Episode 8. Please Blow on the Napolitan Pasta Before Eating (3)
Sasha and Alfred looked at each other at the same time.They were silently asking each other, “Do you know what that noise was?” But judging by their faces, neither of them had a clue.
The long hallway in front of them was filled with darkness.
Though some moonlight shone through the windows, the soft light created even darker and more eerie shadows.
“I should go check it out,” Sasha said.
She stepped into the darkness, walking toward where the sound had come from—the kitchen at the corner of the first floor.
“M-maybe it was just the wind?” Alfred asked nervously as he tried to stop her.
“I don’t think so.”
Sasha thought back to earlier, when she was cooking pasta in the kitchen.
Back then, the windows weren’t open, and nothing was stacked dangerously. It was very unlikely that anything just fell over because of the wind.
“I-It was probably just some junk falling over. Let’s just leave it, Sasha.”
“I hope you’re right, but… it might be something else.”
Sasha was worried about that “something else.”
What if it wasn’t an object falling on its own—what if someone knocked it over?
That would be a completely different situation. And that someone might be a thief… or even someone dangerous.
With the master still unconscious, she couldn’t let the mansion fall into danger.
“Here, take this.”
She picked up a broom and handed it to Alfred. Then she grabbed a pickaxe from the supplies she bought earlier—just in case she needed to defend herself.
Alfred accepted the broom, but he looked uneasy.
“…Can’t we just not go?” he asked, voice shaking.
This was probably the first time he’d dealt with something like this. Sasha, having worked at the security bureau before, was used to it—but Alfred wasn’t.
She paused for a moment and gently grabbed his hand.
“Mr. Alfred, please wait here. I’ll go check.”
“N-no, I didn’t mean it like that…”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay.”
She gave him a reassuring smile and headed toward the kitchen.
Alfred watched her go, then let out a groan and followed. “If I stay here, I’ll look like a coward,” he muttered.
That way…
Sasha held the pickaxe, while Alfred, now holding a lantern instead of a broom, lit her way.
Quietly, they reached the kitchen.
Sasha carefully checked the room. The curtains fluttered in the breeze from the open window, and strange marks were on the windowsill.
Someone really came in.
Her heart pounded nervously. Gripping the pickaxe tightly, she looked around the dark kitchen.
The bowl of pasta on the table had fallen to the floor, and the sauce was splattered everywhere.
Trying to stay calm, she looked for signs of the intruder.
Where did they go?
But she couldn’t see any figure nearby. So she decided to follow the footprints that began at the windowsill.
They’re really small…
The footprints looked as small as a child’s. They climbed up to the counter, walked down onto the carpet in the middle of the room, and seemed to have knocked over the pasta bowl.
Then, they led toward the corner.
That’s where the oven is…
Near the oven sat the pot of pasta Sasha had saved for the master.
She stared into the shadows like a hawk watching its prey—and finally saw a plump shape near the pot.
“Got you!”
Sasha rushed in with the pickaxe raised, ready to stop the intruder—
“Woof woof!”
A sudden bark made her hand go weak, and she dropped the pickaxe in surprise.
She quickly shined the lantern on the creature in front of her.
She saw a fluffy, round backside like a fat fruit. Something raised its head. Its wiggly behind suddenly plopped down on the floor.
“W-what is that…?”
“That is…”
Alfred sighed deeply behind her.
“…an uninvited guest.”
“Woof woof woof!”
As if saying “I’m not a guest!” the creature barked—it was a dog.
With perky ears, fluffy fur, super short legs, and a big round butt—it was clearly a corgi!
“A corgi!”
“What a way to reunite after so long…”
Alfred sighed, but Sasha hardly heard him.
She was completely focused on one thing—this cute, fluffy dog.
Its nose was still in the pot of pasta, and sauce was smeared all over its mouth. Its belly was so round, it looked like it had eaten everything Sasha had made.
“H-hi there…”
Sasha slowly walked up and greeted it. At first, the dog stepped back cautiously. But after a moment, it approached and licked her hand.
“Whine…”
“…So cute.”
Sasha whispered dreamily. Alfred quickly warned her,
“Don’t be fooled, Sasha. It’s just acting cute because it wants more food.”
“It’s… hungry? Then I should make something safe for dogs. Human food can be bad for them…”
“It’s fine. That one only eats human food anyway.”
With a grumble, Alfred picked up the corgi.
“Still, how did it know the master was back? Is it some kind of ghost?”
“Woof woof woof!”
“Right. But still, you scared Sasha a lot. That’s not okay.”
It was almost like Alfred and the corgi could understand each other. Sasha watched in amazement, then clapped her hands with an idea.
“Mr. Alfred, are you hungry?”
“I’m fine—”
Grrrrgle.
But before he finished, his stomach answered for him.
“Haha… I guess I haven’t eaten dinner after all.”
“Perfect. Please take a seat at the table. I’ll make some pasta.”
“W-wait. Isn’t it a bit late? And wouldn’t it be a hassle to cook again…?”
“Woof!”
When Alfred tried to politely decline, the dog barked at him like it was saying, “Don’t be rude!”
“It’s okay. I didn’t eat dinner either, and I still have plenty of ingredients.”
Sasha pulled out the tomato ketchup she had prepared earlier and began making Napolitan pasta again. Soon, the kitchen was filled with its sweet and tangy smell. Alfred sat at the table, and the corgi sat beneath it—both of them drooling.
“All done!”
Sasha placed the steaming plates of pasta on the table. She gave Alfred a fork and knife, and served the corgi its portion in a deep bowl.
Once Sasha joined them, the empty table felt warm and lively.
Sasha twirled some pasta onto her fork and took a bite. The corgi tried to copy her with its little snout but gave up and just shoved its face into the bowl, gobbling everything.
Watching it, Alfred muttered,
“Well, what do you know…”
He had never really thought of this mansion as anything special. When the master was here, he did mansion work. When the master was gone, he handled outside business. The mansion was just a base.
But now?
He realized how nice it felt to eat dinner together like this. It had been a long time.
Alfred slurped up some pasta like noodles and smiled at Sasha.
“It’s been a while since I had pasta… It’s really delicious.”
“Woof woof!”
Even the corgi barked in agreement, making Sasha giggle.
Her smile lit up the dark mansion like a spring flower, and Alfred suddenly had a thought—
Maybe spring really will come to this house…
Eating together like this… doesn’t feel bad at all.
Just as a smile started to form on Alfred’s face—
“Woof!”
The corgi, who had been stuffing its face into the bowl, suddenly jerked its head
