After Seraphina declared she would make a new cake, everyone fell silent.
"Erm... Chef Seraphina, we cannot make a new cake," the chef said nervously.
"Why is that so?" Seraphina asked calmly, curious why one of her chefs spoke up.
The chef explained that some of the main ingredients for the cake were down to only a quarter of the amount needed, and that portion had been ruined.
He added that it was already evening. Considering the time it would take to go to the town near the mansion to gather the remaining ingredients, most of the shops would be closed.
Hearing his explanation, everyone felt hopeless. Petro, the main person at fault in the earlier operation, grew even guiltier and sank further into silence.
Seraphina, having heard this, fell into deep thought, considering possible solutions. Everyone else also tried to come up with ideas, putting their heads together.
Seeing them all thinking hard, I walked over to the chef who had mentioned the lack of ingredients. Seraphina noticed me moving toward him and looked at me.
"Which of the main ingredients are not lacking?" I asked calmly with an indifferent expression.
"The milk, sugars and salt," the chef answered nervously.
Hearing that, I asked another question.
"What kind of sweet stuff or desserts does Lady Lyraena like?" I asked calmly.
"She likes ice cream and cakes. Mostly desserts that kids like you would enjoy," the chef said, puzzled at why a child would ask what a child would like.
I am sorry. Although I may look like a kid, I am an adult inside.
I asked what types of ice cream she liked. He said she liked chocolate, strawberry and vanilla.
So she likes the classics, huh.
I asked how much ice cream they had. He said there was a large quantity because most of the nobles attending had brought children, and the chefs had already prepared plenty earlier for the party.
I do not know if it is a coincidence or fate, but hearing that made me smile. I turned toward Seraphina. She met my gaze.
"I have an idea," I said calmly.
"What is your idea?" Seraphina asked, curiosity in her eyes.
I explained my solution. We would make an ice cream cake with a thin cake layer for the base, chocolate ice cream next, another thin cake layer, strawberry ice cream, another thin cake layer, vanilla ice cream and a final cake layer to support the next tier.
Seraphina closed her eyes, visualising the design. After a moment, she opened them and smiled.
"That could be a good solution. Let's try it," she said calmly.
She instructed everyone, including me, to return to the kitchen and have the servants clean up the ruined cake.
Elara, watching the chefs head back, including me, realised she had forgotten to thank the boy who had saved her from the falling cake. She wanted to go after him, but her mother, Cassandra, insisted they return to their guest room. Helion was taken back to his parents first, and they returned together, leaving Elara no chance to express her gratitude.
In the kitchen, some chefs returned to preparing room service meals so the paying guests would not go hungry.
I wanted to return to my dishwashing station, but Seraphina stopped me, placing her hand on my shoulder. I turned to her.
"Since it is your idea, you will be the one doing the work," she said with a smile.
"But I am just a kid. What can I do?" I said calmly, trying to escape the responsibility.
"You may be a kid, but I saw how you peeled and washed dishes. You have experience. Since this cake was your idea, I trust you know how to make it best. Am I not correct?" she asked, smiling calmly.
She was right. I had thought of the solution, and I knew how to execute it. I decided to take responsibility.
"Alright, I will do it. What do you need me to do?" I asked, tired.
"You will be the temporary sous chef for now," Seraphina said calmly.
Everyone looked at me in shock, even Petro, the usual sous chef. Right now, I am the one who knows how to make this cake.
"Alright then, let's start," I said tiredly.
I instructed some chefs to make the cake batter for baking in the magic stone oven, which would later be sliced into thin layers to separate the ice cream. I also asked free chefs to gather the chocolate, strawberry and vanilla ice creams for the cake.
Once the cake layers were baked and sliced, Seraphina and I began constructing the cake. She placed thin cake layers for the base, and I added the chocolate ice cream. Then she added the next cake layer. We repeated the process with strawberry and vanilla ice creams, always separating them with thin cake layers.
After we finished the first tier of the cake, I realised there was a problem. The cake did not have frosting to cover it. I wanted to find a free chef, but all the other chefs were busy. Only Petro was available, and he came toward me as I was looking around.
"What do you need?" he asked firmly.
Seeing that he had come forward, I decided to give him a role. "I need you to gather chocolates, which could be used for frosting, though we will also need someone to make the frosting itself, as all the other chefs are busy."
Before I could finish explaining, Petro interrupted. "I will gather the chocolates and make the frosting. Anything else needed?"
"No," I said calmly.
"Alright," Petro said firmly as he moved to gather the chocolates.
Seeing that he did not argue or respond rudely surprises me. Seraphina, noticing my expression while helping with the cake, spoke calmly.
"Although Petro is always mean and prideful, he is a good person. If he were to make a mistake, he would take responsibility himself or try to make amends in his own way. Like right now," she said, looking at me.
"Then why did you reject him?" I asked calmly with an indifferent expression as I made the next tier that would be stacked onto the first tier later.
"Although, from what you heard from the chefs, I like someone with passion and skills for cooking. I also wish for someone who loves cooking like me. Petro, though he has the skills, does not have the passion or love for cooking," Seraphina said with a gentle smile as she focused on making the tier we were both working on.
I did not respond and just remained silent, as I was not surprised that this was the setting for her. After a while, I noticed Petro was already making the chocolate frosting and pouring it into a huge bowl. After that, he carried the huge bowl of chocolate frosting towards me.
"How's it?" Petro asked firmly.
"It looks good. Could you coat the cake with it?" I asked calmly.
"Alright," Petro answered as he went to coat the first-tier cake with the chocolate frosting.
After Petro had coated the first-tier cake with the chocolate frosting, Seraphina used her ice magic to make the tier cold enough. Seeing her use ice magic, I was not surprised, as I suspected that, as a head chef, she must have developed a way to use her mana to make a cooking technique over her entire career to use while working on a tier.
After a while, we finished making the last ninth tier, which Petro coated with the chocolate frosting, and Seraphina used her ice magic to make the tier cold. Once it was done, we had nine cake tiers on the table.
"Now, it is assembly time," I said calmly, with an indifferent expression.
Seraphina, who heard my words, nodded. She gathered the free chefs around us. Everyone available came to help assemble the cake. As we were assembling, some of the chefs suggested decorating it, which we all agreed on, and we decorated the cake with fruits that matched well with it.
Now, in front of us was a massive cake, the same size as the previous one that had been ruined.
"We did it," one of the chefs said happily.
"Not bad, young master. You may have a talent to be a cook," another chef said excitedly.
There were praises for my creativity with the cake, and some even suggested I should become a chef when I grow up.
"Looks yummy," Gluttony said hungrily.
"Meh, it is not bad," Wraith said mockingly.
"It feels so boring... I want to see something fun," Lust said boredly.
"As expected of my lord," Pride said firmly.
...I am tired.
I leaned on the kitchen counter to rest my head. My body ached, and although I am an adult inside, I still inhabit a weak child's body.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At the Destenebres's Mansion Entrance.
Caedros and the other Destenebres family members were now walking with a family dressed in beautiful clothing and expensive accessories toward the grand hall.
They were the royal family of Echronia. The family consisted of four people, a beautiful woman, a handsome man, a young girl and a young boy who appeared to be around the same age as Lysander and Lyraena.
The woman was wearing a white silk gown embroidered with gold. The bodice was fitted, holding firmly to her chest and narrowing at the waist. The neckline was modest, cut straight across, and edged with a thin line of golden stitching. The sleeves were long and close along the arms, opening slightly at the wrists where the embroidery was heavier. The skirt began at the waist and spread outward in wide folds, the silk layered to give weight and movement as it touched the floor. The fabric followed the line of her hips before easing into the fullness of the skirt. Across her shoulders rested a mantle of white lined with gold, cut to fall evenly down her back. The gown was tailored to her proportions, close in fit at the upper body and waist, then structured to flare below, making the shape of her figure clear through the design.
She was the Empress of Echronia, Empress Celestina Echronia.
While the husband, Emperor Maxilmus, was wearing luxurious clothing that showed his wealth and power, his attire was heavy and formal. He wore a long coat of deep crimson velvet lined with white silk. Gold embroidery ran along the collar, cuffs, and hem in repeated patterns. A mantle of white fur rested across his shoulders, fastened with a large golden clasp set with a ruby. Beneath the coat, he wore a black satin tunic with polished gold buttons, held at the waist by a wide leather belt decorated with metal studs. His trousers were dark and fitted, tucked into high black boots. Several rings were on his fingers, and a thick chain of gold hung around his neck.
The daughter wore a similar outfit to her mother, except the colours were yellow and white, and the design was slightly simpler.
She was Princess Ameliora von Echronia, the first princess of Echronia.
The son was dressed in clothing that differed from his father's. He wore a white noble outfit that was formal yet simple in design. The coat was long and fitted, with gold embroidery running along the collar and cuffs. Beneath it, he wore a white shirt fastened with small gold buttons and a neatly tied cravat at the neck. His trousers were dark, cut straight, and tucked into polished boots. The outfit was completed with white gloves and a narrow belt at the waist. It was the attire of a young noble, refined but without the heavy ornament of his father's garments.
He was the fourth prince of Echronia, Prince Evander von Echronia. He was one of the five protagonists of Evanslyna and the youngest of the four royal princes.
The prince and princess were talking with Lysander and Lyraena, who were around the same age. Though Lyraena seemed comforted by her brother, traces of sadness remained in her eyes as she worried there might not be a cake for her birthday.
"It is nice to see the Destenebres family. Though we apologise that the other princes could not make it," Celestina said calmly.
"Your apology is unnecessary, Your Majesty. We are grateful enough for the four members of the royal family to visit my daughter's birthday," Caedros said coldly, though his tone was polite.
As they were walking, Caedros spotted Seraphina standing in front of them, waiting for him. Seeing her standing there, looking free, he went forward to hear what she had to say.
"My Lord, the cake has been prepared, though it is not like the previous cake that was ruined. Its structure is built like it," Seraphina said calmly, looking Caedros in the eye.
Hearing her words, Caedros just nodded, not expecting anything much from the hastily prepared cake.
Once he received the news, he walked towards his daughter, who was being comforted by her brother and chatting with the royal family's prince and princess, with a sad expression.
"Darling, your new cake has been made in replacement for the ruined cake," Caedros said warmly, smiling at her.
Lyraena looked up at her father.
"Really?" she said weakly, hoping it was true.
"Yes, Chef Seraphina told me that your new cake has been prepared, but it would not be as great as the previous cake, it would not be as great as your previous cake," Caedros said warmly.
Although Lyraena was not happy that her cake was ruined, her mouth formed a slight, happy smile. Although it would not be as great as her previous cake, at least she had a cake for her birthday.
Seeing his daughter's expression, Caedros understood her feelings and continued guiding the royal family and his own family to the grand hall for the celebration of his daughter's birthday.
As they entered, the nobles they had invited were all seated, watching them. The arrival of the main host and the star of the party signalled the start of the celebration, although some tables were empty, showing that some of the invited nobles could not attend or had rejected the invitation.
The Destenebres' servants were already bringing in the dishes to the tables where the nobles were seated.
Elara, who was sitting with her family, looked around, searching for someone.
"Are you looking for something, Elara?" Aiden asked curiously.
"I am looking for a boy," Elara answered calmly, still looking around.
Hearing her answer, her father and brother looked shocked.
'Elara is looking for a potential boyfriend already?' Aiden thought in surprise.
'My sister is also like me, pursuing a potential mate?' Zyvaris thought, equally shocked.
'I wonder where he is,' Elara thought calmly.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, I lay on a chair with my upper body on the kitchen counter, staring at the light and feeling exhausted.
I hope this is the last thing I need to do today. I want to go home.
"You are that exhausted already?" Wraith said mockingly.
Just let me rest...
"Nevveerrrrr," Wraith said childishly.
...
In the grand hall, Caedros thanked every guest with his usual cold expression while standing in front of a huge curtain on the stage. He was about to commence the celebration of his daughter Lyraena's birthday party.
"Now then, let's start the celebration," Caedros said coldly, though he smiled warmly at his daughter.
The curtains then parted, revealing what lay behind the stage. Everyone in the grand hall looked at the curtain to see a massive nine-tier chocolate frosting cake, decorated with fruits on each tier.
The next second, I could hear loud noises from there to the kitchen.
Come on, just let me rest in peace...
In the kitchen, Petro looked around, seeing that every chef, including me, was busy. He cleared his throat and spoke.
"Everyone, I wish to apologise for today's unfortunate events caused by my carelessness and stubbornness," Petro said firmly as he looked at everyone.
I turned my head towards him, listening to what he had to say.
"Chef Seraphina, I am sorry that you took the blame for me. I should have been the one dealt with by the Lord," Petro continued firmly.
"So I apologise to everyone here for taking up your time with the mess I caused. I am truly sorry," Petro shouted, bowing deeply as he spoke.
Everyone who saw him was shocked, including me.
I turned to Seraphina, and she smiled at me. I understood the meaning behind her smile and turned my head back. Petro was already standing in front of me.
Huh?
He looked at me with a firm expression.
Why is he looking at me like that?
"I want to apologise to you for everything I did to you today. I also wish to thank you for helping to fix my mistake," Petro said firmly as he bowed towards me.
Everyone looked at me, curious to see how I would respond.
You are expecting too much from a child...
"It is alright. Although it was tiring, it was a good experience. I also learned that despite messing with me, you can be a good person too," I said calmly, with an indifferent expression.
"I am very sorry," Petro apologised loudly.
"It is fine," I said tiredly.
Just let me rest.
I could still hear the loud noises from the grand hall reaching here.