Kuroshitsuji: The Contract from Birth [Ciel Phantomhive]

[21] Her Butler, Spiced

The entirety of the way to the dining room, neither Ciel or I spoke a word. If anything, I had quickened my steps to make sure that there was a gap between us. Although my actions may have been considered childish, I was not under any circumstances feeling comfortable, even if Ciel hadn't made it painfully awkward after he saw my atrocious scars. I rushed into my seat once the dining room had made itself visible, and even Rodric raised an eyebrow at my odd behavior, but a quick scowl fixed his curiosity instantly. As Ciel calmly took his seat on the other side of the long birch table, he easily averted my gaze, making my fingers twitch.

"This morning I have prepared a British-Style Bengali Chicken Curry," Rodric announced as the twins handed out a dish to each guest sitting at the table.

"Don't be afraid to tell us if it's disgusting!" Salvador assured, waving around his spatula. As everyone picked up their forks to bite into the enticing and rather delectable looking meal, a suddenly sickened sound that came from Soma made us all turn and pause, blinking in confusion as to why he seemed to be seconds away from vomiting.

"YUCK!!"

Yuki froze as she began to pour Ciel some tea, and even the twins stopped bustling around to stare at the Prince wide-eyed.

"Is it not to your liking?" Rodric asked, eyebrows furrowed as Sebastian struggled to hide his sniggers.

"Ah! N-No!" Soma exclaimed, bristling up in fear as he began to try and explain what he meant to everyone, "It's very g-good! Only... it's too different from what I usually have back home in India... it's... it's..."

His stuttering worsened and I sighed, shaking my head.

"Go on, just explain. The more we know, the better," I persuaded, and he hesitantly nodded, placing a hand to his chin in thought.

"Firstly, the taste is just too weak, and I really can't smell anything... I can still feel something like powder in my mouth... and such a thing is not curry."

Sebastian dipped a finger into Ciel's curry --much to his discontentment-- and quickly popped it into his mouth before nodding at Soma's comments.

"How odd... even after I used the finest curry powders available..."

Rodric opened his mouth to speak once more but was struck on the arm with a silver tray, rendering him speechless.

"Powder?!" Both Yuki and Salvador shouted, eyes wide in angry distress. Rodric snatched the tray away in one swift movement and placed it down on the table before turning to glare at them both, but neither of them wavered under his intense glare.

"Spices that are bought in already premixed packaging are only used by amateurs!" Yuki exclaimed, raising a hand in alarm, "Bottled up and mixed blended half-heartedly breaks the delicious bond they once had with one another!"

The devil rolled his eyes and Salvador immediately stepped up.

"It is true! Each spice used needs to --como se dice...--1 harmonize! Harmonize with each other just enough to bring about a certain flavor to embody a taste!"

I blinked in interest, and Soma spoke up as he pushed the plate of curry away, feeling a bit more confident now that his own criticism was being supported.

"They are right. Spices determine the color and heat of curry, but what is most important is the flavor. When they aren't freshly ground, the aroma evaporates. At my Palace, I have masalchi dedicated to that task alone."

"So in other words," Sebastian said, walking over to Rodric, "using something like curry powder, in which the spices have been ground up prior to being packaged and sold, is out of the question."