Chapter 34

"R, Retisha-sama, something terrible has happened!!"

One of the young chefs rushed in. He was supposed to be off today, and he was wearing a simple beige outfit. The chef rushed into the kitchen and froze at the sight of the chiffon cake.

"!! ...!! As I thought...!!"

"What happened? Why are you so flustered?"

"I saw it!! At the large tea party Natalie-sama held today, there—"

"Excuse me, Retisha-sama. We have a guest."

The butler Bogdan entered the kitchen. It seemed that the guest had come unexpectedly. The kind and capable Bogdan respected my cooking hobby and usually wouldn't call me to the kitchen for minor matters, preferring to wait for me.

However, since he had come in person, it must have been an urgent matter. As I was about to step out of the kitchen and ask Bogdan, who looked apologetic with his dog ears drooping,

"Oh, is Retisha-sama here?"

It was Dear, and the head chef Gillan, who was on her side, was waiting. Dear, recognizing me, twisted her lips in a mocking manner.

"Retisha-sama, as a queen, I don't think it's appropriate for you to dress so improperly."

My current attire was a simple apron dress with my hair tied up for cooking. Indeed, it wasn't a suitable appearance for a queen, but I didn't deserve to be scolded by someone who had come unannounced.

"I'm sorry for being improper. However, isn't this attire sufficient to greet an impolite visitor? I haven't even decided to accept your sudden visit or apologize for any rudeness."

"Apologize? On the contrary, we believe you should be grateful to us."

"Oh, what do you mean?"

"The reason will become clear if you look at this."

Head Chef Gillan removed the cover from the tray he was holding.

"Chiffon cake?!"

A familiar pale yellow cake. Although the surface was a bit rough, it was unmistakably a chiffon cake.

"!! Retisha-sama!! That's it!! It was served at Natalie-sama's tea party today!!"

The young chef rushed in from behind.

"It's a copy of Retisha-sama and Gilbert's chiffon cake!!"

"Copy? What are you saying? That's a terrible thing to say."

"Ha!? Don't joke—Retisha-sama?!"

I stopped the young chef with a hand and stepped forward. I felt like shouting too, but he was a commoner. If he provoked the noble Dear, he could be punished.

"Could you explain what happened? This cake looks exactly like the one we made."

"It's a false accusation. It's just a coincidence."

"Do you think you can get away with just a coincidence?"

"That's unfair. On the contrary, I think you might be the one who copied it. Just now, that chef was trying to accuse us of theft. Such an ignorant chef should be fired, and I came here to warn you."

"Oh, that's unfortunate. I have no intention of firing this loyal chef."

I firmly stated and shifted my gaze to Head Chef Gillan.

"Are you a chef at all? Don't you know the word 'shame'? Stealing someone else's recipe is disgraceful."

"What are you talking about? Perhaps the culprit is projecting their own guilt onto others?"

"...... Are you saying that we stole your recipe?"

"Isn't that the case? Gilbert, the head chef of this palace, was previously fired from this kitchen. Could he have stolen the recipe out of spite?"

"...... You are despicable."

I looked at him with undisguised contempt. I had always felt that Gillan, who delighted in making dishes to harass beast people, was not a respectable person. But to brazenly steal a recipe was the lowest thing a chef or a person could do.

It had been a while since I felt such strong dislike for someone. What was even more frustrating was that Gillan's words had a certain persuasive power externally. To those who didn't know Gilbert, the claim that he had stolen the recipe out of spite after being fired from his previous job seemed plausible.

Moreover, the situation was worse because I had been sequestered in the palace for a while. There was no one outside the palace staff who could prove that we had made the chiffon cake first.

"...... I had heard that Natalie-sama was hosting a tea party for her relatives and acquaintances today. You intend to claim the rights by unveiling the chiffon cake there, don't you?"

"Of course. It's only natural to let our guests enjoy the new cake we created. Today's tea party is part of a charity event, and we are providing a slice of the cake to passersby. Dozens of people will testify that we are the creators of the new cake."

What a ridiculous claim. The real purpose was to show the chiffon cake to as many people as possible. Thanks to this, the young chef in the palace had noticed the theft and informed me.

"...... The creator of the chiffon cake, but that's not your only goal, is it? You intend to submit the chiffon cake at the emperor's birthday celebration in five days, don't you?"

"Yes, that's our intention. We are the creators of the chiffon cake. It seems you have somehow developed a cake that looks exactly like ours, but I advise you not to submit it at the birthday celebration. You wouldn't want to be accused of theft in front of so many people, would you?"

Dear turned on her heel, feigning kindness.

"Since we are busy preparing for the birthday celebration, I'll take my leave. I look forward to seeing what wonderful offering you can prepare in the next five days."

...... That's your plan.

The items submitted at the birthday celebration are part of the evaluation of the person. If I, a newcomer, can't prepare a proper item, I will be looked down upon and underestimated.

I had previously refused to join Natalie's camp, which Dear supported. If I wasn't an ally, I was an enemy. It seemed they intended to weaken me before I could establish a foothold in this country.

"Hmph, it's because you're relying on Gilbert that this has happened. He was a know-it-all and a nuisance. He should have quit being a chef when he was fired from Natalie's palace. He doesn't know his place."

The unpleasant voice. It was Gillan, who always had something to say. He didn't hide his animosity towards Gilbert. I wondered why a chef would participate in stealing a recipe.

"You were jealous of Gilbert, weren't you?"

"What? What are you saying all of a sudden?"

"You couldn't beat Gilbert in cooking, so you got him fired from Natalie's palace by tattling. But when you found out he was being trusted by me, you felt jealous. You must have resorted to theft to claim Gilbert's achievements as your own."

"......!! Don't say ridiculous things!!"

Gillan's face turned red with anger. It seemed I had hit a nerve.

"I'm leaving!!"

Gillan left as if he were fleeing. The imitation chiffon cake was left behind.

"Retisha-sama, what should we do......?"

Gilbert, who was always pale, now looked ghostly white.

"I'm sorry for causing the theft of the chiffon cake. I don't know how to apologize......"

"Gilbert, you did nothing wrong. Gillan and his group are just despicable."

"But......"

"First, let's taste this imitation chiffon cake that was left behind. We'll think of a plan after that."

Surely, they wouldn't be so foolish as to poison the cake. Gillan was despicable, but the cake itself was innocent. I arranged for the cake to be served and tasted it to vent my frustration.

"It's not delicious, but it's not terrible either."

"...... I agree."

Gilbert and I seemed to be on the same page. The taste wasn't bad, but the fluffy texture that is the essence of a chiffon cake was lacking. It was a bit dry and lacked the moistness. It reminded me of a failed chiffon cake I made in my previous life when I forgot to add oil to the batter.

"The taste and texture of our chiffon cake are superior to this one......"

"But the problem is that they have already made it public......"

I sighed. From my perspective, knowing the chiffon cake from my previous life, Gillan's creation was a failure. However, by the standards of this world, it was still a novel texture and shape. Proving theft based solely on taste, which is subjective, might not be enough.

"I don't want to give up, but with them having the upper hand, it's doubtful we can win."

That's why they were so confident. Losing was out of the question. Even a draw was unacceptable to me. If we were to accuse them of theft, we needed a surefire way to win.

I planned to leave this country in two years, but Gilbert and the others would continue their lives. If Gilbert and the others were fired from Natalie's palace and accused of theft, it would be difficult for them to continue working as chefs.

"Retisha-sama, if you are worrying about us, there's no need. Please expose Head Chef Gillan's crime as you see fit."

"No, I can't do that. If I can't win, it will tarnish my reputation as a queen. Unfortunately, I plan to give up on the chiffon cake and submit the textiles I brought from my homeland for the emperor's birthday celebration."

I had prepared an alternative item in case the chiffon cake wasn't ready in time. However, compared to the chiffon cake, it lacked impact, and I couldn't bear to let Gilbert's and my achievements be stolen and used.

As I was pondering what to do, I noticed the dark faces of the surrounding chefs. This atmosphere was not good. The heavy and prickly mood was not just because of the theft.

———Traitor.

Someone had taught the recipe for the chiffon cake to Gillan. And the most likely suspect was one of the chefs.

"Everyone, let's stop suspecting each other for now. It's possible that an outsider spied on us. I want to check if Edgar, who walks his wolf in the palace grounds, saw anything. It's almost time to start preparing dinner, so please return to the kitchen."

My words seemed to bring a sense of relief. The chefs didn't want to suspect a traitor among their own. The possibility of an outsider and the task at hand made them feel better.

Fortunately, it was almost time for Edgar to take his walk. I went outside, sat under a tree in the front yard, and began to organize my thoughts.

Should I submit the chiffon cake at the emperor's birthday celebration?

How can I prove the theft?

Who stole the recipe?———

"Guau!!"

"Kyaa?!"

A disgruntled wolf's growl came from close by.

'Don't ignore my presence.'

Goo-sama, looking displeased, wrinkled his nose and sat down.