Cold Judgment and a Promise
“What? There are more varieties than I expected. When did he manage to whip all that up?” Several assorted pastries sat neatly arranged on Maruti’s plate. The desserts were split between black and white, six in total. By shape alone there were three distinct kinds, each presented as a matching black-and-white pair. Clearly he had differentiated them by flavor.
“White chocolate? Don’t tell me that’s actually…”
“All right, let’s begin with Maruti. Explain what you prepared. We don’t have much time, so keep it short and to the point.”
While I was still staring at Maruti’s creations, Benetric stepped forward to start the judging. Her voice had been unusually animated since earlier, and a rare smile now graced her face. Even at a glance, the visual appeal of the desserts must have satisfied her. For someone who loved gourmet food, the mere act of tasting and evaluating was probably exciting enough on its own.
“Yes. I prepared desserts using both milk chocolate and white chocolate.”
“Oh? So it really is white chocolate. I can understand using leftover regular chocolate from the memorial service, but white chocolate? You actually had some left?”
Benetric’s expression brightened at Maruti’s explanation. A dimple even appeared at the corner of her mouth.
“No, ma’am.”
“Don’t tell me… Maruti, are you saying you made it yourself?”
“The idea was mine, but my companions helped a great deal. Fortunately, we had plenty of cocoa butter on hand, so I was able to show off my meager skills.”
“Hmm. Is that so?”
“I can confidently say this is the finest dessert I could produce within the given time.”
“A humble attitude, yet your pride in the dessert comes through clearly. I like that.”
At Benetric’s continued praise, Maruti puffed out his chest and looked rather pleased with himself. White chocolate—essentially a variant made without any cocoa powder, using only skim milk powder, cocoa butter, and sugar. Because it lacked chocolate’s signature flavor, it was a divisive treat. I had assumed my victory was assured, but Maruti was clearly not an opponent to be underestimated. To think he could create a high-class dessert from scratch…
“He really is a top-tier chef on the continent, after all.”
The dessert was perfectly tailored to Benetric’s preferences. It felt like a blow to the back of my head. Creating an entirely new kind of chocolate—Benetric, who adored anything special, would surely find it irresistible.
—Clink…!
“Quite a few varieties. They all look like chocolate set on biscuits in different ways… except this one. What’s this?”
Benetric picked up a spherical white chocolate that resembled a quail egg from Maruti’s plate and examined it.
“Please try it. I believe you’ll like it.”
“Very well. I already have a mental image of how ordinary desserts taste.”
—Crunch…!
With that, Benetric bit into the spherical chocolate. A distinct cracking sound came from something hard inside.
“Oh…! There’s an almond inside, isn’t there?”
“Exactly! I knew you would figure it out in one bite, Professor!”
Maruti clapped his hands, flattering Benetric as though she had uncovered some extraordinary secret recipe.
“A truly excellent combination. Not perfect, but the almond’s nuttiness nicely balances the chocolate’s richness. Mmm…! Not bad at all!”
Praise flowed immediately after tasting Maruti’s dessert, her expression thoroughly satisfied.
“……”
His reaction made me uneasy. Perhaps I had underestimated Maruti after all. Unlike him, I had only prepared a single item.
“Now then, Breeder? What did you bring?”
After finishing the almond-filled white chocolate, Benetric turned to me. She rinsed her mouth with water, preparing to taste the next dessert with a clean palate.
“I prepared chocolate pies.”
“Chocolate pies?”
“Yes. As you can see, the pies are coated in chocolate. In my hometown, people enjoy them after paying respects at the memorial as a way to savor a moment of reverence.”
“What? Is that true?”
“Yes. Some even shed tears of joy while eating them.”
“Ha. Enough with the exaggeration… So you managed to finish both the dough and baking in that short time?”
Benetric showed clear interest, her expression surprised as she glanced at the chocolate pies spread across the kitchen table.
“Yes. As you saw earlier… it was only possible thanks to the young ladies’ help.”
“That makes sense. There’s no way one person could handle that quantity alone… Still, well done.”
“You flatter me.”
“In any case, I can’t help but have high expectations this time as well.”
—Grab!
She reached out with her sturdy hand and picked up one of the pies from the plate.
“From the outside it just looks like chocolate hardened on the surface… But since it’s called a pie, there must be something inside, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Then let’s see…”
After examining the chocolate pie up close, Benetric brought it straight to her mouth without further comment. At least the appearance seemed to pass muster.
‘Please let it suit her taste…’
Taste evaluations were highly subjective. Everything depended on Benetric’s personal preference. She might even side with Maruti just to keep me under her thumb. What if the outcome had already been decided from the start? Was I simply being played…?
“Hah—!”
By the time I belatedly realized the unfair structure of this contest, Benetric had already taken a large bite of the chocolate pie. If this had truly been a scheme to exploit me, she would have launched into harsh criticism the moment she tasted it…
“I-It’s soft and sweet?!”
“……?”
Yet Benetric’s first words were filled with genuine admiration.
“…Ah, what’s inside?! It’s just cream, isn’t it? Completely ordinary… Yet it tastes this good? It’s like a miniature version of a high-class chocolate cake…”
Benetric’s usually sharp eyes widened in surprise. Her gaze held unmistakable sincerity—she was genuinely astonished, far more than when she had tasted Maruti’s dessert. She kept murmuring to herself while closely inspecting the cross-section, clearly wondering what made the inside so remarkably soft.
‘She likes it…? Phew, thank goodness.’
Her reaction was far better than I had feared, washing away my earlier anxiety. Maybe I still had a chance. At least she didn’t faint this time—probably because it was a normal dessert.
“Hey, Breeder? What exactly is inside? It doesn’t seem like plain cream.”
“It’s whipped cream.”
“Whipped cream?”
“Yes. I didn’t add anything special. Just a bit more sugar than usual.”
“Really? Then how does it taste like this…? And how is the chocolate this cold in the first place?”
Benetric rubbed the surface of the chocolate pie with her fingers while questioning me, clearly intrigued by the chilled chocolate.
“Ah, that’s thanks to Lady Sonya’s help…”
“What? Sonya? That prickly little girl helped you?”
“Yes, she did.”
“That’s surprising. A child who never shows interest in other races went out of her way to assist a mere human…? I suppose your story checks out?”
“Of course. You’re welcome to ask her directly.”
“Well, whatever. Thanks to the cold chocolate, the texture is interesting, and the sweetness feels even more pronounced with every bite. It’s simple, but it stays true to the basics.”
—Munch munch…
Even after finishing her evaluation, Benetric continued savoring the pie. Her demeanor was completely different from when she had tasted Maruti’s dessert.
—Suck…!
After devouring the entire pie, she even licked the chocolate off her fingers—an utterly un-dragonlike display. It was obvious that my cream-filled chocolate pie had won her over.
“Um… Professor? Did you enjoy it?”
“Ah, yes. Look at me, getting carried away. I’ll announce the winner right here.”
At my question, Benetric hurriedly pulled her fingers from her mouth. Regaining her composure, she paced around Maruti and me for a moment before circling us twice.
“First, Maruti?”
“Yes, Professor.”
“I highly commend your skilled cooking.”
“I’m honored, Professor…! Then I suppose I win—”
“Hear me out to the end.”
“Ah, yes…”
“Preparing a dessert that perfectly suits my palate is impressive. But that’s as far as it goes.”
“Pardon? What do you mean…?”
Maruti flicked his slender tongue in confusion. I felt the same. Until a moment ago, I had thought I lost. I never expected there was still more to the judgment.
“The items for today’s tea party are meant for the children. Rather than catering only to my taste, Breeder considered everyone’s palate. Therefore, he wins.”
“Huh…? I-Is that really true?”
Benetric suddenly turned toward me and declared me the victor. It was completely unexpected. I couldn’t help but question it—I hadn’t anticipated she would choose the more universally appealing option.
“What’s with that reaction? Were you actually hoping to push for meal duty every week?”
“N-No! I just couldn’t believe it…”
“Hmph. I hate to admit it, but the taste is excellent. If eaten at room temperature it would have been overwhelmingly sweet, but serving it chilled keeps it perfectly balanced. The students will love it.”
Her evaluation continued, remarkably objective. Choosing something that considered everyone’s tastes… I had assumed Benetric would rule in her own favor, but she cleanly acknowledged my skill.
“Thank you for recognizing my efforts!”
Benetric was always sincere when it came to gourmet food. Thinking back, she had been the same during the pizza incident—quite level-headed whenever food was involved. Perhaps it was a matter of pride as a true gourmand. Thanks to her, I would be freed from meal duty starting next week. Of course, I still had to attend those dreadfully boring memorial services, but if I played my cards right, I could slip away just like today and enjoy some leisure.
—Thud!
“H-How could this be…?! I lost to a human…?!”
Maruti, on the other hand, refused to accept the result. He denied reality, insisting it couldn’t be true. His pride as a renowned chef had taken a serious hit.
“Maruti? If you’re that upset, try it yourself. You’ll accept it right away.”
“Ugh! N-No thank you…!”
“Tsk. Such an immature short-lived species.”
Maruti sank to the floor, choosing to escape reality like a lizard shedding its tail. His face flushed red and blue with boiling frustration. Perhaps because Benetric was present, he couldn’t openly express his emotions.
“…By the way, Breeder?”
After clicking her tongue at Maruti’s refusal to accept defeat, Benetric turned to me.
“Yes? What is it?”
“Before we send this to the tea party, there’s one promise you must make with me.”
“Pardon? A promise?”
Benetric’s expression suddenly turned serious.
“Yes. Listen and judge for yourself.”
What could it be? A promise, out of nowhere? Surely she wasn’t about to suggest another contract. Or perhaps she would recommend me as an assistant again…
‘But I already refused to bond with her. There’s no way that’s possible, right?’