Cookie Magic
Chapter 5 — Cookie Magic
Lilith stood barely half a meter away from me, staring directly into my eyes. Up close, her pale skin and long black hair made her look almost doll-like, but it was her deep purple eyes that caught my attention. They were beautiful, yet unnaturally calm for a child her age. Looking into them gave me the strange feeling that something impossibly deep was hidden behind that small, expressionless face.
An endless void.
That was the only way I could describe it.
*This is Lilith Frostwolf. The future Void Witch is standing right in front of me.*
And for some reason, she was staring at me as though I were the strange one.
Behind us, Duke Frostwolf stood beside my father. The adults had been quietly watching our interaction, but the silence had grown awkward enough that even the servants seemed unsure where to look.
The duke finally cleared his throat.
"I didn't know you had a child around the same age as my Lilith," he said. "Perhaps the two of them could entertain each other while we conduct our meeting."
My mother's expression changed immediately. She took half a step forward, looking as though she wanted to object, but my father gently placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered something in her ear.
I couldn't hear what he said, but I saw my mother's gaze shift between Lilith and me. Concern crossed her face.
I wanted to tell her I was perfectly fine. I also wanted to grab her hand and ask her to take me home.
Unfortunately, neither option seemed particularly useful.
"I'm sure that would be an excellent idea, Sir Frostwolf," my father replied.
A servant was summoned and given instructions before turning toward us.
"This way, young master Leon. Lady Lilith."
And just like that, my peaceful plan of avoiding every important character in this world officially collapsed.
I followed the servant into the manor with Lilith walking beside me. Neither of us said a word. Our footsteps echoed through the corridor, and the silence between us grew increasingly uncomfortable.
Normally, I liked this part of the manor. Today, every step felt like I was walking toward my execution.
*Why did I agree to this?*
Then I remembered that I hadn't agreed to anything. My father had made the decision for me.
Somehow, that made it worse.
***
The servant led us to one of the smaller halls prepared for children. A carpet covered most of the wooden floor, and a collection of toys had been arranged near the walls. There were painted blocks, wooden animals, a miniature carriage, dolls, and a few balls.
Lilith stood several steps away from me, showing no interest in any of them. She didn't look at the toys or the garden outside. Instead, she kept her hands together and occasionally glanced at me before quickly looking away.
I watched her in silence.
*This is supposed to be the future Void Witch?*
There was no terrifying presence, no murderous aura, and certainly no ominous declaration. She was just a quiet little girl who seemed to have no idea what she was supposed to do with another child.
I felt a little less afraid.
Only a little.
Hoping to break the awkward silence, I walked over to a wooden chest in the corner and rummaged through my toys. After searching for a moment, I found a small rubber ball and returned to her.
Holding it up, I gave her a smile.
"Do you want to play with a ball?"
Lilith looked at the ball, then at me, before quietly shaking her head.
"...No."
"Oh."
I tossed the ball aside. It bounced twice before rolling beneath a small table.
Silence returned.
I stared at Lilith while she stared at the floor. After several seconds, something finally clicked.
*Ah.*
This wasn't the terrifying Void Witch from the game.
Not yet.
Right now, she was simply a lonely little girl who apparently didn't know how to play with other children because nobody wanted to spend time with her.
Maybe avoiding her wasn't the best way to prevent the future disaster.
Maybe helping her was.
The thought made me hesitate. I had spent so much time thinking of Lilith as a future calamity that I had forgotten something important.
Before becoming the Void Witch, she had been a person.
A child.
For the next ten minutes, I tried practically everything I could think of.
"Want to play with this?"
She shook her head.
"What about this?"
Another shake.
I tried the wooden sword, the spinning top, the miniature carriage, and even a stuffed animal.
She rejected everything.
At this point, I was beginning to wonder whether she had been programmed with only one response.
Then an idea struck me.
"Wait here."
Lilith raised her eyes slightly as I hurried toward the door. I grabbed the handle with my small hand and pulled with all the strength my nine-year-old body could muster. The heavy door opened slowly, allowing me to slip through.
Before closing it, I glanced back.
Lilith was still standing where I'd left her, her hands held together in front of her and her head slightly lowered.
Her face remained expressionless, but now that I was paying attention, I noticed something I hadn't seen before.
She looked sad.
I quickly closed the door and ran.
***
The manor's corridors blurred as I hurried toward the kitchen. I rushed past several servants and nearly collided with a maid coming from the opposite direction.
"Ah! Young master!"
"Sorry!"
I didn't stop.
The smell of freshly baked bread grew stronger as I approached the kitchen. Inside, cooks moved between preparation tables while knives chopped vegetables and wooden spoons stirred steaming pots. Copper pots hung above the counters, and shelves were packed with ingredients.
I ignored the commotion and headed straight for the storage area.
*Cookies.*
I hurried into a smaller room filled with shelves and glass jars, searching until I found exactly what I needed. I grabbed three jars and hugged them against my chest.
One contained heart-shaped cookies with red jam in the center. Another held small, round cookies, while the third was filled with triangular ones with crisp, golden surfaces.
As I hurried back, memories from my previous life resurfaced.
Well, I hadn't actually made these cookies myself. I'd only shared the recipes. My mother had been the one who prepared them.
Back on Earth, they were nothing special. Just ordinary cookies.
But here, they were surprisingly valuable.
This world had magic. People could split mountains, freeze rivers, summon storms, and light entire rooms without electricity. Yet, when it came to food, the technology was nowhere near as developed. Most recipes were simple, spices were limited, and baking techniques were surprisingly basic.
I still remembered the first time my mother had made these cookies after I shared the recipes. The head chef had tasted one, then another, and then another.
Eventually, the man had started crying.
Tears of joy.
At the time, I'd thought he was exaggerating. Now, however, I was beginning to understand how useful something as simple as a cookie could be.
Sure, introducing advanced technology to a fantasy world would probably be more impressive, but I didn't have the knowledge to do that. Besides, what could be more useful than something sweet when trying to win a child's heart?
The Frostwolf household was a powerful ducal family. They probably had expensive desserts, rare ingredients, and skilled chefs. Maybe their food was even better than ours.
But did they have these cookies?
Probably not.
And even if they did, there was no guarantee they tasted the same.
I smiled as I hurried back toward the room.
*Let's see how you react to this.*
***
Lilith remained alone in the children's hall.
She hadn't moved from her spot, and her gaze stayed fixed on the floor.
*Why is everyone afraid of me?*
She lowered her head slightly.
*I didn't mean to do it...*
Memories returned to her. The maids who avoided her, the servants who fell silent whenever she entered a room, and the other children who always found an excuse to leave whenever her father tried introducing them.
She didn't understand what she had done wrong.
She had never wanted any of it. She simply wanted someone to play with. Someone who would stay.
But everyone left.
Her fingers tightened around one another.
Then came the creaking sound of the door opening.
Lilith raised her head.
Leon peeked through the doorway, three jars stacked in his arms. His expression was unusually serious.
"Psst."
Lilith blinked.
"Follow me."
She stared at him, confused.
*Why is he still talking to me?*
Before she could ask, Leon walked over and took her hand. His small fingers wrapped around hers.
Lilith froze.
Nobody had done that before.
"You'll like this," Leon said confidently.
Then, without waiting for her response, he began pulling her toward the door.
***
I hurried toward my room with Lilith following behind me. By now, the afternoon sunlight had begun to fade, casting a warm orange glow through the manor's windows.
When we finally arrived, I opened the door and led her inside.
My room was comfortable, with a large bed near the windows and a fireplace along one wall. A small table stood beside it, providing the perfect place for what I had planned.
I placed the three jars on the table.
Lilith looked around curiously before turning her attention back to me.
*Perfect.*
I arranged the jars in front of her, then turned with what I hoped was an impressive smile.
"Lilith, do you want to see a magic trick?"
She stared at me.
Confusion appeared on her face.
I grinned.
"Cookie magic!"