Florian lifted one of the pastries and took a careful bite. As expected, the edges were singed, the texture a little too crumbly—but despite their appearance, the taste surprised him.
Sweetness lingered on his tongue, balanced with just the right hint of butter.
'Burnt, yes… but good. Really good.'
Athena watched him nervously, her hands folded together in front of her while Scarlett leaned in eagerly, waiting for his reaction.
"Athena actually knows how to bake," Scarlett finally admitted, unable to keep the secret. "She apparently baked a lot back in her kingdom, so I just asked her to help me. While I taught her how to brew tea."
Athena's cheeks colored faintly as she lowered her gaze, but she smiled softly. "I only baked bread… mostly. Twice a week. I'd distribute them to our starving people. Food was scarce in the villages, but… we tried our best."
Her voice was calm, but there was a heaviness to it, and Florian caught the way her smile wavered. His chest tightened.
