Chương 228: She Has Afternoon Tea
The smell of fresh baked cookies fresh out of the oven surely was one of the best smells in the world. Robin smiled as she placed the trays on the counter top to cool. They had just finished cleaning the kitchen, so all that was left to do was to put the cookies on a plate and bring them out along with a pitcher of chilled milk.
Robin took off her apron and retrieved her new vest and overcoat to put back on.
"Oh, that reminds me, teacher." Ponzu suddenly recalled a thought he had earlier. "Just where did you get such clothes?"
Robin laughed. "I commissioned them for Christian and Keith. Turns out the seamstress liked the design idea so much, she made one for me as well."
"That's pretty amazing." Ponzu noted. "I could never wear such shiny, brightly-colored clothing."
"It would probably look a bit garish on you." Robin chuckled. Imagining Ponzu wearing her suit. "A navy blue or a dark orange might fit you better."
"You think so?" Ponzu asked. "But, even so, I probably won't wear it too often. I'm a cook, after all. Maybe it's best not to."
"Actually, if it's cook's clothes, you're looking for, then there a kind of clothing only master cooks could wear." Robin recalled. "Shall I have a set made for you?"
"Really? You mean it?!" Ponzu asked, looking far more interested now.
"I'm not in the habit of lying." Robin chuckled. "However, you're not allowed to say that it looks ridiculous."
"I wouldn't dream of it!" Ponzu enthusiastically shook his head. Robin kept a straight face, but secretly thought that Ponzu resembled a puppy whenever it came to food, chefs, or cooking in general.
After checking, the cookies had sufficiently cooled enough to be removed from the pan without breaking. Robin and Ponzu filled two trays for tea time, and then divided the rest between them to store for later. This was a precaution they had started to take. Whenever something was made in large batches, they would make sure each had a stash just in case they became separated again.
The other food prepared for tea time was placed in the magic dumbwaiter which would teleport it to the parlor. But for the cookies, Robin would bring them in herself.
Robin opened the magic cooling room and grabbed the pitcher of chilled milk she had put in there earlier. She placed it on a tray alongside a stack of decorated glass cups that were probably meant for alcohol. However, it was just their luck that they were wide enough for cookie dunking. She lifted the tray with both hands, and walked out the swinging kitchen door.
Ponzu grabbed a tray in each hand, expertly, and followed Robin to the dining room.
At this time, Bastian had also taken a break from his paperwork, and moved to join the Christian and the others for tea. He originally might have simply had tea in the office. But the nostalgic scent had urged him to head to the dining room for once.
When Robin came through the doorway, she saw in a glance that Fest had set out the tea things, leaving just enough room for the main attraction.
"Ah, good. Everyone's here." Robin smiled, ignoring the fact that Bastian was there. She set down the tray of milk on the table, while Ponzu placed the cookies on the table.
"Milk?" Christian asked, surprised. Serving milk was usually considered an insult among noblemen. He wondered if Robin was mad at them and was using milk to tell him and Keith that they were childish.
"It's to go with the cookies." Robin nodded. "If you don't like milk, you don't have to have it. But it really doesn't feel complete without this."
"Milk and cookies was always a sort of tradition." Bastian recalled with a nod.
"Hmm." Christian swiftly glanced bad and forth between Bastian and Robin, pondering. It seemed they were serious. So it wasn't a premeditated prank. Even so, he waited until Robin picked up a glass before he took one himself. If Robin was also going to drink it, then it was even less likely to be a prank.
"First chocolate, then chocolate chip cookies. Everything seems to be in order." Quinn nodded with a catlike grin.
The room became silent when they all bit into their cookie at the same time. Some paused. Others ate their cookie faster, picking up speed. Robin looked at the now crescent-shaped cookie, and decisively dunked it into her milk for a moment.
This surprised most of her companions. Of course, Bastian and Quinn were excluded, since they also dunked their cookies into their milk. Confused, yet curious, everyone else soon decided to try it at least once.
The cooled milk went well with the buttery crunch of the outside. The sensation of breaking through the cooled exterior of the cookie, and meeting the still warm melted chocolate, as well as the chewy bit at the center was delightful. No one disliked the milk even though cookie crumbs were visibly accumulated in it as time passed.
Robin drained her half glass of milk, and moved on to the tea and snacks. She had stopped herself after only three cookies. While the cookies were delicious, her mother had always told her she shouldn't fill up on them. So Robin spent the rest of tea time munching on cucumber sandwiches, and fruit tartlets.
The milk and cookies were gone long before tea time was over, leaving everyone in a good mood. Well... everyone except Gerard. He looked at the empty tray tearfully. After ten cookies, he still hadn't eaten enough of them. Why did there have to be so many people at tea time today!?
Robin tried a recommended tea which turned blue in the cup. The tea was compiled with Maisett, a wildflower that grew around the lake. Though the petals were white, when they encountered hot water, they would die it a lovely shade of blue. The tea had a lovely fragrance, and a mellow taste.
"Come to think of it..." Robin glanced up. She hadn't noticed when Raymond and the other knights had slipped away. "Where did your knights go, Christian?"
"Where else?" Christian chuckled. "They went to order a set of clothes for themselves before that seamstress gets bogged down with orders."
"Ah." Robin realized. "Of course they would."
"But you're forgetting that they're your knights, too." Christian pointed out. "As an adopted member of the royal family, you are no less entitled to their protection."
Robin rolled her eyes. "Me? Protection?" She glanced at Christian pointedly. "We both know they're only here for you."
"Indeed. but their presence is something that you seem to always make unnecessary. I'm so well guarded by the hero. Perhaps I should send them home." Christian joked.
"Don't. I don't want to get them into trouble." Robin sighed.
Jasmine giggled. "Hello, we're also here~" She waved at Robin with a smile.
"Come to think of it, what have you been up to today, while we were gone?" Robin asked.
"I'm glad you asked! We were..." Chelsea clapped her hands and launched into an animated description of how they saved the city from yet another hidden menace to society by entering the local lottery.
Robin couldn't help but smile and chuckle in reaction to Chelsea's descriptions. Christian also patiently listened, but didn't hear a thing. He was too busy secretly looking at Robin's reactions. In fact, he spent more time looking at Robin than anyone else in the room.
Jasmine also looked at Robin pointedly. They still hadn't had their important chat about who it was that Robin liked yet. And Jasmine hadn't forgotten. She was almost burning with curiosity at this point. However, such a conversation was best left to a more private venue.
Robin, being the center of two people's stares, couldn't help but notice them. She noticed Jasmine's stare first, since Jasmine sat across from Robin. But when she noticed Christian was staring, she started to feel very self conscious. Despite schooling herself to act normally, she felt her ears burn. A blush settled on her ear tips.
Jasmine noticed the blush, and realized something. The person Robin liked was in this room. She quickly scanned the room, excluding Fest and Bastian. Since they hadn't met those two before Robin had admitted her affection, it made sense that the person Robin admittedly liked was not Fest or Bastian.
That being said, there was Quinn, Ponzu, Liam, Keith, and Christian. Gerard wasn't counted because he was too young. Thus, there were five possible candidates. Jasmine narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.
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