LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 77
### Yakgwa.
Korea’s representative traditional delicacy of yummilicious sweets.
Despite the annoying cleanup, the manufacturing process is surprisingly simple for a snack.
Karem’s inspiration to make yakgwa was rather trivial.
As promised earlier, he deep-fried a batch of dough with an intensely high density, then while making gulab jamun (the syrup-soaked treats) for Catherine and Mary, he simply decided to eat the leftovers.
Of course, Karem had no idea how to make the essential ingredient, mulyeot (thick syrup).
He didn’t feel the need to, either.
Wasn’t that made from glutinous rice or regular rice? Well, there was none of that here.
So he just used honey instead, which was a lot easier.
Frying it was a bit of a hassle with oil splattering everywhere, but since Mary was doing all the cleaning up afterward, that problem was taken care of.
However, since it was literally an experimental creation, instead of the characteristic flat, pressed flower shape of traditional yakgwa, it turned out more like a cookie with a slightly indented shape.
But of course, it tasted absolutely amazing.
Crispy yet soft and crumbly texture.
A sweetness that lingers on the tongue but vanishes once swallowed.
The nutty flavor from using walnut oil instead of sesame oil made it special.
“You cheeky thing! You made struffoli without telling me, your employer? They’re a bit oversized, though!”
“Crispy yet soft, how can there be such a contradictory and paradoxical texture? It’s like the most delicious outer portion of a pie blending with the most tender center of a butter cake!”
And Karem’s experimental creation.
Both the original yakgwa and the black variety were being devoured by the two ladies with gusto.
No, wait, that’s not it.
“Wait a minute. Struffoli? What’s that?”
“Huh? You made that without knowing what it is?”
“Seems like it?”
“Well, struffoli are a special treat made during holidays or festivals in Servianus. It’s a traditional food that people from that region have been making since before the Palatino Empire was even born.”
“Do you happen to know how to make it?”
“I don’t know the exact recipe that well—”
“Just give me a rough idea, please.”
“It’s made by cutting dough into pieces the size of a finger and frying them, then coating them in syrup and sprinkling them with candied fruit or nuts.”
Indeed, the world is vast, and people live all over, sharing similar dishes.
Karem never expected that almost the same food would exist, except for the toppings.
Not to mention cheese. By the way.
“Princess Alicia.”
“Nom nom. Huh? What is it?”
“Your skill at expressing flavors seems to have improved?”
“Humph, right? Even Mrs. Poppins, my tutor, gave me praise.”
“Haha, is that so?”
Well, seeing her cheeks puffed up with food could lead to such conclusions. Though her overly happy reaction seemed a bit much… Oh, who cares. It’s cute, so that’s enough.
Karem smiled a fatherly smile that didn’t quite fit his age.
He handed a half-eaten black yakgwa to Catherine, who was giving him hints about what to do next.
“Mmm, I figured the dark color might be because it’s made with date syrup? From a sand turtle?”
“I just thought plain honey would be boring, so I experimented by soaking it in something else.”
And the result of those repeated experiments was intriguing.
It wasn’t bad in flavor.
It actually turned out quite excellent.
“But the dark one is way too sweet for my taste.”
“Is that so?”
“I wonder if it suits your preferences?”
Catherine took another bite of the black yakgwa Karem offered while nodding. Alicia, with different yakgwa in each hand, seemed to share the same opinion and nodded along.
“Speaking of which, Lady Alicia.”
“Hm? What is it?”
“What brings you here today? A snack? An escape? Isn’t it still class time?”
As Karem popped the last struffoli-like yakgwa into Catherine’s mouth, he picked up a new one and asked.
At first, the three of them—Karem, Mary, and Catherine—were shocked.
Naturally, the same goes for Olivier and the other wizards who joined later.
But as the saying goes, repeated stimuli become familiar, and it long since became a part of everyday life for the Mage Tower’s early members, including Karem.
How could anyone notice or prevent the familiarity of what should be an anomaly? There was no way but to get used to it.
And above all, it was absurd for a child of such an age to be sitting quietly in one spot.
“Huh? I’m here because it’s free time today.”
“Not because of some weather anomaly…?”
“Mrs. Poppins said something came up in her hometown.”
“Oh, so that’s why you’re being overly lively…”
“Huh? What was that?”
“Oh, nothing. Eat more.”
“Okay!”
Karem sealed Alicia’s mouth with yakgwa.
Was she glad because of the sudden free time?
“…Huh? Ah!”
Suddenly, Alicia, who was gnawing on a date syrup yakgwa like a squirrel, shouted.
“Right! Corvus wanted to meet you, Karem!”
“Corvus, who are you referring to?”
Karem’s question was natural.
Considering the multitude of people working or staying in Winterhome, it was impossible for him to memorize all their names.
“Corvus… Corvus… Who was that again?”
Catherine tapped her fingers on the table while nodding, then snapped her fingers as realization hit.
“Ah, I remember! The name of the greenhouse caretaker is Corvus.”
“Have you seen him?”
“No, he was one of those who requested repairs for the broken magic tools. I remembered because his name is from the Ancient Palatino Empire.”
“Is that so?”
By the way, the greenhouse.
Karem had heard that name often while traversing between the tower and the castle.
A building made entirely of thick glass from the roof to the outer walls.
The interior, like Winterhome, was kept warm with hot spring water, serving as the source for various vegetables, fruits, and plants from several regions and localities.
Naturally, it was a closely managed facility, and unless one had permission in advance or was a related person, entry was prohibited.
“By the way, I wouldn’t be able to go in anyway?”
“Huh? You? Why shouldn’t you go?”
“Uh? I haven’t obtained permission beforehand.”
Alicia’s small face frowned and then brightened.
“Hmph! I am Alicia! There is nowhere in this castle that I cannot go!”
“…That is true.”
After all, who would dare block Princess Alicia in Winterhome, the home ground of the Felwinter Family?
Aside from the truly dangerous or restricted areas, the massive fortress that is Winterhome was practically her playground. Given her status and stubbornness, it was clear that she could go anywhere without anyone stopping her.
So, there was just one final gateway left.
Karem glanced back at Catherine.
As she chewed on the last piece of yakgwa he handed over, she waved her hand dismissively.
“Well, isn’t it a good opportunity? Even I need permission to enter.”
“Then I—”
“What I mean is to have fun with Princess Alicia. I happen to need to attend the dinner banquet. Just be back before sunset.”
Oh, is she worried about him?
Karem felt a little touched.
That was a curfew time he had never heard of in his current life.
“Yes, I must attend the dinner in the Great Hall.”
“Ah, I suppose that’s true.”
“By the way, what shall I eat as a midnight snack today…”
Karem’s moment of triumph quickly vanished.
Of course.
“Contractor. Can I ask you for a midnight snack as well?”
“I don’t mind, but—”
And suddenly, Mary, who had appeared out of nowhere, began tidying the scattered plates on the table and sweeping up the crumbs.
Alicia seemed startled by Mary’s sudden appearance, visibly flinching but immediately grabbed Karem’s hand and pulled him toward the door.
“Then let’s go to the greenhouse! There are so many amazing things there!”
For a five-year-old little girl, she had her own strength.
It would be easy to shake her off, but Karem couldn’t do that.
Neither could he refuse Alicia’s invitation.
Giving in, the boy reluctantly left the room, escorted by Catherine and Mary.
“By the way, they say the hot spring water flows like a river in the greenhouse, is that true?”
“Not only that, but cold water and lukewarm water flow alongside it too. Moreover, there are a lot of small, colorful fish. When you see it, I’m sure you’ll be amazed, Karem!”
“Other waters aside, you mean fish in hot spring water?”
“Yes! They may be a bit murky, though.”
“Isn’t that them being cooked?”
“…Oh? Now that you mention it, that’s true.”
Karem recalled having heard of fish living in hot spring water from his previous life.
What was it called again? Doctorfish?
He hadn’t heard of any other fish living in hot water.
Perhaps there might be some magical creatures with different habits, like Fire Witch Finger, but Alicia seemed oblivious, shaking her head and rolling her eyes.
“Um, I can just ask Corvus about it.”
Several wizards strolling through the tower’s corridor flinched upon seeing Alicia and promptly turned around.
Upon witnessing that, Alicia turned with a puzzled expression to look back.
Of course, there was nothing behind her.
“Huh? Is something back there? Nothing at all?”
“Maybe they suddenly remembered something they had to do?”
“Is that so?”
“Even though the number of mages has increased, they are still lacking in numbers.”
“Um, your insight is spot on, Karem…”
Alicia noticed that compared to other areas of Winterhome, the Mage Tower seemed oddly vacant.
There was only Mary cleaning the tower, the idea of asking Papa to assign additional servants suddenly crossed her mind.
Thinking of how Mary would be appalled by the suggestion, she calmly dragged Karem along as they exited the tower.
*
Although it was from his past life, Karem had seen a greenhouse before and had no choice but to be astonished.
It made perfect sense for Karem to be astonished.
Even though it wasn’t the season for it, the greenhouse was uniformly warm to grow crops.
Not to mention, because it was enclosed, it was humid like a foggy day whether for plant growth or otherwise.
What did pique his interest, however, was one thing.
“……Whoa.”
Karem’s eyes widened, and he let out a sound of awe.
Winterhome was so massive that it could easily contain a whole small village within its grounds.
It was not just vast but also impressively substantial.
The main house of Winterhome, barracks, Mage Tower, and even the warehouses—everything was so majestic that it was hard to explain without using magic. Though admittedly, due to its barren nature, it was mostly a dull gray.
“Lady Alicia.”
“Hyuk, isn’t it incredible?!”
“Are you telling me this is all made of glass?”
It would be an insult to simply call the greenhouse a greenhouse, Karem thought.
A building heavily guarded by knights and soldiers was spacious enough to easily accommodate thousands. It was more like a botanical garden than just a greenhouse.
Not only the ceiling, but every side was covered in glass, and the countless trees and leaves visible inside supported Karem’s thoughts.
As they approached the entrance, the knight standing there asked, noticing Alicia and Karem.
“Princess Alicia? And this is…”
“I’ve come to show Karem the greenhouse.”
“Do you mean, the personal…”
Whispering to the knight, the soldier guarding with a halberd let out a heavy sigh, his face aging rapidly.
“Ah, you need to return before sunset.”
“Fear not!”
Alicia confidently declared that, breezing past the knight and soldier, pulling Karem into the greenhouse.
“Karem. How is it? Surprised? You must be surprised!”
“It’s not just humid; it’s comfortable! Wait a minute. Is the wind blowing here right now?”
“Heehee.”
And as Karem showed the expected reaction, Alicia burst into a large grin, nearly stretching from ear to ear, and tugged him forward again.
They walked along paths woven with streams flowing in three directions, a modern botanical garden where unfamiliar flowers and trees beautifully intertwined with familiar flora.
It wasn’t just plants being cultivated; fish leapt from the streams, and various colorful birds gathered, chirping all around.
As they followed the pebble pathway, a small clearing surrounded by trees came into view.
Alicia, playing the role of a tour guide, led Karem around the greenhouse for quite a while, showing off its various parts.
And after a good bit of time passed.
In the final sightseeing area was a stone that looked as though it might have held the Hero’s sword hidden deep in a game, and beside it, an enormous crow, as big as an average person, was weeding.
“Monster!?”
“Monster? That’s a rude thing to say.”
“Oh, my apologies. Huh? You can talk!?”
“Just kidding. But it really is a monster.”
“I’m not sure what tune I’m supposed to dance to here!”
“Caw! Caw! Caw!”
The giant crow cawed with the typical crow sound as it laughed.
Notably, if anyone from the industry heard it, they would immediately consider hiring the crow for a voice acting role due to its unexpectedly deep and grand voice coming from its beak.
Alicia approached the crow, playfully tugging at its wing feathers.
“Corvus! Alicia brought Karem along.”
“Is that so? Miss Alicia. However, I seem to smell something sweet around your hands. Whatever amazing treat you had promised me, where could it be?”
At those words, Alicia visibly stiffened.
Karem had no choice but to take her place and respond.
“Well, unfortunately, that has long disappeared into Princess Alicia’s stomach.”
“Hmm, considering I can smell it but not find it in your hands, I guessed it would be like that.”
“Oh… Oh no!”