The Villainess Enjoys Her Seventh Life as a Free-Spirited Bride (hostage) in a Former Enemy Country
Chapter e2.1: Extra 2.1 - A Merchant's Life: A Night in the Desert

This is a short story, slightly different from the main story, when Rishe was a merchant.

That day.

The group from the Aria Trading Company had chosen an oasis in the Halil Desert as their camping site.

The group’s livelihood was peddling, so they were familiar with the preparations for the camp.

They unpacked, rested the camels they rented from the desert people, and prepared their own sleeping quarters.

Each did their work without being told, and in no time at all, were done with setting their camps, precisely sharing the workload.

Then, as the sun was setting…

The group began a grand drinking feast around the bonfire to keep the beasts away. Their excuse for the day was this.

“Acha! Toast to our chairman and little sister, Rishe, for their feats!”

“Grab your cup and hold it high! Ready, say — cheers!”

“Cheers!” And with a booming voice, they each raised their wine cups above their heads. Rishe, of course, followed their example and drank the beer that was poured out.

“Ahhhh that was delicious!…”

The booze flooded their dry bodies from the desert journey.

Night in the desert was a sharp turnaround from the intense heat of the day; the temperature plummeted drastically. The drinks they sipped as they sat in the cold and by the fire had a different flavor than usual.

The man who sat down across from her apparently had the same impression.

“Kwahh~ that’s exceptional!

Her boss, Tully, the Chairman of the Trading Company, said with a huge smile on his face.

“A desert night, a beautiful starry sky, great sake! Business is looking forward to a great future and there’s nothing to be said for it. Hey, Rishe!”

“Mr. Chairman, I know you’re happy, but please don’t drink too much.”

Even Rishe was very happy inside, though she still said a word of caution.

After successfully dealing with a difficult business negotiation, the return journey home has always been accompanied by prolonged feasting and drinking spree.

Of course, as the lowest-ranking member of this trade association, Rishe has a lot of miscellaneous work to do, so she has to get up early again the next day.

But for now, it was time to enjoy the little party.

“Look, Rishe, the meat you’ve been waiting for is roasted. I’ll give you the best part!”

“Wow!”

She was offered a mutton on the blade of a knife and she accepted it with a piece of bread instead of a plate.

Then, on top of that, she put a piece of cheese, which simmered and melted on top of it. This was the cheese that Neil, an executive of the Trading Company, had just roasted on a skewer over the campfire.

It was absolutely delicious. With sparks of fire rising from the campfire, she was truly grateful to be able to eat a delicious meal for another day.

“Let’s ea–”

Tully stopped Rishe from finishing her words.

“Wait, wait, wait, Rishe. It’s a night in the desert, so you need to be more exotic.”

“?”

There was nothing exotic about it, because Rishe and her friends had been constantly traveling to different countries. But she knew immediately what Tully was referring to as he took out a vial.

“Are you sure, Chairman?”

“Of course. Food on the road is only delicious if shared with other people.”

Tally chuckled and shook the small red glass vial.

Inside the vial was a spice made from herbs that could only be found in this region.

It wasn’t a commodity; it was the personal property of Tully. It must have cost a good deal of money in the desert village they stopped in when they came.

Still, Tully opened the vial and sprinkled the spice crisply over the cheese. Then he prompted her with a look.

Rishe nodded deeply, then took a big bite with her heart thumping.

Right that moment, the juices of the gravy seeped out.

“…!”

The flavor was intense without being overpowering, and such deliciousness filled her mouth. The rich cheese tangled with it and enveloped the gravy.

Sometimes a pinch of spice might be spicy. This rare stimulus went well with both meat and cheese.

“Mmm~!

She held her cheeks and bit down, and the merchant members who were watching her let out a cheer.

“Alright guys, we’ve got Rishe’s approval! This is good!”

“More roasts, more cheese!”

“Hey, why are you making me look like a poison tester?”

“Your tongue never makes mistakes. Considering all that, why is it always that messy when I do it myself?”

Tully asked with his lips curled up. With good food and drinks, her complaints were soon forgotten.

In the midst of the feast, the members of the company called out to Rishe.

“Hey, Rishe, have you had enough to drink?”

“Eat more vegetables. Look, there’s some palm trees over there.”

“Eat some bread. And of course the meat. After all, you’re the one who has meritorious deeds this time!”

Rishe was discomfited by the way she was randomly being taken care of.

“Uhm, Chairman… I feel like everyone is strangely kind today.”

“Hahaha, they’re also happy! Because you’ve won such a big deal.”