"This one is good. Cut it in half lengthwise, please." Robin told Pons.h.i.+eu. Pons.h.i.+eu once more brandished his carving knife, cutting it into two long pieces.

"What's next?" He asked. In reply, Robin placed two items on the cutting board: a tomato, and a lump of fresh cheese that was similar to mozzarella.

"For now, could you please b.u.t.ter the bread?" Robin asked. "I'm going to slice the cheese and tomato up." She grabbed a knife, and the slicing was neatly done within moments. Pons.h.i.+eu couldn't help but watch her knife skills as he absentmindedly b.u.t.tered the bread he had just cut.

Robin moved the sliced cheese and tomato to a dish, and glanced over at Pons.h.i.+eu, who had only finished b.u.t.tering one of the two halfs."That reminds me, why do the others call you 'Ponzu'?" She asked.

Pons.h.i.+eu sighed resignedly. "It's because my name is really difficult to p.r.o.nounce for them, and that was the closest they could get, after trying. And, well, rather than my name, I think, I'd like people to remember my food more." he scratched his cheek, shyly.

"It sounds like a name I would give to a s.h.i.+ba inu." Robin chuckled. "But, I suppose it would suffice for a nickname." She lifted up a slice of tomato from the center part of the tomato.

"Do you know how to slice the tomato in order to see this star-like pattern?" She asked, giving Ponzu no time to think about what a 's.h.i.+ba inu' or a 'nickname' was.

"Hmm… slice it from the side?" He asked, uncertain. Tomatoes were also a new fruit that had just been introduced to the market. So, no one knew much about how to use it, other than chopping it up into a salad.

"Nope. In order to get this pattern, you need to slice it parallel to the bottom of the fruit." Robin shook her head. "There are other ways of cutting it, but if you are planning to place the tomato on a flat surface, then this way is best. I'll show you the other ways, later."

Then Robin placed the cheese slices on top of the bread, making sure to cover the whole part evenly. Doing the same thing with the tomatoes, she then randomly scattered fresh basil on top.

"This should do. Having too many sweet things is not good. Some savory things are also needed."

The breads went into the oven with the biscotti. They would be finished when the cheese was fully melted. The tomato slices, in part, also helped to restore a bit of moisture to the bread, retaining a crunch on the outside, with a slightly softer inside.

While she was waiting for the rest to finish baking, she instructed Pons.h.i.+eu, and put some water on to boil for tea.

"You know, if you turned the rest of the bread into finger strips, like the biscotti, coated them in oil and sprinkled them with salt and herbs before drying then out in the oven, you can get another good savory food. I'm just not certain if it's good for a tea snack is all."

Pons.h.i.+eu was grateful for that. His hands were aching from carving the almost rock-hard cake and bread. If he had to cut anymore bread, he might just pull a muscle in his arm.

"Um, aren't you going to add the tea leaves to the boiling water?" He asked.

Robin smiled. "Did you know? The way to get the freshest and most fragrant tea is not to boil the tea leaves in the water, but to pour boiling water over the tea leaves and let them soak for three to five minutes. Otherwise, the fragrance just gets boiled away." She grabbed 3 teacups, saucers, and spoons, a strainer, a small bowl of sugar, and a small crock of milk. The boiling water from the kettle was transfered into a teapot with tea leaves inside it.

Robin then checked the time, and pulled the bread and biscotti out of their respective oven doors, loading them onto the serving cart, along with the cake fried toast, as well as the accompanying plates and utensils.

"Well, that's it, then! Wish me luck!" She waved her hand at Pons.h.i.+eu before pus.h.i.+ng the cart down the hall to her rooms.

"Huh." Pons.h.i.+eu watched her leave. Then he looked at the mess of bread and cake crumbs, the used utensils, and the now-dulled carving knife. He sighed, but began to clean up the mess his teacher left behind for him.

------------------

The king and queen very much liked the snacks. The King especially enjoyed the biscotti. The Queen, on the other hand, liked the flavor of fresh roasted tomato with cheese. The both of them were very also very surprised at how fragrant the tea was.

Finally, the king set his tea cup down, and got to the point.

"While these things truly are wonderful, it only makes me more and more curious about what your face looks like." He confessed. "Might we have the opportunity to see it now?"

Robin looked surprised, then laughed heartily. "To tell you the truth, King Zephron, I had completely forgotten that I was still wearing it." She chuckled a bit and then said. "Very well! But, I hope you are not disappointed."

She removed the mask. "I have a very ordinary appearance, after all."

Her appearance was rather ordinary...for a girl. But, for a young man, it was the face of a refres.h.i.+ngly bright-eyed, honest youth. If it weren't for the fact that Robin's hair was short, she could easily be mistaken for a girl. Well, that was because she was one, though.

"What in the world do you mean by ordinary!? Your face counts among the most handsome ones in court!" The Queen exclaimed.

Robin felt a bit guilty not telling them that she was a girl, but the next thing the Queen said completely wiped that guilt away.

"If you show that face at the ball tomorrow night, then every girl in the kingdom will be fighting to be your bride!"

Robin glanced over at Zephron and raised a quizzical eyebrow. He nodded to indicate that Queen Emeline's words were accurate.

Robin sighed. "That's why I wore this mask in the first place. I'm not looking for a bride, right now, nor do I need one! I want to travel, experience new places and new things. And, if, upon an occasion that I do get married, I want my partner to love me not for my t.i.tle, nor my appearance, but because they love me for who I am inside,my character." She made sure to tell the two her stance on the subject, to especially prevent Emeline from interfering in things.

"Stingy! Why can't you consider showing your face to my friends?"

"Because I have absolutely no desire for additional trouble. I'm sure you are aware of what your son pulled today? Can you handle an entire kingdom of girls doing the exact same thing?" Robin asked sternly.

"Kuh! Although I hate to admit it, you are right. It would be a disaster." Emeline frowned.

Robin sat back in her chair and smiled. "I'm sure that you realize that I am working hard to maintain the peace of this country, and not do something foolish to disrupt my job." She hit the final nail in the coffin.

Emeline glared at her. "Hateful! Is this something my own son would do!?"

Robin took a sip from her teacup. "Rather, isn't it unmotherly of a certain someone to suddenly adopt someone, and then just as suddenly try to marry them off the next day?"

"Hurk!" The Queen made a face. Now that she thought of it, it was rather sudden. Even Christian didn't have a fiance yet, after all.

Robin finally pulled out her ace, as her expression dropped. "Don't you want me as your son a bit longer? Or are you too going to abandon me?" She asked, skillfully plucking at the queens heart strings with her words.

Emeline teared up. "I didn't think you felt that way. You wanted to be my son that badly? I understand! Mama won't force you to marry. I'll wait for you to bring back home a beautiful bride of your own." She grabbed her handkerchief and wiped the tears streaming from Her eyes.

"Don't worry, mother. If I change my mind, then you'll be the first to know." Robin rea.s.sured her.

And with that, Hero Robin successfully thwarted the queen's matchmaking schemes, for the time being.

Zephron could only look on, stunned at how Robin was able to so easily escape the plans of the famous former royal matchmaker, Emeline. It was at this moment that Zephron developed an admiration for the lad's diplomatic skills.