Pudding a la Mode
There was one princess in the Princ.i.p.ality.
Her name was Victoria.
She was the elder sister of the current king, 36 years old and unmarried, and it was said that she would most certainly remain single her whole life.
The reason was due to a certain characteristic that Victoria was born with.
Victoria was… a half elf.
A replacement child. It was said that “half elf” was born only as a mixed race of Elf and Human born from the human belly which should have received only human seed, an abnormal phenomenon.
Though it was said that a thousand Humans could carry the blood of Elf and Half Elf, the characteristic rarely showed up. However, the truth was still a mystery.
Due to the race, it was not possible for the replacement child to have normal happiness.
After all, half-elves inherited strong magical powers from the elves and life force from humans. They had a lifespan of hundreds of years and continued to keep their youthful mid-teen appearances until they exceeded 100 years old.
It was an oddity in not only the elven society, but also in the human society. As such, replacement children were released from their society regardless of their birth.
Whether you choose to serve G.o.d with the secular relationships, or becoming a magician by taking advantage of long life and man"s magical powers, or becoming mercenary… Anyhow, they couldn"t pursue a decent path.
Among them, Victoria chose the way of a magician.
When she became 25 years old, she realized that she could only walk a path different from Humans even though she was a princess since her appearance had not changed at all for the last 10 years. Hence, she appealed to the former king, her father, to let her progress the way of magic by taking advantage of her magical power.
And she found out, that she was a genius.
She surpa.s.sed her magical teacher"s skill in only 3 months.
She took only 1 year to become a court magician with active duty.
Until 10 years ago, she was apprenticed to the magician, Arturius, who was one of the heroes that killed the Demon G.o.d, and had reached the mysteries of magic after 8 years of research.
Two years ago, she was told by her former master Arturius to walk her own path and returned to the Princ.i.p.ality.
There, she was given more authority than the court magicians and abundant research funds. After continuing the research of magic, she was given the nickname of "Witch Princess of the Princ.i.p.ality".
However, there were times when she was absent from her research.
…Specifically, about once every 7 days.
In her room, sealed so that n.o.body except for Victoria… her "laboratory". She was reading a Grimoire left by an ancient elf whose magical civilization better than the present.
(…Still early.)
Waiting patiently for a while.
Victoria"s gaze was on a complex magic pattern in front of her.
It was a magic with high degree of difficulty, which attracted "Entrance to Another World" that could only be created only with accurate knowledge and superior magical control ability.
Even for a pure elf, it was not easy to master. In this whole world, only two teams had made it, the team that she formed and her master"s.
The magic team, which was a.s.sembled to summon a certain existence, was still active, and had summoned it.
A black door with a picture of a cat drawn on it.
Victoria was standing in front of the door at late afternoon.
(…Finally finished.)
She was thankful that her younger brother could take care of himself.
She had a dinner with her brother"s family.
As opposed to an official place, it was understood that the invitation to the private gathering was preferred due to her preference of not going out to the public because of her pointed ears.
But why today?
She had a hunch that she"s going to go out from the morning so she brought water with her.
Of course, it was unreasonable to inform her younger brother of the door"s existence.
"Chirinchirin", paying no attention to the sound of bell, Victoria entered the door.
[Welcome.]
[…Un. I"m here.]
She said h.e.l.lo to the owner of eight years and sat on a suitable spot.
[Here. Cold water and menu.]
She received the menu from the owner and opened the dessert section without hesitation.
(Today, I only want dessert…)
The food here should be quietly and seriously pondered.
While thinking so, she opened the menu and did not try to interfere with the others.
Yes, Victoria did not care at all.
Even if the princess of an empire that had been recuperating from illness for several months was eating a parfait.
Even if the apostles of temple of light, including half elves similar to her, were chatting while eating sweets.
Even if her mentor was drinking beer while eating Roast Cutlet since noon.
Even if the former general of her country, who was supposed to have died 20 years ago at the sea while fighting the Kraken, was eating curry rice with great momentum.
Victoria only had one reason to visit the otherworld dining hall. To eat delicious food. And she made her decision.
[Pudding a la mode.]
She only asked for the otherworld dessert that she had never stopped loving.
[Yes. Certainly. Please wait a moment.]
Then, Victoria saw the owner retreated to the kitchen and spent her time waiting while browsing the menu.
(…After all, my character.)
Victoria looks at the menu even after ordering.
A dessert menu written in soft and beautiful Samanak language.
It was "her character" to perfectly reproduce a habit of fine characters.
(I should have given only one piece…)
Also, she thought, looking at the letters on the menu that her teacher, Arturius, said to her long ago.
The "otherworld" was a world where technology had considerably developed.
Even just by looking at the interior of the restaurant, which was not wide, you could understand that.
For 8 years, she was amazed by this restaurant.
Roughly 8 years ago, she became aware of the "otherworld dining hall" around 2 years after she became Arturius" apprentice.
She had the opportunity to visit when Arturius brought her along to the restaurant.
[Welcome. Do you want to write the menu, young lady?]
At that time, with a more youthful appearance than now, when the owner asked Victoria, she nodded.
She was listening to her master"s stories.
[Then I"ll rely on you. I don"t like sweets that much.]
As a result, the restaurant was able to add a lot of sweet treats to the menu.
However, the owner who was a resident of another world could only read and write foreign language. He was unable to read or write the words of Victoria"s world at all.
So, Arturius had his disciple…
He ordered Victoria who prefered sweets to write down the name of sweets in Samanak language.
[Well then, I"m relying on you. Here, this is a ballpoint pen and paper. And…]
In a casual manner, Victoria was handed a brush from another world with an ink font that doesn"t need to be sharpened, and a white thin st.u.r.dy paper.
[First of all, the old man told me that you like egg desserts, right?]
Another world confection that she ate for the first time, it was…
[Sorry to keep you waiting. It"s pudding a la mode.]
In front of Victoria, the same fascinating dessert that she ate 8 years ago.
A gla.s.s cup with a thin leg and large bowl.
In the center with brown sauce on top of it, a yellow object.
Victoria licked her tiny pink lips and picked up a spoon.
(…Enjoy it, the last.)
Thinking that, Victoria started from other toppings.
Fluffy, sweet cream made of white milk, enjoying the way it melted in the mouth.
She enjoyed the crunchy, sweet and sour Azar1 fruit with red skin that the owner had cut imitating the shape of a rabbit.
Enjoying the sweetness of syrup-pickled orange, different from Azar fruit.
As it was easy to rot, she enjoyed the sweet fruit from the south that rarely appeared in the Princ.i.p.ality.
Enjoying the cold sweetness of ice cream that was placed in a different cup.
They were all sweet and delicious. It"s delicious, but… it could not compare to her favourite.
(…Now, it"s time.)
Licking her lips again with the tongue, she attacked her favourite.
The centerpiece of pudding a la mode, the pudding.
This was the first dessert that Victoria tasted in the restaurant, and it remained as her favourite, the confectionery of another world.
Pushing the silver spoon on the egg-coloured pudding covered in brown sauce.
The pudding shook… and the spoon sunk inside.
Scoop it up, scoop the pudding as is.
A brown and egg-coloured hill built on a silver spoon.
Gently bringing it to the mouth and placed it on her tongue.
What spread over the tongue was the smooth texture that only this confection had, the distinct sweetness that contained a little bit of bitterness of the brown sauce, and the rich egg and milky flavor of pudding itself.
The pudding"s body accepted the taste of the sauce softly; the sauce tightened the taste of the pudding. This, overwhelming combination.
Victoria continued to be fascinated to it, that it kept melting in her mouth.
(…This is the supreme combination.)
Only now she could appreciate that she was a half-elf.
If she was born as a normal human being, she would not enter the way of a magician, and inevitably would not reach this restaurant.
If she was an elf who cannot tolerate eating food made from animals, she could not taste this great flavour even though she was able to reach the restaurant.
But Victoria was a half-elf magician.
That"s why she was able to find this restaurant.
Victoria was not willing to waste this encounter and will also spare no efforts to get it.
The Magic team that summoned the "door of the different World Dining hall" built in the room of the Princ.i.p.ality was a symbol.
Victoria took a spoonful of pudding, and ate it.
Carefully, to taste this pudding a while longer.
But the end would come.
Victoria placed the spoon down.
The bowl in front of her was already empty.
She exhaled a sigh of satisfaction.
She would just have one bowl of pudding today.
She consulted with her stomach and thought so.
[…Owner. Your bill. And…]
[Yes. It"s as usual.]
Having known her for a long time, the owner nodded, and retrieved something from the refrigerator at the back of the restaurant.
[Here you go. As it is a dessert, please eat it today if possible.]
The owner handed out a square box with a silhouette of a winged puppy.
There were four custard puddings packed in gla.s.s jars inside the box.
Victoria always brought back "souvenirs" for herself back home.
[I know.]
Victoria nodded to the words that were heard every time. It"s a lie though.
She did not like to eat all of her favourite food in a day and spent the remaining six days in impatience.
…Of course, her countermeasures for perishable food were perfect.
[See you.]
[Yes. Anytime please.]
While being sent off by the owner"s words, Victoria opened the restaurant"s door and entered her room.
[…Well then.]
After coming back, Victoria"s actions were swift.
She went out of her laboratory and headed to her bedroom where any regular maid could enter and picked up a box from her bedside.
At first glance, it looked like a jewel box befitting a princess of the Princ.i.p.ality, studded with jewels.
When you opened it, cold air leaked out from inside.
Feeling the cold air, Victoria placed the four precious yellow jewels inside the box.
A jeweled box that was enchanted with preservation magic to prevent rot with the temperature set to the cold daytime of winter.
Victoria who wanted to enjoy the puddings for a long time somehow developed the box.
[…Fluffy.]
Victoria smiled as she placed the pudding inside and closed the lid.
With this, she could enjoy the pudding once every two days.
It was a precious smile of the Witch Princess of the Princ.i.p.ality usually known to be expressionless.
Victoria used it to express that pleasure.
Azar fruit - Apple.