Gourmet Emperor: Master Of Culinary World 212 Idle Talks Before Breakfas

"Hey, uncle…tell me, why you didn't have married yet?"

"Hmm…I don't think I will able to marry a woman to be my wife nor find a woman that can be asked to be my wife"

"Uncle….don't say that you...."

I put a scared look on my face and distance myself a bit from my uncle

"Me what, Henry?"

"You dislike woman…and only likes man?"

"WHAT!! This cheeky brat! How could you say that!"

Of course, that was only for joke but it seems my uncle take it seriously this time

"Woaah…calm down uncle…You see, you're a strong man and not bad looking. At least you also have a position in this castle, impossible there's no woman who doesn't fall for you, right?"

My uncle sighed after hearing my question

"Well….the problem is in me…is not that I don't want to get married thou"

"Uncle… Don't say…that you're impotent?"

Of course, I only tease him again, but I put a worry looks on my face to make it look sincere.

"WHAT! I'm a quite normal and healthy man, you know! Still can have my morning hard on every day, how come you say I'm impotent?"

"Ugh…sorry…but you said the problem is on you, so that's what on my thought…what is it, uncle?"

"You see…. I like traveling…seeing new places, meet new acquaintance, taste new food. In a year I only stay here for a month or two, the rest I use to travel around. Your father requests to have me commanding the salt mission party can happen because of I just on my scheduled return…if I have a wife, I can't do it again, right? Traveling to distant place take a long time…It would be unfair for my wife if I left her for too long"

"In short, are you just afraid uncle?"

"Hey! Who do you call afraid? I just don't want to be burdened with something I can avoid before"

"Nah…I only see you afraid to make a commitment. Uncle, maybe you can still enjoy life at this moment, but later…when you're growing old and your time approaching…when you realize there's n.o.body around you, you will feel regrets. Die alone, without anyone who will sad when see you die…hey, I'm not saying I will not sad if you die, uncle. But hear you die and see you die is something different…and in that time you will start questioning yourself, am I already life to the fullest?"

This time, I'm seriously saying those words to my uncle.

"Henry…you talk like you ever experienced death before"

Well, I do, uncle…but as Ikki Isaku not as Henry but the feeling probably similar.

"My last accident almost got me killed, uncle…Wasn't that the same?"

Fortunately, I can give him a reasonable excuse

"Hmm….I understand your concern, Henry…you're just like my sister when comes about caring people, I'm thankful for your concern"

"Ah, what do you say, uncle….I just want people around me to be happy. Today is a happy day for me and my sister. I just want uncle to experience the same happiness with us, have someone to spend our life with"

"I see…but do you think I can find a suitable woman for me in this castle?"

"Do you have any interest with one of our maid uncle? I can ask my father to be a matchmaker for you. What kind of woman do you like? The same age as you or the younger one?"

"Nah…the young maids in this castle already set their eyes on you, Henry. There's no way they will look at the old man like me. I'm sure will lost if I have to compete with you"

Somehow our conversation becomes serious from the joking and teasing before. Let's reduce the seriousness for a bit.

"Hahaha…is it? Well, it's hard to be handsome sometimes"

"Hey, where's your usual modest att.i.tude?"

"Hmm…sometimes we should show our pride for what we have, uncle. If we show pride in something we don't have, that's called arrogant"

"Hahaha…true, I agree with that. Anyway, you still haven't answered my question before"

"Which one, uncle?"

"What we have for breakfast this morning"

"Oh, that one. Our breakfast today will be soup and bread, uncle. We need many ingredients for banquet, so we can only afford simple dishes for breakfast for now"

"Hmm…okay then. Even only soup and bread, this breakfast surely much better than before, right?"

"You bet, uncle"

Our conversation ended when we enter the dining hall. Although we come early, it seems they're already many people in the dining hall, including my father and Earl Stamfort. The one who hasn't come to the dining hall only my fiancé, my sisters, and my stepmother. Well, women take a longer time to dress up than men somehow.

"Good morning"

"Good morning Henry…it seems you're also early, can't wait for your engagement announcement already?"

"Haha…I always wake up early, Uncle Edward. Ah right, while waiting for the food let me explain about my plan for today's banquet"

"Oh okay, since we're the guest here, we should follow what our host already planned in accordance. So, how the banquet will be going?"

"Here…I already make some drafts about the banquet"

I handed the drafts for the banquet to Earl Stamfort, all of it including menus, layout, security measure, and the event during the banquet as well. He receives the drafts and examines it carefully.

"So, there'll be a time when I need to make a speech too…"

"That a must, Uncle…our guests surely want to hear one or two words from you"

"And this menu…is that means the guest will have three dishes of each course or what?"

"Oh, it's not like that. It a new serving system called 'Viking"…."

I also start to explain to Earl Stamfort and all people there about this 'Viking System'

"Hmm…I see. So, it gives freedom to the guest to choose whatever food that they liking, not necessarily must eat those three dishes at once"

"Yes, something like that"

"And for us, our dishes will be served by maids like yesterday…"

"Of course, we can't let our important guest line up with other guests to take the food. And the food we will serve, of course, something different from yesterday"

"Uh…can we also get something from yesterday menu too?"

Huh? Is that mean he wants to eat more than one dish?

"Excuse me? Did uncle say wanted more dishes to serve? Yesterday dish to serve along with the new dishes as well?"

"Yes! Can we? Especially this birds nest soup. I'm somehow starting to like it"

"We will have the birds nest soup for breakfast, uncle. Do you still want to eat again during the banquet?"

"Well…it's just a soup, right? It doesn't take much s.p.a.ce in my stomach hahaha…oh the consommé soup also taste well too. I don't mind to have three soups at once"

What? Somehow I start to worry if our guest will have stomach pain because overeating during the banquet today. That would be troublesome…no, it's very troublesome!!