I have taken a lot of decisions throughout my life as of yet. Bad ones that somehow turned out for the best. Mundane ones that turned out to be absolutely that, mundane. 'Good' ones which I now doubt myself for.
I wonder which category this hasty decision of mine falls in.
"Shadow, catch!"
"Princess," I sigh and move to block her swinging arms, "It is difficult for Sir Shadow to catch that."
"Professor Heine, try taking it!" Adele laughs and stretches up her arm holding the stray spatula she has picked up from the table. I'm already sitting on the table so it isn't a difficulty at all-
"Dear Sis, you're doing it alllll wrong," Licht appears out of nowhere and like the gentleman he is, takes the spatula from the princess and holds it up even higher, "Now Teach, now take it."
I direct a withering look in his direction and jump off the table. I'm done.
"Aw Teach, don't feel bad! Here, you can have it~" Licht waves the spatula in front of my face while grinning in that irritating way of his. Adele's still giggling. I can feel a headache coming...
To think that I'm the one who proposed this mess in the first place.
Licht suddenly clapped his hands together with the words, 'Cake's done!', releasing a great cloud of flour over my hair. I sigh and reach up to dust away the particles clinging to my hair and shoulders. "I take it that you're excited."
"Very much! It's a cake for my dear brother after all," Licht says in a sing-song voice as he puts on oven mittens, "Made with love and his favorite vegetable~"
Prince Licht, I wonder if you realize how wrong that sounds. Favorite and vegetable really don't come in the same sentence when it's about Leonard.
Adele hugs Shadow's fluffy head and looks up towards her brother with big innocent eyes. "Vegetable?"
"It's carrot. Shhhh, it's a se~cret~" Licht pats her head and turns towards me, that grin back in place. "Ready Teach?"
I direct my gaze towards the big oven and exhale. "Let us take it out."
Servants rush to-and-fro the main dining hall, carrying various plates and cutlery. I just wanted to let Leonard try out the cake after one of his classes, but Licht insisted that, in his words, 'such a great mission must be properly accomplished at a proper venue'. I'm quite certain that he just wants to be there to see Leonard's expressions after tasting it.
So anyway, here we are – making servants change dishes and creating a ruckus at dinnertime.
The frivolous prince pokes my shoulder. "Teach, any guesses on his reaction?"
I expressionlessly move away and contemplate on the question for a moment. If no one tells him the ingredients beforehand...
"Prince Leonard should like it enough, seeing his liking for desserts." I decide.
Licht nods, then grins again. "Still, this idea of yours is pure genius."
"Your Highness flatters me."
"I do not! Teach, don't belittle yourself. You're already so..." Little, I almost hear him thinking.
I arch my eyebrows at him. "Your Highness I do not find this topic amusing at all."
Why neither you nor your father seem to get that point eludes me.
"Of course Teach!"
Don't pretend like that grin of yours didn't just grow another inch wider.
I sigh and decide to instead watch Adele excitedly bouncing on her heels. He laughs aloud, "Are you ignoring me Teach?"
I admire Licht's determination to live a commoner's life and hard work to show that he can deal an independent life if he so wishes. I do not, however, have the same feelings whenever he suddenly decides to be a brat.
The Royal family of Granzreich slowly begins to gather. Frankly, I feel slightly out of place standing here. The chandelier looks breathtaking, I must say.
The Queen Mother enters the hall, side-by-side with Viktor, the second and fourth princes filing in behind them. Kai looks surprised on seeing me here. I presume he wants to come talk to me (or squish my hands) but is too shy to do so before his elders. Leonard, on the other hand, shows a scoffing face and moves towards the table.
Hm. My work here is done. I should probably get back to my quarters, seeing as it is one of the rare times Viktor is free enough to enjoy a meal with his family. I move to excuse myself.
The Queen Mother notices me almost immediately on approaching the table. Her lightly-wrinkled face breaks into a smile. "Ah, I see that the Professor is here. In that case you must stay with us for dinner."
I shift a bit. "I'm afraid I'll be intruding..."
"You won't." I turn my gaze. It's Viktor. He smiles, "Mother has already invited you in, so what are you worried about?"
I frown, "But you..."
"No buts. Come, the food will get cold this way. Kai," He gestures at the white-haired prince, "Pull up a chair for him."
I try to refuse. "Your Highness need not concern himself-"
Before I can finish the sentence, Kai has already pulled up a chair and ushered me into the seat while seeing to it that I have been comfortably seated. Then he squeezes the palm of my left hand and moves to his seat with a joyously signature 'smile'. I find traces of his practicing of natural smiles in the way the edges of his 'angry' smile soften.
...well. Whatever makes them happy.
Viktor pulls out a chair for the Queen Mother at the head of the table before sitting down himself. The servants file in with several covered dishes. The light from the candles' flames flash and dance on the silver spoons and forks neatly arranged at equal distances all around the table.
A cross between an uncomfortable cough and snort comes from my right. I glance that way to see Leonard trying hard not to meet my eyes. With my luck, I have somehow managed to score a seat with Kai on my left and Leonard on my right... Licht winks at me from across the table.
It's been ages since I've decided that he's not at all a threat to his brothers, but his expressions make me feel discomfited sometimes.
The Royal Family begins to eat. Adele pleasantly surprises me with how well-behaved she is for a child her age. But then again, the princess has been taught table manners and proper conduct since she was a baby, so it isn't too outlandish. Kai quietly eats as well. Leonard... well, seeing him spear the shredded carrots and bell peppers at the tip of his fork like they've personally offended him doesn't come off as surprising anymore.
Licht is still staring at me with what he probably thinks is a 'subtle' gaze. I wonder how I'm supposed to eat like this, with someone staring like they're about to steal my food.
"Oh, right – Heine. When is Bruno supposed to return?" Viktor asks while leisurely wiping his fingers with a napkin. I furrow my brows, "In accordance to Prince Bruno's recent letters, he wishes to spend another month in Orosz before setting out on the return journey."
"I see."
Leonard grumbles. I imagine him to be saying something on the lines of, 'Dearest Brother Bruno is slowly becoming a carrot too...'
Oh, my head has been filled with too much of carrots lately. I suppose I should catch up on those overdue sleep hours...
Adele fixes her large orbs at me and stage-whispers, "Is it time?" I merely shake my head. She pouts and goes back to elegantly poking the celery all around her plate.
"Adele dear, don't play with your food." Queen Mother gently reprimands her.
The dinner is mostly silent, not uncomfortably so.
Then comes dessert.
I can see Leonard's eyes visibly glitter as he impatiently grabs the cutlery and stares at the large covered dish that is brought over, and I start wondering about whether the cake was symmetrical enough or if some side of it got charred when we had pulled it out of the oven. No obvious flaw comes to mind. Even so, I find myself staring morosely at the shredded carrots lying by Leonard's plate.
Licht stands up with a flourish, making all heads turn to him. "I apologize for the disturbance," He says, "But the dessert this time is something novel and specially made. If everyone doesn't mind, can Leonard have the first taste of it?"
Queen Mother doesn't look too surprised at the request and just nods. Viktor directs a meaningful glance at me – Licht seems to have spilled the beans before certain people, deliberately I take it. Kai looks quite curious but nods nonetheless. Adele's leg-swinging has become more apparent now. Leonard just responds with a 'huh?', looking shocked.
The silver cloche is removed and the cake comes in full view of all; the exterior looking all rich and tempting curtesy of the fluffy cream cheese frosting that Licht had managed to conjure up in the last minute.
"It's not Sachertorte?" Leonard looks sad for a beat, then shrugs, "Well it looks nice..."
I do have the feeling that the frosting has been unevenly distributed in a haste and two of those pineapple slices have not been aligned properly, but Leonard's hands are already busy helping themselves to a slice and there's nothing I can do about it, really.
He takes a bite.
Just as the fork leaves his lips, Adele suddenly bursts out eagerly, "Isn't that the-"
"Sis stop-"
Uh-oh. "Princess sto-"
"-carrot cake we made today? Professor? Lichie?" She finishes and looks in our direction for approval.
Leonard promptly freezes, fork in mid-air.
"You do have the perfect sense of timing, my dear sister." Licht just smiles helplessly.
"..." I turn towards the still-stupefied Leonard, "I would just like to remind you, Your Highness, that spitting out food on the dinner table is considered to be rude and wasteful."
Someone coughs back a laugh. I think it's Viktor. I pay him no mind, my eyes still fixed on the prince's suddenly thoughtful face. He carefully chews at the morsel, eyes lowered - almost as if he's expecting it to explode - then starts making all sorts of faces as he drags that one poor bite all over his molars and wall and roof of his mouth. Then he looks up, his face surprisingly devoid of any expression.
"..." I wonder if it fits my status as Royal Tutor, but I truly feel nervous right now. About my pupil's reaction. On eating cake.
"It's good." He deadpans.
I blink. That's all it took for him to say that?
"..." Even Licht gapes at him, struck silly this time.
"It's good..." He looks at the big slice on his plate, his stormy eyes reflecting the inner turmoil, "But... but it's carrot! How can it taste good?" He stabs the slice a second time and brings another portion to his lips. Munching on it, he mumbles again, "How can it be..."
I sigh in relief and leave the prince be to have a mental breakdown and reconstruction in peace. I turn towards the others. "Your Highnesses, please help yourselves." I gesture towards the cake. The servants come forward to divide it into equal portions for everyone else. They insist that I take a slice as well.
This dessert created merely on a whim gets a surprisingly good response. There's still the taste of carrot, of course, but it surprisingly complements the cake and its texture.
Kai has a dreamy, sleepy face as he pokes the cream cheese frosting. I take it that it satisfies his criteria of 'soft' and 'fluffy'. Adele already stole a bit of frosting when the cake was being made, but eating it along with the cake naturally tastes better to her. She loves the cake and insists some to be kept aside for Sir Shadow, saying that the frosting looks like his fur. I... don't know how healthy this dessert might be for a dog. Licht has the look of a connoisseur as he samples the cake, and he does look proud of his efforts.
I believe my face to still be poker. The cake's taste does, however, reminds me of those rare one or two Buchteln we would get from a baker kinder than others when scrounging on the streets in the olden times. The fragrance reminds me of freshly baked Striezel, scenting the smelliest of streets on holidays. The taste probably isn't the same, the fragrance isn't either. The feeling remains, still.
Queen Mother praises the cake for its moistness and insists that we must make some again. Viktor, as far as I can see, has a completely undignified manner of shoveling cake in his mouth whenever Queen Mother turns her back that I do not wish to talk about. I know that he's doing that to just irk me, and see, isn't he successful? My eyebrows twitch. He's a grown up man with six children and a kingdom to look after, but he'll still be so utterly childish sometimes.
Well, I can get him a smaller version of this cake the next time he needs my help in emptying out a bottle of white wine.
Leonard suddenly speaks up. "We must save some for Dearest Brother Bruno."
Licht flatly refuses. "Brunie's in Orosz for another month. You want to save a cake for a month? I say," He jabs at the quarter of cake left on the silver plate, "We should finish the whole thing so as to fully savor its freshness."
I catch Viktor imperceptibly nodding in agreement.
Queen Mother smiles, "We can make another carrot cake for Bruno when he comes back, alright?"
Leonard says, "Oh." He still has that haunted look on his face. I reckon that the fact that his 'favorite' vegetable can be made into a sumptuous cake has hit him hard.
By the time he comes round, there are only a few scraps of pastry left.
"Hey!" He nearly jumps out of his seat in anger, "Where did my portion go?!"
Licht laughs out. "I thought you didn't like it?"
"Who said I didn't!"
"But, doesn't it have carrots-"
"What if it has?" Leonard's practically fuming now. "I didn't say I don't like it!"
"You didn't say you do either~"
" What- why-" He angrily snorts, "Why should I? You all tricked me into eating this!"
"So you would have rather not?" Licht asks.
"Not...what?"
"Not eaten the carrot cake, of course." Licht laid emphasis on the word 'carrot'. "So we helped you finish off this food that you don't like!"
"That's...not what I..." Leonard looks ready to cry or rage, maybe do both at the same time.
"That's enough. Your Highness can have this." I sigh and slide the plate I'd already kept aside, knowing this would happen sooner or later. Leonard's eyes light up with a child's delight, though he doesn't make a move to take it. He looks reluctantly at it, then turns up his nose. It's a true struggle. "Why should I, take your food? Hmph!"
"Rest assured, it is untouched. I merely kept some aside to, uh, be eaten later."
"Ah! But he doesn't want to! So I'll take it now~" Licht cheerfully makes to grab the plate, at which Leonard nearly starts screeching. "No that's MINE!"
"No shouting during dinnertime." I drily remark. Leonard sulks and starts stuffing his face with the cake as Licht sweetly smiles in my direction. "Oh course Teach. My apologies."
"Accepted, Your Highness."
I put another piece of the surprisingly well-made cake in my mouth and grow quiet.
Leonard begins chewing slower after Viktor scolds him in that overly-affectionate way of his. He directs a curious gaze towards the dessert dish which has been picked clean by now, and leans closer to whisper, "This cake has carrots."
I don't look up. "Yes Your Highness."
"...really has carrots?"
"Yes."
"Really?"
"I'm afraid so."
"But, don't carrots taste tasteless?"
"I suppose we can make them sweet if we wish to."
"Hm..." He stares longingly at his plate, "Say, Heine."
"Yes?"
"This cake's really...delicious."
"I'm glad you think so, Prince."
"....I used a new word...a longer one too..."
"I noticed, Your Highness."
"Hmph! It's not like I want you to!"
"..." I calmly sip the tea served.
Leonard puffs in anger at the lack of a response, then asks almost immediately, "So is there a chocolate version too?"
"...it is quite a possibility, yes." Licht will surely like to research about that.
"Oo." He draws out the 'o', then suddenly perks up. "So, if Eins a carrot-"
"..." Sadly, I remember that analogy.
"-And carrots can be used to make cake-"
"Hm."
"So I only have to chop Eins up and mix him into a cake batter, then bake him, then he'll be sweet and fluffy too? Will he?" Leonard directs a rapt stare at me, as if waiting for me to agree. His gaze contains elements of hope and curiosity about the topic.
...Your Highness. I'm certain that counts as fratricide. Please stop looking so excited.
I cough and look at the nice golden chandelier they have here. "Well. I don't think so."
"Hm, me neither." Leonard pokes around, looking dissatisfied. "He's... difficult. So arrogant too!"
He aggressively forks at the empty plate and seemed to come to a conclusion. "Eins might actually be a bell pepper after all, just disguised as a carrot!"
"..." Good lord. A bell pepper cake doesn't exist as far as I know, thankfully. His Highness will have to work that out by himself.
Licht looks at me from across the table, evidently having caught that last whiff of conversation.
I do not like the look in his eyes.
Afterwards, as everyone is leaving the hall, the overzealous prince walks up to me. He bends down and whispers in a merry voice, "I've heard of some frozen treats using bell peppers..."
What. The.
I whip my head up to meet his scheming gaze. I should probably put an end to that horrendous thought at once-
"Teach? Can we?"
"I don't think that's-"
"Do you think Leonie will like bell peppers too then?"
"..."
"So you agree!"
"...I haven't said anything..." I mumble as the prince skips away, obviously elated at having another vegetable to make dessert out of.
Oh well. I can always deter them through hints. I think. Direct refusal is detrimental to healthy growth after all.
I see Licht walk over and whisper something to Kai, who grows noticeably intrigued.
I...
I hope I won't come to regret this decision of mine.
[A/N: This is the end of this story guys! (for now)
Hope you liked it :)
P.S. Today my sibling pointed at Licht and called him Moriarty XD]