Asha’s strawberry tart was very nice. The tart crust, which is sweetened by mixing almond powder, was baked in a nice pleated pattern, filled with savory almond cream. After baking the almond cream, when it cools down, put custard cream on top like a soft blanket to overflow with strawberries.
Lise carried the tart tightly wrapped so that it would not be disturbed, and a coachman, attendant, and two knights were attached to the carriage for the outing. It was Anne and Bethelnic.
“Are you saying you made that tart yourself?”
Anne, who was in the carriage with her, opened her eyes wide as if she were surprised, and then clapped her hands as if she remembered something.
“Oh, right. I heard you’re good at making sweets.”
“Did you hear from Pavel? I’m more of a person who likes to make it rather than being good at it.”
When she brought up Pavel, Anne’s face instantly became bitter before returning to normal.
“No… no. It’s because I remembered that you made the dinner cake when the Noctis Elves came.”
“Ah~! That carrot cake.”
“There was a rumor that the Elves melted away at the sight of that cake.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, that’s how I know.”
Asha tilted her head a little. Because Anne’s tone was conclusive.
“Anne, are you not on good terms with Pavel?”
“Heh.”
It was Bethelnic who had been wearing a consistently bored expression, let out a meaningless laugh. Anne glanced at Bethelnic and then cast a soft smile toward Asha.
“You may not know because you have a close relationship with Prince Alexei, but in most cases, siblings aren’t close to each other.”
Asha stifled a smile. She wanted to say that she knew well, but saying that would probably lead to useless misunderstandings.
Anne spoke cautiously as a natural pause passed between them for a moment.
“You went out for a while last time, right?”
“Huh? Oh, I did.”
“At that time, His Majesty instructed the knights to accompany you. Why did you just go by yourself?”
Anne’s voice was cautious and didn’t feel like she was being questioned. But nevertheless, Lise cautioned her, saying, “Marka, be mindful,” and Asha stopped Lise.
“It was just a brief outing, and besides… His Majesty was being unnecessary. I didn’t want to bother the knights, and it happened to be a convenient time for Karnov, so we went out together.”
“But it’s the duty of the knights to accompany you. They shouldn’t find it bothersome.”
“Bethelnic seems to find it bothersome.”
“Keugh.”
Bethelnic, who had been sitting on the sofa with crossed arms and a lowered head, let out a soft cough. Anne’s expression became even more awkward.
But before Anne could come to Bethelnic’s defense or have the chance to talk about what she originally wanted to say, the carriage arrived at the mansion of the Marchioness of Tataricha.
━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━
“…!”
“…!”
After receiving an invitation to the marchioness’s tea party, it was clear that the adults of the family must have been involved. However, on the surface, it stated that the tea party was personally hosted by the marchioness’s beloved daughter, Natalya. Therefore, even Asha thought there would be unfamiliar children at this tea party.
‘Although… that’s what I thought…’
There were children who arrived before her at the tea party, which the marchioness would have carefully decorated for her daughter and guests. Three of them. There were three of them. Just as Asha thought she wouldn’t recognize them, Lise whispered quietly behind her.
“The person with dark antique hair and green eyes is Natalya Bagration, the beloved daughter of Marchioness Tataricha, and the one with orange hair and brown eyes is Grisha Vullie from House of Ceilistria. And…”
Lise couldn’t bear to talk about the last one. Asha sighed out loud.
“Ah…”
“Why… why! What is it! Why!”
And the boy, who was leaning against the chair in a lax posture, suddenly stood up as he couldn’t pretend not to recognize Asha anymore.
Maxim’s son, the same boy that Asha forced to eat brownies.
It was Dimitri.
As Asha sighed, Dimitri shouted out abruptly, catching her attention, but then quickly stiffened his body. As this happened, Asha noticed a change in the expression on Natalya’s face, who had been consistently looking frustrated beside them.
But just before the flame caught fire between them, the marchioness, who had led her to the tea-party place and had made a brief stop in the kitchen, appeared.
“Natalya! Why are you still sitting! You should greet the guests quickly.”
Behind the marchioness, the maid followed, holding up a finely cut strawberry tart. It was the tart that Asha brought as a gift.
Natalya had a good air about her with her well-cut short dark brown hair that clearly showed her nape and ears. She was a girl who looked stunning in dark-colored trousers that matched her hair.
“It’s nice to meet you. I am Natalya Bagration. I’m honored to meet you.”
Natalya looked like she was being held by her mother forcibly, but she got up from her seat and showed her manners while pouting her lips.
Subsequently, the carrot-color-haired boy quickly bowed to her.
“Ah… I, I see the shining stars of the empire. I’m Grisha Vullie.”
“…”
And Dimitri, though visibly agitated, simply turned his head without saying a word. Asha, ignoring Dimitri, greeted the two of them.
“Nice to meet you. Natalya, Grisha. Um… You can call me Asha.”
“H…How can I…”
“Asha?”
“Natalya!”
It took almost only seconds for Natalya to call her “Asha” with her eyes shining, and soon afterwards the marchioness shouted Natalya’s name. While Natalya sulked, the Marchioness of Tataricha smiled and looked back at Asha.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness. It’s because of how passionately that child indulged in the games yesterday, resulting in fatigue and this behavior. Please forgive her.”
“Oh… no, it’s fine.”
It was her who told them to call her Asha…
In such an awkward atmosphere, the tea party, with its unfamiliar grouping, began.
As it was arranged for the children to mingle, the Marchioness of Tataricha put each piece of Asha’s tart on the four people’s plates and left.
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
Grisha remained quiet, seemingly lacking any enthusiasm, while Dimitri had a pout on his face. As for Natalya, she let out a loud yawn but quickly shut her mouth when her eyes met Asha’s. There seemed to be no way to break the awkward atmosphere. Asha decided to start a conversation with the person she knew at least.
“Dimitri, why are you here?”
Dimitri was surprised by Asha initiating the conversation and then quickly became flustered, his face displaying a combination of surprise and embarrassment as he stared at Asha.
“W,Well, why did you come then?”
“I came because the marchioness said she knew lots of delicious desserts. Why are you here? You don’t like sweets.”
“I don’t hate it!”
“But why haven’t you eaten the strawberry tart yet?”
“I was just about to eat it.”
Natalya and Grisha, who had only listened to Dimitri and Asha’s conversation, also turned to the tart on the plate. Dimitri and Grisha picked up a knife and cut the tart, and Natalya wiped her hands with a napkin and grabbed the tart with both hands.
“Y, young lady!”
“Young Lady Natalya!”
The maids standing behind rushed to call her, but Natalya did not care and bit the tart. The two boys and Asha looked at Natalya with only their eyes wide open.
“…”
“…”
Chomp, munch munch…
Natalya took a bite of the tart and then swallowed it with a gulp, momentarily freezing in her tracks. In the meantime, the maids tried to snatch the tart from Natalya’s hand and somehow transfer it back onto the plate, but they failed.
Natalya suddenly sprang up.
“Wow! This is incredibly delicious! Yum!”
“R…Really?”
Asha was half-buried in the particles of joy pouring like a waterfall as Natalya shouted.
“My mom loves sweets too…”
Though Asha didn’t catch the rest of Natalya’s words, they seemed to imply that the tart was even more delicious than the cookies her mother had chosen. Natalya took another bite of the tart, her lips covered in a generous amount of cream, fully engrossed in its taste. And as the tart had only one bite left, Natalya, with a face filled with disappointment, quickly popped the remaining tart into her mouth.
She chewed it thoroughly, savoring the tart, and then licked the cream off her fingers. The maids behind her called out “lady” in a panic, but Natalya pretended not to hear them.
And Asha was very impressed.
