I Became the Emergency Food Supply of the Bear Family - Chapter 21

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 21

Anna chuckled softly as she watched Nabom, her eyes wide and small mouth hanging open.
“The timing is just right, and if you don’t mind, I’d love to introduce you to someone. What do you think?”

***

Accepting Anna’s proposal, Nabom arrived at the dining hall.
“The dining hall is usually quite crowded at this hour. The retainers and servants of Grizzly Castle typically have their breakfast now.”
Contrary to Anna’s explanation, the dining hall was deserted—so quiet, in fact, that barely a sound could be heard.
At Nabom’s questioning gaze, Anna smiled knowingly.
“But today I’ve specially reserved this space for you.”
Anna drew Nabom’s Custom Chair from her pocket—made by Demirun—and set it atop the table before turning back to Nabom.
‘She’s been carrying that around the whole time?’
Anna ran her fingers over the seat of the chair, murmuring how adorable it was before her whole body trembled with delight.
She really does love it. Maybe I should just give her the chair? The craftsman seemed questionable, but the chair itself was flawless.
Though Nabom gestured with that intention, Anna merely smiled and seated her in the chair.
Anna began checking the table runner spread across the long dining table and the flowers placed at its center, as if conducting a final inspection.
‘This table is really lavishly decorated.’
Just as Nabom tilted her head curiously, an unfamiliar scent drifted from behind. This was….
‘The smell of a new predator…!’
Her body stiffening, Nabom carefully turned to look back.
Two men were crossing the dining hall, each carrying a tray laden with dishes in both hands.
“We’re honored to meet you this way.”
“Finally! Today! It’s truly a pleasure to meet you!”
The two men greeted Nabom with voices full of emotion. Both had jet-black eyes and hair as white as snow.
“Let me introduce you. They are the Head Chef and Assistant Chef of our Grizzly Castle.”
After introducing them, Anna leaned close to Nabom’s ear and whispered,
“They’re both polar bears, so they don’t enter hibernation.”
Nabom’s ears twitched.
Polar bears don’t hibernate? And there were two of them in this castle? Not to mention the Sled Dog Knights?
‘Escape was never really an option from the start, was it….’
Swallowing dryly, Nabom’s hand moved to her chest at a thought that suddenly occurred to her.
‘Thank goodness I’m in Pending Adoption Status.’
Thank you, Theodore.
What had once seemed like a grim reaper capable of taking her life at any moment had somehow become a powerful ally protecting her now. It was strange, but above all, she was grateful.
“And that’s precisely why all the retainers and servants of Grizzly Castle can enjoy delicious meals without change, even during hibernation season.”
The Head Chef and Assistant Chef, echoing Anna’s words, set the trays they’d been holding onto the dining table.
The trays were laden not only with meals for the three of them, but also with all manner of fresh vegetables prepared specially for Nabom.
Her mouth, which had been quite dry until moments ago, suddenly began filling with saliva.
“Still, since most bears do enter hibernation, the Sled Dog Knights guard Grizzly Castle during the dormant season. So you needn’t worry, I assure you.”
Nod, nod, nod, nod.
To Anna’s kindly explanation, Nabom simply nodded incessantly.
Right, now I understand—let’s eat quickly.
Watching saliva drip from the small triangular mouth, Anna laughed and plucked a leaf from one of the plates.
“Here, before it gets cold….”
Nabom’s mouth rushed to meet the leaf, snatching it before Anna could finish speaking.
Crunch, crackle. The fresh flavor of chicory spread throughout her mouth.
Flaring her nose to savor the leaf’s aroma, Nabom then pointed to another plate. Anna quickly brought a leaf from the plate Nabom indicated.
It seemed to be a mixture of two types of hay, she wasn’t sure which, but it was wonderfully crisp and tender, with a slightly bitter finish that was nothing short of exquisite.
Nabom closed her eyes, tilted her head back, and puffed out her cheeks.
Really. This is incredibly delicious.
How on earth does this castle grow such vegetables!
The Head Chef laughed heartily at the sight of Nabom tapping the armrest of her chair rhythmically in rapture.
“Today I put in extra effort, and I’m so pleased that you enjoy it.”
Extra effort? Is there a special method to preparing vegetables? It just looks like raw vegetables?
As Nabom’s eyes brightened with interest, Anna spoke to the Head Chef.
“It seems you’d like to know how it was made, Chef.”
“Oh, is that so? Would it be alright if I explained?”
When Nabom nodded enthusiastically, the Head Chef began to speak with evident pleasure.
“When preparing your meals, I pay careful attention to the water temperature used for washing the vegetables. Precise temperature control allows each vegetable to maintain its peak freshness.”
Different water temperatures for different vegetables? Nabom’s eyes grew round at this meticulous know-how. Her reaction made the Head Chef’s face brighten further.
“And what you just ate is hay made by mixing timothy and alfalfa. The timothy I’ve prepared by steaming and drying carefully, as I thought it might become tedious for you otherwise, while the alfalfa, being high in calories and slightly bitter in taste, I’ve reduced in proportion. However, both varieties of hay are rich in protein, so nutritionally….”
“Chef.”
At Anna’s call, the Head Chef suddenly came to himself.
A small white rabbit had been listening so intently, her gaze never leaving his, that he’d become completely carried away. But how does someone so young understand the entire explanation?
“My apologies for getting carried away….”
The Head Chef quickly apologized, his gaze still fixed on the rabbit, before his mouth slowly fell silent.
He could see that the fur around her mouth had become damp from drooling.
At that sight, all three others let out a stifled laugh.
“Please, have as much as you’d like. We should eat before it gets cold too.”
The moment Anna gave permission, Nabom hopped down from her chair and buried her face in a plate, chewing eagerly through the vegetables.
Anna lifted her spoon, gently scratching Nabom’s back as though encouraging her to eat slowly.
Soon the once-quiet dining hall filled with the sound of cutlery clinking.
“This stew is delicious today too!”
“Good to hear. That’s because this fellow made it.”
“What do you mean by that? I’m the Assistant Chef, you know.”
“Since last week, that is.”
“Are you enjoying it? You should eat slowly.”
Between the clinks of cutlery, the two chefs bickered while Anna’s soft voice wove through the sound.
‘…What is this.’
For some reason, the vegetables in her mouth tasted even more delicious, and Nabom tilted her head in wonder.
It was strange.
Whether eating breakfast with Ferdi and Louis or now—had meals always tasted this good? She couldn’t help but marvel.

“Here, let me feed you.”

Nabom, whose whole body lacked sufficient muscle, had never been able to feed herself.
Without the strength to hold a spoon, her mother or a nurse always fed her, and without the strength to chew, she could barely manage to swallow porridge or thin gruel.
After her rebirth, Nabom’s rabbit parents were indifferent to her. She generally dug traps in snowdrifts, ate wild hay, and returned home.
Until now, mealtimes had been something for Nabom to simply endure.
But then.
‘Now I actually look forward to mealtime.’
What was the difference between then and now?
Then, she ate alone. But now, the people surrounding Nabom also lift their spoons and move their mouths, chewing as they eat together.
‘That’s it, perhaps….’
Perhaps meals taste better when you eat them together with others.
Nabom’s mouth corners slowly lifted as she chewed her hay. Her cheeks, full and round with food, looked for all the world like someone truly enjoying a meal.
Just as Nabom finished emptying several plates and neared the end of her meal,
a sudden sound stirred in the depths of the dining hall.
The moment Nabom’s head snapped toward the noise, a small furry paw shot out from beneath an empty table’s shadow.
A creature emerged crawling, its tail held high, slunk forward in a crouch to the table where Nabom sat, puffed its body round momentarily, then suddenly gathered strength in its legs and leaped.
Startled by the unexpected jumping power of what seemed like a clumsy body, Nabom tumbled backward from her chair with a yelp.
Appearing suddenly was a gray-furred humanoid with a thick, luxuriant tail: Pallas’s Cat.
His shadow fell across Nabom’s small form as he asked,

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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