TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 229
A satisfied smile forms.
From the sight of people gathered in the kitchen, diligently making cookies, a sense of fulfillment bubbles up.
“Darbav!”
“Kuh. Call me ‘honey.'”
“You say that after making cookies look like rice cakes? Even when we were dating, you made cookies look like a mess and got scolded. Are you doing it again?”
“Isn’t adding a lot of things always good?”
“If you add that much, it’s not a cookie anymore, it’s chocolate!”
The harmonious couple seemed to return to their newlywed days.
“Do you know, Histania Malik, that the best chocolate quality comes from the Southern Region?”
“I know. I also know that the Gold Coin Merchant Guild’s chocolate is the finest.”
“You don’t know everything.”
“Hmm?”
“The Chocolate Plantation newly operated by the House of Desmond produces even better quality chocolate than the Gold Coin Merchant Guild, which works laborers 14 hours a day, 7 days a week. Desmond Farm works laborers only 8 hours a day, 5 days a week.”
“…Are you promoting it?”
“No. I’m boasting.”
“I’d like to hear more details.”
“Shall I?”
The serious conversation between the two men was also nice to see.
Only one thing—Malik seemed to be creating art rather than cookies, threatening the Butler’s position. But it was enjoyable nonetheless.
Smiling faintly, I kneaded the dough on the table with my fist, shaping it.
‘Hmm.’
It seemed the Butler’s passion was boiling over at the thought of making cookies after such a long time. Stimulated by Malik, who was crafting dragon-shaped cookies, I gathered aura at my fingertips, determined to showcase the might of a housework master.
‘Top Efficiency.’
‘If I finely adjust the aura to create air bubbles and flow electricity through, enhancing the dough elasticity, I can make the ultimate cookie….’
After immersing myself for a while, shaping the dough into the form of the Divine Beast of the East, the Azure Dragon, strange noises began to reach my ears.
-Thud!
“Eek.”
-Thump!
“Eeeek!”
I glanced over and saw a young lady punching the dough.
“Eeeeeeeeeek!!!!”
Her face was smeared with white dough, and she sniffled as she wiped her runny nose with her dough-covered hand. Then, glancing around, she resumed moving her hands.
“Young Lady.”
“Mm.”
“Are you fighting with the dough?”
“Mm.”
At her simple response, I tilted my head with an exclamation mark in my mind and let out an affirmative “Aha.”
“Why are you fighting it?”
“It keeps sticking to my hands.”
“…?”
“I told it to let go, but it wouldn’t, so I hit it.”
Nodding slightly, I began removing the dough stuck to her hands.
I had given her finished dough, so why had it turned out like this? Puzzled, I asked her.
“Did you add water?”
“Mm.”
“Why did you add water? I gave you the perfect golden ratio.”
“Adding water lets me make more.”
“Are you planning to share?”
The young lady looked at me with a fierce gaze.
“No. It’s for me to eat.”
“…”
“I’ll share a little with Ricardo.”
Smiling faintly at her generosity, I rolled up my sleeves. It was an opportunity to legally take cookies from the gluttonous young lady.
Gently holding her hand, I began to revive the dough in a languid tone.
“You added too much water.”
“Really?”
“Yes, that’s why it’s sticking to your hands.”
“Oh…”
Nodding, she entrusted her hands to mine. As the watery dough regained its vitality, she snorted and shook her shoulders.
After reviving the near-dead dough, I placed it on the table, nodding as if to say, “Now, let your imagination run wild.”
“It’s ready now.”
The young lady snorted and began pouring her Artistic Soul into the dough.
First, a handful of Chocolate Topping.
“One…”
A second handful.
“Two.”
A third handful.
Seeing the Chocolate Topping piled high as if it would pierce the sky, I let out an Empty Laugh. The towering heap of Chocolate Topping looked indescribable.
Perhaps sensing my thoughts, she glanced at me, pouted her lips, and spoke.
“It’s not poop.”
“…How did you know?”
“…”
The young lady didn’t seem to have much talent for cooking.
Removing some of the Chocolate Topping from the dough, I began to summarize my thoughts.
Let’s make cookies, not chocolate.
“I’m adding more.”
“If you put it in the oven, it’ll all burn.”
“…”
“Once it’s done, sprinkle it on top.”
As her Stubbornness and mine gradually aligned, we managed to shape a decent-looking cookie. Then, a timid female voice came from the side.
“Excuse me…”
Turning my head, I saw Yuria with dough smeared on the corner of her mouth. Unlike the young lady, Yuria seemed to have some talent for cooking, as she had made fairly decent cookies. She cautiously held out a tray in front of me.
Looking at the cookies on Yuria’s tray, I smiled faintly.
“Is something wrong?”
“Well… I made cookies, but I’m not sure if I’m doing it right. Should I bake them now?”
Seeing the bear-shaped cookie dough, I nodded.
“No, you’re not doing it right.”
“…What?”
“They’re way too big.”
Yuria had hands that were far too large.
-Thud!
Looking at the gigantic cookies that couldn’t even fit on the tray, as if she intended to use up all the flour in the estate, I clicked my tongue.
“Are they too big?”
“Yes. Even if everyone here worked together, we couldn’t finish them. And such large dough won’t fit in the fireplace.”
“Ah… It worked in the North, though.”
“How did you bake them there?”
“We lit a Bonfire and placed them on it…”
“We wouldn’t call that a cookie; we’d call it a pancake.”
“A pancake…?”
“It’s a dish from my hometown.”
Yuria looked at the cookies she made, a question mark hovering above her head. Her timid demeanor as she fiddled with the dough, unsure of where it went wrong, made me smile softly as I approached her from behind.
“Oh?!”
“Stay still.”
“Ah… Ahhh… Okay…”
I held Yuria’s hands and began to breathe direction into her uncertain dough.
“First of all, the bear’s face is too big. At this size, you could fit a Goblin in one bite.”
“Y-You’re too close…”
“And while making a beard out of dough is fine, using a carving knife to draw it might be better.”
“I-I’ll try drawing it.”
“And…”
As I rambled on, I noticed Yuria’s stiff shoulders and reddened earlobes. I lowered my head, wondering if something was wrong.
I worried that I might have ruined her carefully crafted masterpiece and upset her. With that thought, I cautiously called her name.
“Miss Yuria…”
“…”
“Miss Yuria?”
“Ah! Yes, yes! I’m listening!”
Yuria, who had flinched at my touch, met my gaze and gave a shy smile as she lifted her head.
“You’re really kind. Mr. Ricardo is…”
As Yuria moved, the faint scent of shampoo wafted up, making me cover my mouth and blush.
“Ah… It’s nothing.”
It felt like I was living a fulfilling life. It seemed as though this was truly the life of a Possessor, and the world appeared to have a pink tint.
A flower in each hand.
‘This is life.’
Hiding my blooming smile, I carefully stepped away from Yuria. Being too close wouldn’t be proper.
“That’s how you should do it. If you’re unsure about anything, feel free to call me anytime.”
“Ah… There’s still so much I don’t know.”
“Hm?”
“Nothing. Sorry for troubling you.”
As I gently wiped the dough off Yuria’s cheek, I smiled warmly.
“Instead of saying sorry, I’d like to hear you say thank you. I prefer that.”
“…”
Yuria’s face turned as red as if it were about to burst.
“Butler!”
As my time with Yuria lengthened, Hanna darted in, showing off the cookies she had made with a smile.
Hanna’s cookies, crafted with strawberry dough for hair and a sharply defined jawline, were impressively detailed.
Smiling softly, I admired Hanna’s creation.
“Could this possibly be me?”
“That’s right.”
“Puhaha! You’ve done an amazing job!”
“It’s still far from capturing the real thing.”
“I didn’t know I was this handsome.”
“Liar, you say you’re handsome every day.”
“But isn’t it true that I am?”
“…”
There was no response. Both women simply blushed and nodded slightly, leaving me feeling a bit embarrassed. It would’ve been less awkward if they had said something.
Wearing an awkward smile, I accepted Hanna’s cookie and bowed my head.
“Thank you.”
Wearing an apron, Hanna cautiously approached me and spoke.
“It’s my first time making cookies, so it’s difficult.”
“Is that so? For a first attempt, you’ve done an excellent job.”
“Do you know who my Older Brother is?”
Hanna glanced at Malik, who was pouring all his effort into crafting cookies.
A dragon-shaped cookie that looked as if it could breathe fire at any moment. Watching Malik bend over to meticulously create even the thinnest of whiskers, I nodded.
“Indeed.”
Perhaps talent runs in the family.
Smiling softly, I helped Hanna with her work.
And Chartia…
-Bear.
“What are you?”
-Goom.
“Are you really a bear?”
-Gomgom.
“Hah… Hand.”
-Bear.
I found myself falling for a new kind of cuteness.
“Adorable…”
*
And so.
The long-awaited, or rather, the main event of the tea party was drawing near.
“Is it here?”
I wandered around the estate’s bathhouse, checking for any potential dangers. I couldn’t allow any accidents to happen. It wasn’t because I was looking for a peephole, but to ensure the bathwater was ready in advance.
Swearing on my conscience.