Chapter 9

### Day Seven in the Other World

I woke up unusually early and found myself with nothing to do.

I decided to think about my immediate goals until breakfast time.

First, I need to find a way back to my original world.

Second, I need to investigate the Demon King and the Hero.

For now, I plan to read the books in the castle's library or search for places where dangerous books might be hidden.

I don't intend to spread the fact that I can now read ancient script thanks to the "Bloody Magic Book," so I'll have to be discreet.

While I was thinking about these things, I must have fallen back asleep and was woken up by Amane, who came to tell me it was breakfast time.

Well, these things happen, right?

After breakfast, I sent Amane off to her training and was about to wander around the castle when I noticed an annoying presence.

One person was following me from behind.

Another was watching me from a distance.

I continued to wander as usual, pretending not to notice, and thought about how quickly things had escalated.

I had been receiving daily reports from the tanuki guys without hesitation, and it seemed I was getting caught up in a power struggle.

The maids had warned me, but the reaction was faster and more intense than I expected.

I didn't plan to stay for long, so I had been taking everything I could get without hesitation.

It seems I should leave sooner than I thought.

To achieve the goals I considered this morning, I would be too restricted in my current state, making it difficult to move around.

Using "Darkness" could also expose me (if discovered, I would be instantly labeled as an "enemy," right?).

Hmm.

Then, I'll head to the kitchen today.

First, I asked a maid for a maid's uniform and an old pair of glasses.

Since there are no people with black hair and black eyes in this country, I hid my hair and covered my eyes with glasses, then changed into the maid's uniform.

I infiltrated the castle's large kitchen.

I targeted a surly cook in a corner, helping him peel potatoes while gathering information about sweets in this world.

What I found out was...

...a bit disappointing!

There is flour, but it's mainly used to make hard bread. There are baked goods, but they are rock-like cookies that need to be softened with tea.

I couldn't make much progress by being vague, so I revealed that I was Amane's sister and discovered that I was known as the "plain sister of the Hero" in some circles (after being scolded for infiltrating as a maid).

Ah, thank you for the compliment.

Anyway.

The talk about cakes, cookies, macarons, pound cakes, whipped cream, and custard cream from my original world was met with great interest (thanks to which I wasn't kicked out of the kitchen).

Especially the phrase "Amane's favorite" seemed to ignite their passion.

"What are they like?!" they pressed, asking about ingredients, processing methods, machinery, and cooking tools... I don't know all that, of course.

I was just a dedicated eater of what others made.

I occasionally helped with tasks like shelling peas or peeling potatoes, but that's about it.

I do like sweets, so I have some knowledge.

I squeezed out my limited knowledge, and with the help of many people, we decided to try making a pound cake and caramel.

...Hmm?

It's quite crumbly, but it's a pound cake.

It's very sweet and hard, but it's caramel.

It's my first attempt as a beginner...

By noon, I returned to my room, changed clothes, and had lunch with Amane.

Recently, we've been having breakfast together, lunch with the prince and Amane's attendants, and dinner with the prince and two others.

...Ah.

When I go to lunch, I can clearly see the reverse harem forming day by day.

The "attendants" are like a group of followers, and their positions are determined by their individual personalities.

The natural idol is still going strong.

Well, that's nothing new, so it doesn't really matter.

Amane, the person in question, doesn't seem to have a particular favorite.

More importantly, I want to support the maids who are challenging the attendants in various ways (I can't help but secretly watch when someone challenges "rank outsider" Vincent).

In the afternoon, I changed clothes again and returned to the kitchen to continue making sweets.

But there were more people.

It seems the rumors about what I did in the morning had spread, and off-duty cooks and merchants (royal suppliers) had come to see.

Well, more people is a good thing.

It means more ideas.

Thinking this, I was surprised to find that by dinner, we had made a pound cake that I felt comfortable giving to Amane.

The cooks were overjoyed, and the merchants realized a business opportunity and were beaming.

I, on the other hand, was scolded by Amane alone.

"Big sister! Why are you doing such fun things all by yourself?!"

She wanted to join in.

Come to think of it, she was quite fond of making sweets.

But you have to train, right?

Until I find a way back, you'll have to be the "Hero."

We need to increase your chances of survival, after all.

I brushed off her complaints with a "Well, it's fine," and fed her the pound cake, the result of today's efforts (mainly by the cooks and merchants), saying "Here, open up."

Despite her pouting face, Amane opened her mouth for the sweet, looking like a baby bird and being quite adorable.

Ryo, who has been working hard in the kitchen, is considering a more serious dropout and is worried about Amane. Vincent is being watched. Ah...

Ryo's spring seems to be a bit further away.