W-w-w-w-w-what do I do!?
This outfit is bad, isn’t it? Should I go change somewhere?
No, wait, why the hell did she keep quiet about our guest being royalty!?
Iris, stop grinning like you’re enjoying this and explain properly!
「Iris? He seems frozen… you didn’t tell him beforehand?」
「Indeed. He’s splendidly frozen! Keeping it secret until now was the right choice. Besides, isn’t he staring only at your chest, despite being so flustered?」
「It seems so. To be gazed at this passionately, so honestly and directly… this is a first for me」
Crap! I’m still staring!
Without realizing, I’ve been devouring the sight of her chest with my eyes!
Is this worthy of execution? Fine, worst case, I’ll run for it…
「…Hurry and greet her. You’re being rude」
「Ah, y-yes, pleased to meet you today」
「Introduce yourself too」
R-right, I see. Thanks, Ayame-san.
I was panicking too much and couldn’t keep my thoughts straight. That saved me.
「My name is Shinomiya Itsuki. I usually work as an alchemist in Einzheil. As a hobby I dabble in cooking, and it seems Iris-sama has taken a liking to that… So, um, pleased to meet you today」
「Twice now you’ve said that. There’s no need to be so stiff. This is only a private tea gathering between Iris and me. Unless you do something truly outrageous, you won’t be executed. So relax and enjoy yourself」
「Yes, ma’am!」
I ended up bowing deeply.
Unlike Iris, she was full of refinement. Unlike Iris, she radiated a sense of generosity. Unlike Iris, she had a large chest. Unlike Iris, she was a mature woman. Maybe that’s why I was so nervous.
Wow… grown women really are something else.
「So, you prefer large breasts, do you?」
「Yes! I love them, guhbuh!」
「Watch your tongue. If your head gets cut off, don’t say I didn’t warn you」
「Y-yes ma’am…」
Ayame-san’s elbow strike… landed square in my side…
I was just trying to answer honestly since she asked if I liked them…
「Fufu. I see, I see. In that case, would you like to take a closer look? They may be nothing but a nuisance to me, but surely they’re a treasure to you?」
「R-really!? I, whoa, that was close!」
I dodged the second strike, at least!
I’ve been training, after all… Ah, sorry, don’t glare at me like that. I’ll let it hit next time. I’m sorry!
「Don’t get carried away」
「Yes, ma’amnnngh!」
…oww… that hurts…
Shiro, it’s okay, don’t start making a scene, alright?
「Fufufu. You’re an amusing man. You may look all you like… if you can satisfy me」
Eh, satisfy her…?
………Mufufu.
Ah, stop! Don’t hit me anymore!
I get it, I get it! You meant with the sweets!
It’s fine, I’m ready!
「…Well then, enough chatter. Shall we get to the main matter?」
「Indeed. The rest we’ll save for later. So, this time it was the “lifelong partner-level dessert” Iris found, wasn’t it?」
「Umu. This will surely leave you speechless, Sicilia. My victory is already in my grasp」
「Last time, if I recall, you were the one left dumbstruck by my ‘Chocoa’, were you not?」
「Hmph. Your smugness will last only a moment! Once you taste my favorite ice cream, you’ll melt into a puddle! You’ll go all limp and roll right off your chair!」
「Oh? I look forward to it then. Although, I believe you were the one who slid off your chair when you tasted the ‘Chocoa’」
「That’s because the shock was greater than I expected! Bah, no more words! Do it at once!」
Do it, she says… Wait, I never heard anything about this being a contest!?
And even if it is, what’s the standard for winning? It’s all just down to personal taste, isn’t it?
「Before I begin, may I ask something? I’m a commoner. Is it really acceptable for a member of the imperial family like Sicilia-sama to eat something served by me?」
「Be at ease. The Empire is built on the principle of strength above all else. A commoner with talent is acknowledged, while a royal without it is discarded. That is our law. If Iris has recognized you, then you clearly have skill. Therefore, there is no problem at all」
Strength above all else, huh.
A land where the capable rise and the weak are cast aside… survival of the fittest.
If you’re ambitious, maybe it’s perfect. But for me… I don’t think I’d fit in well there.
「Understood. Then, please begin with something simple」
I take out what appears to be a pure white vanilla ice cream from the wagon. Using a small disher, I scoop it into neat spheres and serve them as they are.
「Thank you. It really is such a simple-looking thing」
「Please, savor the ice cream itself first」
I turn to offer some to Iris as well, but then a mischievous idea comes to mind.
Time for a little payback for what she kept hidden earlier.
「Ah, my apologies. It seems I don’t have enough prepared for Iris-sama…」
「Wha!? Y-you jest!?」
「Yes. I jest」
「Y-yoooouuuu!! I nearly burst into tears, you fool!」
Heh. That much of a prank is harmless.
Now then, I’ve also prepared several jams to accompany it. Peach, limple, orange, muscat, even lemonia.
「Hm? Isn’t the portion a bit small?」
「There is another ice cream prepared afterward, so I’ve kept these small to avoid upsetting your stomach」
「Oh, the one you mentioned earlier! Very well then! Now, Sicilia, let us taste it!」
「Ah. Pure white, with such a sweet fragrance… Then, one bite」
「…Sicilia-sama. First, I must test for poison…」
「Mm, I doubt there is any, but… my apologies. Would you?」
「Of course. It’s only natural, when it concerns your safety」
The armored knight standing behind Sicilia removed her helmet, and I couldn’t help but feel a little surprised.
Long golden hair spilled free, framing the dignified face of what looked to be a serious, earnest female knight.
「Then, please excuse me…」
She scooped the ice cream with a silver spoon and brought it to her lips. For just an instant, her eyes widened ever so slightly, but they returned to normal as she finished tasting and set the spoon down.
「There is no problem. It was truly delicious」
「I see. Then I shall partake」
「Umu! Prepare to have your legs give out!」
「Now then, I’ll move on to preparing the next dish…」
Without waiting for their reply, I began placing ingredients onto the wagon one after another.
Since they were being pulled out of the magic space, I made sure to move quickly to avoid drawing suspicion.
First was a special device, crafted solely for this dessert.
Then a slab of marble to fit the machine’s size, along with strongberries, cranblueberries, and more of the vanilla ice cream.
Next came baked pastry cups, and though various jams were already on the table, I set out a specially made strongberry sauce, closer to a strawberry syrup, really.
Finally, I laid out two special metal spatulas. With this, the preparation was complete.
「Ano, may I watch?」
When I lifted my head, I found the female knight from earlier peering curiously at my hands.
I had thought she might be a strict, stiff type, but apparently not.
「I don’t mind. In that case, would you also help with tasting? This will be my first attempt at making this, after all…」
「Understood. But to serve something you’ve never made before to Sicilia-sama… that takes quite a bit of nerve」
「It’s based on knowledge from my previous world, so I know the fundamentals are solid. There’s little chance of failure」
「I see… so you are a drifter. Ah, forgive me. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Seren, sworn knight and bodyguard to Sicilia-sama. It’s an honor. That ice cream earlier was truly delicious!」
「Thank you. I thought I saw your eyes widen for a moment, so I worried it might not have suited your tastes. I’m glad you enjoyed it」
At that, Seren stiffened for an instant, then her cheeks tinged with color as she looked embarrassed.
「Ah… you noticed? My training is lacking. As a guard I ought to maintain a calm, composed demeanor, but… it seems I still have far to go!」
So she’s the hardworking, earnest type.
In a way, she reminded me of Aina, though Aina carried herself with a bit more refinement and beauty. Seren, on the other hand, still had the air of a girl in the midst of growth, more cute than beautiful, striving to become refined.
Still, for her to serve as Sicilia’s personal guard in a meritocratic empire like this meant only one thing: she had to be incredibly skilled.
「Phew… it was gone before I knew it…」
「Well, well? How was it? The taste worthy of being my lifelong companion!」
「It was delicious. I’d never had anything like it before, cold, rich, and the pairing with the jam was excellent. Honestly, I could admit defeat to that… but it still feels like it’s missing just a touch more」
「Mufufu! You’re not very honest, are you? But! There’s still this one’s new creation left! I expect great things!」
「Yeah, yeah. It’ll take me a little time, but I promise it’ll be worth it」
After all, I was using those exceptional strongberries. There was no way it wouldn’t taste amazing.
…Though, because of my promise, I wouldn’t be able to taste it myself.
I set the slab of marble onto the device and switched it on.
The marble, already chilled, grew even colder, and the machine kept it at that low temperature.
Alright, time to begin.
I dropped the ingredients one after another onto the frosty slab.
A scoop of vanilla ice cream went down first, then I tore and spread it apart with the special spatulas. Frozen berries followed, scattered across the surface.
With sharp, rapid strikes, kakakaka!, I minced them finely, folding the pieces into the ice cream as I worked.
The once-white vanilla slowly transformed, streaks of red and purple weaving through it as the berries blended in.
「There… that should do it. Alright, say ahh」
I scooped up a spoonful of the red-and-white swirled ice cream with a silver spoon and held it out to Seren.
「Eh, ehhh!?」
「A taste test. You’ll do it, right?」
「Y-yes, but…」
「The ice will harden if we wait too long. Please, quickly」
「A-alright! Then, excuse me…」
After confirming the spoon slipped into Seren’s mouth, I pulled it back and set it down on the wagon. My hands immediately went back to chopping, folding, and mixing the rest of the ice.
「Well? How is it?」
「Wow… this is incredible… It’s so good I couldn’t even pretend otherwise, even if I tried!」
Satisfied with that answer, I stopped my mixing and gathered the ice into a single mound.
I placed a pastry cup on a plate, set the ice cream inside, then chopped frozen strongberries and scattered them on top.
Finally, I drizzled over the special strongberry sauce, completing the dish.
「This… is beautiful」
「Umu. I’ve never eaten anything like it before, but I can already say this without doubt. This will be the most delicious thing yet」
If I remember correctly, it was called ‘Chopped Ice’.
Maybe that wasn’t the exact name, but compared to ordinary ice cream it was softer, yet still cold.
Its texture was distinct, and since the frozen fruits were chopped and mixed in rather than crushed into a paste, their firmness gave it an accent that stood out.
「Now then, please enjoy. The cup is edible as well, so you can try eating them together and savor the changes in flavor and texture」
「Umu! This is… I can hardly stop my mouth from watering!」
「It feels almost too precious to eat… Look at this, Iris. I have never seen strongberries shine so brightly」
「That’s because they are a special kind of strongberry. I think you’ll find them extraordinarily delicious」
After all, I harvested them through a contract, or rather, they came to me of their own will. If they could be eaten by royalty and imperial blood alike, then that would be fulfillment enough… or so I told myself.
「Then let’s eat at once! Delish! Delicious! What is this!? What ‘is’ this!?」
「This… is astounding. The sweetness of the ice cream and the strongberries, and the tartness of the strongberries that makes the sweetness shine even more」
「Sweet and sour! Yet refined! And the frozen, chopped strongberries are delicious as well! I like this very much!」
「Here you are, Ayame-san, Seren-san. The rest is for everyone later」
I quickly prepared portions for the two of them with the extra ingredients, saving the rest to serve when we returned home.
「I am fine. I am still on duty as a guard… Iris-sama will surely want seconds, so please give them to her」
「There’s already a serving for seconds, so don’t hold back. You look curious… but I won’t force you」
「…Then, I will have some」
「Th-then I will too!」
The two of them accepted their ice, and I stepped back.
Iris and Sicilia ate happily, trading impressions with one another, while Ayame-san and Seren, standing behind, softened their expressions as they tasted it. I let myself soak in the sight.
At first, I wasn’t sure how this would turn out, but as Sicilia-sama said, I too enjoyed the view.
After all, seeing girls smile like that was nourishment for the eyes. Thank you for the treat!
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