CW Side Story 03

The day I lost the match, I had to endure being called “darling” until late at night. However, humans are creatures of adaptation.

At first, I found it somewhat embarrassing and disliked it, but as I kept being called that, it strangely started to feel right.

By the time “darling” began to stick in Sylvia’s mouth, it became difficult to see Felix’s face.

He kept himself busy with work late into the night to keep his promise with Sylvia.

He had long meetings with Duke Sabelisa and gathered new noble families for discussions.

Sylvia avoided such gatherings, so it became difficult to see his face at all.

“Hmm, seems like we can’t sleep in separate rooms.”

I heard that most nobles usually have their own rooms and only share a room on specific nights.

I thought it was a quite rational method when I first heard about it, but not anymore.

“Is it possible not to see each other all day and night? Do other nobles do the same? Or is it because he’s the emperor?”

Sylvia asked, and Barbara laughed as she answered.

“Nobles vary. Couples who married for love sometimes share a room. Of course, since there are more arranged marriages, it’s commonly known that nobles have separate rooms.”

“Hmm, so it’s okay not to see each other all day?”

“We have breakfast together, so it’s not like we don’t see each other at all.”

“……I don’t quite understand.”

“It’s because His Majesty and Her Majesty get along so well. Maybe you could visit him for a short while? I’m sure His Majesty would be delighted if you did.”

“……Really?”

“Yes, of course.”

“He’s not in a meeting, is he? It seems wrong to visit during a meeting.”

“Today, he probably has an appointment with Duke Sabelisa.”

“Hmm, how do you know that?”

Whether she was thoroughly informed about the emperor’s schedule or not……

“Hmm, hmm. I just happened to hear it!”

“Hmmm…….”

In fact, she knew where she went after work. It wasn’t really hidden, and it was a rumor known by those who should know.

“Then, let’s go together, Barbara. If the two of us go, they’ll be happy.”

“……Oh dear, His Majesty too.”

Barbara seemed cute, blushing yet not refusing. Those in love seem lovable regardless of their age.

“I should make something.”

“Yes, I will prepare it.”

“Alright.”

Sylvia decided to make a dessert to accompany tea for her visit. Accompanied by Barbara, she went down to the kitchen and immediately started with the eggs.

She separated the yolks from the whites and floated them in the air. First, she added milk, a bit of salt, and lemon juice to the yolks, then lightly mixed them with the magic of wind.

Then, she sifted the cake flour so it wouldn’t clump and stirred until well mixed.

She added sugar to the remaining whites and whipped them fiercely with the magic of wind. As the foam started to rise and fluff, she couldn’t help but salivate.

Felix had often had regular pancakes, but this was their first attempt at soufflé pancakes.

She carefully mixed the well-stirred whites and yolks together, taking care not to deflate the meringue.

She then heated a pan and began to cook the batter, paying close attention to the heat control.

She combined the two dollops of batter she had placed on each side into one and cooked it on low heat until it was done inside.

Meanwhile, Sylvia prepared whipped cream and grew bananas, melons, strawberries, and blueberries.

She placed the soufflé pancakes intended for Felix and herself on a large plate and those for Barbara and the duke on a smaller plate.

She also prepared enough for the kitchen chef, assistant palace people, and even for Hubert and the aides, setting everything on plates.

And she cut the fruit into bite-sized pieces to surround the soufflé pancakes.

Lastly, she generously topped it with whipped cream and then sprinkled homemade sugar powder and cinnamon powder appropriately.

“This is a dessert I’ve never seen before.”

Barbara, who had been watching the whole time, clapped her hands in admiration.

Following her, from the head chef to the assistant palace people, everyone clapped, making Sylvia a bit embarrassed.

“I was never this shy before…”

There must be something about this palace. It was the same with the palace staff and Felix.

Being constantly amazed and praised for trivial things made it inevitable to feel embarrassed.

The portion for Sylvia and Felix was three times larger than for the others. She drew a heart on the largest soufflé pancake with strawberry syrup, making it unmistakably Felix’s portion.

Whether this way or that, Sylvia’s infatuation with Felix wasn’t much different from his.

Just expressed in different ways.

“Coffee would be better freshly brewed there.”

“I’ll prepare it.”

The chef, feeling grateful to Her Majesty for leaving him tasks, quickly got ready.

“We’ll carry it!”

The assistant palace staff, eager to do something, hurriedly found their tasks.

Sylvia, with the palace staff and Barbara, headed to the office. As they reached the door, a knight announced loudly.

“Her Majesty requests an audience, Your Majesty!”

No sooner had the knight finished speaking than the door opened, and a gaunt Felix appeared in person.

“Darling? What brings you here all of a sudden?”

Indeed. As Barbara said, Felix’s face was full of joy upon seeing them.

“Are you busy?”

“Not at all!”

“How about we have a tea time for a while?”

“That sounds lovely.”

“Then, excuse us for a moment.”

“There’s no need to excuse yourself. You’re always welcome.”

Sylvia felt good being warmly welcomed. The palace staff sensibly arranged a corner of the office for everyone.

Sylvia and Felix, along with the duke and Barbara, took their seats together.

“Oh? What is this?”

Duke Sabelisa, who hadn’t often seen Sylvia’s culinary skills, asked.

“It’s called a soufflé pancake. Perfect with coffee.”

Sylvia personally poured hot water over the coffee beans. The tools the palace staff brought seemed unnecessary as she used magic to solve it.

The coffee brewed at just the right temperature quickly filled the air with its aroma.

“Hmm, truly. The coffee personally brewed by Her Majesty is blissful. How can it have such an aroma?”

“So this is the coffee Your Majesty often drinks.”

Felix looked at the soufflé pancake, which appeared more luxurious and intriguing than usual, with a curious eye.

Seeing him poking the fluffy section with a fork, Sylvia touched her mouth with her hand to hide her smile.

He was so adorable that she couldn’t stop the corners of her mouth from turning up.

“Darling, is this the same as the pancakes we had before?”

Sylvia answered Felix’s question.

“Yes, that’s right. But it’s thicker, isn’t it? It’s really delicious, so try it.”

“Mm.”

Felix didn’t hesitate to cut a large piece, topped it with banana and whipped cream, and took a bite.

“Hmm…”

He closed his eyes tightly as the texture melted in his mouth. The banana was very sweet, the whipped cream even sweeter, and the soufflé pancake was savory and fluffy.

“Now, if you take a sip of coffee, it’ll taste even better.”

Sylvia quickly pushed the brewed coffee forward. Felix slowly savored the coffee, which was at a perfect temperature, not too hot.

The sweet taste in his mouth was cleared by the bitter and savory flavor of the coffee, and the addictive aroma of the coffee gently tickled his nose.

“Ha…”

It was a taste that made him sigh unconsciously. Felix opened his eyes wide and said,

“Why did you only make this now, darling?”

Sylvia’s laughter spilled out. Perhaps it was because they had only cooked outdoors before, and she had momentarily forgotten.

It was only after living in the palace and experiencing various desserts and tea cultures that she remembered this menu.

Indeed, it was delicious, but before coming here, it was a dessert that Sylvia rarely had the opportunity to enjoy.

Because it was too expensive, I didn’t dare to try it.

But now, I can enjoy it as much as I want, and even make it easily with just a spell. How wonderful is that?

Sylvia also cut a big piece, topped it with strawberries and whipped cream, and took a bite.

“Mmm!”

She hummed a little tune as the sweetness melted away.

Meanwhile, Felix quickly started to devour the soufflé pancakes, a sight Barbara and the duke witnessed from across the table.

“I had no idea our emperor had such an appetite.”

“Oh, you didn’t know? I’ve seen it a few times.”

“Indeed, Lady Barbara knows everything.”

“Oh, Duke, you flatter me…”

This time, Sylvia and Felix were directly observing the affectionate exchange between the two from across. While their mouths were busy enjoying the meal, their eyes were intently fixed on the couple.

The duke, after admiring the dessert and coffee, brought up the conversation he was having with Felix.

“It’s quite something. I’ve only now realized that having vast lands can also be a problem.”

“Mm.”

“Even though this land flourished due to the magic of Her Majesty and the now-gone Black Dragon, what good is it if there are no people to live in it?”

“…So, the walls weren’t the issue.”

“Ha, exactly. Now that there are no monsters, it makes one wonder if walls are even necessary.”

Sylvia, while subtly listening to their conversation, took the last piece into her mouth.

After quickly finishing her plate, she placed her fork and knife on it and took a sip of coffee, letting out a satisfied sigh.

“There must be places that are best left untouched by humans, but indeed, some places need to be lived in to be maintained. However, it’s not feasible to just bring in people from other nations…”

“Hmm.”

Sylvia, hearing the duke’s words, remembered what Ethan had said. The last time they met, he mentioned planning to form an expedition group.

Since mercenaries were no longer needed, he wanted to explore new territories.

“Hmm… What about this?”

Sylvia, having finished her thoughts, tentatively started to speak.