Torture

The carriage arrived at the Lenua territory, at the entrance was Aisha to receive me, but just by seeing her face I knew that something wasn't right.

She takes me out of the carriage and we fake the greeting of a young engaged couple. When we finish, she guides me inside her house, we walk along of what we call "the scenic route", on that route there are spaces where we can talk without being heard.

We passed by the Lenua's courtyard, where the viscount has a small zoo with exotic animals that he has rescued over the years.

At a point near a cage with exotic birds, we stop to talk.

(Aisha) Leo, I think we have a problem.

(Leonora) Are you breaking up with me? If so, I promise I can change.

(Aisha) very funny Leo, but this is serious.

(Leonora) It's okay, but since you looked tense I thought a joke might calm things down.

She glanced around before continuing.

(Aisha) yesterday I heard my parents arguing, it seems that my mother wants to break our engagement.

I look around too.

(Leonora) We have already taken too long here, let's go to the next point.

We continue walking until we re-enter the mansion, we continue along a long corridor, on one side of it there are stairs that go up to the second floor, the middle point of both floors is another safe place.

(Leonora) Well, tell me what you can.

(Aisha) I don't know much so far, yesterday I passed by my father's office, and I heard him arguing with my mother, it seems she has a better fiancé for me, one who would supposedly bring us both status and money.

This is always a problem, Aisha's mother never liked our engagement, when you enter into a marriage of convenience, you are either looking for status, with someone of a higher rank, or money for that family's business.

My engagement to Aisha was a particular case, although my inventions have brought a great deal of money to the viscount and the city, that is a fact today, when our engagement was agreed, my father was little more than a stranger with a couple of good ideas, only a madman would agree to marry off his only daughter to secure a relationship between the two families.

That was why since my time at the Croiss mansion, I was already nurturing the identity of Count Lazaruz, and with letters I gradually gained the viscount's trust and I had just a couple of inventions that worked, Viscount Lenua, who had a notion of my father's ideas and shared his vision of a world without dependence on magic, did not see a problem in our engagement, besides in the viscount's eyes, Aisha and I showed to have a good relationship since we met, which prevented him from changing his mind.

But, despite the fact that I now have an official title, and of a higher rank than their family, in the eyes of many people, I'm too young, I could tell that since my presentation party, there are many people who underestimate me and just want a little of the money I have made before I go to the inevitable ruin, and if they have found another family that can provide them with status, which I cannot secure because of my short time in the kingdom, and money, which I do possess, but it is not certain if I will have the capacity to manage, then it is obvious who they will choose for the marriage of their only daughter.

(Leonora) What does your father think?

(Aisha) He is against it, but you know how fickle he is in front of my mother.

(Leonora) that can be a problem.

While we continue walking, we pass by a large hall adorned with paintings, statues, sculptures and other works of art, the viscount is a big fan of art, but he himself admits he's too clumsy to create it and just collects it, behind a statue of a winged and semi-naked woman we stop to continue talking.

(Aisha) I think I know who it might be, remember the party I was forced to go to last year?

(Leonora) How could I forget it? you only complained a month before and a month after.

(Aisha) I didn't tell you because I thought it was stupid, but someone proposed to me at that party.

(Leonora) eh excuse me? Look, I know how our relationship works and all, but don't you think you should have mentioned it?

(Aisha) I didn't think it was important to mention it.

(Leonora) didn't think it was important? You know that's the kind of thing you're supposed to at least comment on.

(Aisha) I just didn't think it was important.

I wanted to reply but we had already spent too much time here, so we continued walking, we approached the next and last safe spot, a small dimly lit corner near the doors of the main hall, but to our bad luck, Aisha's father was there.

He looked crestfallen as he nibbled on a chicken leg.

Viscount Lenua, is one of the most honest and well-meaning people I have ever met, but I have also come to discover that he is not someone who handles pressure well, and has a eating tendency to calm his nerves.

Upon seeing us the viscount is embarrassed and quickly hides the chicken leg, then simply acts as if we haven't seen anything.

(Viscount) Leon, my son, it is a pleasure to have you here today.

The viscount extends his hand for me to shake, to which I return the greeting.

(Leonora) is always a pleasure sir.

The three of us headed to the main hall, I still had things to discuss with Aisha, but for now I will try to get the viscount to talk.

(Leonora) what things have happened in our absence?

(Viscount) hmm, I am very sorry Leon, but unfortunately there has been no progress in the investigation of your father's murderer.

Shit... I had forgotten, in these cases there is only one thing to do.

(Leonora) don't worry, I don't blame him for anything, whoever killed my father must have been a real expert.

My extraordinary improvisation skills had completely fooled the viscount, but for some reason, Aisha gave me an accusing look.

Normally Aisha sits on her father's side, but this time she sits next to me, her father takes note of this fact and thinks for a moment.

(Viscount) Leon, son, there is something I would like to talk to you about, Aisha, could you leave us alone for a moment?

(Aisha) as you order father.

Aisha got up and left the room, when the door was closed, the viscount spoke.

(Viscount) Leon, you know that I esteem you very much, I have known you since you were a child, and now I see how little by little you are becoming a man.

There is at least one problem with what you just said, but I get the point.

(Viscount) I also know that you and my daughter have a good relationship.

She's a crazy sociopath with criminal tendencies and an obsession with creating chaos, but she's my friend and all.

(Viscount) being completely honest, I couldn't imagine a better son-in-law, but....

At that moment, the doors burst open and a beautiful woman enters the room.

That woman had caramel-colored skin, and long black hair that fell down her back that contrasted with beautiful green eyes, she wore an outfit made of fine fabrics of various colors and walked in a suggestive way swaying her hips.

Behind, she was followed by Aisha, anyone seeing them would think they were sisters, not mother and daughter.

(Viscount) Bashira, what are you doing here?

(Bashira) I was informed that the young Leon had arrived, I just wanted to come and say hello.

(Viscount) Bashira, I was in the middle of a private conversation, you should....

The woman only gives a mischievous smile to her husband to what he ends up shutting up in mid-sentence.

She then proceeds to sit next to him, and Aisha, who until now had been behind her, sits next to me.

(Bashira) and tell me Leon, how was your trip to the capital?

(Leonora) it wasn't bad ma'am, but I didn't like the city very much, it's just not for me.

(Bashira) ohh, dear, how many times I've said you can call me Bashira, you calling me ma'am makes me feel old.

(Aisha) Leon is educated, mother, maybe there are people who can learn from him.

(Bashira) you are right, in this world there are people who should learn not to get involved in other people's conversations.

Aisha and her mother stared at each other, and the temperature around them practically dropped a couple of degrees.

The atmosphere was extremely tense, and to our good fortune, a servant entered the room completely unaware of what was going on.

(Servant) my lord lunch is....

That poor seized almost fell to the ground when hit by the pressure generated by those two, in turn the viscount took the opportunity to change the subject.

(Viscount) What did you say Fransua? lunch is ready? well, let's go to the dining room then.

The four of us got up and walked to the dining room, along the way the viscount was trying to calm the waters with casual chatter.

(Vizconde) today, our cheffs try to replicate some of the dishes of his native Tarrazzca, I hope you give us your most sincere opinion.

(Leonora) It will be an honor, sir.

Wait, are these real Tarrazzca dishes? Or dishes from my original life that I've tried to pass off as Tarrazzca food? there's a big difference.

(Viscount) was a little difficult to match the flavor without the exact spices, but I have tasted the dish in advance and I think the flavor is good.

I have a bad feeling about all this.

We arrived at the large dining room and sat down, the viscount took the place of the master of the house at one end of the table and I took the place of guest of honor at the other end, and again Aisha sat next to me, instead of her parents, while her mother, Bashira, sat next to her husband.

Before long servants began bringing food on trays, before long the table was filled with salads, fruits, freshly baked bread, a large number of sauces, and various appetizers and side dishes.

At the moment I didn't see anything that could be considered "typical Tarrazzca food" but my worst fears were realized when a burly woman arrived carrying a large pot.

Karris is a made up country that is a strange melting pot of cultures and countries that the developers thought was a good idea, it depends on what part of the kingdom you travel to and you will find not only the typical, medieval Europe, there are also places like, France, India, Italy, Norway, and Germany, but in the case of the other countries that surround it, things are much, much weirder, those countries become an inhomogeneous mix of different cultures and eras due to the little care that the developers gave them when they created them.

There are countries that simulate a Victorian England, right next to another that is a country in the middle of the Italian Renaissance, a Novo-Hispanic Mexico, next to a Spain of the Mio Cid, countries that seem to enter a pre-industrial revolution, next to another in the middle ages, a disaster for any historian, economist and sociologist, and in the specific case of Tarrazzca, in a kind of Scotland in the time of William Wallace, but without a William Wallace and a conflict with his own country and without England in the middle.

And now the most typical dish of Tarrazzca is put on my plate.

Hazzf is a ground mixture of roc heart, salamander skin, chimera intestines, ram intestines, bull testicles and giant mantis claws, all inside the stomach of a sheep, simmering in tomato sauce, seasoned in at least 30 different spices.

The viscount looks greedily at the ball of intestines on his plate and congratulates the chef.

(Viscount) a magnificent smell, this time you outdid yourself Gretchen.

The portly woman smiled proudly as she finished serving those balls of intestines on each plate.

I, for my part, could only stare in horror at my own plate.

Hazzf has a very strong taste, one of those that prevent you from tasting anything else, and a penetrating smell, one of those that will not go away no matter how much you wash your hands and mouth.

It's true that I have come to eat really disgusting things in extreme situations, and if this food had been put in front of me I would have eaten it and enjoyed it with tears in my eyes, but in those same situations I would have eaten my own arm in bites if necessary, which is not to say that Hazzf is something I can enjoy in a life accustomed to decent meals.

Once the food was finished being served, the viscount begins to eat with great appetite, and bits of food and sauce are falling into his beard.

Mrs. Bashira, for her part, begins to eat more elegantly, cutting her Hazzf into small pieces and putting them in her mouth.

I glanced sideways at Aisha, hoping for complicity, but she too was eating without much trouble, dipping a loaf of bread in the Hazzf sauce.

As long as I don't have green peppers, you'll eat anything? Huh? You little traitor.

I filled my plate with as many appetizers as I could, and in one bite I put together, ham, three different kinds of cheese, half a slice of tomato, lettuce and a small portion of Hazzf, hoping to disguise its taste.

Yep, an absolute failure.

The viscount who was watching my reactions smiled and spoke.

(Viscount) oh that's the way you eat Hazzf in Tarrazzca?

(Leonora) it's more like how we do it in my family.

The viscount replied to my jumble of things and put it in his mouth.

(Viscount) hmm, yes, this way all the flavors are perfectly accentuated.

Whatever you say man.

I barely managed to finish the Hazzf on my plate, while the viscount was about to finish his second portion, and everything indicated that he would go for a third.

The viscount finished eating and gestured to the cheff to refill his plate, then looked in my direction.

(Viscount) and what do you think Leon? Do you think the taste is right?

(Leonora) Yes, it's almost like being in Tarrazzca again.

I also have to say that the only time I was in Tarrazzca, it was because I was sold as a slave to a sadistic fanatic of torturing women.

(Viscount) oh, I'm so glad you liked it.

Both Aisha and her mother finished eating at about the same time.

Aisha made an attempt to get up and leave, but her mother stopped her.

(Bashira) Aisha, my love, there is something I would like to talk about.

Aisha grimaced in dissatisfaction and sat back down.

Bashira gave a glance at everyone present and smiled mischievously.

(Bashira) as of today, I cancel your engagement.

Motherfucker, couldn't you say that before the meal?