The assistant looked.
"The strawberry mille-feuille?"
"No."
"The strawberry tart?"
"No."
"The strawberry cream choux?"
"No."
"The strawberry shortcake?"
"No."
Kaelus's eyes narrowed.
"The tart beside it."
The assistant looked again.
"Oh!"
She immediately retrieved it.
Kaelus examined it with the solemnity of a military commander inspecting a battlefield.
He picked up the box.
Turned it slightly.
Checked the glaze.
Inspected the cream.
Looked at the strawberry placement.
Then nodded.
"Acceptable."
The assistant nearly cried from relief.
Alistair leaned against the counter.
"Thank the gods."
Kaelus looked at him.
"What?"
"You have been evaluating a pastry for four minutes."
"Seraphina deserves quality."
Alistair stared at him.
Then slowly looked toward the heavens.
"I miss the days when you only terrified ministers."
Kaelus did not merely buy a cake.
He executed a hostile takeover of the bakery's inventory.
