LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 23
“Haah, I’m so tired.”
I feel like I’ve been cheated.
No, it’s definitely cheating.
The place is the lounge, and it’s snack time.
In other words, it’s a precious time to refresh for smooth afternoon activities.
But Catherine had no time for that.
Even in that brief moment of waiting for snacks, she squeezed in reading and documenting various books and scrolls, combining ingredients.
The fatigue was evident on her face, impossible to hide. After all, it’s natural to be exhausted after working all week without sleep.
She had an overwhelming amount of tasks: crafting and repairing various magic tools, brewing potions, reviewing books and documents, recalling necessary information, checking the status of remaining materials in the warehouse, and placing additional orders accordingly.
Even if we consider the new tasks mentioned earlier, the rest are definitely not things a Grand Wizard of her caliber should be doing. She could have delegated those tasks to lesser wizards, and that was totally reasonable.
So why was she doing work she didn’t have to?
The reason was simple.
“Damn it. They said there was a shortage of wizards, but saying there’s none is—!”
Catherine slammed the book she was reading down in a moment of bursting frustration.
Indeed. Just like Iceland, which is reluctant to visit for any purpose other than work, wizards also tend to avoid the place unless necessary. However, being employed by none other than a duke should be a glorious opportunity.
The pay is more than abundant, and the treatment is, of course, top-notch.
But the fact that there aren’t enough people is an issue.
In fact, the problem has already occurred.
The reason is simple.
“I should have been suspicious about how good the treatment was.”
They received a request for support, went on a business trip, and completely vanished.
And now, there is only one mage on duty.
Catherine alone, who really desperately needed sleep at that moment.
What good is reaching the level of a sage and achieving immortality if exhaustion doesn’t disappear?
“Well, by the way, when is Mary coming back with the snacks she promised?”
Thinking about the snacks eased the throbbing headache caused by accumulated fatigue.
Yes, snacks. The boy, Karem, a former serf she hired out of sheer impulse, had now become an indispensable part of her life.
Being stuck at the Wizard’s Tower due to work.
Buried under piles of various documents and magical materials, dedicating sleepless nights to a seemingly endless workload, the only thing that relieved her stress was delicious dishes and sweet snacks.
From the familiar crunchy and soft tarts and pancakes to desserts like castellan she’d never seen before.
If she hadn’t been able to relieve stress in this way, she might have overturned everything already.
Seriously.
Knock knock knock.
Then, a steady knocking rhythm of three times echoed on the lounge door.
As soon as she heard the sound, Catherine’s exhausted expression transformed in an instant, like a child discovering a mountain of snacks, but she quickly regained her composure to maintain her cool.
She couldn’t show any signs of weakness.
“Okay, come in quickly!”
Click.
“Sir Atanitas. Thank you for your hard work today.”
“Contractor. I have brought the snacks.”
Her personally hired chef and a brownie walked in.
“Kitty. I’ve arrived!”
And behind them was a plump, chubby-cheeked blonde girl wrapped in fluffy fur—
“Huh? Wait a minute. Princess Alicia!?”
“Hehe. Yes, it’s Alicia.”
As Catherine panicked, Mary awkwardly nodded her head.
“It seems you’ve hidden away to avoid the maidens’ gaze.”
“….Let’s prepare a place to sit first.”
*
*
*
Just finishing baking does not mean custard pudding is ready.
The cooling process is as crucial as ensuring it doesn’t burn.
It was certainly complete, but if the pudding was turned out while still warm, it would likely turn into a gooey mess.
A cooling process was necessary to prevent that.
Like skin contracting in cold temperatures, like water freezing in sub-zero conditions.
During that process, the pudding in its container expands.
Easily pushing itself out from the butter’s grease applied inside the cup.
If you gently shake it on the plate—
Plop!
“Now, this is custard pudding. Completed.”
A glossy, pale-yellow pudding topped with rich caramel sauce seamlessly blended atop.
The unblended sauce flowed over the smooth surface of the pudding onto the white plate like morning fog, creating another layer beneath the pudding.
“Ooh, is it time to eat now!?”
“Yes, Your Highness. It’s ready.”
“Um, how do I eat this!?”
“Here, with this small spoon—”
But before her words finished, Alicia sprang into action.
Like a wild beast snatching prey, she swiftly grabbed the small spoon and scooped a corner into her mouth.
All eyes were fixed on the moment the pudding, adorned with rich caramel sauce, slipped into the princess’s mouth like water soaking into the ground—Karem, Mary, and even Catherine, who was cooling the pudding.
Where had the wizard who had been complaining about being treated like a servant gone?
Regardless, eyes shut in careful tasting, Princess Alicia opened them as if in shock, her body stiffening.
Her expression contained disbelief mixed with joy.
“My goodness! How can there be such an impossible texture!?”
“Princess Alicia, how does it taste?”
With a calm expression that couldn’t hide her excitement and anticipation, Catherine’s fingertips trembled as she performed cooling magic on the copper cup filled with pudding, eager to take a taste.
Alicia seemed unable to believe the flavor and texture she had just experienced as she took another corner of the pudding to taste.
“The first touch on my lips was so moist and soft, it almost embarrassed me to compare it to the smooth filling of a custard tart. But that was just the beginning.”
“Just the beginning? What do you mean—”
“It’s like the witch’s candy from the fairy tales mother reads to me. My goodness, it’s pathetic that the only comparable foods are cake, tarts, and jam!”
A little girl who seemed far too young to express such thoughts lamented her lack of vocabulary, as if Karem’s heart would not reach her own.
“It melts in my mouth faster than the late spring sunlight, and it’s softer than Mama’s skin. Th-this is. My goodness! Kitty!”
“Not Kitty, it’s Catherine.”
“Have you been eating something so noble all by yourself until now!?”
“Hohoho. My personal chef is indeed talented. Thanks to him, I can endure every day.”
Catherine, who had boasted beyond her years, suddenly faced reality as an aura of darkness loomed from her prolonged nights and overwhelming workloads.
Karem and Alicia flinched for a moment, but Mary remained unfazed, setting the tableware confidently as if seasoned by her experience as a brownie.
“Karem, my junior. Prepare pudding for the contractor.”
“Ah, just a moment.”
Stunned by the darkness of societal demands, Karem quickly snapped back to reality.
He carefully turned the chilled copper cup onto a white plate. One, two, three. Plop! The pudding plopped out.
Mary took the plate and fed a spoonful of pudding to Catherine, who radiated the darkness born from overtime work.
“Hmm, what is this flavor!?”
The moment the pudding touched her tongue, she instinctively shut her mouth, and in that brief moment, the pudding crumbled and melted as if it were no longer there.
The rich sweetness mingling with the syrup and the smooth milk fragrance calmed Catherine’s mind, which was boiling from fatigue and stress.
As the sugar settled in, her headache began to dissipate, and Mary offered another spoonful.
“Alicia’s words are accurate. I’ve never experienced anything like this.”
“Kitty! You understand the meaning of my words!”
“Not Kitty, it’s Catherine. Ha, if it weren’t for this, I would have long since-”
In that moment, Catherine gritted her teeth as she recalled the mountain of work still left undone.
Meals and snacks are always delicious and refreshing, but that doesn’t make the resentment born from a shortage of staff and overwork, and the feeling of being half cheated, disappear.
Karem, seeing Mary’s gesture, worriedly attempted to calm Catherine, who was ready to boil over again.
“Alright, there are still plenty of snacks, so eat as much as you like.”
“Oh, right! One more!”
“Princess Alicia, aren’t you being a little too shameless, barging in uninvited…?”
“Still, there’s a considerable amount of pudding, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Recalling the time when Catherine went on a rampage and devoured five loaves of castella and a bowl of meringue, Karem had prepared a substantial amount of pudding, so much that the bottom of the tray Mary moved was barely visible.
No, wait, it seems that the displeasure she showed was more about being unable to eat it all herself because of the unexpected guest than actually lacking pudding….
Alicia couldn’t wait for the serving and began to elegantly scoop pudding onto her plate.
“Ooooh! To think I can eat something like this every day. How envious!”
“Ha, even if you say that, my chef would never give it to you.”
“Kitty! How can you say something so harsh!”
“Don’t covet my hired chef!”
Catherine flat-out dismissed Alicia’s request as if it were out of the question.
Meanwhile, Karem carefully prepared the pudding for a taste.
“Kitty. Name your price! Ingredients! Whatever you want!”
“Not Kitty, it’s Catherine. Hoho, even if you promise to hire another wizard right away, I still won’t give him up.”
Well, there’s no need to worry. It seems no sudden changes in work territory will occur.
Seeing the sharpness with which Catherine dismissed all of Alicia’s negotiation attempts, one might wonder where the tired visage from earlier had gone, as Karem felt relieved while eating pudding.