A Cake for Seere
Mark was a little flustered. He had been in charge of the Demon King Castle’s kitchen since the previous generation, yet never in his life had he encountered a situation like this.
“Ah, Mark. How much sugar should I add?”
“N-ninety grams, if you please.”
“I see.”
Nahen poured the sugar into the bowl and stirred, while Seere watched with a bright, beaming smile. The Demon King and her master had come to the kitchen in person. Mark could hardly believe what he was seeing. The tournament to decide the new officers was in full swing, yet instead of watching the matches, they had come here… and now they were making a cake themselves.
‘They’re making the cake with their own hands?’
Seere had watched him bake cakes and puddings a few times when she was little, so that much made sense. But the Royal Tutor personally entering the kitchen and cooking? It was nothing short of astonishing.
“What do I do now?”
“Y-you need to place it over a double boiler here.”
“Understood.”
He wasn’t even using magic. With Nahen’s skill, he could have conjured hundreds of cakes in an instant, yet he was doing everything by hand.
‘His devotion to Her Majesty Seere is truly remarkable.’
Mark felt a surge of emotion and moved to assist Nahen, only to be gently stopped.
“Mark, just tell me what I don’t know. I’ll handle the rest.”
“It would be far easier if I helped, sir.”
“I know, but I promised to do this myself. It’s a reward for Seere.”
“That’s right, Mark. Let Teacher do it.”
“Ah… Understood.”
If it was a reward, then Seere must have wished for this. Mark already knew how deeply she trusted her teacher, but to ask for a cake made by his own hands… It was clear just how much she adored Nahen.
As Mark had guessed, Seere’s face was radiant with happiness.
‘Teacher is doing this… for me.’
He was making a cake for her with his own hands! To Seere, this was nothing short of revolutionary. She felt so overjoyed she might float right up into the sky. What made it even more special was that Nahen had thought of the reward himself rather than Seere having to ask. Ever since yesterday, she had been in an exceptionally good mood, feeling just how much he cherished her.
‘Teacher looks so cool when he’s concentrating on baking…’
Seere wondered if this was what happiness felt like. She wanted to savor the moment forever. But then—
“Your Majesty, it is time to depart. The first round of matches has concluded.”
Kain’s voice announced the end of their time together. Eight of the sixteen candidates Seere had selected had already been eliminated.
“Go on. When you return, there will be a delicious cake waiting for you.”
“Okaaay…”
Seere rose reluctantly and walked toward Kain. Nahen gave her a small smile as he watched her go. Once she had left, he turned to Mark.
“We’d better hurry.”
“Yes, sir. I will assist you with all my heart. Now you must stir this to create foam.”
Following Mark’s guidance, Nahen began whisking the mixture over the double boiler with quick, steady strokes. After some time, foam began to rise exactly as Mark had said.
“Now you must remove the air bubbles while keeping the foam intact. If bubbles remain, the cake will have holes after baking, so eliminate them as thoroughly as possible.”
Nahen followed Mark’s instructions without adding any of his own ideas. When it came to cooking, Mark clearly knew far more than he did. Watching him, Mark thought to himself:
‘I was worried since he said it was his first time, but he’s doing quite well.’
Mark nodded, convinced that the title of Royal Tutor was not one just anyone could hold, and continued explaining the next steps.
“Now sift in the cake flour and keep stirring.”
“Got it.”
Nahen sifted the prepared flour into the bowl and stirred gently to preserve the foam. Mark nodded in satisfaction.
“Next, add the melted butter.”
“How much?”
“About twenty-five grams.”
Nahen measured out the butter with a spoon, added it, and mixed thoroughly. Once Mark confirmed it was ready, he pointed to the prepared pan.
“Now pour it in here.”
Mark had already greased and lined the mold. Nahen carefully poured the batter into the paper-lined pan.
“Bake it at one hundred and eighty degrees for twenty-five minutes. Using magic would be faster, but…”
“It’s fine. I want to do this properly.”
Mark felt a small pang of emotion at the sight of Nahen putting in so much effort for Seere. His own loyalty to her ran just as deep. He bowed his head in quiet admiration.
“Understood.”
Instead of magic, they used the oven. When the cake was done, Nahen carefully removed the pan, inverted it onto a plate, and lifted the mold away. The sponge slid out perfectly.
“Oh, well done. It’s flawless.”
“Is it? That’s a relief.”
“Now we need to let it cool and slice it horizontally into three layers. While it cools, let’s prepare the whipped cream.”
“Let’s do that.”
Mark set out the ingredients: milk, sugar, and cream. Nahen tilted his head at the sight of cream being used to make cream.
“Plain cream tastes bland. You need to mix in a little milk and sugar to make it truly delicious.”
“I see.”
Mark handed Nahen a large bowl filled with ice and instructed him to place another bowl of cream on top.
“Whipped cream must stay cold to prevent separation. Set the bowl on the ice and mix the cream, milk, and sugar together.”
Nahen nodded while thinking how impressive it was that Mark had always done this for Seere. ‘Cooking really isn’t a job just anyone can do.’
He followed Mark’s directions precisely and succeeded without issue. Once the whipped cream was ready, he spread it over the three layers of sponge, added thin slices of strawberry, stacked the next layer, and repeated the process. After assembling all three tiers, he covered the entire cake with cream and finished by placing whole strawberries on top.
“…Oh.”
“Excellent work, Lord Nahen. It’s perfect!”
The strawberry shortcake was complete. Nahen glanced at the window. What had begun in the morning had stretched into noon.
“Seere still isn’t back?”
“It seems not. Ah, perfect timing.”
“Hm?”
“Why not bring it to Her Majesty yourself? She’ll be even happier.”
“Hmm.”
Nahen considered Mark’s suggestion for a moment, then nodded.
“You’re right.”
“Shall I accompany you?”
“No. You have your own duties. I’ll go alone.”
“Understood. I’m certain Her Majesty will love it.”
Nahen chuckled at the praise. Holding the cake he had made for the very first time, he said,
“I hope so.”
#
Following yesterday’s matches, today marked the final selection for the officer positions. The remaining sixteen candidates would fight until only four remained.
The round of sixteen had been a straightforward tournament, but with eight left, the format changed. First, four winners would be chosen. Then two more would be selected from the four losers. The four winners would then face each other, producing two additional losers. Those two would compete against the winners of the losers’ bracket. Ultimately, the two undefeated fighters would become legion commanders, while the losers of the semifinals and the winners of the losers’ bracket would compete for the vice-commander positions.
That was why it was taking so long. The four winners had just been decided, and the losers’ bracket had concluded. Now the four winners were about to face one another.
“Haaah.”
“Are you bored, Your Majesty? It seems no one has caught your eye.”
“No, they’re doing well, but…”
Seere’s gaze lingered on Celestia of the Fourth Legion and one of the soldier volunteers—a high orc, a rare and superior variant of the orc race. High orcs possessed greater strength than ordinary orcs, and their intellect was exceptional. That intellect had shone during the selection of the four winners. Yet Seere felt bored. Only she knew the true reason.
‘Cake…’
Watching Nahen bake was far more enjoyable than observing these talented fighters.
‘Teacher… my very own teacher is making a cake just for me…’
She wanted to eat the cake Nahen had made with his own hands as soon as possible. She wished the matches would end quickly. That was why boredom kept creeping in.
Just as the thought crossed her mind, Seere’s half-closed eyes snapped open. She turned around sharply. Her feeling had been correct.
“Teacher?”
“How are the matches going?”
It was Nahen. Seere had sensed his mana and been startled. She stared at him in surprise.
“H-how did you get here? What about the cake…?”
“You don’t think I’d abandon it, do you?”
Nahen held out a small square box. Even without opening it, Seere knew exactly what was inside.
“I finished it and brought it over.”
“Y-you came all the way here just to bring it?”
“It tastes best right after it’s made, doesn’t it?”
Nahen placed the box on the small table Seere had prepared for her teacup. He opened it, revealing a beautifully made strawberry shortcake.
“Waaah!!”
The moment she saw it, Seere broke into a wide grin and gasped in delight.
“The winner is Murciela!”
At that moment, the first match of the winners’ bracket concluded. But the result meant nothing to Seere. Her eyes were fixed solely on the cake.
‘This is what Teacher made?’
He had said it was his first time, yet the quality was impressive. She briefly wondered if Mark had helped, but Nahen spoke first.
“Mark only gave instructions. I did everything myself.”
“Really? You made this yourself, Teacher?”
“Of course.”
Nahen smiled warmly. Seere’s expression reminded him of how adorable she had been as a child. He silently praised himself for choosing such a wonderful reward.
“I’ll cut you a slice. Try it.”
Nahen sliced the cake with a knife he had brought along and placed a piece on a plate with a fork. His preparation was impeccable. Seere gazed at the slice in front of her and marveled at the layers of strawberries and cream. There was no way something this beautiful could taste bad. A smile refused to leave her lips. She already loved cake, and knowing her favorite teacher had made it made it even better.
“Teacher’s… first strawberry cake, right?”
“Hm? Yes. It was my first time making something like this, but it was more fun than I expected.”
“Hehe… Then I’m the first one to taste Teacher’s cake.”
“…That’s true.”
Seere had been emphasizing the word “first” for a while now. Nahen tilted his head, but Seere quickly picked up her fork and scooped up a perfect bite of strawberry, cream, and sponge.
“Aah~”
She popped it into her mouth. For some reason, Nahen felt a flicker of nervousness. What if she said it tasted bad?
“Mmm~♪”
Of course it didn’t taste bad. Even if it had been only passable, Seere would have found it delicious simply because Nahen made it. But the quality was genuinely high, so it was objectively delicious as well.
“It’s delicious, Teacher!”
“Really?”
“Yes! It’s even better than the ones Mark makes!”
This was Seere’s biased opinion, of course. The fact that Nahen had made it for her alone added an extra five hundred points in her mind. Watching her eat like a happy child, Nahen smiled softly.
“Seere.”
“Yes?”
“Always remember that you come first to me. Even if I pay attention to others, it will never be as much as I pay to you.”
Nahen spoke indirectly, but the meaning was clear: she didn’t need to be overly wary of Sitri or anyone else. Seere stared at him blankly for a moment.
“That’s why I made the cake for you. If anyone else had asked, I wouldn’t have lifted a finger.”
“You did it because it was me? So you’ll only ever make it for me from now on?”
“Yes. From now on, I’ll only make it for you. There’s no reason to do it for anyone else.”
Nahen reassured her so she wouldn’t feel jealous of others claiming his attention. What he didn’t realize was that his words were being interpreted in an entirely different way by Seere.
“Thank you, Teacher.”
“Good. As long as you understand. I’ll make more for you as rewards from time to time.”
“Okay.”
…His words had reached Seere with a meaning he had never intended.