Chapter 22

Alice, the young lady of the ducal family, is having a birthday party in two weeks, and I've been tasked with making the sweets for it. Well, I have plenty of sugar, so I should be fine for now.

So, I thought I'd try making a few sweets and asked to borrow the kitchen...

"You can't lend this sacred kitchen to a child like you!"

He seems to be the head chef here. Indeed, I just had his food, and it was really delicious.

"But, I have a request from Lady Alice to make sweets?"

"Hmph. What can a child like you do? Even if the young lady approves, I won't!"

Hmm, this isn't going anywhere. Since I've been officially requested, I can't just back down. I could go crying to Alice, but that would leave a bad impression with these people. Alright.

"Alright, then let's do this. If I can make a dish that surprises you, will you let me use the kitchen?"

"Surprise someone who has worked in the royal kitchen? Hmph, interesting. Alright, but if you fail, you'll have to leave this mansion right away!"

Alright, he's in. But why does he hate me so much? Is he that much of a kid-hater?

I've made a big claim, but what should I make? I could make sweets, but I want to make a proper dish to shut these guys up. It seems like I have almost everything I need, and I can use my own ingredients if anything is missing.

There's milk and eggs. I've decided to make three dishes: 'Stewed Orc Meat,' 'Carbonara,' and 'Pot-au-Feu.'

I have the best aged orc meat in my item box, and the soy sauce is ready.

I don't have cream, but I can make it with magic using the milk. There are various cheeses. Pasta doesn't seem to exist in this world, so I'll use the one I tried making in the village.

The pot-au-feu will taste great with homemade bacon and sausages. I don't have bouillon, but I can make it taste good with soy sauce. If I boil a lot of vegetables to bring out their flavors, it should be perfect. Maybe I can even make bouillon with magic.

After about two hours of cooking, the chefs who initially looked at me with disdain were watching intently, and by the end, they were even asking questions. Unfamiliar dishes have a strong impact.

"Here they are: Stewed Orc Meat, Carbonara, and Special Pot-au-Feu. Please enjoy them while they're hot?"

I used magic to apply pressure while making the stew, and it seems to have worked well, making it very tender.

The pasta is al dente and perfect, and the pot-au-feu is a delicious mix of vegetable, bacon, and sausage flavors.

"......"

"Head Chef? What's wrong?"

"Auwl, no, Master! Please teach me how to make these dishes! I was rude earlier! Please forgive me! Do you want me to lick your shoes!?"

It's a drastic change, but he must really love cooking. I don't mind, but I used a lot of magic and special ingredients for these dishes. I'll have to make him wait.

"Head Chef, please stand up. I don't mind teaching you. In fact, I want to learn from you too, so let's work together."

"Master... How kind you are. I, Cookle, will aim to be as great a chef as you!"

He's dramatic, but he doesn't seem like a bad person.

"By the way, I'll teach you the dishes I made today, but don't teach them to anyone else. I plan to make a living with these recipes."

"Understood! I'll study them for a while!"

Phew, now I can use the kitchen.

Just then, Alice appeared in the kitchen, staring at the dishes I just made.

"Head Chef, did you make these?"

"No! These were made by Master... Auwl, my lady."

Upon hearing this, Alice happily started eating the dishes in silence. She finished them all in no time.

My share is gone...

"Hmm? Auwl, you can cook too? And the dishes are delicious, even though I've never tasted them before. Alright, I've decided."

I have a bad feeling about this.

"Auwl, I'm entrusting you with not just the sweets but all the food for the party!"

I knew it, this is a hassle. Does this body have a skill that attracts trouble? ...No, it's probably my reckless personality.

Well, I can't refuse! There's a line I've always wanted to say.

"My cooking is expensive, you know?" ...Haha, decided.

"I'll pay whatever it takes. Make dishes and sweets that will surprise everyone at the birthday party."

Wow... The ducal family is really wealthy. I have no choice but to do it now.

"Alright, Alice. Look forward to it. But from now on, you can't come to the kitchen, okay?"

"Why not!?"

"You said everyone, so you'll be participating as the guest of honor, right? That's what I mean."

Alice, who had been looking forward to tasting the dishes, collapsed. She'll have to wait.

"By the way, Head Chef, why did you try to make me leave earlier?"

"Uh, well, the truth is..."

To be honest, it was a petty reason. He was jealous of the cookies and wanted to see what I could make, but was surprised to find a child. Moreover, because of the cookies, Alice had been sighing a lot when he made sweets for her, so he was taking it out on me.

...A kid.

So, I have to plan the dishes and sweets for the party in two weeks. I can't do it alone, so I'll need help from the head chef and the other chefs. ...I should also check how many people are attending.

...Apparently, 350 people. It's on a scale that would shock even Americans. This is still a restrained number, apparently, which shows how terrifying the nobility can be.

First, for the sweets, a large birthday cake is a must. I'll also make about five small cakes. Cheese cake, apple pie, roll cake, fruit tart, and cream puffs should be easy to make. I'll also make a few types of cookies. I saw apples in the pantry, so I can make apple pie. They're called 'aples' here, so it's 'apple pie.'

...Is this too much? I'm starting to feel anxious. I need to make sure they keep the secret about the creator.

"Alice, I have a favor to ask."

"Oh, Auwl, what is it? I'm always ready for a taste test?"

"Give up on that. I'll give you cookies."

"Yay!"

"Not that, I plan to make a lot of things without holding back. I need you to gather all the ingredients."

"Sounds like it will be the best birthday party ever?"

"Also, I want you to keep it a secret that I made them. I don't want any trouble. This is the first and last time I'm doing this for you. My goal is to live a laid-back life."

"Eh!? No way!"

"I'll make sure the chefs can make them, so don't worry. Besides, I've told them not to make these dishes outside the ducal family, and it would be impossible for anyone else to get the necessary ingredients, so you don't need to worry too much."

"Muuu!"

I was momentarily startled by Alice's pouting, but I can't take on more trouble. She's cute, though.

"Well, I'll make sweets for you occasionally, so forgive me."

"Hehe, really?"

Women's smiles are really cunning. I can't help but look at them. Especially a beautiful girl like her. ...Mirei would be angry. I need to be more careful.

...That night, I was suddenly introduced to Alice's parents. It seems it was decided from the beginning, but I wasn't told. I should have been prepared!

Sitting in the dining room, Alice and her parents entered. Her mother looks so young that she could be mistaken for Alice's sister. If I didn't know Alice was the eldest, I would have made a mistake. Her father has a slender, muscular build and a sweet face. Are all nobles this good-looking?

"Nice to meet you. I'm Adam von Cloud, Alice's father."

"I'm Fiona von Adam, Alice's mother. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Auwl, the son of Lark and Emilia from Oren Village. Nice to meet you. I apologize if my speech is improper."

"Don't worry about it. Besides, you speak better than a typical border farmer. Let's eat while we talk. It would be a shame for the food to get cold."

Incidentally, one of the dishes at dinner was made by me. Alice insisted, so I made it.

"Hmm, there's a dish I've never seen before. A white soup, how interesting."

"Yes, what is this, Cookle?"

"Uh, well, it's..."

Oh no, I forgot to tell him the name of the dish. Cream stew, but they won't understand. Can I mouth it?

Auwl: "This is cream stew."

Cookle: "Can you leave it all to me?"

Oh no, he definitely didn't understand. That's a bad face. Cookle, you idiot.

"This is a dish made by Auwl, so you should ask him."

Cookle gives me a thumbs up and winks. I'll remember this. It's my fault for not telling him the name, but I'm not to blame for the rest!

"Ah, this is a dish called cream stew, made with milk."

"Milk!? Cow's milk!...It's wrong to judge before tasting, right?"

Alice's parents, determined, took a bite. Alice, who didn't seem to care, was happily enjoying it, saying it was delicious.

"Cream stew, is it? It's delicious! This is wonderful!"

"Yes, it's wonderful!"

They seem to have enjoyed it. After that, we chatted and finished the meal without any deep questions. I felt some pressure from Mr. Cloud, but Mrs. Fiona was hitting him. They seem like a happy family.

"Then, Master Auwl, please use this guest room until spring. If you need anything, ring this bell, and a maid will come to assist you with anything you need."

"Thank you, Albus. I'm a bit tired today, so I'll rest. Good night."

The bed in the ducal family's guest room was incredibly soft, and I fell asleep instantly.

I'll update this bit by bit.

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