[Maiden of Death], from what she remembered in her previous life, was the personification of the plague. In Eastern European folklore, the plague was a symbol of blood and death.
Ekaterina had read in a book about an Eastern European folk tale about a woman in white waving a bloodstained handkerchief at the entrance of a village, causing the plague to spread through the village and people to die in a chain of deaths.
But in this world, [Maiden of Death] was not a personification of something, but a real person.
“Are you saying that what I saw was this [Maiden of Death]?”
“You must think this is absurd. But my wife, Aurora, met the Maiden of Death when she was a child.”
At that moment, Aurora appeared.
“Dinner is ready. It’s not much, but here you go.”
Before I knew it, the sun had completely set.
Here and there, in the evening darkness, the light of white beadworms floated around the residence. They were like soap bubbles of light.
Aurora led us to a large tent in the living area, where a hearty dinner was laid out on a long, low wooden table. The smell was a little spicy and appetizing.
Even in the tent, a few caged white beadworms were gently glowing.
It was a bit like indirect lighting from her previous life; it was fashionable.
There were no chairs, and the guests were encouraged to sit on cushions. Forli was worried that I might not like it, since there was no culture of sitting on the floor in the imperial capital, but thanks to my memories of Japan in my previous life, it was perfect.
Most of the tableware was made of wood. However, the wooden plates and utensils were elegantly shaped and exquisitely carved, giving them an artistic rather than a rustic appearance.
The spoons and forks were also made of wood, and their elaborate workmanship was impressive. Flowers were placed here and there on the dining table elegantly.
“It’s lovely. You all have such excellent taste in aesthetics. I am sure the guests at the Duke’s garden party will be delighted to use such tableware.“
“That’s very kind of you to say. It must seem eccentric from the young lady’s point of view, but you have a big heart.”
No, no, it’s really lovely. It would have the advantage of being lighter than china, and I would seriously like to introduce it to a standing party. I’m in the process of developing a sales outlet for the glass plates and glasses at Murano Studio, in the imperial capital, and I was thinking that with this atmosphere, it could be sold to the same buyers…
I was lucky enough to be invited here, but I shouldn’t get too carried away.
But later, maybe I should ask them if they would be interested in a cash income.
The cuisine consists mainly of wild vegetables. Many of the ingredients were new to me, and I was excited.
I was a little hesitant to try the soup with bear meat because I thought it might have a bad smell, but it was delicious and aromatic with a hint of herbs. It had a slightly sour and pungent flavor. The bear meat still had a wild taste, but thanks to the herbs, it was considered a hint of flavor, and the taste was addictive.
There was also turnip in the soup. It was sweet and delicious. …I see, this is not turnip…
I should not think about it! Everything I have ever eaten was also once alive!
Thank you, beet! Thank you, bears! Thank you for all the life you have offered for me to eat! Thank you!
Other items include a kind of brownish, sticky baked bread full of nuts (instead of flour, they use a certain kind of groundnut flour and bake it with nuts on top), grilled mushrooms with a slightly bitter taste, bulbs of some kind with a crunchy texture, and a variety of fruits, including small peaches, raspberries, and blueberries, and something resembling an akebi.
