“Bahaln!”

“…Miss Irene?”

As soon as I entered the dining room, I immediately started looking for him. Baharn, who was in the kitchen, heard me calling for him and appeared outside.

“What’s going on here? I haven’t heard there was dinner today, but…”

“I want to tell something to Bahaln, so I came.”

“To me?”

“Hm. To you.”

“I see. Please, go ahead.”

He looked puzzled when I procrastinated and didn’t readily bring up the main topic. 

I slowly pointed to the kitchen.

“I also want to make snacks over there, like Bahaln.”

“……What?”

As expected, Baharn had a confused expression on his face. I appeared out of nowhere and said I wanted to make food, so of course he would not understand why.

Baharn, who was silent for a moment, let out a small laugh.

“Is there any food you want to eat? If so, I can make it for you.”

“Ah. No. No, not like that!”

“Then…?”

“I also want to make Daddy’s sweets together. Can’t I?”

At my words, Baharn’s expression hardened at first glance.

…You are not going to say no, are you?

As I eagerly looked up at him, Baharn shook his head with a troubled smile.

“I’m sorry, but I think it’s going to be difficult.” 

“Why?”

“There are a lot of dangerous tools in the kitchen. If you get a slight cut, my neck will be blown away. I want to live long, miss.”

But this time, I couldn’t back down.

I grabbed his arm as he was about to enter the kitchen again and fired a very desperate eyes attack.

Startled. Baharn opened his mouth slowly.

“…I’m sorry, Miss, but this really can’t be helped.”

“I won’t touch anything dangerous.”

“……”

“I’ll listen well.”

“……”

“…Please? Bahaln.”

Pah.

As I reached out and clung tightly to his strong arm, which was trained in kitchen work, Baharn closed his eyes with a resigned face. 

I grinned. It worked.

“Who can beat Miss Irene?”

Baharn opened the kitchen door while shaking his head, beckoning me to come in. Yet he spoke sternly.

“Never touch anything dangerous. I’ll do all that.”

“Yes. Promise.”

“And it seems like you should dress properly first.”

“Dress?”

Come to think of it, Baharn looked very neat. He had a hat on his head and a mask around his mouth.

He went inside the cooking room, rummaged around looking for something I could wear, and finally pulled out an apron with puffy frills.

I stared at it. 

“Bahaln.”

“Yes.”

“Is… this yours?”

As I asked with questionable eyes, he coughed in vain. The silence seemed to fit the apron. I guess that’s his taste. Everyone’s tastes should be respected.

I nodded my head saying I understood.

“Thanks for your understanding, miss.”

He hung the apron around my neck, folded the hem that dragged to the floor several times, and secured it. Then, after tying a ribbon tightly around my waist, he tied the headband with a yellow cloth to keep my hair from running down.

“Now we are ready.”

“What are were making?”

“Today is…. something simple…”

Baharn smiled ​​and started changing the ingredients on the counter one by one.

…No matter how well I listened and behaved, he didn’t seem to be relieved in his heart. It’s understandable because he said if I got hurt even a little bit, his neck would fly off.

Unlike before, Baharn stood blankly looking at the simple ingredients, and said.

“We’re going to make jam cookies from now on, miss.”

“…Cookies? Daddy likes it?”

“If the lady gives it to the Lord, he will enjoy it, no matter what it is.”

Rosaria said the same thing before. Why is everyone so confident to say something like that?

“Then let’s start kneading the dough.”

“Yes!”

I rolled up my sleeves with resolution.

Baharn’s skills were truly remarkable. At least that’s how it seemed to me.

“Wow, you’re great Bahaln!”

Seeing him demonstrate first, I greatly admired his skill, and Baharn laughed as if embarrassed.

“Haha, it’s not a big deal. It’s the first time Miss Irene has ever seen cooking, so it might look like that.”

“Awesome!”

“As you can see, proportions are important for dough ingredients.”

“Okay! I’ll try too.”

I can do it!

I put the ingredients one by one in a large bowl.

First, pour in an appropriate amount of flour, and then put eggs, sugar, and melted butter together, and then, as I carefully scrambled the flour with my small hands, Baharn laughed happily.

“You’re doing very well.”

“Really?!”

“Yes, that’s right. Just keep kneading the dough until it doesn’t stick to your hands.”

“All right.”

Until it doesn’t stick to your hands.

I muttered only that as I vigorously moved my arms.

Chumoung. Chumoung.

Baharn also started kneading the dough together. 

For reference, my portion was very small and Baharn kneaded a huge chunk.

How much did I hit it?

I straightened my back and exhaled. Now the dough wasn’t sticking to my hands.

“You seem to have done a good job.”

“Now what do I do?”

“Take off a little piece of the dough and give it the shape you want.”

Baharn took a part of the dough and made a star shape to show me.

“Wow.”

“Press a little in the middle, because you have to put jam in it.”

“Yes.”

What should I do? 

Stars have already been made by Baharn… I thought it would be easy and pretty to make a shape with hearts.

I rounded the dough and pressed it flat with the palm of my hand. Then, pressed the center to make a dent, then made a heart shape.

Seeing what I had made, Baharn burst into laughter.

“The cookie is very small.”

“Huh?”

“I think it’s because your hands are small.”

I saw what Baharn made. And I saw what I made.

Oh. Is it too small?

I thought I could have two or three bites of what Baharn made, but mine was small enough to be gone in one bite. 

I thought it would look a lot smaller in Cade’s eyes. 

“The Lord will be able to recognize immediately what you have made.”

“But it’s too small…”

“You can just mix it with what I make. Now let’s apply the jam.”

“Yes.”

“Here, I’ll give you a spoon.”

Baharn pulled out a variety of fruit jams and a sweet scent pierced my nose.

“A variety of different jams for each will look pretty when you look at it.”

“Yes.”

I picked up the spoon and scooped out plenty of apple jam first. After repeating it several times and putting it on the dough, it was all over.

“Now we just need to bake. We have to wait for a little now.”

“Wow! I did it!”

Laughter came out of joy.

I hope Cade likes it.

I went to the chair in the corner and sat down. After standing for a long time, my legs hurt and my back and arms also throbbed. 

Baharn came and untied the headband and apron.

“You got something on your face.”

“Where?”

“I’ll wipe it off for you.”

He came with a wet towel and wiped my face. It looked like I was covered in flour.

I quietly received Baharn’s touch.

And after a long time.

Ding. 

The clock’s alarm rang softly. It looked like all the cookies were baked.

I followed Baharn’s footsteps.

Cookies placed on a wide plate were baked to a golden color.

“Would you like to try one?”

Baharn, with a large glove in his hand, pulled out a plate and handed me a cookie cut in half.

I took it for a test taste. It was full of sweet and savory flavors, especially the part with jam that was very soft.

“It’s good!”

I widened my eyes.

I really made this? I can’t believe it.

“The Lord will be very pleased to receive it.”

“Wow…….”

Baharn quickly finished wrapping the cookies and a long blue ribbon hung over the transparent box.

I accepted it.

“Thank you, Bahaln.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Will Daddy like to have this?”

“It’s only natural.”

“Then I’ll go! See you next time!”

“I’ll be waiting.”

Baharn took me outside the dining hall. After a brief goodbye, I went straight to Daddy’s office.

The packaging can’t be messy! 

So I walked carefully, and around the time I arrived in front of the office.

“Why did you allow the Loisard Clan to visit?”