The written invitation said that the tea party is the day after tomorrow.
In that case, I have to make the sweets I will give as present either today or tomorrow…
The emergency stocks in my Inventory consists only of the simple j.a.panese sweets such as Dorayaki. Hmm, Dorayaki would be a little…
Although, I like simple sweets in the first place, so flashy and gorgeous sweets would be a little difficult…
A tart with plenty of fruit would be sufficiently pretty, but I don’t have a tart mold to make the base. I wouldn’t make it in time.
… Would a pie work?
Yeah, let’s make an apple pie without a mold!
Since I have decided, let’s strike while the iron is hot.
I went to the kitchen to make a pie crust.
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「Hurry up! The ingredients will spoil if you slack! Over there! Are the preparations for the sauce done!?」
I heard the head chef’s angry voice.
… Err, I see.
They are busy preparing for the dinner.
I can’t carefreely make a pie crust in here.
Can’t be helped, let’s do it after the dinner.
When I was just about to turn around and return to my room, I was discovered by the head chef.
「Cristesama!? Is something the matter? I’m truly sorry, but as you can see, we are making preparations for the dinner…」
Even when rus.h.i.+ng over to me while apologizing, his gaze was following the movements and hands of the chefs.
Ohh, it’s my first time seeing him diligently working, but he’s serious while cooking.
As expected of the Capital mansion’s head chef, he has a skill.
「No, I’m not in a rush. I’m sorry to bother you during a busy time. May I borrow the place for a little after the dinner?」
「!! Of course! I will aid you as your a.s.sistant! Is there something you need prepared?」
Head Chef delightfully named himself as my a.s.sistant.
W, what a wonderful a.s.sistant I got…
「T, thank you. Then…」
I requested ingredients necessary for making the pie crust and sour apples… if possible.
「Sour apples… is it?」
「Yes. It would be nice… if you had them」
Usually, people want sweet apples, so expressly wanting sour apples was quite uncommon… the head chef undertook the request while pondering just what she wants to make.
「Well then, I will leave it to you」
After seeing Cristea off of the kitchen, his smiling face undertook a complete change and he changed into the demonic head chef. He started urging the chefs to make the finis.h.i.+ng touches.
—————————
Fumu. I will leave the pie crust after the dinner, but what do I do about the apples?
Do I go simply with honey and cinnamon or add a wee bit of wine for an adult’s taste?
Also, what shape do I make it into since I don’t have a mold…
I was leisurely pondering until the dinner.
I was surprised when I came to the Capital and found recipes with the same taste as the fief’s.
The recipes are apparently thoroughly shared between the fief’s and Capital’s mansions. Wonderful.
From what I heard, the head chefs of each mansion are fellow apprentices.
The head chef in the Capital is the senior apprentice, the head chef in the fief is the junior apprentice.
Apparently, when Otousama asked who would like to become the head chef of the fief’s mansion, the junior apprentice volunteered himself and proceeded to the fief.
The Capital is the prevalent place of their origins. Therefore, the cuisine in the Capital is also of the utmost quality.
Until now, the senior apprentice was apparently sending latest recipes to the fief.
However, that reversed after a certain point.
That reason was apparently me.
My recipes started getting popular and the quality recipes sent from the Capital got limited.
Because of the Ellisfeed House’s dignity, the Capital mansion’s ought to make the best, so the head chef from our fief sent my recipes in details with all the know-hows.
The head chef mastered them after experimenting and apparently made sure to have Otousama try his works during his stay in the Capital.
Umu. A professional.
So the reason Head Chef was staring at me fixedly was that, huh… to think it was to tell the recipe to his junior… what a wonderful apprentice bond…!
When I told s.h.i.+n about this later, I got completely denied.
「No, that’s not it. That was so he could boast like: “I was present at the birth of a new dis.h.!.+ Aren’t you jealous!” to others. In fact, I saw him write just that in a letter」
… Return my deeply moved impressions.