Volume 2 - CH 70

Alme brought the ingredients for the parfait from the kitchen downstairs and arranged them in the kitchen in her home upstairs.

Strawberries, mangoes, bananas, oranges, wheat flakes, crushed almonds and milk ice cream. Then she took out butter and strawberry jam from her home refrigerator.

All that’s left to do is arrange the sugar and cooking utensils, and she’s all set. After putting on the apron, it’s time to start cooking.

First, she added a handful of wheat flakes to the bottom layer of the parfait.

She dry roasted the almonds in a frying pan and took them out once they became browned and fragrant.

Next, she heated the sugar and water. Heating the pan, shaking it, until it starts to sizzle.

When browned and bubbling, she added in the butter.

The result is butter-caramel sauce.

The sweet and fragrant smell of butter and caramel is irresistible. While enjoying the aroma, she added the dry-roasted almonds and wheat flakes to the mix.

This completes the caramel flakes. Spread it out in a flat container and let cool.　

Once the flakes are made, the next step is to cut up the fruit.

Remove the stems of the strawberries and cut them in half. Cut the mango into cubes and slice the banana diagonally. Peel the orange and slice it whole. The cut is clean and bright.

She took out two glasses from the shelf and put them on the kitchen counter.

This time, she decided to use cocktail glasses for the parfait. They are small with a wide mouth and short base.

She put the caramel flakes, which have been heated, on the bottom of the glass, and spread a thin layer of strawberry jam on top of it.

Then placed a round of milk ice cream on top. Arranging the fruits neatly around the milk ice cream.

Using orange peels to make a garnish, she added eyes and a beak to the milk ice cream to make it look like a white falcon. On top of the head, a mint leaf is decorated.

She quickly made two portions of this and checked the balance at the end.

The fruit mini parfait is complete.

“Mr. Falk, the parfait is ready. Can you get up?”

“Yes, I’ve been awake for a while. The smell of burnt sugar is irresistible.”

When she brought the parfait to the living room table, Falk also woke up. He still looked dizzy, but he seemed better than before.

The two of them sat down at the table facing each other with the finished mini parfaits in front of them.

“Last time, you said that when you are tired, you want to eat fruit, so I decided to make a fruit parfait for you this time. I hope you will get well soon. That’s my wish for you.”

“Thank you for the fruit parfait…I am very happy.”

Staring at the parfait, Falk’s golden eyes quivered.

Alme panicked as he looked like he was about to cry.

“I made this because I wanted to see your smile, so, um, if possible, I want you to smile…!”

“I’m sorry, I’m useless when I’m weak…well, then, I’ll show you my smile.”

Falk lowered his eyebrows, smiled, and held up his cocktail glass. Alme also lifted her glass and they both raised their parfaits.

“Then, let’s celebrate the return of Mr. Falk and the Luorio army!”

“Cheers!”

Although the content of the glass is not alcohol. Alme left it to the atmosphere and exchanged a toast.

A celebratory parfait party for just the two of them had begun.

Alme immediately stretched out the spoon to the parfait, but at that point Falk stopped his hand.

“It’s a waste to eat it. It looks like a wonderful chalice, so I want to display it in my room.”

“It’s a chalice that will be damaged within a half a day.”

Falk stared at the glass and made a serious face. There was such a thing as ‘fake display food’ in Alme’s previous life, but if she showed it to him, he would gladly display it in his room.

After staring at it for a while, he finally started eating the parfait. He scooped up the fruit and ice cream together and chewed on it.

“It’s delicious! The sweetness of the ice cream and fruit soaks into my tired body and mind.”

“I would have liked to have more mousse, pudding, or cream on top. But with mini parfaits, just fruit would be cute.”

“Are the layers of flakes at the bottom?”

“Yes. Wheat flakes mixed with caramel.”

He roughly inserted the spoon and dug out the flakes from the bottom layer. When eaten with the ice cream on top, the combination of the crunchy texture and the caramel’s aroma is exquisite.

“It’s really delicious… it’s the best reward.”

“Whenever you return safely from the battlefield, I will make you one. You can add as many variations to the parfait as you like in terms of ingredients and appearance, so by all means, please try to conquer them all.”

Alme would continue to make more and more to the extent that he would never be able to conquer it all. In her heart, she kept saying those words.

She would keep making new parfaits endlessly and have him come back as many times as it takes.

While they chatted, the parfait was quickly emptied.

She put the glasses back in the kitchen and prepared the after-dinner tea.

When Alme returned to her seat, Falk pulled a small cloth bag out of his shirt pocket.

He offered the small bag, about the size of a coin, to Alme.

“Miss Alme, I want to give you this. I was thinking of giving it to you when I returned from the battle.”

“What is it?”

“This is a tribute from me, a regular customer, to you, the shopkeeper. Please accept it.”

“A tribute? We’re not that kind of shop!?”

She thought, “Is this a liquor shop?” She didn’t want him to introduce a new system into the shop without her permission…

As it was held out, Alme picked up the cloth bag. It would be wrong for her to refuse without even looking at it, so she peeked inside the bag.

Inside the bag, she found a necklace. It had a golden chain and a stone setting with a shiny white stone in it.

“…this is a jewel…”

“No, it’s not. It’s just cut glass.”

“Isn’t it extremely sparkling for a–?”

“Recent technology is amazing. Even simple glass can shine so brightly.”

Alme wonders if it’s just her imagination that it sounds like he’s been emphasizing the part of ‘mere glass’ since a while ago.

Alme moved her gaze back and forth between the necklace and Falk, staring at them.

“Is it really glass?”

“Yeah, it’s glass. So it doesn’t matter if you scratch it or lose it. If you don’t like it, you can throw it away.”

“I wouldn’t throw it away, but… Well then, um, thank you very much. I’ll take it.”

Despite her doubts, Alme accepted the necklace. When she turned it in her hand, it reflected the light beautifully.

“It’s so beautiful. It’s like a jewel.”

“I’m glad you like it. . . . Would it be possible for you to wear it now?”

“Right now?”

“Yes, now. Please listen to the selfishness of an invalid who has just returned from battle and is very weak.”

“For a sick person, you ate well, even dessert.”

“Don’t say that…hey, let me see you put it on, please.”

Falk tilted his head with a spoiled voice. What a cunning way to make a request… Before being attacked by embarrassment, Alme quickly averted her gaze.

Alme thought this person should be a little more aware of the fact that his appearance has offensive power.

One of these days, he’s going to inadvertently make all those women around him die of embarrassment…It would be a big deal if a priest did that.

“What do you think?”

“It’s beautiful, it suits you well. It’s so cute!”

Falk got excited by himself and collapsed onto the table with a smile on his face. He rested on his chin and is as limp as melted ice cream.

“Um, are you okay!? Is the fever getting hot again?”

“Hmmm, I guess so.”

Falk smiled as he leaned his body against the table. She is not quite sure if it is painful or not. What is it?

Alme gently reached out to Falk’s forehead to check his temperature.

“Hmm, it’s hot as it is, isn’t it? Will magic make it easier?”

Alme used ice magic while touching his forehead.

He closed his eyes and looked comfortable. He was complacent, so she continued with ice magic.

Come to think of it, he once patted her on the head at the bank, and she’s going to get back at him for that.

She patted Falk’s head softly with her hand, which was covered with cool magic air. She thought he might not like it, but Falk was much more docile.

He kept his eyes closed and mumbled something.

“. . .I’m a bad bug, aren’t I?”

“Huh? What is it?”

“Nothing.”

After an exchange that she didn’t quite catch, Falk finally plopped down on the table.

She caught a glimpse of his profile, and he had a very nice smile on his face.

Falk, who had collapsed on the table, thought deeply in his heart.

(I want Alme for my family.)

This time, in addition to the usual military allowance, they would even receive a bonus for their service. But far better than that, he is now receiving the greatest reward of all.

Alme’s cool, gentle hand gently caresses his head. It’s irresistibly comfortable.

He wanted this every time he got home from battle…he’s going to be addicted to it.

(I’m really a bad bug. Lazing around in a single lady’s house… But when I’m this happy, I can’t stop being a bug…)

He still wanted to hang around for a while longer. He can’t stop thinking about that.

After coming to Luorio, there is a song he often heard in the city. ‘Life is easy, love is true.’

‘Life is easygoing, just love with all your heart’ a song with a light melody and cheerful lyrics is perfect for this lively city.

It was the first song he heard when he came to this city, but after listening to it over and over again, he fell in love with it.

Like this song, maybe it’s okay to be a little more easygoing.

Instead of worrying about this and that, why doesn’t he just enjoy his bug life to the fullest?…he’s starting to feel that way.

He’ll tell the owner of the gentle hand that is patting his head first.

“Miss Alme, I have other tributes, so I will bring them again.”

“No, I told you, we are not that kind of shop!”

Aside from the flustered Alme, a defiant bug smiled broadly.

~❆~