Chapter 56

The day before the expedition, Viela, who had been given a preparatory leave, was in the kitchen of the Ambroch Duke's residence. The head chef was watching her from behind.

"Alright, I'll make it after a long time!"

Tying the apron strings tightly, Viela put sugar and a small amount of water into a pot and placed it on the fire. What she was trying to make was a walnut caramel tart, a local confection from the Yubert territory. It is made by baking a caramel filling with walnuts inside a cookie crust. Since many walnuts are harvested in the Yubert territory in autumn, it is a popular winter treat among the residents. However, the head chef seemed unfamiliar with this confection and had eagerly offered to observe.

Feeling a bit nervous under his gaze, Viela added the walnuts to the pot when the sugar had melted. The mixture was thick and sticky, requiring quite a bit of effort. After adding the cream and simmering it over low heat while stirring, the filling was complete. She then poured it into a deep tart pan lined with cookie dough and chilled it slightly in the refrigerator. Next, she covered it with the remaining cookie dough, brushed a thin layer of beaten egg on the surface, and carved patterns with a knife. Finally, she baked it in the oven to complete the tart.

Since she didn't know how to use the high-performance oven in the duke's residence, she left it to the head chef. They had already negotiated, and he had the right to taste a piece.

The surface of the tart that came out of the oven was a glossy fox color, and the patterns were beautifully visible. It was perfectly baked.

"Head Chef, as expected. Thank you for your cooperation."

"I'm glad I could help. I'm looking forward to Lord Lukas' return."

Viela nodded at the head chef's words. On the eve of the expedition, she planned to spend as much time with Lukas as possible. They were going to have a light drink together after dinner. Taking inspiration from Director Dressel's experience, "homemade sweets from a lover are special," she decided to prepare a light snack herself. Incidentally, it was a highly nutritious and rather scary dessert to eat at night, but today was a special occasion.

After dinner, Viela spent the evening in a secret state of excitement and welcomed Lukas to her private room. Following advice from the servants, she had prepared his favorite brands of wine and whiskey, as well as snacks like ham and cheese. However, the first thing he noticed was the walnut caramel tart.

"What is this? A pie? No, a tart?"

Like the head chef, Lukas seemed unfamiliar with it. He looked at the tart, which was cut into thin slices to be eaten in a few bites, with great interest.

"It's a local confection from the Yubert territory. A walnut caramel tart that goes well with whiskey. I made it after a long time."

"Viela...!"

His blue-gray eyes sparkled clearly.

The experience of the director seemed quite effective. Pouring whiskey into a glass and handing it to him, Viela then picked up a piece of the tart with her hand and brought it to Lukas' mouth, who was sitting on the sofa next to her.

"I hope it suits your taste—here, ahn!"

He blinked widely in surprise.

"Did you drink first?"

"...I'm sober."

Director Dressel had said, "A 'ahn' from a lover is the best!" She had thought about doing it, but wondered if it was a poor choice.

(I thought Lord Lukas, who has a youngest child personality, would be happy, but it might have been a bit rash. It might be too childish. He has his pride as an older man, so I should back off.)

As she was about to lower her hand, Lukas grabbed her wrist to stop her. He then took a bite of the tart. Chewing slowly to savor the taste, he took a sip of whiskey and relaxed his expression.

"How does it taste?"

"The combination with whiskey is indeed good. The aroma of whiskey and the flavor of caramel go well together."

"I'm glad!"

Viela was relieved that Lukas liked it. She tried to put the half-eaten tart back on the plate, but her wrist was still held. He immediately took a second bite. This time, his lips were closer to her fingertips. The tart became smaller, leaving only one more bite.

In other words, if he took the third bite—Viela realized she was being bold and her mouth twitched.

(That's why Lord Lukas was surprised earlier...! I should have used a fork.)

Seeing her fiancé's expression, a mix of embarrassment and regret, Lukas smiled.

"You're usually so timid, but you're being proactive today?"

Saying that, he took the tart, along with Viela's fingers, into his mouth. His well-shaped lips, of course, and his teeth lightly touched her fingertips. Finally, his soft tongue gently touched them. It was a momentary event, but something incredible had happened. Slightly dazed, Viela stared at her fingers as Lukas' face moved away and her wrist was released.

"Can't you wash them?"

"No, you should wash or wipe them at some point."

While tilting his whiskey glass, Lukas smiled happily. The goal for today was to satisfy his clingy fiancé. He wanted to give her a pleasant time, make her feel that her heart was with Lukas, and provide a sense of security. Suppressing the urge to hide in a hole, Viela started drinking to deal with her embarrassment.