Ascendance of a Bookworm

Volume 6 Chapter 10: Rumtopf and Shoes

According to the calendar, it was almost spring so the number of blizzards was dying down, but the cold was still ruthless that it did not feel anything like spring outside. Anyways, less blizzards would mean that Tuuli could visit more often. The day I could return home was fast approaching and I was so excited.

One day, Tuuli brought with her a small bottle.

“Hey, Myne. You said that this could be eaten when winter comes, what should we do with it now? We didn’t know what to do with it, so Mum told me to ask you.”

She placed the bottle on the table and opened it. The distinct smell of alcohol hit me straight in the face. Inside the jar were some fruits soaking in wine, it was the rumtopf I had been fermenting at home. I gave an excited exclaim, I had forgotten how much effort I spent trying to make this during the summer

“Ooohhh! Since we already have sugar and honey here, and the homemade jam, this slipped off my mind!”

“…I knew it.”

The rumtopf that was made from various fruits steeped in wine was finally finished. The once sharp edges of the fruit had disintegrated in the wine, and it now looked round. It was ready to be eaten, but what would be the best way to prepare it?

“This is hard. I made this thinking that I could make some ice cream or pudding to complement it, but parue cakes are the most convenient pastries to make at home.”

I made all these plans back during the summer, that was before I found out that I had to spend my whole winter in the temple. I was going to trade some sugar and the rumtopf at Lutz’s place for some eggs, milk, and labor needed for my ice cream and pudding. They would be eaten with some chopped-up rumtopf garnished on top. But that was not possible to do at Lutz place now so I needed an alternative for my family to eat it.

“We can just eat these with parue cakes?” Tuuli asked.

“You have to cut the fruits into smaller bits. You and Mom can eat the fruit, Dad will be happy with the leftover wine. If you want something else other than parue cakes, it goes well with French toast too! You remember that we ate that before, right? And, um… And there’s also…”

Rumtopf was usually eaten with the traditional German bread stollen, but our home didn’t have an oven to bake bread.

“Myne, calm down. Is there anything we can make here to eat with it? We can’t make parue cakes here, right?”

“…Right.”

I did not want Ella to find out the recipe for the parue cakes, so if we wanted her help we could not make them here. But if we made them in the kitchen in the girls’ building, we did not have enough rumptof for all the orphans.

“That’s tough. Stollen is the usual pairing, but that takes too much time. Hmm… Maybe we can get Ella to make crepes instead?”

“…You don’t mind others knowing the recipe?” Tuuli knew that my recipes were a secret. They had been saved for both the Italian restaurant and Freida, so she was a little worried.

“It should be ok. I’ve already saw something like crepes here so…”

I was thinking about the meat pies that resembled galettes, they were simply made with beef, mushroom, cheese, and other ingredients in buckwheat dough. They were sold in restaurants as a light snack. However, no desserts that used the galette were sold. At least, not to my knowledge. After all, the people from the lower city only cared about filling themselves rather than eating tasty pastries.

“Fran, how long would it take for you to make some cream?”“Since the weather is quite cold, it should not take long. How much will you need?”

I looked back and saw that Fran was holding onto his diptych, ready to take notes.

Because the fat would separate from the natural milk when kept cold, making cream was not a difficult task as long as you had the milk. Though you had to be careful to make sure not too much water is lost or it would turn into cream with curdled bits.

“A cup of cream and a cup of milk, please.”

Galettes can be made with the buckwheat flour in the kitchen’s pantry, but I prefer plain crepes.

Nobles usually used sugar to make pastries, therefore it would be better to make noble-esque food in my kitchen than to mimic those in the lower city. So, we were going to make crepes with whipped cream and minced rumtopf.

Fran went to the temple’s noble area to get some cream from the ice room that he told me where they were kept in, in the meantime I would write down the crepe recipe. Ella will have to make the crepes totally from scratch while following my instructions throughout.

“Hey, Tuuli, what’s that food called… uhm…you know the one where people make the batter by mixing buckwheat flour, water and salt, then they cook it with ham and cheese?”

“Oh, buchretes1?”

“I think that’s it.”

I did not know what they called galettes here, so I just wrote “make it thin like a buchrete.”

Just as I was about done writing the recipe, Fran was back with two jars each filled with milk and cream. He passed them to the kitchen before coming up to the second floor, and received the board with the recipe.

“Fran, please tell Ella to make this. She has to cook it like buchretes, and that she only needs to cook the batter part plain. She should be able to understand that. After that, please put them on a plate and bring it here.”

“Understood.”

Fran received the board from me, at the same time, Tuuli stood up with the rumtopf jar.

“Um, Fran. May I see Ella cook? I want to help out, if needed!”

It was obvious that Tuuli was curious about professional chefs, so I tried to help her.

“Fran, Tuuli is quite familiar with the food I make and won’t cause any trouble. Ask Ella whether she would be interested in working with her. I would like to go too, but I am afraid it would make everyone too nervous to work well. I will stay here while you look after Tuuli.”

Making sweets together was something girly and, to me, it seemed really fun. Ella had been cooking all winter with the help of Nicola and Monika, and they always seemed to be having fun even when they talked during their breaks. I wished I could join Tuuli in the kitchen, but as an apprentice blue shrine maiden, that was not likely so I had to remain seated.

“So rich girls have it tough, huh?” Tuuli looked at me with sympathy, she knew I had no freedom in my own room.

I nodded back at her. I was the odd one out in the temple because I came from a different place, so having someone who could empathize with my circumstances was a relief.

“Uh huh. Looks matter to everyone here.”

“…Looks, so your socks too?”

We both looked down at my feet at the same time. Then we looked back at each other and laughed. It was difficult to pretend to be a rich noble girl.

“What was that about your socks, Sister Myne?” Delia walked in after Tuuli and Fran went to the kitchen, her eyes shining with intrigue. Delia usually scooted over when the conversation turned to clothes or hair, and I couldn’t help smiling.

“We were just laughing about how the socks were so cold.”

My socks were thin and went halfway up my thighs, they were tied up with a string since this world did not have any rubber. When I got dressed in the temple every morning, the first thing I did was put a cloth around my waist. After that, I put on my socks and fastened them to the belt with strings. It basically resembled a garter belt.

After that, I wore thin culotte-like clothes that went below my knees. Strings sewed at the edges of the cloth at my knees, which let me tighten them around my legs. It was not an underwear I enjoyed wearing because it felt breezy compared to those I wore as Urano. To finish off, I wore a shirt.

But of course, I could not expose my legs. Exposing one’s legs was something despicable and shameful to the rich, even more so for the nobles, so everyone there would always wear socks. Covering up was vital to one’s self-image and dignity, so anyone who did not wear socks was seen as an embarrassment.

I began wearing socks with the Gilberta Company’s apprentice clothes, and in the temple, all the priests and shrine maidens wore socks yoo.

“…Sister Myne, why did you say the socks are cold?”

“It’s not like the socks of the lower city which are made to be more practical.”

Socks were made for comfort, not looks. They were not worn in the summer. Only during the winter, we would wear bag-like socks made out of wool over our feet and they only reached to our ankles. Instead, we wore wool leg warmers to cover our knees and sometimes a layer of pants for more warmth.

“But Tuuli’s socks don’t look fashionable,” Delia complained.

“Indeed so. But some rather choose warmth over fashion.”

“…If you want to feel warmth, why don’t you get boots?”

Nobles cared so much about their appearances and fashion sense that they did not wear wool leg warmers. Instead, they chose to wear knee-high fur-edged boots. Those boots did look warm.

I was not aware that leg warmers were not allowed in the temple, and I was broke enough let alone getting boots. Instead, I wore the Gilberta Company apprentices’ short leather boots that allowed for easier movement.

“If I were an adult, I could hide them under a long skirt…”

When I tried to put on leg warmers to keep warm, Rosina stopped me. My skirts were shorter and they exposed my knees, leg warmers would be seen. I was so disappointed that I sighed, but this made Delia raise her brows and give me a harsh look.

“Geez! You just don’t care about fashion, even if nobody sees it!”

Wow… Delia’s is crazy about fashion.

Warmth over fashion for me, but as they said ‘when in Rome and so as the Romans do’.

“I will take in mind to get taller boots for next winter. I do not want to fall sick from the cold again.”

“That would be for the best.”

“You need to get some new shoes soon, Sister Myne,” Rosina interrupted, as she took a break from her work. “You do not own stylish, high-end shoes that are a necessity for a proper lady. Please consider sending a request to Master Benno to seek a shoemaker.”

She warned me that I might find myself in a pickle if I only brought a pair of plain shoes with me for the upcoming Spring Prayer.

“We still have enough time to get them before Spring Prayer, that is if you order them now.”

“Rosina, please continue to advise me on matters like this so that I am better prepared.”

“Yes, I will do my best to do so. I was just not sure what you already had and lacked, Sister Myne.”

Rosina had no idea about the fact that I only owned one pair of shoes. She just assumed that I had been wearing different shoes of the same design, it was only after I entered the temple did she discover the glaring truth.

There are two common types of shoes in the lower city. First was the shabby wooden shoes that the poor wore, next was the leather ones worn by the rich. As a last resort, those who could not afford wooden shoes would wrap their feet with rag or go barefoot, both of which was not rare right

Up until I had my Gilberta Company apprentice attire, I always wore wooden shoes and never thought about getting new shoes before the old ones broke. Despite the fact that I had owned multiple pairs of shoes for different occasions throughout my Urano days, my new circumstance gave me a whole new perspective on shoes.

I opened my diptych and noted to “Ask Benno to order shoes”.

“All right, Sister Myne! Which leather are you interested in? Horse leather? Or pig leather? Oh, and just in case, how about getting a pair of cotton ones too?” Delia’s eyes twinkled with glee. When it came to fashion, she was quite ready to bite.

But, unfortunately for her, I knew nothing about fashion so I did not have the prior knowledge to decide what shoes I needed to buy, nor did I know what designs were in trend or other matters like what materials were most commonly used. My objective was to let Rosina make the decision and learn from her.

“Rosina will be in charge of designing my shoes. Please order ones I will most likely need for future events. If it were up to me, I would probably get the same ones I already own.”

“Understood. Please leave it up to me.”

Rosina explained to me what shoes were worn for what occasions. Soon after, Fran and Tuuli returned from the kitchen with plates. One was full with fresh white cream, the other with minced rumtopf.

“Delia, please prepare the tea.”

“Understood.”

With Fran’s instruction, Delia left for the kitchen. Tuuli and Fran placed the cutlery neatly on the table, they returned to the kitchen again and came back with another plate with two round and freshly made crepes. Each for me and Tuuli.

“Sorry for the wait, Sister Myne.”

Fran placed the dish on the table for me. The crepes looked identical to the ones I was familiar with, a delicious smell swirled around my nostrils and it made me smile

“I helped cut these!” Tuuli exclaimed with pride and she pointed at the rumtopf. She began reiterating how good Tuuli was at cooking and how much effort her helpers had put into it

“Sorry Fran, would you mind bringing over some honey too? Oh, please ask Ella if she could come up too.”

“May I ask why?”

“I want to teach her how to nicely decorate these sweets. So that she can make the whole thing by herself in the future.”

Fran was not comfortable with the idea of bringing a chef to the second floor but I did not want Ella to misunderstand that the recipe was over after making the crepe.

“Sister Myne, you can show me what comes next, I will teach her the remaining steps.”

“Then watch carefully, Fran.”

With everyone watching me, I used a spoon to get some cream and smoothed it over one-sixth of the half of the fan-like crepe that was closer to me. After that I used the spoon to sprinkle the rumtopf.

“Spread the cream into a triangle on half of the crepe that is closer to you. To make it better, make sure the layer of cream is a little thin. Then, on top of the cream, sprinkle the rumtopf, it’s better with more. Rumtopf can be replaced with whatever fruit is in season, so this recipe is very flexible.”

I topped it up with some honey before finishing up with folding and rolling the crepe.

“You can eat the crepe with your hands if you do it this way. If you prefer using silverware like a noble, simply fold it instead of rolling it up. Then all you have to do is finish it up with cream, fruit, and honey.”

I unrolled the crepe and scooped some cream beside it, garnishing it with some rumtopf and honey decoration to make it look cute.

Fran kept blinking in surprise at the final product.

“…This certainly looks something like the nobles would enjoy.”

“Amazing, it’s so cute! It must taste good, Myne!” Tuuli was giddy with anticipation and began prepping her own crepe.

Delia was curiously observing, but she had to wait till after we had eaten before she could try some. I found it unfortunate that my attendants could not eat with me, but it was a rule set in stone and I had no control over it.

“It’s done!” Tuuli declared with a contented voice as she examined her product. She was quite talented to have made such a nice dish despite this being her first time decorating.

“I offer thanks and prayers to thee, O mighty King and Queen of the eternal sky who have graced us with thousands and thousands of lives for sustenance, thee O mighty Immortal Five who look over the mortal realm, I shall be grateful to partake in this blessed meal.”

I cut a mouthful of the crepe without any cream and brought it to my mouth. The crepe was soft and not too sweet, and it was not too crispy at the edges. I continued to cut off another part with cream. The cream and the crepe’s supple texture did not taste that sweet, but paired with the honey it now had the perfect amount of sweetness. I relished the taste before adding on some rumtopf. As I bit into the soft fruit, my mouth washed over with the distinct alcohol taste and pleasant sweetness.

“How is it, Tuuli?”

“It’s delicious, Myne!” Tuuli’s lips curled into a delighted smile and it was dirtied with cream.

“Tuuli, your mouth has cream on it.”

“They are just too hard to eat.”

Using silverware to eat crepes required considerable finesse. Tuuli’s fight with the crepe concluded with her mouth covered with cream, this made me smile. Food tastes so much better when you share it with others.

“This is the best. Next off, I want to eat caramel custard. Let’s see if we can try making it the next time you visit Tuuli?”

“New pastries? Yesss! I’ll look forward to it!”

I really wanted to return home as soon as possible so that I could share these delectable treats and this wonderful joy with my entire family once more.