Reincarnated in Another World at the Age of 82!? - Chapter 27, Chapter 28, Chapter 29

Can’t Drink the Cocktail
The cellar was located behind a door at the back of the pantry.

Inside, it was neatly organized, with countless varieties of liquor lined up, almost overflowing with their abundance.

T-there’s this much?"

"Yeah, Master and most of the staff are big drinkers."

(Search.)

"Gin, rum, vodka, tequila, whiskey, wine... Wow, what a lineup!"

"Young lady, you’re something else. A kid who knows her liquor, huh?"

"Ah, well..."

I couldn’t possibly admit I used to drink. Plus, I wasn’t sure if it was okay to talk about my skill with Abe, so I had to bluff my way through for now.

"So, can you make this cocktail thing?"

"With all this? Absolutely. By the way, do you know what kind of liquor Father likes?"

"Master drinks anything, but he prefers dry over sweet."

"What about you, Mr. Abe?"

"Me? I like the strong stuff, the kind that hits you hard. Ahaha!"

No doubt about it, Abe must be a heavy drinker.

"Alright, then I’ll make something gin-based today."

"Alright, back to the kitchen we go."

Back in the kitchen, I was finally set down, and I got ready to make the cocktails.

As I started preparing, I realized... there was no shaker! A shaker is crucial for mixing, chilling, and smoothing out the alcohol’s edge to make it easier to drink. I glanced around, looking for something I could use as a substitute.

Oh, maybe this could work!

"Can I use this?"

"Huh? That’s the jar the pickles came in. What for?"

It was about twice the size of a milk bottle, made of thick glass, and came with a glass lid. Sniff sniff... No smell.

Perfect! This could work.

"I’m going to use it to shake the cocktail."

"O-oh. I don’t quite get it, but sure. Should we clean it first, just in case?"

"Huh? Clean?"

"Yeah, you know, sanitize. Hey, Arthur, clean this, will ya?"

"Got it. Clean! There you go, Young lady."

"Wow~ amazing! Is that your skill, Mr. Arthur?"

"That’s right. I also use it to sanitize fish and remove any parasites before cooking."

"Wow, that’s super handy~ Now I can use it with peace of mind. Thank you, Mr. Arthur."

"My pleasure. Just say the word anytime."

With the shaker substitute ready, it was time to get started!

"Alright, I’ll make a gin-based cocktail today. Let’s see, mix gin and lime juice at a 3:1 ratio, add ice, and shake... Ugh, heavy."

"Young lady, let me handle that. You just shake it like this, right?"

"Yes, please shake it up and down."

The glass jar was indeed too heavy for me to shake properly.

"How long should I shake it?"

"Once the surface of the jar feels cold, you’re good to go."

"Done. Is it ready now?"

"Yes, it’s finished. This is a Gimlet*."

*(Gin, lime juice, sugar.)

"Can I have a taste?"

"Of course. Mr. Arthur, you can try too. Master, can you drink?"

"I sure can. I’m 18, after all."

In this world, adulthood starts at 16.

So I still had 11 more years where I could only make but not drink cocktails...

I guess I’ll have to make do with the faux rum raisin from yesterday for now.

----------

What is normal?
"This Gimlet is delicious.”

"Yes, the lime juice gives it a refreshing kick.”

"Young lady, this is amazing. Can I have another?"

Smack!

Ah, this time, it was Master who got slapped.

"Ben, you're still on duty. Wait until you're done... I’m holding back too, you know."

"Can make some snacks as well?"

"What kind of snacks?"

"Something simple, like crispy cheese."

With that, I grabbed some processed cheese from the fridge, sliced it into pieces about 5mm thick, and fried them on both sides in a pan.

And there you go—quick and easy snacks ready to serve!

"Here, give it a try."

"Mmm, this pairs perfectly with drinks!"

"Wow, this is so easy to make, but so delicious!"

"Young lady, this is incredible!"

Even Annie can sample crispy cheese, so it’s perfect for her too.

"Shall I make some and bring it over before the after-dinner drinks?"

"But isn't that when the servants have their dinner? I'll take it for you."

"Huh? If you take it now, the cocktails will get warm, and the cheese will cool down and lose its taste, won't it?"

"Oh, uh... I’ve got this."

"This? What’s 'this'?"

"Umm, Storage."

A hole appeared out of nowhere in front of me.

"Whoa! Young lady, you’ve got a storage skill too?"

"But Young lady, storage is just for keeping things. The cocktails will still get warm, and the cheese will still cool down, won’t they?"

"Ah, well, my storage has a time-stopping feature."

"Wh-What~~~?!"

"Uhh, what exactly is this Storage?" Annie asked.

"Oh, storage is like a spatial warehouse. It lets you stash things into a space out of nowhere. Normally, though, it doesn’t stop time. So if you store something cold like a cocktail, it’ll get warm. Same with hot cheese—it’ll cool down and harden. Normally, I mean. Normally!"

Abe explained while scratching his head, repeatedly emphasizing “normally.”

Did he really have to say "normally" so many times? It’s like he’s trying to tell me I’m not normal. Geez.

And honestly, what even is "normal"?

From others’ perspectives, a Storage S skill might be rare, but by my standards, it’s perfectly ordinary.

"But there’s a higher-grade skill called Storage S that has a time-stopping feature, right? Young lady, you’ve got that, don’t you?"

"Yes, I have Storage S."

"That’s incredible, Young lady!"

"Ehehe."

Even if they say I’m not normal, being praised makes me happy—must be because I’m in a five-year-old’s body. Or so I’ll tell myself.

"Anyway, I’ll store these in my Storage and serve them to Father and the others."

"Young lady, who are 'Father and the others'?"

"My Father, my Mother, and Gray."

"Why Mr. Gray too?"

"Umm... as a bribe?"

"A bribe? Why?"

"Because, after Father and Mother, I think he’s the last person you’d want to upset."

"””Pfft!”””

Abe, Arthur, and Ben all burst out laughing.

“””Ahahaha~~~!!!”””

“You are absolutely right.”

"He’s definitely someone you don’t want to anger."

"Young lady, you’re spot on!"

Wait, I’m not wrong, right?

Gray sometimes smiles, but his eyes don’t. And he can casually rope Father into doing extra work with that smile.

From experience, I know he’s someone you definitely don’t want to anger.

It’s like with bosses who seem calm and mild but are terrifying when they hit their limit. Always-angry types are simpler and easier to deal with.

----------

Let's prepare ourselves.
---Dinner time.

Everyone began gathering in the dining room.

Joan, who had helped prepare the meal today, was the first to arrive.

"Sarah, do you think everyone will like it?"

"Of course, Young lady. I’m looking forward to eating it myself."

"Hehe, I can’t wait for you and everyone else to try it, too."

Click. The door opened, and my two brothers entered.

"Oh, Joan was the first to arrive today."

"Why are you smiling like that?"

"Today’s dinner... I helped make it."

"”Ehh~~!!””

"Joan, you cooked?"

"What’s on the menu today?"

"Ehehe, you’ll just have to wait and see."

"”Aw, come on~~””

Click.

"What’s going on here, you three?"

"What were you all talking about?"

Father, Mother, and Gray walked in.

"Father, Joan said she helped make tonight’s dinner!"

“””Ehh!?”””

"Is that true, Joan?"

"Yes, Mother. I made it together with the cooks."

"Well, now I’m looking forward to it."

The food was brought in.

"Tonight’s menu is tonkatsu, fried shrimp, potato salad, and shrimp soup."

Of course, the potato salad was placed on a bed of lettuce with some cherry tomatoes for decoration. So tonight’s salad wasn’t just green.

It’s not a bug, okay~~~?! I wanted to shout that loudly.

"Ton...katsu? Fried shrimp? What’s this?"

"It’s pork and shrimp coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried. Please eat it while it’s hot."

"Alright, then. Let’s dig in."

Crunch! "This is delicious! The coating is crispy, and the pork is so juicy!"

"Wow, Stan, the fried shrimp is amazing too! And with this sauce, it’s even better. What’s in this sauce?"

"It’s called tartar sauce. It’s made by mixing boiled eggs, pickles, and mayonnaise. Oh, and if you squeeze the lemon next to the tonkatsu and shrimp, it gives a nice, refreshing flavor."

"The soup is excellent too, Joan. The shrimp flavor is really rich."

"Thank you, Brother Noel. I made it using the shrimp heads and shells."

"Huh? The heads and shells? Aren’t those garbage?"

"Nope! Clearly, they’ve made a delicious soup, haven’t they?"

"Joan, this salad is amazing! It’s tasty and colorful! Usually, it’s just green and salty, and I hated how dry potatoes were, but this? I love it! What’s in it?"

"Thank you, Brother Gene. The potato salad is seasoned with mayonnaise."

The bread was as hard as ever, but everything else was a big hit.

Still, something caught my attention—while the three of us kids were enjoying the food and chatting, Father and Mother occasionally whispered to each other.

What stood out the most was that no one asked about the mayonnaise, even though I was sure they’d question it immediately. Without a doubt, they’re suspicious of me.

When I serve the cocktails later, they’re going to think it’s even stranger.

I should’ve just confessed about my cheat-like skills earlier.

I’ll make up my mind. During after-dinner tea, I’ll tell them about my memories from my previous life.

Even if they think I’m weird, there’s no changing the truth.

Well, I’ll figure it out somehow.

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