"Long time no see, Vee."

"Yes, Steere."

On June 27th, Vivienne comes to visit me at the Eschenbach house.

They have a friendly conversation in the living room, not in the parlor, as they are close friends. Stearina welcomed Vivien with a kooch.

"How is Vee doing now?"

Vivian had not been visiting Horai Island much recently.

So Stearina asked what her friend was up to.

"I just finished compiling an old tale from the nomadic tribes in the eastern part of the Kingdom of Cerroa.

"Wow, that's great.

Did you do it all by yourself? No, I did it with that man, Lukor.

"Lukor is ...... that old man?"

"Grandpa ...... well, he's not wrong. He's older than he looks."

That being said, Lukor will be 64 years old this year. In the world of Ars, that's old age.

"Hmm, I didn't think Vee liked old men."

"Oh, come on."

"I'm kidding."

Laughter echoes through the house of Eschenbach.

Then Saki appears. In her hand she is holding a bag of ...... college potatoes.

"Welcome, Vivien!

"Saki, I'm sorry to disturb you."

Saki put the thing in her hand on the table.

I made it, what do you think?

"You made it, Saki?"

"Yes, I did. Saki said she's been trying to learn how to cook lately, so she started with something simple.

"For ...... goose?"

Vivienne looks into Saki's face with a mischievous smile,

"What?　I'm not sure if that's ...... right or not."

Saki blushes a little.

"Vee, don't tease me too much."

Stearina chided Vivienne.

"Well then, since we're here, let's eat.

Vivienne stuck her fork into the thing that Saki had made.

"Oh, let's make green tea.

Stearina got up from her seat and was about to go to the kitchen,

"Madam, I brought the tea for you.

Aaru came in carrying a tray with a teacup, a teapot, and a pot.

"Oh, thank you.

So Saki, Stearina, and Vivian ate the food that Saki had prepared.

"Yes, it's delicious.

"It's really, really good."

It was a hit with Stearina and Vivienne.

"It's not even a simple dish..." "It's not that simple..."

"It's not that simple. It's not that. It's just that it's so hot all the way through that it makes the meat really chewy.

"Well, I've made a mistake a couple of times and the inside was raw.

Saki was a little embarrassed and told a story she didn't have to tell.

"And the honey on it is delicious. It's sugar, right?"

Saki nodded.

"Yes, this time I made the nectar from white sugar instead of maple syrup.

White sugar or granulated sugar is dissolved in a small amount of water, then heated and boiled down to make nectar.

Be careful not to boil it down too much or it will caramelize.

When frying potatoes in oil, fry them slowly at a low temperature (about 160 degrees Celsius), and when a bamboo skewer easily sticks to them, fry them at a high temperature (about 180 degrees Celsius) until they are crispy and delicious. When the potatoes can be easily pierced with a bamboo skewer, fry them at a high temperature (about 180 degrees Celsius) until crispy.

If you like, sprinkle some sesame seeds (white or black) on them to give them a savory flavor.

"It's delicious. It goes well with tea.

"Yes, it is."

I'm glad it's so well received.

Then.

"......?"

Stearina clamped her mouth shut and abruptly got up from her seat. Then she ran out of the room.

"Stear, what's wrong?

Vivian followed her. Saki was stunned and dumbfounded, but soon came to her senses,

"Aal, could you call Elsa just in case?"

He said and hurried after her.

"...... is ......"

"Are you okay, mother-in-law?"

Saki asked worriedly as she ran to the blue-faced Stearina.

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm sorry for worrying you."

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!　I'm sorry for worrying you. ...... Is it something wrong with my cooking?　Was it the oil?　Or ......?"

Then,

"Saki-sama, Erza-sama and Jin-sama are here!"

Aaru's voice echoed.

"Saki, what's going on?"

"Oh, Erza!　Please, please, check on your mother-in-law!　I'm so worried that she got sick from eating my p*n*s ......!"

"Okay, okay. Saki, calm down for now."

After quieting Saki, Erza went over to Stearina, who was slumped on the sofa.

"Stearina-san, are you okay?"

Stearina replied with a blue face.

"Yes Elsa, I think I'm fine ......".

"Anyway, I will examine you. <>...... this, this is ......"

"Oh my God, Elsa, what the hell is going on?

"So calm down, Saki. Stearina is not sick. Congratulations.

"I don't know how you can say that and still be calm!　...... What?　What did you say?　"Congratulations?"

"Hmm. Congratulations,......, sister."

Erza patted Saki's shoulder gently.

"Two months."

"Uh ...... that means ........."

Jin then pulled Toa out of the lab.

"Congratulations, Toa!"

"What ......!　You!

"You. You look like ......!

"Oh, yeah, yeah!"

The two of them hold each other's hands and say, "Congratulations.

"Congratulations!"

Congratulations" were given by everyone present as they held hands in joy.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Leaving Toa and Stearina alone, Jin, Erza, Saki, and Vivian returned to the living room.

"Oh, college sweet potato ...... thing?"

I made them myself. I was so surprised that your mother-in-law got a stomach ache because she didn't ...... make it.

"Mother-in-law?　Saki, did you say mother-in-law?

"Oh, ......!"

Saki blushed when she realized that she had been calling Stearina her mother-in-law for a while when Jin pointed it out.

"That's good. It's okay. I could have called her that naturally.

"Is that so?"

Saki looked down a little embarrassed, and Erza followed her up.

"Saki, you said you couldn't call me that even if you wanted to before, didn't you?

"I remember that." "Ummm... I remember that.

"Well, then, it's a happy ending. If it were a story, it would have a happy ending.

Vivian said and smiled.

It was early summer. Happiness is in the air at the Eschenbach house.