Making Sweets

“Alright… will that do it?”

After I finished up my work for the day early, I borrowed the manor’s kitchen to try and bake some cookies. This is my third attempt, since I’ve been struggling with the lack of quality ingredients in this world… but even if there’s still a long way to go before I’m fully satisfied, I’m fairly confident that at least some of the cookies in this batch were delicious.

Hm? Why am I baking sweets like this? Obviously, so that I can treat my beloved wife and daughter to something delicious. Of course, if you compared them with the cookies from my previous world, anyone would think that they don’t quite measure up, but… After all, considering the level of scientific advancement here, the ingredients needed to create those flavours likely don’t even exist.

My first priority was to try to make them look as cute as possible, but… when I thought about a severe looking father like myself trying to do cute little frosting designs on cookies, something in my heart ached… Even so, I’ll have to overcome this pain for the sake of the ones I love, a trial like this is nothing.

“Oh… Callis-sama? Are they done?”

Garrick, the head chef of the house, peeked over my shoulder curiously.

“Yes, for the time being, at least.”

“Is that so…? At any rate, Callis-sama, since when have you taken up cooking?”

“Mm… Well, not too long ago. Can I ask you to taste test for me?”

“Of course.”

I could hardly say that I knew how to do it from my memories of a previous life, but Garrick seemed pleased I was asking him to test my creations all the same. I felt a little bad about lying to him like that, but I pushed those thoughts out of my mind as Garrick took a bite… and then froze, his face deadly serious.

“Garrick?”

“…Callis-sama. Could you please teach me the recipe you used for this?”

“I don’t mind, but… could you tell me how they tasted first?”

After feeling like there’d be a ghastly reckoning should I refuse Garrick here, I steeled my expression and asked him.

“They’re, well… they’re incredibly delicious. Honestly, just what means did you use to make something so unbelievably tasteful?”

“Well… love, I suppose?”

I couldn’t say I was just following a simple recipe from my past life, but somehow Garrick seemed convinced with my answer.

“I see… so after all, the reason really is because of how close you have been with your lady wife recently, Callis-sama?”

“Haha… well, I guess?”

I felt the beginnings of a cold sweat on my brow… but, it’s not as if he’s wrong.

Recently, the atmosphere in the Fall household has been completely different. Up until now, the relationship between the Lord of the house Callis, his wife Duchess Sasha and his daughter, Laurier, had seemed frigid and forlorn, and that heavy atmosphere had an effect on the atmosphere of the house… but now that Callis’ personality had changed to mine, our relationship has changed and it feels as if everyone in the household is walking around with a massive weight off their shoulders.

Well, of course, the reason is just that I began to truly treat those two like family compare to before, but… in the beginning, I have to say the stupefied faces of the servants as they watched my change in behaviour was pretty funny to see.

Eventually I got used to it… however, it seems like lately the amount of servants that are smiling at me as I pass by is growing.

“That’s right… There’s another dish I wanted to try cooking, but… can I ask for your help?”

“Of course you can! Then, you can tell me the recipe for those cookies later.”

“Yeah… but for the time being, I’d like to invite those two to have tea with me, so I’ll be back later.”

With that, I left the kitchen.

Along with Garrick, there should be a lot more opportunities to collaborate and try and work on cuisine I remember from my previous world, but… at that time, my wife and daughter were the only two people on my mind.