Saint’s Magic 13: Sweets

I knocked on the door of the Director’s office.

A response came from inside almost immediately, so I said, “Excuse me,” as a greeting before stepping in. The Director was at his desk, reading some documents.

“Sorry to bother you, but I have a request. Do you have a moment right now?”

“It’s fine. What is it?”

The Director looked up from his papers and turned toward me. My request was about wanting to order some items and whether he could arrange to have them brought in.

“Here’s what I’m thinking. Is it possible to have these ordered?”

As I said this, I handed him a memo. He read it and gave me a puzzled look. Fair enough. After all, the items listed didn’t seem related to work at all.

“Sugar, honey, and lemons? What are you planning to use them for?”

“I was thinking of making some sweets.”

“Sweets?”

Yes, the memo listed ingredients for sweets. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if this world had these materials, but when I checked with Jude, he confirmed they existed, so I thought I’d try making some after a long while. Back when I was a student, I used to make them all the time at home. After starting work, though, I stopped completely.

“I’m planning to make them for myself, so I’ll cover the cost, but I was wondering if we could order them along with the cafeteria’s ingredients.”

“For yourself? You’re eating them all alone?”

The items I planned to make were for personal use, so I fully intended to pay for them myself, but it seems that wasn’t what caught the Director’s attention. No, I wasn’t planning to eat them all by myself. Does the Director want some too? I see. In that case, maybe I should get the cafeteria cooks to help and make enough for the researchers as well.

“If that’s the case, the amount written on this memo won’t be enough.”

“Then add what you need to the cafeteria’s ingredient order form and bring it to me.”

“Is that okay? I think honey and sugar are pretty expensive.”

“The cost is covered.”

“I’m only paying for my share, you know.”

“Who said anything about making you pay?”

“What, from the research budget…?”

“There’s no way that’d happen.”

The Director sighed, sounding exasperated. But Jude had said that sweeteners like honey and sugar are rare and pricey in this world. If we’re making enough for all the researchers, that’s going to add up to a pretty penny. The cafeteria probably has a budget for ingredients, and slipping this in there might not work either, so it’s not unreasonable to think it’d come from the research funds. Wait a second! Could it be from the Director’s personal funds?

“Well, don’t worry about it.”

As if he could see right through my fretting over where the money was coming from, the Director gave a wry smile and waved his hand, as if to say, “Go on, get out of here.”

A few days later, the ingredients I’d asked the Director to order arrived without a hitch. On my day off, I set up in a corner of the kitchen from morning, tackling the massive pile of materials. Of course, making enough for all the researchers by myself would’ve been too much, so I worked with one of the cooks. When I’d mentioned sweets before, they’d asked me to teach them some recipes, so this worked out nicely.

Oh, speaking of the cafeteria cooks, it started with just one, but now there are five. They don’t all work at once; it seems they rotate in groups of three. Word got around that the institute’s cafeteria was delicious, even reaching the royal palace, so some cooks were sent from the palace cafeteria for technical training. That’s how I ended up making sweets with a cook from morning onward.

I made simple cookies and a honey-lemon pound cake. The recipes were from memory, but they turned out right. Good, good. The pound cake came out of the oven nicely baked. The other cooks, who were preparing lunch, joined us for a taste test, and the feedback was positive. Ever since the sweet aroma started wafting from the oven, those cooks kept sneaking glances our way while prepping lunch. Since they seemed curious, I invited them to try some. The taste test went perfectly, so I let the rest cool, divided it into portions, tossed them into a basket, and got everything ready. I left distributing them to the Director and the researchers to the cooks and headed off to my real destination: the Third Knight Corps barracks. Let’s go!

Yeah, my energy’s high, you say? I had to psych myself up, or I wouldn’t have been able to face it. I came to the Third Knight Corps barracks today for a specific reason. I wanted to give the Knight Commander a thank-you gift for the hair ornament. After Jude told me about its value, I’d been agonizing over it, and I still think it’s too much to accept. Even if he has some affection for me. Then, conveniently, I got that enchanted core from the magic enchantment session the other day, so I used it to make a gift accessory.

I debated a lot but settled on a necklace. A ring might get in the way of wielding a sword, and I don’t recall him wearing earrings or piercings, so a necklace seemed like it wouldn’t be a bother. I’m not sure if the shape is common in this world, but I went with a dog tag design so it wouldn’t look odd on a man. I carved a cross in the center and embedded the core in the middle. I think it’s a pretty safe design, if I do say so myself. I couldn’t make the accessory myself, so I outsourced it. The Director recommended a shop. He grinned like crazy about it, though. Bringing just the necklace felt a bit embarrassing, so I added cookies and pound cake. I figured handing over the whole basket would be fine.

And so, I arrived at the Knight Commander’s office. The knight standing at the entrance didn’t mistake me for a suspicious person; he smiled warmly and smoothly arranged for me to go in. How does he arrange it without me even saying anything? I didn’t send a messenger ahead from the institute either. Oh, it’s probably because of those usual horseback rides with the Knight Commander. I know it’s not the best idea, but I can’t bring myself to refuse, so I still end up going when he invites me. Ugh…

“Excuse me.”

Before I could mentally prepare at the entrance, the knight opened the door for me, and I stepped inside. As usual, the Knight Commander was at his desk, working on paperwork. Even in a knight corps, it’s not all about subjugation and training; the higher-ups have a ton of paperwork too, it seems.

“What brings you here today?”

“I made some sweets and thought I’d share.”

When I said the line I’d prepared, the Knight Commander’s expression softened instantly. Yeah, sorry, I can’t look straight at him. Why? Don’t ask!

I handed him the basket, and he removed the cloth covering it to peek inside. At a glance, it looked like just cookies and pound cake in small portions. Actually, there was a box with the necklace tucked into a corner, but I’d buried it under the cookies to hide it.

“They look delicious. Let’s dig in.”

After checking the cookies and pound cake, the Knight Commander stood up with the basket. Maybe it was a break from work? I hope I didn’t interrupt him. Well, I’ve delivered the basket, so I’ll just head out. As I was about to say goodbye, he cut in with, “Would you like to stay for tea?” No, I’d really like to leave before he notices the necklace…

…

I couldn’t resist the Knight Commander’s warm smile and hopeful gaze…

Giving up, I sat on the sofa he offered for guests. … Why is he sitting next to me? There’s a sofa across from me too, right? Sitting on a three-seater was a mistake, because now he’s right beside me. The closeness threw me off, but it didn’t feel as awkward as before. Maybe I’ve gotten used to the proximity from those horseback rides? Habituation is scary. Lately, it feels like my escape routes are shrinking.

Soon, tea was brought in, and the gentle aroma of black tea filled the air. The knight at the entrance must’ve asked a maid to prepare it out of consideration. The amber liquid before me was a luxury I rarely got to enjoy since coming here. I took a sip; the bitterness was just right, making it very easy to drink. Palace tea really is something else. They use high-quality leaves, don’t they? For some reason, the maid brought serving plates too, so I took some cookies and pound cake from the basket and handed them to the Knight Commander. Did the entrance knight notice I’d brought sweets? Oh, maybe it was the smell.

“I’m not usually fond of sweets, but these are good.”

“Thank you.”

The Knight Commander especially liked the less-sweet cookies; after one bite, his face broke into a smile. Seeing someone enjoy it really does make me happy. I smiled back, and when he looked at me, his smile deepened. A handsome guy’s smile has serious firepower. I felt my face heat up a little. No, no, looking straight at him is dangerous.

“By the way, I’ve been curious since earlier…”

After we finished eating and were sipping tea, the Knight Commander pulled the necklace box out of the basket. I nearly choked but managed not to spit out my tea. Someone praise me! Wait, I hid it—how did he notice!?

“It seems to be enchanted with magic. What’s this?”

“Uh, well…”

My eyes darted around as I tried to figure out how to explain. Ugh, I can’t think of anything. I glanced at him, and he was looking at me with a delighted, expectant gaze.

“It’s for you. A thank-you for the hair ornament.”

Since thinking wasn’t getting me anywhere, I answered honestly. The moment I said it, his smile grew even wider, and he asked, “Can I open it?” I nodded.

“The other day, when I went to the Court Mage Corps, I did some magic enchantment. I made that core then…”

Waiting silently while he opened the box was unbearable, so I explained that I’d made the core myself. The moment he opened it and saw inside, his eyes widened.

“The core’s enchanted with a magic resistance boost. I thought you could use it during subjugations or something.”

As I explained, I could feel the heat gathering in my face. Too embarrassed to look at him, I stared off into the distance, which is why I didn’t notice right away. I felt something touch my right hand and looked back to see him lifting it. It wasn’t an especially slow motion, but it felt like slow motion to me. I stared at his lowered eyelashes, thinking idly how long they were, a clear escape from reality. Then came the soft sensation on my fingertips as he lifted them. The intense look in his eyes as he pulled his lips away from my fingers. That’s where my memory cuts off. I don’t really recall how I got back to the institute after that.

Bonus Scene

At a certain Court Mage Corps office.

A silver-haired mage, handling paperwork approvals as usual, frowned at the contents of a submitted document. The attached invoice listed items like wheat, sugar, honey, and lemons, things utterly unrelated to magic. Wondering which idiot submitted such a document, he checked the signature. It wasn’t from anyone in the Mage Corps but from the Director of the Medicinal Plant Research Institute. Looking closer with suspicion, he found a handwritten note attached alongside the receipt, which read:

“Shouldn’t we properly bill them for that magic enchantment the other day? – Johan”

Needless to say, Intellectual Glasses-sama let out a deep sigh at the unspoken implication.