Fluffy Sweets For The Young Lady (7)

“From this moment, Prince William and Lady Ashley’s snack time shall begin.”

Time passed, and the hour for snacks arrived. The head maid’s voice rang across the courtyard.

It was a different sort of opening announcement than usual. Her voice seemed to carry a touch of confusion and even the faintest hint of irritation.

The reason was obvious.

It was because Lady Ashley had unilaterally changed the rules of snack time.

“William-sama, I’m so honored to be able to join you for snack time today! And as thanks, I have a surprise of my own prepared for you.”

So declared Lady Ashley as she sat beside Prince William.

She said it with a radiant smile, while Prince William looked slightly puzzled and replied only, “Oh?”

“One of my attendants has prepared a snack especially for you. I personally guarantee her skill. I thought you might compare it with the snack made by the palace maids.”

“Oh… I see. That does sound interesting.”

The moment she mentioned comparing them, Prince William’s eyes lit up.

Prince William never neglected anything involving food. If it was presented to him like some sort of special event, there was no reason he would dislike it.

“Yes, I’m certain it will be wonderfully entertaining! And should you happen to prefer what my household has prepared, I would be delighted to provide our finest cooks as your personal snack staff, William-sama! I’m certain we could offer you an even more satisfying snack time than you enjoy now. Absolutely certain!”

Encouraged by his reaction, the young lady immediately seized the opportunity to push her own agenda.

She was good… That young lady really knew how to conduct diplomacy.

That was what I found myself thinking as I stood among the long line of maids assembled in the courtyard.

Then I noticed the head maid fixing me with a piercing stare.

Her eyes clearly said, “You are confident you can win, aren’t you?” so I gave her my brightest smile in return.

Of course I wasn’t confident. Our opponent was an absurdly skilled professional serving one of the highest-ranking noble families in the kingdom.

At this point, all I could do was charge ahead recklessly and hope for the best.

“So that’s how it will be. You have no objection either, do you, Head Maid?”

When the young lady asked with an intimidating look, the head maid considered it briefly before answering.

“Every person employed by the Royal Palace is a specialist in their field. Our maids likewise pride themselves on possessing the highest level of skill. Falling behind anyone in confectionery is unthinkable.”

“I see. An excellent answer. In other words, you have no need for anyone who would lose.”

The young lady nodded in satisfaction.

Then she turned toward Prince William and said,

“William-sama, with that settled, I ask that you judge the results for us. I’m certain you’ll choose the snack prepared by my household and—”

But Prince William cut her off with a displeased expression.

“Ashley, enough. Long speeches when snacks are waiting before us are unnecessary. I will not lie with my tongue. Begin at once.”

Then Prince William kept glancing in our direction. He clearly looked as though he could not endure waiting any longer.

Well, naturally. All sorts of sweet, sweet aromas had been drifting through the courtyard for some time now.

Even I had been struggling desperately to keep myself from drooling.

If I did not maintain firm control over myself, I felt like I might leap upon the snacks before me like a wild animal.

So please, hurry and begin. Before I cease being human…!

“Of course, William-sama! Then first, allow me to serve what my household has prepared. Mia!”

“Yes, my lady.”

Having casually claimed the first turn for herself, the young lady called out, and Mia-san pushed forward a serving cart laden with food.

From it came the deliciously sweet aroma of freshly baked sweets.

Ahh… No matter how many times I smelled it, what a wonderful fragrance!

“Please allow me to present our cuiche.”

With those words, Mia-san arranged the snacks before them. They were palm-sized pastries shaped somewhat like little pies.

They were a favorite among nobles, made by pressing sweetened dough into molds, baking it, then filling it with various fruits along with a cream made from eggs and sugar.

“Oh, cuiche. I am rather fond of these.”

With that, Prince William immediately brought one of the cuiches to his mouth.

After chewing it thoughtfully for a moment, his face filled with surprise.

“This is… delicious!”

Prince William cried out involuntarily at just how good it was.

A murmur of alarm rippled through the assembled maids.

Cuiche was not a particularly unusual sweet, and its preparation was fairly simple. Since the flavor depended directly on the quality of the pastry and cream, the skill of the person making it was laid bare.

And in that regard, what Mia-san had made was unquestionably first-rate.

The pastry was wonderfully crisp, while the filling was soft without becoming even slightly soggy—an almost miraculous balance.

The proportion between filling and pastry was perfect as well, making it truly, exceptionally delicious.

What? You’re wondering how I knew that?

Why, because I had naturally stolen a taste earlier.

“This is excellent. Truly excellent. Well done. You are in no way inferior to the maids of this palace.”

“To receive such praise is the greatest honor, Your Highness Prince William.”

Even her response to praise was flawless.

As Mia-san bent her knees in an elegant curtsy, the sunlight pouring into the courtyard illuminated her so beautifully that she almost seemed divine.

“W-What are we going to do? Prince William really likes them… C-Can we actually win?”

As Prince William continued popping one cuiche after another into his mouth, anxious voices began rising among the maids.

It was true that our opponent was formidable. But today, I had been able to borrow the full strength of all my senior maids.

In that case, all I needed to do was serve our creation with confidence.

When it came to sweets, the maids of the Royal Palace would not lose to anyone, anywhere.

We had to prove that.

“Ufufu, William-sama. It seems you’ve taken quite a liking to the snack my attendant prepared!”

“Indeed. It has a flavor that makes one want another bite immediately. Great care has clearly been taken so that every mouthful delivers a perfectly balanced taste. I would like more… No, I should restrain myself for now. There is still another dish to come.”

Saying that, Prince William—who had eaten more than ten cuiches despite claiming to restrain himself—turned toward us.

It seemed that although he liked the cuiche, he was also terribly curious about the snack we had prepared.

And no wonder. A rich, sweet aroma of freshly baked treats had been drifting continuously from our side as well. It would have been stranger if he had not been curious.

But our sweets were still hidden beneath cloches—the silver domed covers used to conceal dishes when they were brought out in restaurants.

Prince William signaled with his eyes as though to say, Why are you hiding them? Hurry up and show me what they are.

My apologies, Prince William. With today’s snack, the visual presentation was also an important element.

And we wanted to preserve the heat as much as possible. That was why there was great significance in unveiling them directly before his eyes.

“Then I’ll bring them out.”

When I said that, all the maids nodded together with serious expressions.

Now that we had come this far, we were all in the same boat. All that remained was to show them what we could do.

I rattled the cart forward and placed the covered plates before Prince William and Lady Ashley.

Prince William greeted them with an excited expression, while the young lady wore a faintly mocking smile.

“Thank you for waiting. Today’s snack is…”

Then I swept the cloche upward in one dramatic motion… and announced its name.

“Princess Pancakes!”