Bursting with love of all kinds!?
The matcha shortbread was well-received, especially by Alicia-sama, who seems to have a liking for it, so I brought some as souvenirs. Matcha-flavored sweets were popular in my past life, so I thought she would enjoy them. I also baked some simple scones and served them with carrot jam and marmalade. Alicia-sama bravely tackled the recently conquered carrot jam, and it seems she liked it, becoming a fan of carrots.
While the only topic about the apple pie was that the Guardian Beast of the country, Leon-sama, liked the one I gave to the Queen as a souvenir, no one had actually seen it, so it was considered just a rumor. Alicia-sama, as she ate it with a serious expression, checking it from every angle, saying, “Is this… that…!?” was a bit amusing.
As Alicia-sama was enjoying the transparent and brightly colored fruit jelly with its smooth texture, Suzaku-sama seemed to gaze at it with a hint of envy. In gratitude for the protection earlier, I decided to add a pudding as a gift later.
And now, the pudding…
“… Alicia-sama, may I have a moment?”
As soon as Alicia-sama took the pudding in her hand, Suzaku-sama, who had been quietly standing in the background, moved forward with a swish.
“Eh? Ah… Suzaku-sama, the Sacred Beast of Shikishima-sama. Is there something…?”
Although Suzaku-sama’s true identity was revealed in the previous commotion, she insisted, “Today, I am merely Cristea-sama’s escort and maid,” and continued to serve in the role of a maid. But could it be that Suzaku-sama intends to plead for my pudding!?
In case I needed to offer my pudding, I was on guard, but Suzaku-sama inserted a spoon into the glass, quickly covered it with the plate, and deftly turned it upside down.
“Oh!”
“Fufu… enjoying the pudding like this allows you to savor its wonderfulness even more.”
Suzaku said this while holding the glass and plate slightly, giving them a gentle shake. Suddenly, the pudding inside bounced and landed on the plate with a soft plop.
“Now, please enjoy.”
As Suzaku-sama gently lifted the glass, the pudding wobbled and, with a satisfying motion, the caramel she had hidden at the bottom of the glass slid down the slopes of the pudding mountain.
“Wow…”
Alicia-sama was captivated by the sight, and Suzaku-sama, wearing a satisfied smile, asked, “Shall I do the same for Cristea-sama and Mariel-sama?” I declined, but Mariel-chan eagerly raised her hand and, with Suzaku-sama beside her, retrieved a pudding. While doing so, she muttered, “Ohh… served by a beautiful lady… priceless…!”
Mariel-chan…?
Regarding Alicia-sama’s pudding, her review was, “It’s wobbly and seemingly melts in my mouth, delicious.” Suzaku-sama, however, commented, “Hmm… it seems Alicia-sama’s understanding of pudding still has room for improvement…” and looked a bit downhearted.
It’s okay, Suzaku-sama, your intense love for pudding is just too much, so don’t feel down!
Huh? Mariel-chan?
“It’s jiggly and, after mayonnaise, it’s the most delicious!” was her review, and she got shut down with a “That doesn’t make sense” remark.
Right!