Chapter 14

In the distillery where Verneli was no longer present, Lila immediately began inspecting the equipment.

Verneli seemed to have been diligent about cleaning, as although the items showed no signs of use, there was no dust accumulation, and many of the tools were polished clean.

(Hmm... Even though this is a secondary residence, it’s a mansion of a prestigious family. The quality of the materials is different...)

The glass bowls and plates with cracks were dangerous and would need to be disposed of, but most of the items, due to their quality, seemed to be in good condition and could be used without any problems.

Most of the necessary items for baking were available, and there were even some tools that Lila had never seen before.

"Lady Lila?"

"Ah, Helka."

Helka, who seemed to have taken a break from her paperwork, peeked into the distillery and widened her eyes when she saw Lila stacking the cooking utensils.

"...Verneli told me you would be here, but are you making pastries?"

"Yes, if I get Lord Julius's permission."

"I see. ...You might already know, but Verneli is good at cooking, but he’s terrible at baking."

When Helka said this, Lila smiled wryly, thinking, "As I suspected."

"I heard that all the pastries were store-bought, so I had a feeling. ...Does he burn them?"

"According to him, the oven can cook meat but not cookies. No matter what he does, they either come out undercooked or burnt to a crisp, so he gave up."

"Really..."

Lila thought it was a matter of temperature control, but it seemed that Verneli had been abandoned by the baking gods. Whether such gods existed or not, she didn't know.

With Helka's help, Lila checked the tools and, once she received permission from Julius, decided to start baking.

"What will you make?"

"Let's start with a butter cake. The ingredients should be in the food storage, right...?"

"If you tell me what you need and the quantities, I'll bring them for you."

Lila gratefully asked Helka to fetch the ingredients. While washing the bowls, scales, and whisks, the door behind her unexpectedly opened.

"Hel—"

"Sorry, it's me."

It was Verneli.

Lila, who had turned around with a dishcloth in hand, was met with a slightly displeased look from Verneli.

"...Lord Julius sent a message. He said that if Lila is making pastries, he wants to eat them too."

"Really?"

Seeing Lila's stunned expression, Verneli sighed deeply and ruffled his bangs.

"...He said it with such a happy face that I couldn't say no... So, whatever you make, keep in mind that it will be for Lord Julius."

"Is... is that okay?"

"It's not a matter of whether it's okay; it's Lord Julius's order. ...I don't think you would put poison in something for Lord Julius, and we will have it tasted beforehand. Also, during the process..."

"I'll be watching, Verneli."

Verneli's shoulders shook slightly as Helka, who had gone to fetch the ingredients, entered.

She placed a cloth bag containing the ingredients on the worktable and looked back at Verneli, who had a puzzled expression.

"You're busy, so I'll stay here. I don't think Lady Lila would do anything out of the ordinary, but please understand, Lady Lila."

"Ah, that's fine. I understand why you're worried."

Lila smiled. It was natural for Verneli and Helka to be concerned that she might put something strange in Julius's food.

"I'm sorry for troubling you, Helka, when you have work to do."

"No, I'll just be watching from the side."

"Lady Lila, you must not leave the cooking to Helka here. Everything will taste like 'nothing.'"

"Oh, Verneli, do you want to tell Lady Lila about your mistakes as a new maid?"

"I'm just stating the facts!"

Verneli and Helka immediately started bickering.

Lila was curious about what "nothing" tasted like, but for now, it seemed best to follow Verneli's advice.

After Verneli was chased away by Helka, Lila checked the ingredients Helka had brought.

"Butter, flour, sugar, and eggs... Yes, everything is here. Thank you, Helka."

"...That's all I can do."

Lila couldn't help but laugh awkwardly at Helka's distant gaze and put on the apron she offered, then started baking.

She sifted the flour and separated the eggs. The butter needed to be softened at room temperature, but Helka promptly offered to help, warming the bowl of butter with magic.

"Is this temperature okay?"

"Yes, thank you. Now, I'll mix it until it's smooth and add the sugar and egg yolks."

When the butter was creamy, she mixed it with a wooden spoon, then added the sugar and egg yolks.

She whipped the egg whites until stiff peaks formed, then folded half of them into the butter cream, followed by the flour and the remaining egg whites. The key was not to overmix and to leave some of the egg white's air bubbles intact.

"Is the oven preheated?"

"Perfectly!"

The oven in this mansion didn't use coal like the one in Lila's home but was heated by magic.

It could be used by non-mages if precharged with magic, but Lila was a bit uneasy, so she asked Helka to preheat it. Helka, who had set the oven to the perfect temperature, looked very pleased.

She poured the batter into a glass mold, placed it on a baking sheet, and put it in the oven. The oven door closed, and with a flick of Helka's finger, it started making a crackling sound. Lila was momentarily worried, but Helka assured her, "It's a sign that it's working properly."

Since it would take about an hour to bake, Lila decided to do the dishes and wait in the distillery.

"There are quite a few pastry-making references here..."

On the bookshelf were several handwritten recipe notebooks that seemed to have been made by a maid who had worked here before.

The bound notebooks were well-worn, and upon closer inspection, each page had small notes with dates and comments.

"...Could these be the dates when the previous maid made these pastries?"

"Probably. And... the comments added are likely the reactions of Lord Julius when he ate them."

Helka's slender fingers traced comments like "He prefers sweet," "He was very happy," and "He left half of it."

The image of an elderly maid making pastries for the young Julius and noting his reactions came through the words.

"...She must have cared for Lord Julius very much."

"Yes... I only met her a few times, but she was hired as a nanny when Lord Julius was taken in by the Balthschech family at the age of seven. At the time, Lord Julius was a quiet child with little emotional expression, but he was raised with a lot of love from his adoptive father and the maid. Verneli also seemed to have a lot of respect for her."

"Hehe... I see."

It was easy to imagine the tall Verneli being scolded by the small, elderly maid and looking dejected. It seemed Helka was thinking the same thing, and they both giggled.

(Still... Lord Julius's past...)

Fifteen years ago, during the border war with the neighboring country of Oruva, Julius was found by the Rendia Kingdom's magic army.

Because of his talent for magic, he was adopted by the Balthschech family, where Isabella's brother was, and given this mansion.

(Lord Julius was originally frail and became even more reclusive after his adoptive father's death... but that's when his excessive magic power became worse.)

Magic power is determined at birth, so he must have suffered from having too much magic power as a child and had a difficult childhood. His being a war orphan might also be related.

However, he was taken in by a family that recognized his abilities and was raised with love from his adoptive father and the maids. Despite the hard times he endured, Lila knew that his heart was full of kindness.

(I want to be a support for Lord Julius.)

A good smell filled the air. She took the glass mold out of the oven and inserted a toothpick into the fluffy cake. It was well-baked.

While Helka used magic to cool the cake to the right temperature, Lila prepared the plates and placed them on a tray.

(If I can heal his heart in my own way...)

Accompanied by Helka, Lila left the distillery.

At the entrance to the living room on the third floor, Verneli was waiting with a stern face, arguing with Helka, "You didn't tamper with it, did you?" "Are you picking a fight?"

(If we can both be glad we got engaged...)

Verneli opened the door, and Lila entered the room with the tray.

Julius seemed to have been working on something, as there were parts spread out on the table.

But when he saw Lila, his face lit up, and with a flick of Helka's finger, the parts floated up and landed on the floor a short distance away.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I brought a butter cake."

"Thank you! It smells great..."

"Excuse me, but I'll have a taste first."

As Lila cut the cake, Verneli leaned in. Although he didn't say it directly, this was the "tasting" to ensure it was safe.

(Well, it can't be helped. Besides, I want to see Verneli's reaction too.)

Verneli, who apparently couldn't bake, would be interesting to see how he would react to Lila's homemade pastries.

She hoped they wouldn't be harshly criticized in front of Julius.