Published at 28th of November 2022 08:16:01 AM

At my signal, the family servants who were waiting outside came in with my new product. This was also kept secret from Katharina. I wanted to surprise everyone when we all had a tasting party today.

The dark brown liquid is dripping from the top down onto the light brown body. Without the ability to puncture air holes, it would be difficult to get it out of the container without it losing its form. I dont think you have to turn it over and put it on a plate, but is it for formality this time? It looks like its out of the vessels.

Yes! Everyones favorite: Japanese custard pudding!

Making the pudding itself is not that difficult. You would have thought it could have been made long ago when sugar, eggs, and milk were available, right? But thats not enough without the critical ingredient. Thats why I never made pudding.

Whats fatally lacking in todays pudding is vanilla. Without the sweet scent of vanilla, the charm of the pudding is halved. The taste itself will not change because vanilla has no sweetness. I just think that delectable scent complements the deliciousness. Since I didnt have vanilla, Ive given up on making ice cream and custard cream alongside pudding.

I want more spices and ingredients native to the tropics and the Americas. My base is Japanese so I personally miss Japanese and East Asian spices like wasabi, mustard, and chili. But thats not all, you also need spices native to the Americas like vanilla, and spices native to India like pepper. Even with just pepper and vanilla, the breadth of things and seasonings that can be made is greatly expanded. It may also be that fruits native to the Americas such as cacao have not yet been discovered in this world.

It seems that coffee and pepper are already circulating around here, but I havent even seen the plants they came from. It would have been possible in medieval Europe, but the area was limited and the price was very expensive. Until a sea route was discovered to reach India by circling the African continent, pepper and coffee had to travel overland across the Middle East and across the Mediterranean Sea.

Since there is a tea tree, you can make black tea by cultivating it and teaching how to process it. In comparison, it is difficult to cultivate coffee trees unless the climate is like tropical highlands or savannas with rainy and dry seasons. Its not something that can be made anywhere as long as you get seeds and seedlings.

So it goes with pepper as well. It has rain and drainage problems in warm climates. Its not something that can be cultivated in the territory just by purchasing seeds. Coffee and pepper must be obtained through trade.

To the sea if I have to go out to the ocean if I want to get what I want, I have no choice but to go to the distant sea. Right now, our trade range is still small, but someday well have to carry spices, coffee, and tea

Well, anyway, there is no vanilla, so the scent is insufficient, and its a dissatisfying result for me, but the taste and sweetness are not much different. If this is still acceptable, there is also a way to sell pudding.

Whats this?

Woah

What is with this color?

But everyones reaction was not good enough. For those who see it for the first time, its a strange brown object. I shake the plate to make it jiggle. Caramel is also dark brown and may not look very appetizing. It doesnt smell like vanilla, so I dont think its too intriguing. After all, the fragrance is important.

Arent you all going to eat it? Then Ill go first, then, I said.

No one will touch it, so I will take the initiative and try it first. Scoop the plump pudding with a spoon and bring it to my lips. The pudding I put into my mouth crumbles and I dont even need to chew it.

Yeah. Sweet, isnt it? I said.

There is no dissatisfaction with the taste itself. As I said many times, vanilla itself does not change the taste greatly. Vanilla is just something to enjoy with a scent, and it is not absolutely necessary for baked goods and the like.1However, it is indispensable for ice cream and custard cream. Ill hold off on ice cream and custard until I have vanilla.

We-Well, me too, then Mikoto said as she watched me eat first.

I guess you cant trust me alone. I guess theyre trying to decide whether or not to eat after watching other people eat.

Mm~mnnn!!!

Ar-Are you okay? You can spit it out? Claudia asked, panicking.

I feel even Louisa is staring at me. I wouldnt make them eat anything weird, would I?

Delicious! What is this!? Its amazing! Mikoto yelled.

Huh?the other four go, dumbfounded.

Mikoto is also confused. Its as if I fed them something weird, after all.

What is this incredible food? It crumbles and disappears quickly! Mikoto yelled.

Seeing Mikoto start eating greedily, the other four timidly scoop their pudding with their spoons. Then, they closed their eyes and put it in their mouths

Its sweet!? Claudia yelled.

So soft! Katharina cried.

Ive never eaten food like this before! Louisa said.

But, one person remains silent. After taking a bite, I called out to Christa who was still holding her spoon.

Christa, didnt it taste good? I said.

Christa doesnt move when I called out. She just stares at the pudding.

Christa? I asked.

-zing, she muttered.

Huh?

I wondered if there was something wrong with Christa who was so unresponsive, so I thought Id approach her, but she let out a few words. I couldnt hear well, so when I asked again, Christas mouth suddenly started running nonstop as she said:

Amazing! Delicious! What is this?! How do you know how to make sweets like this, Floto?! What in the hell is this?!

This is pudding, I said. As for how to make it its still a secret. As for how I know how to make it, I invented it.

Well, I didnt really invent it, I just reproduced it based on the knowledge of my previous life, but theres no way to explain that. Thats how I came up with the many dishes and sweets that are reproduced in this world. Its heartbreaking to think that someones hard work and the results of years of research are being stolen as my achievements, but it cant be helped. If the person who made it public first becomes the creator, then in this world I have no choice but to call myself that.

Are you a genius, Floto, to come up with such a wonderful thing!? Could it be arent there more sweets you havent shown yet? Christa said. Hey, arent we comrades? There should be more of these wonderful sweets!

Huh uuh well when I make something new, I can have you try it out, Christa? I said, overwhelmed by Christas sudden enthusiasm.

But, Christa just said Absolutely, I will! while she was devouring her pudding. Then came the moment of despair for everyone else:

Theres no more

No way

How can it only be this much?

Yes, everyones puddings are gone. If you eat a pudding thats only about a full cup in a hurry, itll be gone in no time. If you scoop it up slowly with a small spoon and eat it, its not bad, but if you eat it like that, it will be gone quickly.

Miss Flora! I would like another pudding! Katharina said.

Thats right, I want one too! Claudia said.

Claudia agrees with Katharinas words. And everyone asks for pudding one after another as if imitating her. But its useless this is going to be a little dangerous

I can still serve more pudding, I said. But, is it alright for me to? Ill tell you one thing: if you eat too much pudding, youll getfat,you know?

-!?

At that moment, everyones faces froze as if they had been struck by lightning.Pishhan! Dokkan!I can almost hear the sound effects of both.

Its not just about pudding, but of course, if you eat too many sweets, youll get fat. Sugar was still precious in this world, so the thought of eating too much sugar and getting fat wouldnt come up. However, since I spread beet sugar, the amount of sugar production is gradually increasing. Naturally, this means that there are gradually some people who eat too much and become fat or sick from sugar.

Even if I get fat! One more! Just one more please!

Christa

She bows her head while saying that with some kind of tragic resolve.

Me too! I should be fine! So one more! Claudia said.

Ill be alright with one more! Mikoto said.

The rest of us said one more, one more. Only Louisa is looking down. Her gaze is aimed at her chest or maybe her belly. Among them, Louisa has the plumpest body. She probably has a lot of opportunities to eat beet sugar, judging from the nature of her work. Of course, she has to take in a lot of calories and the flesh around her stomach is a little flabby.

Of course, shes not fat enough to call her fat. But those who care may care. In a world like this, I dont think you should worry about being a little overweight there arent many people in this world who think its better to be thin no matter what, but I guess there are some people who care about their body shape.

Louisa Louisa, youre not fat at all, I said. I think its better for you to have a fuller feminine figure.

Floto

With that follow-up, she looked at me with sullen eyes. Yes, yes. It seems to have worked. Just because youre skinny doesnt mean youre beautiful. Being overweight is bad, but being too thin is also a problem. We have to get rid of the misconception that anything goes so long as youre skinny and being skinny is being beautiful.

Understood! Thank you, Floto! Ill have another one too! Louisa said.

No, no. am I sure I said Louisa isnt fat? I told her not to worry much about it but that doesnt mean Im telling her to get another pudding

And the other three. Shall they stop checking their breasts and buttocks? I certainly said that a fuller feminine figure would be better, but thats not what everyone wants. In the first place, the most important thing is whose body it is, not what kind of body it is. Make no mistake about it!

In this way, the pudding-tasting party ended with great success. From the middle of it, the four of us and Christa were having fun talking, and I think we got along quite well. After all, if you feel happy after eating sweets, it will help you open up. It has been proved here that sweetness is useful for world peace.2

After the tasting party is over, Christa will go home, so I head to the entrance to see her off.

Floto, thank you for today, she said.

No, its nothing, please come try and sample new sweets when I make them, I said.

I will. No matter what! Christa said strongly.

Christa repeatedly asked for more sweets, if there were any, and then she left. It was a busy and fun time. I would like to create such an opportunity again. I never thought the day would come when I could play with a female classmate like this.

By the way, the other four are having secret talks with just them. Ive been kicked out to maintain confidentiality. Probably those four, five after Alexandra is free, are discussing fairness in approaching me. Katharina just has too much of an advantage as she lives with me.

Of course, the longer you spend together, the more your roughness will stand out, and you may not like them. However, it can be said that it is a high risk, high return because there is a great chance that well get even closer from the physical proximity.

Well, I ended up saying something like those four or five people are fighting over me, but is this just my self-consciousness? Those four may not have such intentions. Its scary to think that I might have too many strange expectations and get my hands on them and end up being hated like before. I still cant take a step forward, is it because the heartbreak Ive had up until now has become a deep-seated trauma?

Im scared if, due to my misunderstanding, I end up approaching a woman with the expected heterosexuality and who thinks loving other women is disgusting and if I get rejected again like before I may never recover again.

I dont think anyone who came back to me would do that. Otherwise, they wouldnt bother to come back to me, to begin with. Even if I think so with reason, Im afraid to step forward from my emotions

I wonder if the time will come when I can take the step forward with everyone again

Flora dear? You seem to be trying to wrap things up neatly, but of course, Mother can have some of this pudding, cant she?

Hiiiuuu!?I squealed.

I felt a tremendous aura behind me as I was seeing off Christas carriage at the entrance. This is dangerous. If I say that I dont have pudding, I might end up suffering a fate worse than death.

Of-Of course, Mother I said.

I see. Im also looking forward to dinner then.

Father

It wasnt just Mother even Father seems to be looking forward to the pudding this is bad. actually, no. we ate all the pudding I prepared at the tasting party earlier. In the end, while they were all saying one more and one more, those five ate it all up. I have to hurry up and prepare now

If Father and Mother find out that I dont have pudding, I probably wont be able to go to school tomorrow. While confirming in my head that there were ingredients left, I hurried to the kitchen in a cold sweat, wondering what I would do if there werent any ready.

T/N:123 onward starts the Alexandra Rescue Operation. Its a doozy of an arc, as you might expect, so Ill be taking some time to translate and process the whole thing to get it out in a timely fashion without too long delays between each chapter.

From the start to the climax to the denouement, it spans all the way up to 133, 10 whole chapters! (133 in particular fades into the next arc, which is a Ludwig and Royal Family-focused one.) Anyway, the daily update schedule might break as I prep everything for a smooth upload schedule.