Fluffy Sweets For The Young Lady (2)

“Hmph…”

A small sound escaped her, and when I glanced over, Lady Ashley had puffed out her cheeks slightly and was wearing a displeased expression.

Oh dear. Lady Ashley was supposed to be the star of this occasion. This was her chance to do everything she could to present herself as a worthy future queen.

In other words, there was absolutely no reason for a supporting character like me to stand out.

I hurriedly wiped the smile from my face, bowed my head as low as I could, and stepped aside.

Apparently pleased now that the nuisance was out of the way, Lady Ashley looked at the Sacru and spoke happily.

“My, Sacru. How nostalgic. Her Majesty the Queen loved this sweet very much, didn’t she? I had it with her many times myself. You like Sacru as well, don’t you, William-sama!”

Lady Ashley beamed brightly.

Remembering the other person’s favorite food ought to have been a major point in her favor… except.

(No, Lady Ashley… The young master doesn’t actually like Sacru very much. He only ate it to keep Her Majesty company!)

Knowing the truth, I screamed inwardly in frustration.

The young master had only eaten it with the queen because he adored his mother, and by now he was thoroughly tired of Sacru.

The proof was that despite his enormous appetite, he still had not touched his Sacru.

Even when Lady Ashley spoke to him, all he managed was a vague, “Y-Yes.”

Before long, however, the young master noticed something black beside the Sacru and turned toward me.

“Shirley, what is this black thing?”

He spoke while pinching the small black square between his fingers.

So I bowed deeply and answered.

“Yes, young master. That is chocolate.”

Chocolate.

It was made by combining cacao with sugar and other ingredients, pouring the mixture into a mold, and chilling it until firm.

I had often served the young master chocolate cream, but this was the first time I had given him basic solid chocolate.

I had been meaning to serve it someday, but I had always felt rather hesitant about serving nothing but chocolate during snack time, so the opportunity had never arisen until now.

After all, the young master ate enormous quantities. Eating nothing but chocolate would be terrible for his health, and if he ended up with a nosebleed, it would be a disaster.

But I thought it would be fine as a small accompaniment to tea, so today I had decided to bring out the secret stash I had been keeping in the refrigerator.

Incidentally, the cacao had come from Agata, the Court Witch, who had brought some to me saying, “I managed to harvest a little.”

Agata, thank you so much. I love you.

“Chocolate…? Is it different from the thing I ate before?”

“Fundamentally, it is the same. But unlike the soft version I served you before, this has been hardened, so you can enjoy a different texture. It melts easily, however, and even the warmth of your fingers can soften it, so please be careful.”

At that, the young master stared at the chocolate in his fingers, then hurriedly popped it into his mouth as though terrified it might disappear.

After slowly savoring it, his eyes lit up, and he declared,

“Delicious!”

Hehe. I got to hear the young master say “delicious” again.

Of course it was. Chocolate was a favorite among children, after all.

If one wished to enjoy chocolate properly, this was the classic way. When I was a child, whenever my parents let me choose a snack, I always headed straight for the chocolate aisle.

Someday, I would like to imitate something like Giant Caplico and make one for the young master.

I loved biting into those when I was a child. …Well, I still bit into them quite often as an adult too.

“Yes, delicious. Truly delicious. …And now it is already gone. Shirley, is there any more?”

“Er, well…”

The young master had devoured all three pieces in no time and asked for more, leaving me unsure how to answer.

There was still chocolate in the refrigerator, but this was not snack time, so I could hardly give him too much.

While I was thinking that over, the head maid spoke with her usual stern expression.

“Young master, lunch will be served shortly. You mustn’t eat too many sweets beforehand.”

“Hmph, I know.”

The young master replied with slight dissatisfaction.

At times like this, he really was just a child.

What concerned me more, however, was Lady Ashley.

She was supposed to be the star of this gathering, yet she had been completely left behind.

And now she was… glaring sharply at me as though thinking, Who does this girl think she is?

How dare this maid steal the spotlight from me, the one who should be the center of attention?

The prince seems unusually fond of her. I don’t like it. I don’t like it one bit.

Her gaze seemed to say all of that while radiating as much hostility toward me as possible. Eek…

At that moment, the attendant standing behind Lady Ashley—a tall figure dressed in a butler’s uniform—spoke up as though deliberately trying to change the mood.

“My lady, the weather is lovely today. How about taking a walk?”

I had assumed the attendant was a man, but to my surprise, the voice that emerged was that of a beautiful woman.

She was a striking woman with short hair and a slender figure, dressed elegantly in masculine clothing.

“Y-Yes, that sounds wonderful! William-sama, would you show me around the gardens like you did before!?”

Apparently encouraged by the suggestion, Lady Ashley bravely put on a smile and made her request.

What an excellent idea! That would give the two of them some time to speak alone, and most importantly, I would not have to accompany them.

It was the perfect move: get rid of the troublesome maid and increase their intimacy at the same time.

And then I could finally return to my beloved cheese steamed cake.

A perfect plan that made everyone happy. What an incredibly capable attendant!

—While I silently applauded her brilliance, the young master looked thoughtful for a moment.

And then, somehow, he said the following.

“Yes, the Royal Palace gardens have changed quite a bit over the past year. A short walk would be pleasant. Claire, I shall borrow Shirley. Come along, Shirley.”