Chapter 85

It's the Gold Prize of the Net Novel Award!

"Done!"

In the kitchen of the mansion, after cutting the apple, a cute rabbit-shaped apple was created.

The bright red skin and light yellow color match very well.

The arch on the back of the rabbit apple is so soft and beautiful that it almost resembles a real rabbit.

The body part is cut to stand stably while maintaining the silhouette of the rabbit, showcasing the craftsman's skill.

Just sitting on this plate, it looks as if it's eating grass. It's already a work of art on its own.

Especially, the ears sticking out are fantastic.

The perky rabbit ears are the best I've ever made in my life.

I don't know if it's because of my skill or the quality of the apple, but it's a great piece of work.

I even recreated the round eyes using the apple seeds.

Isn't this too cute? It's almost a shame to eat it. However, if the cut surface of the apple is exposed to air, it will turn brown.

It's cute, but it needs to be eaten quickly.

Ah, I can't do such a cruel thing! But if I don't, it will turn brown.

No, but if it turns brown, it might look like a wild rabbit... No, apples don't turn that beautifully brown.

It will turn more of a yellowish color. It won't look like a wild rabbit at all.

Most importantly, it won't taste good when eaten last.

This is the worst scenario where neither the rabbit nor I will be happy. This must be avoided.

Ah! I remember, if I apply a little salt water, it will significantly prevent the browning.

I took a little salt from the kitchen, dissolved it in water, and applied it to the rabbit.

This will help you live longer.

I smiled at the rabbits sitting cutely on the plate and walked to my room.

Sitting on the chair in my room, I looked at the plate on the desk.

"Ah, so cute. If I apply salt water to you, you can maintain your freshness forever, right?"

I said this in a playful tone while poking the rabbits' ears.

Of course, I haven't taken a single bite. No, it takes a lot of courage to crush such a beautiful work of art.

Still, you are so cute. Should I give you names?

So, the name, the name is—

"Oh, it's not an apple. I'll take one."

"Pyonkichi, noooooo!?"

Suddenly, without a sound, Elinora, my older sister, came from behind and ate it.

Oh, my cute Pyonkichi was given a name and lost his life in three seconds.

The moment I gave him life, this happened. I shouldn't have given him a name.

"What's so noisy? There are eight of them, so you could have shared one. Besides, isn't it a bit salty?"

Elinora, my older sister, chewed on half of Pyonkichi and looked dissatisfied.

The slight saltiness is because I applied salt water to extend their freshness.

"That's not the point! You should enjoy the appearance! Look at the ears! They look like a rabbit and are so cute."

I showed her the other rabbits, but Elinora, my older sister, seemed uninterested and was already digging out Pyonkichi's eyes.

What a cruel thing to do...

While I was shocked, Elinora, my older sister, said,

"Doesn't it matter how much the shape changes once it's in your stomach?"

She made a statement that didn't seem to come from a girl her age and threw the remaining rabbit apple into her mouth.

The crisp sound of her chewing echoed.

Food is influenced not only by taste but also by smell, appearance, atmosphere, and mental state.

The perception through the five senses accounts for 80% of the overall experience. In other words, appearance is a very important factor.

I need to make this foolish sister understand.

Otherwise, Pyonkichi won't rest in peace.

"Elinora, you had self-defense training all day today, right?"

"Yes, that's right. Is Al coming?"

Surprised by my sudden question, Elinora, my older sister, answered cheerfully.

She probably thought I was interested in the training.

"I respectfully decline."

"…Why not?"

When I firmly declined with polite words, Elinora, my older sister, pouted in dissatisfaction.

Why? Why do I have to train even on days when there's no training?

The training time has already increased since we returned from the capital.

Probably because Elinora, my older sister, complained to Father Nord about increasing the training.

Sylvio, my older brother, said Elinora, my older sister, looked bored while we were in the capital.

It seems Sylvio, my older brother, was teased by her as a way to pass the time.

Sylvio, my older brother, has become a bit stronger recently because he was teased by Elinora, my older sister, while I was in the capital.

No matter where I hit, it doesn't feel like I'm hitting him. His defense has also improved.

Going to the self-defense training would be quite appealing because I could meet Emma, my older sister.

But I don't think there will be any time to chat. Elinora, my older sister, will probably stick to me and train me.

Anyway, when Elinora, my older sister, has training, Baltro makes the lunch.

So, today, I'll make the lunch.

And I'll teach her the importance of appearance.

To hide my smile, I pretended to lose interest, cut my gaze, and put the rabbit apple in my mouth.

The crunchy texture and the juice spreading in my mouth felt good.

The sweetness and acidity of the apple were perfect, and the saltiness added a nice touch.

...Ah, even though I was trying to hide my smile, I ended up eating it normally. Sorry.

"...Well, fine. Come whenever you want to."

When I showed my intention to decline, Elinora, my older sister, sighed and grabbed a new rabbit apple from behind me, putting it in her mouth.

Then she walked to the door and left, closing it rudely with one foot.

No, it's not like I'll go just because you say, "Come whenever you want to."

◆

The rabbit apples were so cute that I couldn't eat them.

So, I gave the remaining rabbit apples to Sylvio, my older brother, and went downstairs.

It's not because the taste was ruined by the salt water. I just couldn't bear to eat them because they were so cute.

When I went downstairs, I could smell the sweet scent coming from the kitchen.

Peeking into the kitchen, I saw Baltro, the head of the kitchen, kneading what looked like cookie dough. The sight of the large Baltro cutely kneading and shaping the dough was a bit amusing.

"...What are you laughing at?"

Noticing me at the entrance, Baltro glared at me unhappily.

Baltro, with his intimidating face, looked scary, but the sweet scent in the kitchen made him seem less so.

Rather, I was surprised and amused by the contrast of his intimidating face and his baking. It's the power of contrast.

"Good morning, Baltro. You seem to be in high spirits today."

"High spirits? I've been making sweets every day because of you, brat! Help out a little!"

When I greeted him with a light wave, Baltro started complaining. At least return the greeting properly.

"No way. Thanks to my negotiation with Mother Elna, we got the ingredients. You should be grateful. At first, she was hesitant to buy them."

"Gr-gr-gr, you bastard."

"Anyway, I'm going to borrow the kitchen for a bit."

Passing by the sulking Baltro, I entered the kitchen, and his expression brightened.

"Hey! Are you going to help with the baking?"

No, I just said that.

"No. Have you made Elinora's lunch yet?"

"No, not yet. Are you going to make it, brat?"

"Yeah, I want to try something..."

◆

"I'm going!"

"Wait a minute!"

I hurriedly called out to Elinora, my older sister, who was about to rush out the door with just a wooden sword.

What about the lunch and water? It's a full day of training.

"What? Do you want to come to the training, Al?"

"No, I'm not going. Here, this is the lunch. Baltro said to give it to you. There's also a towel and a water bottle."

"...You're unusually considerate today."

When I handed her the basket with the lunch, Elinora, my older sister, looked at me with a suspicious gaze.

Excuse me, I always take good care of Elinora, my older sister.

"I mean, not just today, but every day."

When I said that, Elinora, my older sister, huffed and reached for the door.

The door opened, and bright sunlight flooded the entrance.

Then, Elinora, my older sister, shook her reddish-brown ponytail and turned back to me,

"I'll be back."

And she smiled a rare, small smile.

"...Brat. Did you really give her that lunch?"

Baltro, who was left alone in the entrance, called out to me.

"Yeah. To teach her the importance of appearance."

"Indeed, anyone would think so. If you see bugs or centipedes made of seaweed on top of the rice..."

At noon, Elinora, my older sister, dashed back to the mansion and forcibly dragged me to the training ground.

After asking Baltro to make a new lunch.

Since there was a request, I'll add a brief introduction to the characters.