Volume 2 - Ch 29.2
After a close call between life and death as a result of eating Yumielas stew, Patrick has managed to survive. He is still not at his best and taking bed rest.
He got sick because of me. When I was at the dining table without Patrick, feeling depressed that I had made something outrageous, Eleanora encouraged me.
Dont worry, he will get better.
But
Do you feel responsible because he got sick?
Yeah, its my fault for using spoiled ingredients to cook.
This tragedy was caused by spoiled ingredients. Based on my previous life, I had always assumed that the food sold in stores was safe.
In a place where hygiene is poor and there is no such thing as an expiration date, it is common to find spoiled food on the market. It was my fault for failing to foresee it and not trying to improve the situation.
The innocent young lady, who didnt know anything about the situation, curiously asked.
Was it because of the ingredients?
Yup, it all happened because of the spoiled ingredients.
Eleanora stared at me with wide eyes. Growing up in sheltered conditions, she seems to be astonished by the concept that food spoils.
Are you sure? There was no problem with Yumiela-sans cooking?
Yeah, Im sure of it. There was nothing wrong with the way I cooked it, so I assumed the problem was because of the spoiled ingredients
Eleanora stood frozen in shock.
She takes her time to recover and as if she understood the truth of the universe, she said.
Ah, so thats how it happens.
Mhm, spoilage is terrible.
Improving the sanitation in Dolknes territory will have to wait. Right now, the most important thing is Patricks speedy recovery.
When he was at his worst, he used to refuse all the meals he got but hes started to recover and is able to eat normal food again. Lets get him something to eat.
Whats the best thing to give to a sick person?
Fruits and sweets would be the safe bet.
Sweets! It might be a good idea to make handmade sweets to wish for his speedy recovery.
Oh, no. I did it again! Flowera flower bouquet is the best gift ever for Patrick!
Flower? I dont think hes going to be happy receiving flowers. You cant eat a flower bouquet.
How about you give him the flower bouquet and Ill give him the handmade sweets?
Patrick is going to die! Yumiela-san, youve got no experience making sweets, right? I think its better if you dont try.
Its fine, I have made sweets that are kneaded by adding water.
Other than that, I also have experience making cotton candy at a yakiniku restaurant. It is safe to say that I am as good as your average patissier.
One thing I dont understand is why Eleanora keeps holding me back from making sweets to the point of tears.
Didnt you say that nobles shouldnt spend time in the kitchen and just leave it to the pros?
I did say that, but things are different now.
Theres some resemblance between making sweets and chemistry experiments. Unlike cooking, there are no vague measurements in sweets making. Figuring how to follow a recipe and its measurements, making sure its cooked in the right way. The process requires a meticulous amount of precision.
too much. What if I remove three grains of sugar?
You dont have to go that far, you know?
Youre too noisy. Ah! Now theres even less. Adding one grain to make it even
One hour after I started baking cookies with Eleanora, who insisted on joining me, I was struggling with the scale.
Huh? Its heavier than it was before I removed the sugar.
The moisture and oil from your hands made it heavier. Better not include this in the total weight.
Have you ever heard ofmeasurement error?
Ive heard about it. But I worry about it because measurement errors can lead to serious incidents.
The dough was finished after mixing eggs, butter, wheat flour, and sugar. Eleanora is also making her own cookies. She seemed to be doing a rough job compared to mine, I wonder how her cookies will turn out.
Yosh, time for the secret ingredient. While I was going through the kitchen pantry to see what I could add to my cookies, Elanora grabbed my arm.
What are you looking for?
Im looking for some spices, I forgot their name.
Spices are good for your health because they stimulate your metabolism. It will help bring out the flavor and will be good for Patrick who is sick.
But spices have a bad image for the stomach, too. What if I add something good for the stomach, like root vegetable? Should I chop some carrots and put them in? Carrots are good for ones body, no doubt about it.
And we cant forget about garlic. It is the only thing that defies the law that tasty food is bad for you. Should add one, too.
Eleanora grabbed my arm and I have long since shaken it off. Dont underestimate the difference between levels.
Ohh, its over already. My helpless self
This looks good.
I added a lot of different ingredients for subtle flavors. Though it was hard for me to decide how much to put in, there was no such thing as too much since it was good for the body.
Once the dough was done, we cut it out using a cookie cutter. In a heart-shaped cookie cutter. Ehehe.
Huh? Youre using the heart-shaped one, too?
Yup, were matching!
You seem to like to match things.
Thats what I want.
Girls with the tendency to match each others everything are never my favorite. But whatever, its only a cookie shape. Once its in the stomach, its all the same.
After that, all we had to do was bake the cookies in the oven. The cook had already lit the fire, so it was an easy task. My cookies were on the left side and Eleanoras were on the right. Since our cookies have the same shape, its important to remember whose ones belong on which side.
The one on the left is mine.
Huh? Wasnt it on the right?
No, mine was on the left. I made sure I put it correctly.
chances are decreasing.
There is no way Im mistaking left and right. Im sure the cookies on the left are mine.
Yosh, all I have to do is keep an eye on the oven and Ill be fine. It wasnt necessary for both of us to watch over the cookies, so I volunteered to keep an eye on them.
Ill watch over the cookies, you can come back when its done baking.
Ha! Ill do it! I love watching cookies bake. Dont you have work to do?
Thats unusual. Then, Ill leave the cookies to you.
Eleanora is odd, she loves to look inside the oven. I was worried about leaving her alone, but a cook in the corner was preparing food.
Ill take her word for it and catch up on some unfinished work I have piled up.
When I returned to the kitchen, the cookies were almost done.
Eleanora was fidgeting while waiting. She seemed too nervous, it made her look sus or maybe she was looking forward to it that much.
Plus, she was wearing thick mittens. Looks like she was so excited that she couldnt wait.
I see you already got your mittens on.
Uh, what? Oh! No, no, no. Ive just put them on!
Said the flustered Eleanora as she put on her extra-large mittens. Hahaha, youve had them on for a while.
Will you take it out now?
Okay, yours was on the left.
Thats why you shouldnt mistake left and right. My cookies were definitely on the left.
Opening the oven, I grabbed the metal tray with my bare hands and took it out. A scream was heard from next to me.
Eek! Dont do that, youll get burned.
Im fine. You shouldnt touch the tray with your bare hands. Its hot.
The tray was placed on the table to make it easier for me to check the finished cookies.
The cookies were mostly a beautiful beige color. Due to the uneven temperature in the oven, the edges had turned a little darker. However, they arent burnt like charcoal, which means they were edible.
Some of the cookies were broken. Ill eat those and the slightly burnt ones.
The cookies were hot and fresh, and I popped one into my mouth. The taste was just right, sweet and crispy. Although I prefer it when cooled, this is just as delicious.
Eleanora placed her tray on the table next to me as I pat myself on the back.
What is that?
I messed up.
The cookies made by Eleanora were jet black mystery objects. The cookies were baked at the same time, how could it happen?
And it smelled spicy. The cookies also smelled of something else, and they stank.
If it wasnt for the same heart shape, I wouldnt have known it was a cookie.
Ill try this one.
Noo! This isnt edible!
Not listening to Eleanoras warning, I ate the cookies she made. It was spicy! The unpleasant smell in my mouth was disgusting. What the hell is this?
We all make mistakes, you know.
Doesnt it make your stomach sick? Do you want to end up like Patrick?
Even though the person who made these foul cookies was concerned about my health, she showed no remorse whatsoever. This is terrorism-level stuff.
Wait. I believe I had eaten the cookies she made when we were in the academy. Sure, it didnt taste amazing but it was normal.
I dont know why Well, thats okay. Pursuing the cause now will only hurt Eleanora.
My stomach is fine.
Poisonous insects dont die from their own poison, do they?
Eh? What does that mean?
Anyway, back to the cookies. Time to send the cookies to Patrick.
A beautiful and stylish wrapping would be a waste, I just put it on a plate and hand-delivered them to Patrick.
Walking alongside Eleanora, we came to Patricks room. We knocked before entering the room.
Patrick, are you okay?
Ah I feel better. I can have a normal meal now.
Thats good to hear! Ive baked cookies for you!
When I presented him with the plate of cookies, he jumped up and started to run away. He is too quick for a sick person. Of course, I grabbed his arm to stop him.Hey!You shouldnt move too much!
After I grabbed him by the arm, Patrick obediently went back to bed. Somehow he looked dead inside. Do his eyes get worse when his stomach hurts?
Come on! You need to try this!
He froze in front of the plate of homemade cookies. I bet he was impressed.
Just as I was about to start shoving it in his mouth, Eleanora, who had been watching us, opened her mouth.
Dont worry, Ive switched them up.
Eh?
We made the same cookies, mine was a disaster they were poisonous. But Yumiela-sans cookies are well made, can you please try it?
I have no idea what shes trying to say. She didnt need to go out of her way to reveal how bad she was at baking.
Patrick began to eat the cookie with tears in his eyes.
Thank you, thank you so much.
He ate the cookies, thanking me over and over again. Yet somehow, I didnt feel like I was being thanked.
My goal of getting Patrick to eat my homemade sweets had been accomplished.
The next day, Patrick made a full recovery.
Anyway, Yumiela is banned from the kitchen.
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