LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 101
Olivier, the last one standing, hadn’t even sat down when Catherine began drumming her fingers on the table as she mumbled.
“Now, what should I start with?”
“I suggest we begin with the basics.”
Seemingly considering it a good idea, Catherine gestured towards Mary.
Without hesitation, Mary picked up a plain financier from the plate and popped it into Catherine’s mouth.
Crunch.
It certainly felt like a challenge given its crusty appearance, which looked like it had been thoroughly baked.
But that challenge lasted just a fleeting moment.
The flavor was completely different from what one might expect from a cookie or a crispy yet slightly dry pound cake of such a small size.
And that was in a good way.
Beneath the thick, cookie-like outer layer, the soft interior harbored a warm rush of rich and intense butter aroma.
Having eaten countless desserts before, she had never encountered a butter cake with such a powerful butter scent. It was obvious that something magical was at play. She was certain of it.
Just then, as she continued chewing the soft financier, a particularly tough crust crunched between her teeth.
Sensing the faint aroma wafting up, Catherine suddenly felt assured.
The flavor of burnt butter.
As meat and fat char on the grill, creating a crispy layer, there was no denying that the intensified fragrance and taste of burnt butter enveloped the entire financier.
It made sense why the dessert was so strikingly rich compared to the others she’d eaten. Burnt butter always deepens in flavor and color as it cooks.
However, she found it oddly concerning that there was no hint of a dull taste.
Everything has its pros and cons.
Even a legendary elixir, said to be made only from the Philosopher’s Stone and capable of curing all ailments, would possess some side effects.
Surely, burnt butter would not be devoid of them.
If that were the case, it meant they had hidden it so well. But how?
“Oh, is that a hint of cinnamon at the end?”
“Wow. You can actually taste that?”
“That’s Karem. I like cinnamon. Hehe, when you get older, spices like cinnamon are actually good for the body.”
Olivier blurted out something suspiciously like a folk remedy.
Karem brushed it off lightly, but there was no denying that Olivier was correct.
As the body ages, blood pressure tends to drop.
In that sense, cinnamon has the effect of raising blood pressure.
However, one could never be sure how much one would need to consume for it to have a meaningful effect, not to mention how it would affect a wizard.
“Cinnamon, you say? But I don’t smell it at all.”
“Just a little. A tiny pinch to obscure the burnt flavor.”
Karem closed one eye while pretending to pinch a pinch of powder between his thumb and forefinger.
“I would use more salt than that. Just a pinch can’t cover up the burnt taste?”
“The aroma and taste of burnt butter are as intense as any spice, naturally. Contractor.”
“Speaking of which, it’s my first time having a dessert made with burnt butter.”
This time, Catherine took a bite of the financier topped with chopped almonds that Mary had offered.
“Karem, wasn’t burnt butter used when making sauces after cooking steak?”
“Typically, butter is added later to avoid burning, but it can burn during the searing process.”
“What made you think of adding burnt butter?”
Robin’s question was valid, and Karem wore a slightly remorseful expression as he anticipated that question.
“That’s entirely Karem’s fault.”
“I admit it.”
“While melting the butter, you let your attention wander and burned it instead.”
“Y-You must think adapting in the kitchen is crucial.”
“Isn’t it supposed to be a focus in front of the fire?”
“I surrender.”
Karem raised both hands, showing no sign of hesitation.
While improvisation was important when ingredients were lacking or a better idea emerged, there were even more crucial rules.
Never point a kitchen knife at a person.
Focus solely on the fire when in front of it.
Never confuse salt and sugar.
In other words, the basics of cooking.
Of course, he was not particularly concerned about Robin, who was busily alternating bites of the four types of financiers.
While Robin was at the age when he could eat heartily, financiers were denser than expected, and although not as heavy as almond cakes or pound cakes, they were still quite dry.
Thus, if one ate mindlessly, it could easily lead to choking.
Unlike before, as Robin began to feel the dryness in his throat, he instinctively reached for a cup piled high with whipped cream.
Slurp!
“Ugh!?”
As the sweet wave surged into his mouth, Robin jumped in surprise.
It was a drink that felt entirely different from what he had imagined.
Even though magic, swordsmanship, monsters, and all sorts of other things existed, the civilization remained in a medieval state, and typical beverages were simple.
Water, juice, wine.
Surely they hadn’t taken whipped cream and added it to water. The thought of mixing juice and whipped cream seemed off, but what actually poured into his mouth had a completely different texture.
In stark contrast to the clear, refreshing liquid that one generally expected from a drink.
A dense and thick sweetness flowed into Robin’s mouth, slowly breaking the dam that the financier’s dryness had created.
At that moment, he felt as if he were eating a bread made of liquid rather than a drink.
His entire tongue was enveloped in a rich and dense drink, made from egg yolks and heavy cream, swirling with the whipped cream as hints of richness emerged.
But soon, an intense rush of cinnamon flavor and sweetness enveloped him, tinged with a salty aftertaste.
Every food harmonizes to lift each other.
The richness faded completely, leaving behind only the sweet and nutty flavor, enhanced by the salty notes.
The sweetness of sugar and the saltiness of salt worked together harmoniously, making Robin gulp down the large cup eagerly.
Before he realized it, he was inhaling only the air in the empty cup.
“Ha! Wow, wawaah! Wawaahhh!!”
“You seem to enjoy it, Your Highness.”
“Karem. Wow. What is this?!”
“This is eggnog.”
Though not as hurried as Robin, Olivier half-finished his cup, wiping the liquid from his beard with a handkerchief, marveling softly.
“Mmm, the heaviness like drinking custard. Eggnog was once a drink nobles consumed on special days in barren Iceland. It has been a while since I last had it.”
“Huh? I’ve never had this before?”
“That’s something you can blame on Duke Alfred, your lord.”
“…Huh?”
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Alfred, the lord of Iceland, came up?
Robin, his son, along with Karem and Mary, looked none the wiser, their reaction suggesting it was their first time hearing that name.
“Now that cream and eggs aren’t as precious as they used to be.”
“Huh? That’s the reason why they don’t drink this?”
“Somehow, the prices of eggs and cream have dropped enough for commoners to enjoy them, and nobles have started to hire skilled foreign chefs to create more exquisite dishes, so naturally, it has fallen out of favor. Nowadays, eggnog has become a drink that old people in Iceland or rural folks sip on during harsh winters.”
Back then, it was a symbol of being able to indulge in cream and eggs as much as one liked, Olivier thought as he quenched his thirst with the eggnog.
“Yet, it seems like fire demon hands are all the rage in Coldon, regardless of status.”
“Oh Karem. The reason is simple.”
“Simple you say?”
“That fiery kick of the Fire Witch’s Finger and the subtle umami and sweetness that follows is simply enchanting.”
“Isn’t that a contradiction to what you just said earlier?”
“Humans are inherently contradictory beings, after all. Nobles are no different.”
In that moment, Karem remembered.
The knights and nobles with their hunger for food, charging forward towards the tables at the dinner banquet, much like ravenous beasts vying for the same prey, addicted to spicy flavors.
Though gluttony is indeed a symbol of power for those who rule (the nobles) and those who fight (the knights), it was undeniably a bit of an unpleasant sight.
“By the way, Mary. You’re acting different today.”
“What do you mean, Contractor?”
“All of this is filled with butter, cream, and eggs, isn’t it?”
“Haha, Contractor.”
Mary scoffed, showing no sign of embarrassment for her actions.
“Do you honestly think I can hide my excitement over food indefinitely?”
“Honestly, it’s because of how much I’ve eaten—financiers and eggnog both.”
“Karem!”
Though she had intentionally baked extra to eat quickly, how could she reveal the truth with that glare aimed at Karem?
But Karem was just as unbothered by his actions as Mary had been earlier.
“I told you that letting it cool makes it tastier. But you couldn’t resist in the meantime.”
“Don’t lie. Was it such a big deal to point out you burned the butter?”
“Indeed. Karem will remember this.”
“Karem’s a slowpoke. Do you think you’re alone? Mary will remember this too.”
The childish back-and-forth between a man who looked like an eternally youthful boy and a house fairy believed to be many decades old became almost grandiose, though nobody else paid it any mind.
“Mary. Stop pestering the kid and bring over that financier topped with berries.”
“Contractor. To be fair, I didn’t start it.”
“I don’t care. Just bring it!”
Well, fine. This time, I’ll take the eggnog. And thus, peace was restored forcibly above the two squabbling parties by their master.
For a moment, a calm settled over the table, with only the faint sounds of crunching and sipping echoing softly.
At that moment, Mary suddenly lowered her gaze to the floor and tilted her head.
“Contractor? A visitor. No, it seems there’s a messenger.”
“Huh? Out of the blue?”
“I’ll go check.”
“Alright. Kid.”
With that, as Mary disappeared, Karem immediately stepped into the role she had just played.
His movements naturally filled the gap left behind.
It was a seamless transition that any other maidservants from Winterhome would admire.
And thus, Catherine continued to enjoy her snack while Olivier staunchly answered Robin’s questions for a while, when suddenly urgent footsteps echoed from afar.
Then, with a puff sound, Mary reappeared at the door, rushing towards them.
“Contractor! Contact from the messenger!”
“What? Just a second! We’re still eating snacks.”
And Karem took a sip of the eggnog he had offered.
Karem felt a strange sense of déjà vu about something that had happened a few days before.
While this unfolded, Catherine, with a displeased look on her face, helplessly unfurled the parchment that Mary presented.
Phew!
Quickly, she turned her head away, pouring out all the rainbow-colored eggnog into a place without anyone around.
“Cough! Cough, cough!”
“Geez, what a clumsy mess. What’s going on? Kitty?”
“The escort of Elder Iona! We’re facing a complete wipeout and are in retreat!”
Phew!
Karem, Robin, and Olivier, except for Mary and Catherine, quickly turned their heads in different directions.