Chapter 11

Jill led Tina and Karappa to the main gate of the mansion.

The large main gate could be opened by the mere will of the mansion's owner. The door responded to Jill's will and opened with a heavy groan.

There, a child stood with a face as serious as if they were about to die.

"Ah!? Tina!"

"Adele!"

As Tina ran over, Adele clung to her as if to crush her spine.

"Sorry, Tina! I'm so sorry...! I'm sorry for running away...!"

It seemed that in her panic, Adele had realized she had left Tina behind. Jill realized that the children had mustered their courage to return. Jill looked at the children with a fond feeling.

"Ugh, it hurts... Adele."

"Hey, hey. You're hurting her."

At Jill's words, Adele suddenly let go of Tina. Tina coughed and Adele patted her back.

When Tina had calmed down, Jill made a theatrical cough. The children, all tense, waited for Jill's words.

"Don't go into the forest without permission! There are monsters there!"

Jill scolded them loudly. The children, whose tension had been released, burst into tears all at once. It was a chorus of "I'm sorry, I'm sorry" like frogs on a rainy day.

(Oh... I might have gone a bit too far...)

After all, Jill's exaggerated threats were partly to blame. A sense of guilt pricked at her heart.

Still, if someone trespassed into a noble's mansion, it could lead to serious consequences. They could be beaten with sticks or left with permanent scars. Thinking that she needed to be strict, Jill raised her voice.

"Do you understand! If you do this again, I'll report you to the town gatekeepers and the lord, and you'll be properly punished. Swear that you won't do it again!"

"We won't do it again!"

"I'm so sorry!"

Behind them, Karappa clicked his scissors, making the children shrink even more. It seemed he wanted to say, "Hey, do you understand, kids?"

"What are you doing back there! This is getting complicated, so be quiet!"

"Click"

"Click, no. Seriously, you're a bit of a troublemaker..."

Karappa shrank in embarrassment. The children looked at Jill with admiration, who scolded the large monster without fear.

"Still, you're all such rambunctious girls."

Upon closer inspection, the children except for Tina were covered in mud. Their faces were streaked with tears and snot, and their knees were scraped. They must have been in a great hurry.

"【Heal】"

Jill could use magic to heal small cuts and injuries. The children were so surprised they couldn't even speak.

"Is the sister a magician? Are you a ghost?"

Tina asked innocently. When she said this, Jill didn't feel bad at all. She was living a free and carefree life like a ghost. She even thought it was a fitting description.

"Maybe? I might be a real ghost."

◆

"The Forest of Temptation is a secret, okay?"

"Okay."

When Adele said this, the children dispersed. Tina hurried home.

Today's events were a secret.

This meant keeping the secret of Adele's group. For Tina, it also meant keeping the experience inside the mansion a secret from Adele and the others. She couldn't say, "While my friends were bravely heading to the mansion, I enjoyed the finest pudding and tea."

Tina thought that place was truly the Forest of Temptation.

If you passed through the terrifying forest, a beautifully dressed witch would make wonderful desserts. Tina wondered if people in the past were tempted in the same way. She already felt that she had been tempted by the witch. She strongly wished to return when she grew up and could freely leave the town.

With such ambitions, Tina returned home. When she came back, she always entered through the back door of the restaurant's kitchen. There, her brother Mars was finishing his preparations and looked idle.

"Brother, I'm home."

"Huh? Tina, you're late. You didn't go outside the town, did you?"

"Uhh, no! I didn't!"

"Really? ...Well, don't go to dangerous places."

Mars gave her a warning. Tina was relieved that he hadn't seen through her trip to the forest. If he had, it wouldn't just be a warning.

"Oh, right, Tina. Can you try this for me?"

"What, did you make something?"

"I had some extra eggs and sugar... I think it's about time."

Mars opened the ice pot.

An ice pot is a pot filled with ice to cool the inside, essentially a refrigerator that doesn't use electricity. Restaurants and pharmacists either buy ice made by magicians or make it themselves with magic for their work.

Mars took out a covered ceramic cup from inside.

"Is this...?"

"It's just the usual."

It was the restaurant 'Rosinante's' famous dessert, pudding.

"Ugh."

"Huh? What's that face? It's delicious, probably."

Pudding is a dessert that originated in this town of Shelland.

It was invented by a cook about twenty years ago and is served in various cafes and restaurants. Among them, the pudding from Tina's family's restaurant was one of the most popular in town. Her father's pudding was undoubtedly exquisite. Her brother also practiced making pudding and various dishes when he had free time.

"Is it... Can I eat it?"

"Of course."

Tina said, "Itadakimasu," and took a bite.

It was delicious.

Not many people could make such a good pudding at Mars' age.

"...Is it not good?"

"No, no! It's not that!"

Tina couldn't lie. She was just bad at faking it.

"Then what's wrong?"

"Did you use alcohol with the alcohol removed? Probably... apricot alcohol. And honey, too?"

"Wow, you got it. So, how is it?"

"Even with the alcohol removed, there's a slight bitterness. I think adults like that. Also, the pudding is a bit too soft, probably because there's too much water."

"Kids don't like bitter flavors, huh..."

Mars had a sophisticated palate. Despite his love for making sweet things, he didn't show as much interest in sweets as other kids. He often let Tina and her friends try the things he made too much of, which was one of the reasons he was popular.

Tina's palate was more mature than Mars'. It wasn't just that her preferences weren't childish. She had the ability to analyze what made up a flavor and the ability to objectively critique what she liked and what would please customers. She had a natural talent as a gourmet.

However, just a moment ago, Tina had encountered the best pudding that satisfied both her preferences and what would please customers. Normally, she would give her brother's desserts almost perfect scores, but today her evaluation was harsh.

"I think a pudding that has a mild sourness and a sweet aroma, one that enhances the pudding itself without overpowering it, would be good."

"That's tough."

"But I think it's possible."

"Huh. You're being unusually assertive. Maybe you should aim to be a patissier."

When Mars teased her, Tina glared at him resentfully. She wanted to work in the kitchen like her brother. However, because she was still young, her parents kept her away from handling fire and knives.

"Hey, it's okay to practice, but it's time to start the business."

"Ah, Dad."

A bald, well-built man was smiling at the children. He was the owner of the restaurant 'Rosinante' and the father of Tina and Mars, Laurent.

"Mars, take the rest of the day off. I'll serve your dishes to the customers today."

"Got it!"

Mars answered energetically and ran out of the store.

"Taking the day off doesn't mean playing. And you're going to brag to your friends, aren't you? Seriously..."

It was rare for someone Mars' age to be able to work in the kitchen. But Mars had skills that even Laurent had to acknowledge. Laurent watched Mars' back with a smile.

"He's good, no doubt. ...By the way, Tina."

"Uh-huh."

Laurent was a doting father, especially to Tina. Mars also doted on Tina, but not as much as Laurent. Even Tina, who was bad at lying, could easily deceive him.

Because she knew this, Tina was completely off guard with her father.

"You... Where did you eat pudding with vanilla beans?"

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