aren't you? But I can understand his feelings.

I hear that Rubani white wine is very expensive. I don't want to treat it roughly.

Is this what you call fried fish bones?

An elven man looks at the bone crackers with a dubious expression.

I've never seen them before, but they don't look bad! The food is beautifully arranged!''

I've been particular about the other arrangements, since there are some guests at this table who seem to be fussy about the serving style.

'I can get you a glass of wine if you like.

'Yes, please. And two more glasses.

'......!

'Mm? I don't have the money to pay you to serve me something like that, okay?

Urgas is startled by Michal's sudden words, and the elf tells him once and for all.

It is a well-known fact among the guests at the inn that the wine Michal is drinking is of a high quality.

It is not something that a commoner can afford to pay for, even if he is suddenly served such a thing.

Drinking alone is not good for the taste buds. Let me serve you as a friend at the same table.

Michal's open-mindedness is shown in the fact that she suggests not to buy him a drink, but to let him buy her a drink.

Not only his face, but also his heart is handsome.

'If that's the case, I'll take it as a compliment.

'......!

The elf's expression softened as if he was satisfied with Michal's words, and Urgus shook his head vigorously to show his happiness.

With the three men's approval, I went to the kitchen to get Rubani's wine and an extra glass.

'Tori, can you take the food to Michal?

Oh, I'm sorry. I'm going to pour some wine.

Even I don't want to carry another dish while holding a bottle of Rubani's fine wine. Wine alone is bad for the heart.

Sierra has more ale and I don't want Letty to go. I'll bring it myself.

I gave up asking someone else to do it, and my dad ended up carrying the finished dishes.

I proceed with the wine and glasses, and he follows behind with the food in his hand.

I quietly put down my glass and pour a glass of Rubani white wine into it.

Michal seems to like the bone crackers too, and is eating them up.

It is not an elegant dish, but when Michal eats it, it looks sophisticated.

The elven man sits motionless, but Urgus is a little nervous.

He is probably happy to be drinking this rare wine.

The man sitting there in his heavy full body armor makes me smile.

Thanks for waiting. Mehbal meuniere and swordfish with herbs.

Mmmm, it smells so good!

Michal exhaled ecstatically when she smelled the aroma of her father's cooking.

The mebbar meuni re was carefully cooked and looked delicious with the sauce and sliced lemon on it.

And on the platter, a large portion of herb-roasted swordfish.

The swordfish's head, which has a sharp point like a sword, is still intact, while its body is boldly opened, and stuffed with various kinds of vegetables and herbs, it is very fragrant.

Even from a distance, the appetizing smell wafts through the air.

The herb-roasted swordfish is especially perfect because of the time it took to cook. As I watched from the corner, I began to want to eat it, too.

Well then, let's eat it. Cheers!

Michal raises a glass of wine, and the elf and Urgas discreetly clink their glasses.

The glasses clink clearly, and after enjoying the aroma, we sip the wine.

'How fragrant and deep it tastes!

'............'

The elf gasped as he drank Rubani's white wine, and Urgus stopped moving as if moved by Jean.

Father looked at him enviously. We'll have plenty to drink later, so just be patient.

'Well, now let's enjoy the food!

Michal uses a knife and fork to quickly cut up a mebbar meuniere. He seems to be distracted, but his hand is very careful and beautiful.

Is this the behavior of an aristocrat? You are very dexterous.

Though not as graceful as Michal, Elf and Urgus also handle their knives and forks with great care.

They are not nobles, but they obviously know how to use them.

I wonder if this is the reason why Michal has placed them at the same table.

Michal cuts a piece of meuniere and brings it to her mouth with a fork.

My father looks at him seriously.

Today I am making a seafood dish to go with the wine Michal has brought. As a chef, he is probably curious about Michal's opinion.

Yes, it's delicious. Good heat.

My father's mouth loosened in pleasure at Michal's words of satisfaction.

The elf is silent, but I can tell that he likes the food by the way he is chomping down on it.

Urgus is still in his armor, but he seems to be in a good mood.



'Hmmm, next is the main dish, grilled with herbs.

Michal personally cuts up the herb-roasted swordfish and places it on the plates of Urgas and the elf.

When he has finished, he slices a piece of the swordfish from his own plate and puts it in his mouth.

He chews it slowly, as if savoring it, and then swallows it down with a glass of white wine.

'...... delicious'.

The words escaped from Michal like a heated breath.

It is said that when people eat really delicious food, they stop wasting words.

Not only Michal, but also Elf and Urgus looked satisfied after tasting meuniere and wine at the same time.

No words of praise were spoken between the three of them. But just by looking at their happy faces, they were very satisfied.

I knew that.

This made my father and I smile, too, after all the time and effort we had put into cooking.

For those who cook and those who serve, the satisfaction of the customers' faces is the most gratifying and encouraging thing of all.

Even I, who have a hard time working, feel like working a little harder when the guests at the inn look satisfied.

I'm sorry I asked you to order food unexpectedly today. Thanks to you, I was able to enjoy the best wine with the best food.

'No, we got a good amount of it too.

Dad smiles happily at Michal's praise.

'Next time we get a good bottle of red wine, maybe we can order a special meat dish or something.

'Oh, red wine!

The color of my father's eyes change when he hears Michal's words.

He prefers red wine to wine. Just by looking at his face, I can tell that he wants to drink it.

'It's not so bad once in a while, but I'm going to be busy again, so give me a break for the time being,' he says.

It is outrageous to think that I will be as busy again as I was today.

I worked so hard today that I need a break for the time being.

Ha-ha-ha, that's true. Meat day will have to wait a little longer.

My father looked regretful and Michal laughed at my heartfelt words.