Chapter 42

"……I tried various things, but it didn't work."

"Figures."

A few days later, Jill showed up at 'Rocinante.'

Jill slumped on the table without hiding her fatigue, and Laurent smiled wryly.

"Well, I thought I was good at figuring out things like this…"

"There's no way you could figure it out with just those hints in a few days."

"Yeah, when I think about it calmly, that makes sense…"

Jill sighed.

(I tried to look it up in the 'Acacia Book,' but there were too few hints… What on earth is a magic cake?)

Jill read the book and tried making various things, like a pudding cake and a flan, using the ingredients Laurent had taught her. But she couldn't find the answer. The information was too scarce, and she couldn't even get a foothold.

"Well, that's frustrating…"

Jill had solved many problems using the 'Acacia Book' before. Things like branding leather or dyeing textiles—she had been able to overcome difficulties by using the book. But this time, she couldn't find the answer no matter what.

"Hey, Jill!"

"Hello, Tina. How have you been?"

While Jill was moping, Laurent's daughter Tina approached her happily. Seeing Tina's cheerful face, Jill felt a sense of relief.

"Hey, I've been learning cooking from Dad recently!"

"Oh, that's great. What kind of dishes are you making?"

"Pudding!"

"Tina, you still love making sweets, huh?"

"Yep!"

Tina beamed, but Laurent looked a bit tired.

"I wanted to avoid using fire as much as possible, but she insisted on making pudding."

"Okay, then… I want to make pudding now. Can I use the oven?"

It seemed that using fire was prohibited when the parents were not around. Laurent looked a bit troubled.

"Mom is at a neighborhood meeting… Can you wait until I'm free?"

"Oh, don't worry about it. I can help, if you like?"

"Really!?"

Tina's eyes sparkled. Behind her, Laurent looked a bit apologetic.

"Sorry."

"No, no. I've been getting a lot of advice from you, so it's the least I can do. So, Tina, let's make pudding together, okay?"

"Okay!"

◆

When Jill said she would help, there wasn't much for her to do.

Laurent's teaching philosophy was "you won't learn unless you try and fail." Therefore, she tried to interfere as little as possible and just watch. Laurent operated the oven without teaching her how to use it, but he let Tina give instructions on things like "how much heat and for how long."

And the final critique was left to Jill.

"So, Tina?"

"…It's not delicious."

"How so?"

"It's overcooked and dry."

Tina said, disappointed.

"The aroma is also gone. I need to add more flavoring."

"But if you add too much, it might become bitter."

"…"

Jill thought it was sound advice.

But could Tina accept it?

Jill looked at Tina, worried.

Sure enough, Tina was on the verge of tears.

"Tina…"

"Sniff…!"

"Oh, is that it?"

It wasn't that Laurent's advice hurt her ears.

She was crying because her efforts fell short of her ideals.

"Don't worry, Jill. Tina won't be discouraged by this."

Laurent smiled and patted Tina's head.

But Tina's face remained gloomy.

"But I can't make it the way I want…"

"Even just getting it to take shape is impressive… And you're not biased about your own creations, which is rare."

Tina had a sharp palate.

And because of that sharpness, she was acutely aware of her own shortcomings.

It was unnecessary suffering for a hobby.

It was not something a young child should bear.

But Jill thought it was probably essential for a cook. To aim higher, one must objectively assess their current abilities.

(I wonder if Tina can overcome this.)

Worried, Jill looked at Tina.

But ignoring her worries, Tina wiped her teary eyes and looked at Laurent determinedly.

"I'll make it again!"

"Whoa, whoa. We have business in the evening."

"Just one more time, please!"

Tina, who had been on the verge of tears a moment ago, was now pestering her father.

"This is promising."

"It's a bit of a headache now."

Laurent smiled happily at Jill's words.

◆

In the end, that day ended without any promising ideas.

Jill continued to visit the restaurant 'Rocinante.' Along with Laurent and Mars, Chelsea, Laurent's wife, also joined in to brainstorm and deduce the nature of the cake, but they couldn't come up with a definitive answer.

"I was thinking, what if it's not three layers but five? Using slightly different mixtures to create sponge, pudding, and custard layers, plus intermediate layers."

"That would be noticeable when eating. Besides, can Dad consistently make and bake them the same way every time?"

"It's not impossible… but it would be tough to make it a regular menu item. Plus, a five-layer cake would be noticeable. What do you think, Chelsea?"

"I think the 'Andromarius' cake was limited in quantity. But since it was run by the owner and his wife, a complicated recipe wouldn't be practical."

"True…"

"But among the ideas we've had, this is the most practical… Should we give it a try?"

"Hmm, let's just try it…"

The discussion was getting a bit stuck.

But a hint came from an unexpected source.

"Hey, hey, the pudding is ready!"

Tina interrupted their conversation.

But no one was annoyed.

Rather, they were glad for the change in atmosphere.

"Tina, you made a new one?"

"Yep! I think it turned out well this time."

Tina nodded happily at Jill's words.

Tina had kept trying, even after her failures. The cost of ingredients was not trivial, and there was a rule against using fire without an adult, but she found leftover ingredients and seized opportunities when her parents were free to keep trying.

"Since we're here, let's have some tea. I'm getting tired too."

"Sure, I'll help."

Jill and Mars started preparing the tea.

Laurent began setting out plates.

Everyone, being experienced, quickly got everything ready.

"Let's eat… Huh?"

"Hmm?"

Everyone took a bite of Tina's pudding and looked puzzled.

"Tina, this… is separated?"

Mars looked at Tina with a confused expression.

Jill remembered making a similar mistake.

Separation is a common failure when making pudding.

Due to the different densities of milk and egg mixture, even if you mix the batter thoroughly, it can separate during the heating process, resulting in solid and semi-liquid parts.

Or, the different densities and coagulation temperatures of egg whites and yolks can also cause separation.

To successfully make pudding, the ingredients must be thoroughly mixed and heated at the right temperature to prevent separation.

"But it's still delicious, isn't it?"

"We can't serve it to customers, though."

Jill and Laurent laughed.

But Tina looked bewildered.

"Can't we serve this to customers?"

"It's a failure…"

"It's not mushy or unappetizing. I did it on purpose."

"On purpose?"

"Hard pudding and soft pudding together might be delicious."

"…What?"

Laurent asked seriously.

"…Well, it's not bad. It's not just a little separated; it's separated in a balanced way. And the boundaries… are not clear."

Mars continued to eat the pudding, as if verifying something.

Everyone's expressions grew more serious.

Tina, confused, looked at each person eating.

"Is it still no good?"

"Tina…"

"Wh-What? Jill?"

"You're a genius."

"Huh?"

Tina looked bewildered, not understanding.

"This is it! This is the feeling of the cake I ate before!"

"Amazing, Tina! You're just like my daughter!"

"Indeed, the difference in texture between the creamy part and the solid part is noticeable… My daughter is truly frightening."

The family praised Tina. But Tina, who had not been involved in the search for the Andromarius cake, was only more confused.

"Dad! Was it good? Or not good?"

"Sorry. As a pudding… it's a bit hard to say, but if you consider it as another dish, it's acceptable. It depends on your creativity."

"So you're praising me!?"

"I am praising you."

Laurent calmed the pouting Tina.

Everyone watched, amused.

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