Chapter: 33
The reason why the Three Kingdoms couldn’t handle the snacks made by just six people was simple. They dared to have a meal and then thought they could munch on snacks right afterwards. How weak. They should tackle their meals with the mindset to substitute them for snacks! To think they’d take on the pastry club with such a feeble attitude.
Of course, I’m the abnormal one for eating snacks instead of proper meals, and the Three Kingdoms didn’t challenge the pastry club—they were simply hit over the head with bread! That’s why I couldn’t press Villar further when he looked at me with those woeful eyes.
In the end, I found myself stuck handling most of the snacks again. At least my appetite had slightly increased, so I guess it’s a win. Yes, that’s good enough for me. I’m satisfied—really, I am.
Even though I have to chew on cookies while having periodic video reports with the Minister, I am satisfied.
– Come to think of it, the fair is coming up soon.
“Do you remember that?”
– Unlike some people, I actually attended the Academy.
“Damn it.”
After some light banter like ‘Oh, this happened…’ the conversation shifted to the fair, and the Minister started adjusting his chin as he spoke.
I wondered why someone who wouldn’t be attending the fair knew about its dates, but asking that only ended with me getting thwacked like a clueless newbie. When it comes to anything related to the Academy, I’m always at a disadvantage. I had momentarily forgotten about that.
As I bit into a cookie, Villar suddenly asked me,
– Weren’t you the one who hated cookies?
What kind of nonsense is this? He should know that I’m not picky with my food since we didn’t discriminate on the battlefield! I hastily chewed through the cookie in my mouth. Why pick now to chat while I’m eating, of all times?
“It’s not that I hate them. I just don’t go out of my way to eat them.”
– You’ve not had any for two years.
“Minister.”
Hearing my response, the Minister clicked his tongue and waved his hand dismissively.
– Okay, okay. Don’t look at me like that. I misspoke.
“No, I overreacted.”
– At least you understand.
An awkward silence settled in. Here I was, feeling mortified at my sensitive reaction, while the Minister was probably feeling awkward himself for broaching such a sensitive topic. Truth be told, this reaction shouldn’t have happened, but, alas, human emotions don’t heed our commands.
I scratched my head awkwardly before deciding to redirect the conversation back to the fair. I still hadn’t told him about our collaboration with the Three Kingdoms’ forces.
I informed the Minister that we had decided to bring some of their forces into our booth so that they could focus on protecting the important figures. After all, it would be chaos if they started wandering around and ended up injuring someone or colliding with the Empire’s nobles. The Minister seemed to think it was a decent plan and nodded a few times in approval.
– A multi-national booth, something I’d never imagined before.
“Weren’t there foreign students occasionally before? It’s the first time for such high-ranking ones, though.”
– Back in my day, we didn’t have the atmosphere for foreign students to enroll.
“The good ol’ days, huh? Thanks for the insight, Minister.”
I nodded casually, letting half the Minister’s nostalgic stories waft past me—they weren’t particularly relevant. He probably didn’t put much thought into it, anyway.
– Well then, good luck! Quite a few people will be showing up at the fair.
“Yes, understood.”
– Don’t be surprised if a few folks from the administration drop by, either.
“Excuse me?”
And just like that, the Minister abruptly cut off the connection. Wait a second, why save the most important detail for the very end? Has he finally lost it?
‘Please, just faint somewhere already.’
That has been my long-held wish.
The next day, we gathered for the second report session. Unfortunately, my report wasn’t just directed at the Minister.
“I thought we’d need extra hands during the fair, so I put in a request for help. Familiar faces will be coming, so don’t worry.”
Despite appearing as a mentor-member relationship, in reality, I was more like a babysitter for these guys. If anything pops up, I have to get them in the loop immediately. Double reporting? How heinous!
Anyway, the reactions varied when I shared that some of the Three Kingdoms will be participating in our booth. Louise was simply ecstatic about having more helping hands, while Erich and Ainter were nonchalant about it. The real predicament lay with the other three.
Louise was thrilled, so they didn’t object, but their faces seemed somewhat reluctant. Perhaps they were worried about their (one-sided) romantic escapades being interrupted by the presence of lower-ranked individuals or, heaven forbid, outsiders posing a threat to their precious Louise.
Dare to be insane, aren’t they?
I wonder if those guys know how much Villar anguished before I reached out to him. No matter how much inferior individuals might cling to them like NPCs or pets, a little appreciation would be nice!
“They willingly agreed to our unreasonable request, so we need to put in the effort. Everyone, let’s give it our all during the fair!”
If you decode that bluntly, it meant stay inside the booth and don’t go wandering about. We had already gathered an escort force, and it’d be a total nightmare if they stepped outside, got hurt, and came back. Villar and I might just snap.
“We’ve been looking forward to the fair, so don’t worry!”
Thankfully, they seemed to grasp that much. With Rutis leading the charge, the members showed enthusiasm. It would be a real bummer if those noble types didn’t catch on to this level of coaching. Thank goodness they showed at least some sense.
Damn these guys.
It’s unfortunate that I’m compelled to feel relieved over simply this. What did I do to deserve the burden of managing these guys as if they’re my team at work? At least in the Inspection Division, I had a deputy and five managers to help with things.
Feeling bitter, I stole a glance at Louise. When our eyes met, she beamed at me, clenching her fists in a gesture of encouragement. Alright, let’s give it our all…
I awkwardly mirrored her gesture, forcing a smile. The anger that had been bubbling inside began to fade away.
“Now, let’s get started. As we make, I’m getting more confident.”
With Erich’s words, the pastry factory began operation again. I was grateful there were only six of us. Other clubs often had over ten members. If we had that many, we’d have to throw away at least some of these creations.
Hmm, smells nice.
It looks like our skills are improving slowly but surely! Just like every other skill, practice makes perfect. I felt a tinge of joy.
Excluding what I plan to send to the Three Kingdoms, there was considerably more food left for me than usual. You see, what they need to improve is flavor, not simply the quantity.
However, thankfully, there was a lovely savior willing to share this monstrous pile with me. And no, this time, it wasn’t Villar.
“Sir Carl, do you like desserts?”
For some reason, Marghetta showed up after club time ended. Her eyes widened at the mountain of treats stacked on my desk.
“Not really, I was just eating them because it felt wasteful to throw away what the members made.”
After hearing my response, Marghetta nodded and cautiously took a seat across from me. Honestly, even someone with a sweet tooth wouldn’t go through this much food. Marghetta was right to be surprised.
“But what brings you here?”
“I came to see if Sir Carl had time?”
I tilted my head slightly as I looked at Marghetta, who smiled at me.
Up until now, Marghetta had only visited me in the mornings, as I’d likely be busy in the afternoons. Although I didn’t have much on my plate apart from managing the club, at least she gave me her precious afternoon time. So why the abrupt switch?
It’s not that I mind, though.
I wondered what made her feel like she could go back on her words.
“Yes, I’m free! What’s going on?”
“With the fair coming up soon, I wanted to ask if I could get some help from you, Sir Carl, in the afternoon as well. It’s not urgent, so feel free to turn me down.”
“Sir Carl could manage in the morning, you know?”
I thought for a moment about Marghetta’s words before nodding in agreement. Even if it wasn’t urgent, she probably just wanted to finish things up quickly. Better to wrap things up ahead of time, after all, to have spare time for any last-minute hitches that might pop up.
I completely understand!
“It’s not a tough ask at all. I’d be happy to help!”
“Thank you so much, Sir Carl!”
Marghetta smiled back at me while I couldn’t help but let my gaze drop to the pile of goodies on the desk. There’s so much, it’s hard to not notice.
Hmm…
As I shifted my attention between the snacks and Marghetta, it felt only right to offer something to my guest.
“Marghetta, would you like to have some with me?”
“Is there anything you’ve made yourself?”
“Nope.”
“Oh, what a shame.”
Seeing Marghetta giggle like that made me smile, too. My role here is simple; I just need to take on snack duty. If we started baking with seven instead of six, it would surely turn chaotic.
“Then could you give me one that you like?”
“Of course.”
In that moment, I hesitated a bit before reaching for Louise’s cookies. They were undeniably the best in my opinion. But looking back, the reactions from other tasters showed they rarely fit their tastes. Am I really okay with giving this to Marghetta?
But my deliberation didn’t last long. After all, it’s my personal favorite, and who knows? Marghetta might like it too!
“Here you go.”
“Thank you very much.”
In the end, Louise’s cookies made their way into Marghetta’s mouth. She consumed it gracefully and silently, without any visible change of expression.
“It’s quite good.”
She even nodded while evaluating it. Yes, I knew that someone out there would love it! Bursting with joy, I offered her a couple more, and Marghetta accepted without hesitation, continuing to munch on them—holding a steady, unwavering expression.
This is how it should be.
Those who longed for Louise’s affection should demonstrate this kind of behavior. Being sharp in their critiques like Marghetta did was unnecessary; it’s the clueless five who should be worried. Turns out, this club is the real oddball, for stepping outside, I noticed how normal and tranquil the world could be.
“Sorry, Sir Carl. Even though I suggested this, it seems today’s not a good day.”
I felt a warm sensation wash over me after quite some time, realizing I had kept Marghetta wrapped up for too long. After devouring a few more goodies, Marghetta excused herself from the table. Oops, did I get a little too excited?
“No, it seems like I’ve overstepped instead.”
Seeing her, the one-eyed lady in her presence, I felt oddly pleased.
*
That night, at Marghetta’s residence.
Marghetta lay face down on her bed, her body twitching slightly.
“Ughh…”
As soon as she returned from the clubroom, she collapsed onto the bed, letting her tears dampen her pillow while sniffling.
It was pure greed. She wanted to spend more time with Carl, going so far as to break her promise and seek him out in the afternoon.
Although it was somewhat embarrassing, if it meant being near him for a little longer, she was willing to swallow that embarrassment down.
Fortunately, Carl didn’t appear dissatisfied; rather, he offered her pastries, creating a cheerful atmosphere. That’s how it should have felt.
What am I going to do? He must’ve disliked it!
The taste was horrendous. With his smiling demeanor, she couldn’t bring herself to reject his offers, leading her to continuously eat. She dreaded the thought of disappointing him and desperately tried to maintain her composure.
As she munched, various thoughts swirled in her head. Was he forcing her to chew those dreadful cookies to reprimand her for not keeping her word? Or was it a way to tease the already worn-out Inspector for her greedy desires? If that was the case, did he suggest those horrendous cookies as a way to get her to leave?
With negative thoughts flooding her mind, her eyes began to well with tears. With great effort, she finally got herself up to leave the clubroom.
Did she earn his disdain for being overly greedy? Reaching that conclusion only made her feel even more sorrowful, and she buried her face deeper into her pillow in distress.
However, that misunderstanding evaporated the very next morning when Carl welcomed her with a smile as she shyly arrived, melting away like snow under the warm spring sun.
Marghetta Valenti. A lady blessed with both overflowing confidence and sensitivity in equal measure.
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