The manor had not changed much. Perhaps because they had deliberately wanted to preserve their childhood memories, they had made no major alterations to the place. The fireplace, carpet, and sofa were all right where they had been. The garden looked somewhat better, though. Considering that Merkel was happily working at the Shop in the other world and would most likely no longer consider becoming a butler, it would probably improve even more in the future.
The long dining table had clearly been renovated, though it was also possible that they had simply replaced it altogether. Harley had laid a purple runner across it and set out white vases filled with dried roses and cattails. The tableware was dark blue, paired with silver knives and forks, creating a strangely beautiful effect.
A huge Chandelier hung above the dining room. It had been there before, but it seemed brighter now, illuminating the entire room brilliantly. The table was full of people, making the place seem quite lively.
"Cough, cough." Harley raised her glass and said, "Thank you all for coming. There isn't really anything else going on—I just wanted to show off the results of my food-processing plant designs. The candies in the little plates before you are all flavors I developed. As for the dishes, they were prepared at the food-processing plant and preserved in Dense Ice until now. I can guarantee that their flavor hasn't changed at all, and they're still piping hot. Let's dig in."
Out of politeness, Pride took a piece of candy. He carefully checked the flavor label, confirmed that it was strawberry chocolate, and only then put it in his mouth. What surprised him was that the strawberry listed in the flavor was not artificial flavoring, but freeze-dried strawberry chunks. Combined with slightly bitter dark