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Published at 8th of August 2017 08:36:40 PM


Chapter 13

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Chapter 13: Sweetness

I knocked on the director’s office door.

A reply came immediately from within so I said, “Excuse me” and entered. The Director was reading documents at his desk.

“Excuse me. I want to discuss something with you. Do you have any time?”

“I don’t mind. What is it?”

The Director looked away from the documents and up at me.

There was something that I wanted so I wanted to ask him if we were able to order it.

“It’s about this but would you be able to order it?”

I said as I gave the Director the memo.

The Director read it and looked dubious.

I thought so.

The things written on the memo have nothing to do with work.

“Sugar, honey and lemon. What the heck are you using them for?”

“I thought I would make some sweets.”

“Sweets?”

Yes, the things written on the memo are ingredients for making sweets.

Honestly, I was worried about whether this world had the ingredients I wanted but I confirmed it with Jude so I thought I should make some after so long.

When I was a student I used to always make sweets at home.

But after I became a working adult, I stopped making them.

“I was planning to make them for personal use so I’ll properly pay for it. I thought that I could purchase it together with the ingredients for the dining hall.”

“For personal use? You’ll be the only one eating it?”

The things I planned on making this time are for personal use so I planned on properly paying for them, but that wasn’t the part that the Director caught onto.

No, I didn’t plan on eating it by myself, you know?

Do you also want to eat it, Director?

I see.

Well, then should I ask the Chef to help me out and make some for the researchers as well?

“If it’s like that then the ingredients written on that memo are not enough.”

“Then, add the necessary ingredients to the dining hall ordering form and bring it to me.”

“Is that alright? I thought that honey and sugar are expensive?”

“It’s fine.”

“I’ll only pay for myself, you know?”

“Who said that you’d pay?”

“No way, are you taking it from……”

“There’s no way I’d do that.”

The Director sighed in amazement.

But, Jude told me that sweet ingredients such as honey and sugar were precious in this world, so it’s really expensive.

It’d be quite expensive if we purchased such high-quality food for the researchers as well, you know?

The dining hall has a food budget, doesn’t it? So, it’d be impossible to include those ingredients into that budget, wouldn’t it? Therefore, it wasn’t strange for me to think that it’d be taken from the research funds.

Ha!

Could it be, the Director will personally pay for it?

“Well, you don’t have to worry about it.”

The Director saw that I was worrying about who was paying, smiled wryly and waved his hand as if telling me to leave.

The ingredients that I asked the Director for arrived a few days later.

I went to the corner of the kitchen early in the morning on my day off and began preparing the ingredients.

Of course, it was difficult for me to make everyone’s portions as well, so the Chef was helping me.

Previously, when I told him about making sweets, he asked me to teach him; so this was perfect.

Oh yeah, at the beginning there was only one Chef here, but now there were five.

They worked in a rotation of three, so not all the Chefs are here at once.

The rumour about the research institute having delicious food seemed to have spread as far as the palace, and they dispatched people here to learn the craft.

There was also that. I put in a lot of effort into making sweets with the Chef since this morning.

I made simple cookies and honey and lemon pound cake.

I only vaguely remembered the recipe but everything came together nicely.

I’m glad. That’s good.

The pound cake that I took out from the oven was nicely baked.

The other Chefs, who were preparing lunch, also sampled it with me. I got a positive response from them.

A nice smell drifted from the oven, and the other chefs who were preparing lunch, kept glancing over here.

They seemed curious so I decided to invite them to sample it with me.

The sample tasted perfect, so I let the rest cool down, cut it up and put it into a basket. Now it’s ready.

I entrusted the Chefs to give the rest of it to the Director and researchers. My goal today is the 3rd Knight Order barracks. Let’s go!

Yup, was my tension too high?

If it wasn’t high then I couldn’t proceed.

Today, I’m going to the 3rd Knight Order barracks for a certain reason.

I thought about giving my thanks for the hairclip to the Captain.

I’ve been worrying over it even since Jude told me. I thought it was too much for a present.

No matter how much the other person favoured me.

Then I got a core from the magic bestowal, so I used it to make an accessory for him.

I was troubled over various things but I ended up making a necklace.

Since he wielded a sword, a ring would be troublesome and I have a feeling that he didn’t have any piercings, so he couldn’t wear earrings. I thought that a necklace wouldn’t get in the way of anything.

I didn’t know what designs were common in this world, but I made it into a dog tag so that even men can wear it.

I engraved a cross in the middle and embedded the core into the middle of that.

I thought that it was a safe design.

Still, I couldn’t make it by myself, so I outsourced it.

The shop was introduced to me by the Director.

He had a frightful smirk on his face though.

It was somewhat embarrassing to only take the necklace, so I also brought the cookies and pound cake with me.

I thought that it would be fine just to give him the basket.

Then I arrived at the Captain’s office.

The Knight standing at the door smiled at me and announced my presence. He didn’t mistake me for a suspicious person.

What does it mean when I haven’t even introduced myself yet, and he’s already announced my presence?

I don’t recall sending a messenger from the research institute to inform them I was coming ahead of time.

It’s probably that, right? I shouldn’t always go horse riding with the Captain.

I know it isn’t good but it’s hard to refuse him when he invites me so I end up going horse riding with him.

Uoh……

“Excuse me.”

Soon after I braced myself at the entrance, the Knight opened the door and I entered. The Captain was doing paperwork at his desk like usual.

Even if they’re a Knight Order, they don’t always train and go on monster subjugations. The people at the top have a lot of paperwork to do.

“What’s wrong today?”

“I made some sweets, so I came to share them with you.”

When I said the words I had prepared in advance, the Captain’s face softened.

Yup, sorry. I can’t look directly at you.

Why?

Please don’t ask me!

The Captain took off the cloth and looked inside when I gave him the basket.

At first glance, it looked like there were only cookies and pound cake inside.

The box containing the necklace was actually thrusted into the corner. It’s hidden by the cookies, so he can’t see it.

“It looks delicious. Let’s hurry and eat.”

The Captain confirmed that there were cookies and pound cake inside and stood up with the basket.

Was it time for his break?

I hope I didn’t disturb him.

Well then, I’ve handed the basket over, so I suppose I’ll head back home now.

As I thought that and tried to say my farewell, he said, “If you don’t mind, would you like to join me?”

No, I wanted to leave before you noticed the necklace inside……

………………。

I couldn’t win against the Captain’s smiling face……

I gave up and sat down onto the sofa as advised.

…………。

Mhm, why are you sitting next to me?

There are sofas over there too, you know?

Was it weird of me to sit on a three seater sofa? The Captain sat next to me.

I’m perplexed by the distance between us but I don’t feel the need to run away like before. Have I gotten used to the distance between us while horse riding with him?

I’m scared of getting used to it.

I don’t know. It feels like the places I can escape to have been steadily decreasing.

A while later, the tea was brought out and the gentle smell of tea lingered in the air.

The Knight standing at the door must have noticed and requested for a maid.

The amber liquid in front of my eyes was a luxury good. One that I haven’t drank since coming here.

I took a sip of my drink. The astringency was just right and it was very easy to drink.

As expected of tea from the palace.

They use good leaves, huh?

For some reason, the maid also brought plates with her; so I took out the cookies and pound cakes out of the basket and put them onto the plates and handed it to the Captain.

Mr. Knight at the entrance, did you notice that I brought sweets with me?

Ah, did you find out from the smell?

“I’m not really good with sweet food, but this is delicious.”

“Thank you.”

The Captain seemed to favour the mildly sweet cookies and smiled when he took a bit of it.

Of course, I’m happy that he’s pleased with it.

When I look at him, I also got caught up in the mood and smiled. The Captain looked at me and his smile deepened.

An ikemen’s smile has high attack power.

I felt my face getting a little bit hotter.

No, no. Looking at him in the eyes is bad.

“By the way, it’s been bothering me for a while but……”

The Captain took the necklace box out of the basket while drinking tea, after he’d finished eating.

I inadvertently chocked, but I didn’t spurt out any of my tea so I want someone to compliment me.

Wai-, he noticed it even though I hid it?!

“It feels like it’s something bestowed with magic. What is it?”

“Mhhm……”

My eyes wondered about while I tried to think of an explanation.

Uohーーーーー.

It’s useless. I can’t think of anything.

I glanced at the Captain and he looked like he was happily anticipating something while staring at me.

“That is also for you. It is my thanks for the hairclip.”

I’m making no progress even if I thought about it so I answered honestly.

The Captain’s smile became even wider as soon as I told him that. “Can I open it?” He nodded and asked.

“I went to the Court Mage Division the other day and bestowed magic. I made that core but……”

It was painful for me to wait silently for the Captain to open the box, so I told him that I made the core.

As soon as the Captain opened the box and saw what was inside, his eyes widened.

“This core is bestowed with increase magic resistance. I thought you could use it when you go out on subjugations.”

I could tell that my face was burning up while I was explaining this to him.

It was embarrassing so I looked away from the Captain. Because I was thinking about tomorrow, I failed to notice until it was too late.

I returned my gaze when I felt something touch my right hand. The Captain was lifting up my hand.

He didn’t do it in slow motion but I felt as if it was in slow motion.

I looked at the Captain’s eyelashes and carelessly thought, “Wow ~, it’s long”. I’m definitely escaping from reality.

I felt it afterwards. A soft feeling touching my fingertips.

The Captain’s feverish look as he released his lips from my fingertips.

That’s all I remembered.

After that, I don’t know how I returned to the research institute.

Extra

At a certain Court Mage Division.

The silver haired Mage, who was approving documents like usual, frowned as he read the contents of the submitted document.

The invoices attached to the document were for: wheat, sugar, honey, lemon and so on. It was full of items that had nothing to do with magic.

He wondered who on earth the idiot that had submit a document like this was and looked at the signature. The signature did not belong to a member of the Court Mage Division, it belonged to the Director of the Medicinal Herb Research Institute.

When he examined the dubious looking document carefully, he found a memo had been attached, separate from the receipt. It said:

『Should I demand you pay the price for the magic bestowal from last time?                Johan』

It goes without saying that Intelligent Glasses-sama sighed deeply at meaning that was implied.





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