Published: September 9, 2025
Correction of typos made on 2014/12/12.
“Lulu onee-sama, I have a sincere request.”
…What should I do? Arisa is acting stranger than usual.
“Is there some dinner you want to eat?”
“Hamburgerrrr?”
“Whale fried chicken is also hard to give up.”
Answering my question were Pochi-chan and Tama-chan, who came into the living room behind Arisa.
I’m sure Ms. Liza would request grilled chicken skewers.
Nana-san likes kids’ meals.
If it’s Mia-chan, maybe curry?
“Lulu~”
“Oh, sorry, Arisa.”
I had absentmindedly forgotten about Arisa and focused on the dinner conversation.
“So, what’s your request? No strange things or things Master would dislike, okay?”
“I won’t do anything Master dislikes.”
Arisa sulked like a child, puffing out her cheeks and turning away.
It seems she’s sulking unusually.
“Please, Arisa, try talking to your big sister?”
“…Alright.”
When I looked into her eyes and asked, Arisa gave a small nod.
—Ah, I feel like I’m doing something sisterly for the first time in a while.
◇
“Osechi ryori? What kind of dishes are those?”
Arisa’s request was for me to make a dish called “osechi.”
But I’d never even heard of osechi ryori.
“It’s Master’s hometown’s cuisine.”
“Then, why not ask Master how to make it—”
“No!”
—I was just about to inquire, but Arisa suddenly spread her arms wide, blocking me.
“Why not?”
“Master always surprises me, so I want to give him a surprise present for once.”
“Got it. Leave it to your big sister.”
“Yeah, Lulu, I love you!”
Oh dear, she’s back to calling me Lulu already.
It’s a bit disappointing, but if she kept calling me onee-sama, it would feel uneasy, so occasionally is fine.
I rolled up my sleeves and headed to the kitchen.
But the real problem started from here…
◇
“Kombu rolls, datemaki, anago rolls…”
“Are all these dishes just rolls?”
I tilted my head, and Arisa denied with a strange word, “Chauen,” which means “no.”
It seems she can’t recall the names of the dishes properly.
“Hmmm, I always just ate them, so I can’t remember. Carrots, taro, lotus root, and something called kuwai simmered. Also, there were sliced kamaboko and ham.”
Arisa’s words were too fragmented to even imagine what kind of dishes these were.
Could it be a stew-like dish with various ingredients?
“Oh, can’t forget black soybeans and sweet chestnut paste! Sweet simmered sweet potatoes are standard too.”
…Even if you say “standard”…
Are those desserts after the meal?
“That’s right, shrimp! Boiled shrimp, bodara, sea bream with head and tail! And, and kazunoko! Kazunoko is a must. Put dried bonito flakes on top and drizzle a little soy sauce… Mmm, irresistible~”
Arisa smiled broadly, like when she daydreams about Master.
“It’s absolutely irresistible.”
“Absolutely irresistible~”
Pochi-chan and Tama-chan, who had been imagining the dishes from Arisa’s words, opened their mouths wide as if about to drool.
“So, do you know how to make them?”
“Not at all.”
“Arisa?”
“…Can’t Lulu’s transcendent cooking skills manage somehow?”
Arisa, seriously, that’s asking too much.
“I’m not Master, so it’s impossible. Ham was bought at the market, and if someone told me what flavor to make the simmered vegetables, I think I could manage.”
“Really?! As expected of Lulu, the disciple of the legendary chef!”
“Praise won’t help. I think we can substitute freshwater shrimp or crayfish for the shrimp, but I don’t think we can get sea bream. I have dried bonito flakes and soy sauce, but what is kazunoko?”
Arisa crossed her arms and furrowed her brows at my question.
“It’s eggs of something soaked. Yellow, grainy, and delicious!”
I waited for Arisa to continue, but she just crossed her arms and snorted.
“Hmm, I might not have seen it even in the markets of the Duke’s Capital or trading cities. If only I knew what fish it came from, I could get the market people to order it…”
“If that’s the case, why don’t we go to the market and ask the fishmonger?”