Chapter 96

"Ah! Right, Ed. How about I make this the 'strongest' delicious bread for you?"

Since it's freshly baked, it's of course delicious with just butter, but it would be even better with some toppings. And today, I have the strongest ingredients for toppings. If I have them, there's no reason not to use them.

"…Strongest…"

Prince Edigelus stopped his hand from reaching for the bread and, instead of answering, swallowed hard.

"…Strongest…"

Everyone who saw this also looked at Rina and murmured.

*Throat clear*

The sound of swallowing was heard.

"Ri-na!! I want to eat the strongest bread!!"

Anna, unable to hold back, shouted on behalf of everyone. Even without the 'strongest' label, they all wanted to eat that fluffy bread.

"……"

Rina smiled wryly at Anna's childlike shout. Upon closer inspection, everyone else was also waiting to see what Rina would do.

"Who wants to eat it?"

When Rina asked for a show of hands, everyone raised their hands enthusiastically.

Well, of course, right? Then, Rina had an interesting idea.

"Then, I want to hold a 'strongest bread' grand prix to decide who gets to eat it!!"

Rina stood up with a thud and raised her voice so everyone could hear.

"‘Who wants to eat it, grand prix…?’"

Everyone exclaimed, "What's that…?" It was about who wanted to feed it to someone, not who wanted to eat it.

A few minutes later, Rina came back with a large number of papers about the size of tickets and a box big enough to hold a shoe. She then explained to everyone.

"Okay, everyone, listen up? On the paper I've given you, write down not the person you want to eat it, but the person you want to feed it to, and put it in this box without showing anyone."

"…W, who I want to feed it to…!?"

"Whaaat!?"

Of course, if it was who wanted to eat it, everyone would write their own name. That wouldn't decide anything. So, she deliberately asked them to write who they wanted to feed it to.

This grand prix would be decided by popularity.

"Write the name of the person you want to feed it to on the top, and your own name on the bottom. Fold it in half and put it in the box so no one can see. If you write your own name, you're disqualified."

She gave a warning just in case. After that… well, she would trust them and not be too strict. It was just for fun, after all.

"…W, who I want to feed it to…"

"Hey, write my name. Then I'll write yours, okay?"

"Someone! Write my name!!"

Everyone looked at each other, perhaps trying to outmaneuver one another, as they wrote down names on the papers and put them in the box.

Well… who will get to eat it…

Rina watched everyone's desperate efforts with interest.