Chapter 36

The five days leading up to the birthday celebration passed in a flash.

There were many things to do and confirm.

Before I knew it, the day had arrived.

As I entered the grand hall, all eyes turned to me.

I usually stay secluded in the palace.

Today, many people were seeing the Queen in me for the first time.

Curiosity, caution, evaluation, observation.

Without flinching at the gazes directed at me, I walked gracefully.

The artificial white roses and jewels in my hair, crafted by the maids, swayed.

The dress was a special piece I brought from my homeland.

The vibrant rose-colored fabric was adorned with gold embroidery matching my hair.

The neckline revealed my collarbone, and the delicate décolletage and princess sleeves were layered with delicate lace and frills like light snow.

Compared to the apron dress I wore in the kitchen, this was far more ornate and difficult to move in.

However, it was a splendid and elegant attire befitting a queen, and it captivated the people's attention.

As I walked, I smiled at those I passed, and I caught sight of Lady Natalie and her group.

"Good day. I am pleased to see you dressed properly and with all due respect today."

Deers twisted her face in displeasure.

She was still harboring resentment over the impertinence of barging into the palace kitchen five days ago, which I had subtly hinted at.

I could have chosen to punish Deers and her group for that impertinence.

However, it would be difficult to impose severe punishment on a noble like Deers.

Moreover, if I publicly demanded punishment, there was a risk that I would be accused of trying to silence them by punishing them for the theft of the chiffon cake recipe.

That would be an unpleasant and messy future.

If I were to challenge them, today, when I was fully prepared, was the only time to do so.

"Your Majesty, it has been a while. Happy 24th birthday."

"Yes, thank you. You should also enjoy this rare, splendid occasion today."

The seat prepared for me as the queen was to the right of the king.

We exchanged a brief conversation as a married couple, and I took my seat beside the king.

I glanced at the king out of the corner of my eye, but his expression showed no emotion.

His silver hair, which had no particular style, accentuated his ice-like beauty.

His slender and well-built body was highlighted by a deep blue coat adorned with gold thread, and he wore a black mantle with a collar over his right shoulder.

His regal attire, befitting a king, was further enhanced by a white cravat at his neck and a gemstone the same color as his eyes.

"―――――Now, I will commence the celebration for King Glenreid's birthday."

After the opening remarks by the noble serving as the master of ceremonies, the nobles came forward one by one, each carrying a gift.

Most of the gifts were crafts or jewels from their respective territories.

When it was Lady Natalie's turn to present a chiffon cake-like dessert, a murmur ran through the nobles.

"Presenting a dish is quite unusual."

"Is it that good?"

"I had the cake the other day, and it had a fresh texture."

"It wasn't particularly delicious, but the texture was a new discovery."

"The shape is also unique, and it's a memorable gift."

Indeed, from the nobles' perspective, the shape and texture of the chiffon cake were quite unique.

Chef Gillan, who was introduced as the creator of the cake, sent a smug look my way.

As I seethed inwardly at his brazen attitude, my turn arrived.

The interest in my offering, as the queen and the last to present, was palpable.

I stood up and walked forward, accompanied by Gilbert and Lucian, who carried the tray.

I bowed before the king and had Lucian remove the cover from the tray, causing a stir in the hall.

The king silenced the suddenly noisy crowd with a single glare.

"―――――What is this? The item on the tray looks the same as what Natalie presented just now?"

"It is not the same. This one is more delicious and worthy of being presented to Your Majesty."

"Hmm? Does that mean Natalie and her group stole your recipe?"

"Yes, that's exactly it. Chef Gillan, who claims to be the creator of the chiffon cake, is telling a shameful lie that does not fit this grand occasion."

"I see.―――――Chef Gillan, do you have any counterarguments to the queen's claim?"

"It's a complete lie!! The one lying is Lady Letizia!!"

Chef Gillan stepped forward from behind Lady Natalie.

"We were the first to make the chiffon cake!! As proof, we have already served the chiffon cake to many people!!"

"Yes, I have heard of that. Lady Letizia, how do you explain this?"

"Indeed, they may have publicly presented the chiffon cake first. But isn't that strange? To serve a cake developed for the king's birthday to many people beforehand is out of order and diminishes its freshness."

Several nobles whispered in agreement with my point.

"The only reason Chef Gillan took such action is to make it appear as if he invented the recipe he stole from us."

"Falsely accusing us of theft!! As a queen, aren't you ashamed to frame us for your own theft?!"

"Theft? That's on your side. This chiffon cake is a cake I had been planning before coming to this country. I was the first to create a finished product here."

"What nonsense are you saying?"

Chef Gillan sneered.

"In your homeland, noblewomen do not involve themselves in cooking. Stop telling such obvious lies!"

"That's a generalization. I have been cooking as a hobby even before coming to this country. If I ask the chefs from my ducal family, it would be easy to prove."

"Such testimony is no proof!! The chefs of a ducal family would naturally lie to suit Lady Letizia!!"

"Yes, that's true."

I readily agreed.

"Then, can you prove that you developed the chiffon cake before me? Of course, not at the tea party five days ago."

"Our chefs and I, who serve Lady Natalie, are witnesses."

"I cannot accept that. You just said that the testimony of my ducal family's chefs is unreliable. Why should the testimony of your own chefs be accepted?"

"That's..."

As Chef Gillan hesitated, Deers stepped forward.

"Not just the chefs of our palace. This cake has a unique shape. We ordered a special mold from a blacksmith about six months ago."

"From the blacksmith of your ducal family? That would make it easy to give false testimony and cannot be considered proof."

"......You are very suspicious. Lady Letizia, you have no decisive proof, do you? At least we have the record of presenting the chiffon cake five days ago."

"Would proof be acceptable?"

I smiled at Deers and turned to the king.

"Your Majesty, I would like to use a magic to prove my point. May I have your permission?"

"......I permit it. Go ahead."

The king's blue eyes narrowed with interest.

Lucian, who had been standing behind me, handed me a cloth bag.

The contents of the small bag, which could fit in my palm, were:

"Metal scraps...?"

"What are you planning to do?"

Amid the murmurs of the suspicious nobles, I decided to cast the magic.

The magic I would use is the familiar 'Refinement' magic, which I have relied on the most since regaining my memories from my previous life.

"That shape is......"

"Could it be a mold for making the cake?"

Amid the murmurs, I raised the donut-shaped chiffon cake mold high.

"This is the proof that I have been planning the chiffon cake for a long time."

"......What are you saying?"

Deers laughed mockingly.

"I see that Lady Letizia can use magic. But this is not a place to show off a cheap trick, is it?"

"A cheap trick? If the cake mold I create with this 'Refinement' lasts for three days, what then?!"

"What?!"

The cry came from a middle-aged man with a plump build.

"Excuse me!! Lady Letizia, is that true? Can I touch the mold?"

"Yes, please."

I handed the mold to the man who rushed over.

He examined it carefully, sometimes tapping it with his fingers.

"Indeed, there are no signs of cracking when I tap it...... Will it last for three days in this state?"

"Yes, at least three days, and probably four or five."

"Amazing!!"

The man exclaimed and held the mold reverently, as if it were a sacred object.

The hall's attention focused on his peculiar behavior.

Realizing this, he cleared his throat and straightened his posture.

"I apologize for my unseemly behavior. I am Bodley, the head court magician of this country. I was so excited to see Lady Letizia's remarkable magic."

"......Remarkable? Just a small, unimpressive magic to create a cake mold?"

Deers raised a dubious voice.

Since 'Refinement' is a minor magic, Deers did not seem to understand its value.

"Not at all!! This 'Refinement' usually creates objects that last only an hour. For it to last three days is astonishing. To achieve this at Lady Letizia's young age is truly remarkable."

"I understand the lecture on magic. But what does that have to do with the current situation?"

"It has a lot to do with it. The strength and durability of objects created with 'Refinement' depend on the caster's experience and imagination. Lady Letizia is an excellent magician, but even she could not create this mold in a short time. It would take years or decades...... At the very least, it could not have been created in the short time since you became queen."

I thanked Bodley for his explanation and spoke.

"Yes, as Bodley explained. I started creating cake molds with 'Refinement' two years ago and succeeded in creating a mold that lasted for several days after many failures about a year ago."

"Just a year!! Amazing!!"

His sparkling eyes were a bit painful.

......Actually, I had succeeded in creating a mold that lasted a month after just a few days of practice.

Creating a mold that lasts three days with 'Refinement' is already a bit of a cheat.

While I am deceiving them in various ways, it is true that I was the first to create a chiffon cake in this world, so I hope they will be lenient.

The mold I created today is intentionally weaker, so it should not be easily discovered.

As I observed the surroundings, the nobles' gazes toward me became more favorable.

"You've been practicing making cake molds for two years?"

"Clearly, you had the idea before coming to this country."

"In contrast, Natalie's side has weak evidence......"

"The unique shape of the cake is unlikely to be a coincidence."

Deers, who was receiving gazes like those of a criminal, distorted her face and shouted.

"Fallacy!! Gilbert, the head chef of Lady Letizia's palace, was originally a chef from our palace!! He must have leaked the recipe out of spite for being fired!!"

"That's the opposite. Gilbert, who was fired by you, is just jealous of our success and is trying to sabotage us. The evidence is right here."

At the signal, Gilbert removed the cover from the tray.

There was a slightly browned chiffon cake.

"This is a variation of the chiffon cake with tea mixed into the batter. If you claim to have stolen the recipe, you should be able to create and present a tea-flavored chiffon cake immediately, right?"

"That's......"

Chef Gillan groaned in pain.

He is a professional chef, after all.

He must know that a seemingly simple variation of a dish is not always easy to achieve.

Indeed, this tea-flavored chiffon cake was created with the collaboration of me, who had knowledge from my previous life, and the skilled chef Gilbert.

It was doubtful that Chef Gillan, who was inferior to Gilbert as a chef, could create it in one attempt.

"I didn't bring it here, but I can create several other variations of the chiffon cake with different flavors. If you claim to have stolen the recipe, you should be able to create the same or better quality immediately, right?"

"......That's sophistry!!"

Deers shouted.

"Even the tea-flavored cake is based on the recipe we stole!! It's out of the question to blame us with such things―――――ah!!"

I approached Deers with a threatening smile, unseen by others.

"It's time to confess your sins. If you still lack evidence, shall I reveal the decisive proof of your theft?"

"Stop bluffing. If you have evidence, show it now!!"

"I didn't expect you to be so stubborn. The evidence is stored in a drawer in my room. Shall I have it brought here immediately?"

"......It's a forgery!! It's bound to be a fake―――――"

"Deers, be silent."

A calm voice interrupted Deers' desperate attempt to evade responsibility.

The hall fell silent.

The speaker was Lady Natalie, who had been almost forgotten by everyone.

"Stop disgracing yourself in front of the king. We are at fault in this matter."

"N, Lady Natalie? What are you saying?"

Deers was confused by Lady Natalie's sudden words.

I was also a bit surprised.

Lady Natalie had remained silent like a doll throughout the argument.

"The