When I arrive at my father's office, he seems not surprised to see me visit him this morning, instead, I feel like he already waiting for my arrival at his office. My uncle also already there with my father, playing board games while discussing something with my father.
"Hey brother, it's like my guess is right. Henry will come with new dish again this morning" said my father to my uncle.
They might be having something like betting if I will come with a new dish or not this morning.
"Ugh…I thought he will be prepared something he already makes before for today's lunch and not make something new again".
"Well Henry, tell me…is that new dish that you bring here?"
My father asks me about the dish that I bring to his office. It seems he expecting I will bring him something new to eat every day. Well, I still can make Katsudon or tonkatsu with the rice for something new tomorrow.
"You right, father. This is the new dish and also a new beverage for you to try again, I hope you still can eat something"
"Great! Put that on the table there and let me taste that new dish, there's always room in my belly for delicious food"
My father orders the maids who carry the tray with Gyudon bowls and chai tea to put it on the table while rubbing his hands with an excited expression. The table he meant is not his work desk but a table with chairs around the table to receive guests in his office. We move to sit in that place to enjoy the Gyudon together.
"Woaah…Henry, what is this dish called? And what is this white thing in the bowl?"
My father opens the lid and the faint steam comes out from the bowl, bringing the fragrance of rice and beef meat on the top of the rice to the air.
"Why don't we take a bite first, father? I'll tell you about the dish after we eat it"
"Yeah let's eat first. This dish already bring fragrant smell when I open the lid, the taste must be good too"
Without speaking anymore, my father and uncle grab their spoon and start gobbling the bowl content. It's surprising to see how fast they emptying their bowl and put the empty clean bowl in the table after that. Well, I also eat my bowl with fast speed because it's my first time to eat rice again after I return to the castle from the salt camp. And the food that I prepared myself always taste better than food made by other people, that why I'm sure my father will be liking this new dish.
While drinking the Chai tea, my father repeats the previous question that he asked me before
"Now Henry…would you mind to tell us what is this new dish? The taste is so good, and what is that white thing inside the bowl? I never ate something like that before"
"You like it, father?"
"Are you kidding? I would not be emptying my bowl if I'm not like it"
"Haha…sure it is. It's made from taxes shipment from Lumon town yesterday father"
"Huh? Which one? I don't think I see something new on the tax shipment yesterday. That's all things that Lumon town usually send on every tax payment"
"You already see it, father, when I bring it here to ask the source to Gandolf yesterday"
"Yesterday….hmmm….you bring corn…and the soybean…this white thing is not from soybean?"
"No father, this is not coming from soybean"
"Then…the only left is….the horse feed? That white thing actually comes from horse feed?"
My father looks at me with disbelief and complicated eyes. He frowned his brows like thinking of something. Maybe he never expected that horse feed actually have a good taste like this.
"Yup…that's horse feed, father, but I prefer called it 'rice' and actually it's human food"
"You're not kidding, right, Henry?"
My father seems still not believe he just ate the horse feed
"You can ask the cook in the kitchen to prove it"
"No…no need for that. Damn! That horse feed actually tastes so good. Alright, from now on, the horses can eat something else….this rice, you called it rice, right? This rice will become human food in our territory, no longer food for the horse. Henry, can this rice served for people in this castle on a regular base every day?"
"Sorry father, we don't have much of this rice. If it's just for us maybe we can have it every day for a couple of months but if served for everybody in the castle, I'm afraid it wouldn't last for a month"
"Ugh….are you already look on how much rice we had in the storage?"
"Yes, I already see the stock in storage and withdraw the stock that allocated for horsed too"
"Is there any way to get it more?"
"That's why I'm planning to see the place which produces this rice later, father. maybe we can get some seeds there and cultivated this rice somewhere else in our territory"
"Good idea! I also will ask Rudolf to send all the rice he had in this town if possible"
"Sure, father, but is this dish can be served for Earl Stamfort later? I can various dishes with this rice thou"
"You…what? There're many dishes can be made from this rice?"
"Yes, as long as I have the rice I can make other dishes with that"
"Yes! This will be a nice dish for Earl Stamfort, I don't know if there's another dish using this rice in outside our territory but it's only small possibilities that other people know this horse feed can be eaten by people. Tell me, what other dishes you will make with this rice?"
"Hmm…fried rice, chicken rice, pork rice and curry rice for now, besides the beef bowl which I just made"
"Good! I can't wait until that dishes will appear in front of me later hahaha"
"We still have guests to take care, father"
"Ugh you're right"
I still have a conversation with my father when uncle Jake come into the office with the news for me
"Young master Henry, there're people looking for you and they're waiting in the front yard now"
Huh? People looking for me? Is that Charles and Joe who will send the rest of pushcart to me? Why don't they just send the cart to the kitchen like yesterday? Did they need more money?
"Alright, I'll see them, uncle Jake. Father, excuse me for this moment"
"Alright, you can go Henry"
After say goodbye to my father, I leave his office to see people who looking for me in the front yard.