Chapter 44

Her Majesty's smile made my heart beat a little faster.

The fact that she said the strawberries were delicious.

Her Majesty, who usually has an expressionless face, rarely smiles, and it was a pleasant surprise.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I'm glad you enjoyed them."

"This is the first time I've tasted this ingredient called strawberries, but it seems to have a fine aroma, doesn't it?"

"Yes, I also love this sweet and sour scent."

A smile naturally appeared on my face.

Strawberries have always been my favorite, both in my past life and now.

I could tell that the charm of strawberries had been conveyed to Her Majesty, and my heart was lifted.

In contrast to my excitement, Her Majesty quietly gazed at me.

"Is something wrong, Your Majesty?"

"………No, nothing. I was just curious about the single strawberry there."

Her Majesty's gaze shifted slightly and focused on the large strawberry in front of me.

It seemed that Her Majesty had taken an interest in strawberries.

"Please, have this one as well. I think you might prefer fresh strawberries over strawberry chiffon cake, Your Majesty."

"Prefer fresh strawberries over chiffon? Why do you think so?"

"………Well, there's no particular reason………"

I tried to dodge the question, but gave up when Her Majesty silently demanded an answer.

"I apologize if it's a misunderstanding, but I thought Your Majesty didn't particularly like chiffon cakes. When I gave you a chiffon cake before, it didn't seem to interest you much………"

I like chiffon cakes, but I know that some people might not prefer their soft texture.

I had only received formal comments from Her Majesty about the chiffon cake, so I assumed it didn't suit her taste.

"The chiffon cake offered at the birthday celebration, I thought it was delicious. I really did………"

Her Majesty's eyes wandered over the strawberry dishes on the table, as if in doubt.

"I haven't paid much attention to cooking until now. I have memorized the etiquette for dining and the characteristics of dishes from various countries and regions, but that's all. For me, dining has been a duty and a part of social obligations."

Her Majesty spoke matter-of-factly.

…………As a member of the royal family, there are many opportunities to dine with various people.

If one becomes too interested in food and starts pursuing personal preferences and quirks, it can lead to many complications.

Perhaps Her Majesty has cut her meals down to just a duty, a means of sustenance.

"……That's why I couldn't understand. I really did think the chiffon cake you made for the birthday celebration was delicious. However, if I were to objectively compare it with the imitation chiffon cake offered by Natalie and her team, I couldn't make a definitive judgment because I am not well-versed in food."

"…………So, that's why the thank-you letter for the birthday celebration's chiffon cake was so formal?"

"Yes, that's right. I apologize for that. Given the plagiarism scandal, I understood that I needed to judge and convey my thoughts on the taste of your cake compared to Natalie's. However, I lacked confidence in my own senses, which led to the letter being so vague and potentially causing a misunderstanding."

I see, so that's why the thank-you letter was so formal.

It seems that the chiffon cake I offered was indeed delicious, and I can breathe a sigh of relief.

"Thank you for explaining. ……Today, you directly told me that the birthday celebration's chiffon cake was delicious, and that is enough for me."

"…………Is that all it takes to satisfy you?"

I nodded in response to the question.

It's true that there was a commotion over the chiffon cake.

But the main reason I wanted to offer the chiffon cake was to have Her Majesty enjoy a delicious cake.

"I received the words 'delicious' directly from Your Majesty. That alone has put my mind at ease."

"Is that all it takes?"

"Yes. The moment you tasted it and found it delicious, that alone is enough. I think it makes all the effort in the kitchen worthwhile."

Behind me, Gilbert also nodded in agreement.

Everyone has different tastes in food.

Especially in this world, chiffon cake is a novel and unfamiliar dish.

To have Her Majesty say it was delicious is very gratifying.

"I don't think there's a need to overthink food. Of course, the dishes served to Your Majesty involve various considerations……. But, as a general rule, saying something is delicious when it is, is the greatest reward for the person who made it."

"Delicious is delicious, huh……"

Her Majesty murmured the words as if rolling them around on her tongue.