After cutting the fish, Grace—who had vomited even worse than in the morning—slowly raised her head and asked weakly,
"...Harming? No… wasn't it killing… a living thing?"
So she had been listening. Jacob, on the other hand, clearly hadn't.
"That's right. You didn't kill a living thing—because it was already dead before you cut it."
"What do you mean?"
"B-but I saw it moving. The fish in the bucket were moving too."
Jacob actually didn't understand what I meant? And Grace pointed at the fish still wriggling in the bucket to argue back. I didn't think much about it and answered the simple question in disbelief.
"How long do you think fish can live after leaving the water? We've been talking for several minutes already. The fish suffocated from lack of oxygen early."
"Suffocated? Can't fish breathe?"
"Yeah, why would fish suffocate?"
Jacob and Grace looked at me with completely innocent expressions. I could only hope they were joking.
"Are you two being serious right now?"
"Yes."
"Yes."
This was it—the most ridiculous question I'd ever heard, including my past life. It was like asking why humans couldn't fly.
I turned to the one person I still had hope for—Ethefelis. Alice didn't even know what a fish was, so I wasn't expecting anything from her.
"Ethefelis, do you know why?"
"I don't know."
No way. Even kids knew why fish lived in water.
Did nobles really study anything? Or had they only ever seen fish on a dining table?
I pressed a hand to my forehead and scolded them dramatically.
"My god, did you actually study properly? All you know is how to eat? This is basic knowledge of basic knowledge."
I didn't expect them to be this ignorant, and my words immediately drew protests.
"Hey, we've received higher education!"
"We just happened not to know this!"
"Eis too."
All three of them shouted at me. It felt just like yesterday, when I asked whether they could be independent. And judging by their expressions, they really didn't know—so I had to explain.
"Do you think fish breathe with lungs like humans? They don't. First of all, there is oxygen in water, and fish have their own breathing organs called gills. Look—right here."
I picked up the fish and spread open its gills for everyone to see. They all made faces like they'd seen something disgusting. Honestly, I thought so too, but I kept my expression calm and continued.
"Only fish that live in water have gills, and gills only work in water. Once a fish leaves the water, it can't survive. Got it?"
"GOT IT."
"Good. Then go sit down. I'm making dinner."
I picked up the knife again to prepare the fish, but Grace raised her hand—she still had something to say.
"Karen, I don't have an appetite. You don't need to make my portion."
That sentence instantly annoyed me. She killed one fish and now had no appetite? How was she supposed to join a hunt down like this? Was she planning to starve herself?
It seemed Grace still hadn't fully grasped things. I set the knife down and asked her,
"Grace, why do you think people kill fish?"
"To fill their stomachs."
"Exactly. Killing fish is for eating. And yet you say you don't want to eat. Are you planning to go to bed hungry every night?"
"But I really don't have an appetite."
I wasn't accepting that excuse. If she didn't have one, then she'd have to force herself. I pulled out the standard line used on people who waste food.
"Do you know how many people in this world are starving? How can you not cherish the chance to eat?"
"Exactly."
Ethefelis actually agreed enthusiastically. She must have been starving. Still, Grace stubbornly refused to eat.
"I know. I really don't have an appetite. I'll eat tomorrow."
Since I got a promise that she'd eat tomorrow, I decided to let her off—for now. But she still needed a lesson.
"Fine. I'll let you off today. Don't complain about being hungry later."
"Yes."
"But you'll stand here and watch how I process the fish."
Originally, I'd planned to let Grace rest. But since she still couldn't accept it, I had to be firm.
"W-why?"
Grace looked completely stunned. I gave her the obvious answer.
"To get you used to the sight of killing living things."
"Can I refuse?"
She asked with an expression that clearly said please spare me. I picked up the knife again and replied with a cold smile.
"No."
After that, Grace obediently stood within a meter of me, watching as I processed each fish. It made her visibly uncomfortable.
Jacob kept urging me to let Grace rest. Why had he suddenly become so annoying? I ignored him. This was a path Grace had to walk.
Once I finished preparing the fish, I finally let Grace rest. She lay down on the sofa, and Jacob went to take care of her. That felt… odd.
Ethefelis sat on a chair, staring the entire time as I prepared dinner, her fingers tapping restlessly on the table. Even without sound, it was obvious how impatient she was, eager for the meal to be finished.
Alice, meanwhile, quietly watched me cook. She looked uncomfortable when I handled the fish, but she didn't say anything.
But was Alice really the quiet type? The childish noisiness she had before my lecture seemed to have vanished.
Still, this might be for the best. I just hoped Alice wouldn't bring up the temple again—otherwise, every time I talked to her, all that remained were anger and sadness.