The Distinguished Mr. Rose Chapter 24: Chapter 24: A Gentleman, or a Passionate Gourmet?

Read chapter 24 of The Distinguished Mr. Rose by QuiteTheSlacker on NovelPedia.

Chapter 24: A Gentleman, or a Passionate Gourmet? No sooner had the party arrived than they were greeted by rows upon rows of intricately laid tables covered in white tablecloth and polished silverware. A crystal chandelier hung from above, dousing everyone in a dreamlike glow, but Lucius had not the chance to admire the glamor before he was quickly whisked away by an attendant and onto a nearby seat. Marco and Mili both were similarly thrown to his side. “Geez, these folks sure don’t waste time,” Marco grunted, trying to make himself comfortable. “Would’ve been nice if they let us change first. I stick out like a sore thumb, lookin’ like this.” Marco was at least wearing a suit, even if he did look like an Italian mob boss. The black pinstripes clashed quite distinctly with the regal decor and light colors. On the opposite end, however, was someone much more flashy. Mili gave him a glare and gestured to herself. “You think you stick out? My outfit’s practically screaming that I don’t belong here. I look like a yellow disco ball partying in the middle of the queen’s birthday bash.” Marco laughed. “Did ya see how they were starin’ at us? Must’ve thought we were aliens or something.” “We might as well be. Wherever the heck this place is, it sure ain’t anywhere near our galaxy. I’m surprised they even speak English here.” Ah, now that was where she was wrong. “Do you think so?” Lucius asked. “I am rather skeptical of that notion, myself.” The duo tilted their heads in unison, confused. “Do you remember the Archbishop’s speech? We were a bit far away, but I saw very clearly his appearance then. The man’s words did not match the movement of his lips.” Lucius recalled a similar experience in the past. He used to peruse the local movie theatre and enjoyed watching films by foreign directors. The dialogue typically was in a different language, and so oftentimes companies would hire separate actors to voice over the original. The lines were in English, but the mouthed pronunciation noticeably clashed. It wasn’t just in language Lucius and these other-worlders differed, but appearance as well. It was subtle, and at first glance the natives of this empire resembled that of early Germanic ancestry, but there were little details that didn’t match any genealogy that Lucius knew. Whatever their root heritage was, it never existed on Earth. It made the gentleman wonder if they were even of the human race, or were beings that simply shared common similarities: like the relationship between Homo Sapien and Homo Erectus. It was an interesting thought experiment, but Lucius’s musings would soon come to an end. The doors of the hall burst wide open, and fanciful platters of food came pouring out by the thousands. Lucius couldn’t quite tell the contents since they were covered by a metal dome; however, if the delightfully fragrant smell was any indicator, then the meal must’ve been delicious. Marco’s stomach growled, and he had to hold himself back from drooling. “Y’know, it might just be the hunger and all considerin’ we didn’t eat for two days straight, but good lord that smells more heavenly than anything I’ve ever had in my life.” Mili didn’t hold herself back. She drooled with a wickedly gluttonous grin. “They better have more, ‘cause I’m stuffin’ myself so hard you’ll have to roll me outta here.” The attendants set the plates down on the table. Steam rose up from the narrow splits, wafting for all to take in, and upon the grand reveal, Lucius was met with… a gigantic flower. It was stewed in some sort of cream sauce, the top sprinkled with peppercorns and fresh herbs, but no assortment of garnishes changed the fact that the main course was a flower. There were other, more familiar, fares spread about such as breads and soups, but where would ordinarily be a variety of meat was instead replaced by floral substitutes. Certainly not what he was expecting, but the gentleman was overjoyed nonetheless to discover new, unknown species. The others we