Chapter 67

Let's cook!

"So, why did we suddenly decide to make pudding?"

Oscar asked this after Cecil had finished her preparations. The table, where she had measured out sugar and milk, was already a mess. Cecilia looked up at Oscar's question.

"Well, you see. I kind of caused some trouble for the Maccias twins the other day. As an apology..."

"I see."

Oscar nodded, but he thought to himself,

(The Maccias twins were looking for her the other day too. It's probably not just that.)

However, he couldn't ask for the real reason. It was likely related to why she was dressed as a man. So, he put that thought aside, took off his jacket, and rolled up his sleeves.

"If that's the case, I'll help too."

"Huh?"

"I'm worried about you doing it alone. Besides, it's faster with two people."

At those words, Cecilia shook her head vigorously.

"It's fine! Oscar, just sit there!"

"But..."

"With things like this, it's better to do it alone so you can put your heart into it! Besides, I was taught how to make it properly, so it's fine!"

She showed him a memo she was holding. It had the pudding recipe written out simply. It didn't look particularly difficult, so Oscar could probably make it too.

(Well, this should be manageable. She's just clumsy, so I can take over if it gets too dangerous.)

While watching their exchange, Gilbert sighed, but Oscar ignored it since he didn't know the reason. Cecilia stood in front of the bowl and declared,

"First, I want to add the secret ingredient, the hawk's claw!"

"Wait a minute!!"

"Huh?"

At her outrageous statement, Oscar shouted louder than he had all day. Cecilia looked at him, not understanding why he had stopped her. Her puzzled face was cute, but he steeled his heart and spoke.

"Why the hawk's claw?! It's the least necessary ingredient for pudding!!"

"Oscar, don't you know? When you add a little spice to something sweet, the sweetness stands out more!"

She explained it as if it were like sprinkling salt on watermelon. But that's salty, and the spiciness of a hawk's claw is a completely different thing. Moreover, the one she had wasn't even chopped or sliced; it was a whole "fruit."

While talking, she dumped all the hawk's claws into the bowl. At this point, it was no longer pudding. It had already become a creative dish. Before Oscar could react, Cecilia moved on to the next step.

"Next, I'll add the eggs. --Here we go!!"

With a "plop," the raw egg split in two against the corner of the bowl. It wasn't just a matter of applying too much force; the yolk was completely destroyed, and the broken eggshell also fell into the bowl. It would take a lot of effort to remove it.

"Oh, the shell got in too. But it's fine! It's calcium, right?"

"Oma---"

"But if I don't crush it, it will feel gritty..."

Cecilia used the spatula she had been holding to crush the largest piece of shell. Then, she mashed it like she was mashing potatoes.

"Yep. It's going well! It's going well!"

Maybe she misunderstood the meaning of "going well." Oscar, unsure where to start correcting her, could only watch in shock. Gilbert, standing next to him, looked exasperated.

"Is she always like this!?"

"Yes, she is. She's quite fond of cooking, which is a problem. And she always wants to do everything alone..."

Gilbert's lips curved up slightly, showing a hint of melancholy. He had been quiet the whole time, probably realizing that any words would be futile. Meanwhile, Cecilia had moved on to the next step. She was now pouring white powder from a large bottle into the bowl.

"Next, the sugar!"

"Wait! Isn't that salt!?"

"It's fine! It's fine! I checked it just now! I wouldn't make such a basic mistake, and---"

While saying this, she tipped the bottle instead of the spoon, dumping an enormous amount of sugar into the bowl.

"Oh... I made a mistake."

The bowl was now filled with a mountain of sugar. And she stuck the spatula into it and started mixing.

"Well, sweeter is better, right!"

The sound of the spatula grinding against the bowl was unlike anything you'd hear when making pudding. Oscar's cheeks twitched.

"It's fine. I don't think it's a lethal dose."

"Just because it won't kill you doesn't mean it's fine!"

"What can I do? She won't listen no matter what I say."

As Oscar stood there in shock, something stuck to his arm. Looking down, he saw Jade, tears in her eyes, clinging to him.

"Um, I'm getting a bit scared. Hey, are we really going to eat that!? Do we have to eat that!?"

"Well..."

"I'll go stop her!"

Just as the natural-born airhead finally realized the seriousness of the situation and was about to call out to Cecilia, she turned to them with a radiant smile.

"Everyone, thank you so much for doing this for me! I'm not good at cooking, and I rarely get to have people outside my family eat my food... So, I'm really, really happy that you all will eat it!"

Her words and smile left even Jade speechless, her mouth opening and closing without a sound.

(We can't say no now...)

From then on, the three of them could only wait in silence for the pudding-like substance to be ready.

Next is Oscar's turn!

Volume 2 of the manga was released on December 28th!

Please look forward to it!

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