"Hey, Alistair, are you really a noble?~"
Kasumi Haruno asked with a look of curiosity mixed with amusement. Her expression showed that she didn't quite believe it; the question was mostly teasing.
"Even if I said yes, you'd have to believe it! Besides, even I don't know I'm a noble. I've lived here for over ten years, and all I know is that my family has some money. That's it. And what kind of noble lives so ordinarily? If I were a real noble, I'd at least be going to a noble's school and living in a major city. Given the perks of nobility, I definitely wouldn't be here."
Alistair rolled his eyes and complained.
Although the noble class in this world's Japan was largely nominal, the law provided numerous preferential policies and conveniences. Perhaps due to saving face, the benefits and policies for nobles were mostly implemented perfectly. So, as long as one could prove noble status, even an utter waste could live a life superior to the average person. This "superior life" was roughly on par with that of an average wealthy person, but the key point was that this was the basic configuration—every noble received it.
Another noble privilege was the ability to enter into legal polygamous marriages. Thus, in some ways, the noble status was still quite popular.
Why "in some ways"? Because the era of democracy and republican ideals was already deeply ingrained, so nobility was not as desirable, and the status itself was a magnet for unwanted attention.
As the saying goes, it's not scarcity that causes trouble, but unequal distribution. Why should you, who does nothing, be better off than the majority?
This is why nobles mainly clustered in large cities, where regulation and surveillance were better. Otherwise, in the countryside, while it would be fine if people either kept their distance or became sycophants, if they teamed up with others to bully you, there would be no way to stop it. And in the countryside, it was easy for people to band together for bullying, which would be terrible. It would be a case of crying out to heaven and earth with no response. Even in big cities, many people looked down on the nobility; they just usually didn't show it.
Another point was that nobility could only be passed down through the direct male line of the main family. If they wanted to continue the title, it had to be passed to a male heir. If passed to a female, the title only lasted for the current generation; whether she married or adopted a husband, her children could not gain the noble status.
As for male descendants, only one could inherit the title: the eldest. This system had distinct flavors of the di-chang-zi (eldest legitimate son) succession rule. However, what Alistair had previously researched was that the currently famous noble families mostly only had daughters. As for nobles without significant capital, practically no one paid attention to them... In short, it was very much aligned with the feel of an inner-dimensional world.
All in all, the noble status was a double-edged sword; it just depended on whether one could accept the trade-offs.
While chatting casually with Kasumi Haruno, Ayame placed several plates in front of them.
"Here are your appetizers. This is the starter to whet your appetites. Also~ I never thought a Noble Lord would actually visit our humble establishment~"
Ayame set down the small dishes and teased Alistair, clearly having figured out what happened to him earlier. However, such a melodramatic story was hard to believe. Most people treated it as an amusing anecdote; they didn't know what real nobles were like, but they certainly wouldn't come to a place like this.
"Yes, yes, yes. Since I, the Noble Young Master, have graced your little place with my presence, why don't you quickly serve the Young Master his food?"
Alistair responded playfully.
"Yes~ Yes~ Yes, it will be ready soon. Please wait patiently, Young Master~"
Ayame replied with a smile, then left to serve other customers.
Alistair turned his attention to the appetizers on the table. Honestly, this was Alistair's first time here, so he was quite interested in the local food.
The appetizers were a dish of tied seaweed and a dish of cold tofu. The quantity was modest but sufficient for several bites, making them perfect as starters.
"Mmm, this tofu is delicious~~"
Kasumi Haruno used a spoon to scoop a piece of tofu into her small dish, then put a bite into her mouth. The tender, fragrant, and sweet flavor immediately filled her mouth. Before she knew it, the tofu had slipped down her esophagus and into her stomach, but the sweet, smooth feeling lingered in Kasumi Haruno's mind, causing her to exclaim.
"Mhm, it's quite good. It was probably made today or last night."
Alistair also took a piece and tasted it. This smooth texture was unlikely to be achieved with store-bought tofu.
Most market-sold tofu prioritized quantity and used industrial methods, resulting in a drier texture and less flavor. The smooth-tasting ones were typically handmade, starting production the night before or very early that morning. Because it was laborious and troublesome, many people used industrial methods to make tofu.
Handmade tofu tasted wonderful but was inconvenient. It essentially required manual operation, the precise principles of which Alistair didn't fully understand, but that was the gist of it.
(Author's Note: I have personal experience. It took several people two days to make three hundred blocks of tofu during the New Year, but honestly, handmade tofu is truly fragrant and incredibly tender and smooth. However, the flavor doesn't last long; even soaked in water, it only preserves the quality for about a week, and the taste gradually deteriorates after that.)
"Ah, Alistair, do you like this kind of tofu?"
Kasumi Haruno swallowed another bite of tofu and asked Alistair.
"Yes, I really like this flavor. But making tofu is quite troublesome, and it's eaten very quickly. So, often there isn't enough to feel satisfied, which is a bit disappointing."
Alistair nodded, also lamenting the feeling of never being able to eat his fill.
"Then, I'll make it for you in the future."
Kasumi Haruno looked at Alistair and said earnestly.
"...It's not like you don't already cook for me."
Alistair was momentarily stunned. Did she just flirt with me? Alistair then responded decisively.
When faced with a proactive girl, you couldn't remain indifferent; that would dampen her enthusiasm. So, Alistair chose to respond positively to Kasumi Haruno's statement. As for the result, it was evident in the bright smile on Kasumi Haruno's face.
Alistair thought this was quite nice. At least the girls here were easy to please. If this were his world before transmigrating, a girlfriend would probably scoff at a place like an izakaya (which translated to a street food stall), and many were overly sensitive. Sigh, thinking about it, life here was truly blissful.