Chapter 25
Standing proudly before the head chef, Kitty asked,
“Then… do you have carrots?”
“Yes, we do.”
“Eggs?”
“Yes.”
“Cooking oil?”
“Of course.”
“Sugar and salt?”
“Naturally. Those are…”
“Milk?”
“Your Highness, this is the Imperial Palace. We have just about every ingredient you could need.”
“Butter?”
“…”
“Baking powder?”
“…”
“Almond flour or cinnamon… or cocoa powder?”
“Of course. We have plenty of all three.”
“Good. Then let’s do it.”
For some reason, this princess had an uncanny talent for getting under people’s skin.
“U-Um… if there’s anything you need done, please let me…”
The maid Sylvia, trembling after suddenly finding herself in the presence of such high-ranking people, timidly offered to help.
Kitty immediately stopped her.
“No, it’s okay. Everyone’s already super busy, so just keep doing your work. We’re only going to bake one carrot cake over here in the corner.”
As far as Kitty was concerned, she already had more than enough help.
“Mister, first grate these carrots.”
She naturally handed the basket of carrots to the Pope.
Amelia gasped and whispered sharply,
“W-What are you making His Holiness do?!”
Kitty was beginning to get annoyed by the way Amelia kept treating her like a thoughtless fool.
Few people knew this, but Kitty always thought very carefully before acting.
It was simply that ordinary people failed to understand the profound intentions of the great Kitty.
Letting out a sigh, she gently pulled Amelia’s hand away from her sleeve and patiently explained,
“Neither you nor I can grate them.”
“This kind of dangerous work is supposed to be done by adults.”
Among the three unexpected visitors in the kitchen…
Pope Yehudiel was the only adult.
What could possibly be more logical?
Apparently convinced, Pope Yehudiel quietly rolled up his sleeves.
“…Whatever happens, don’t blame me. It’ll all be your fault.”
Perhaps she thought she was being ignored.
Amelia huffed indignantly and stormed out of the kitchen.
*Maybe Amelia hates carrots too?*
While the Pope grated the carrots, Kitty mixed eggs, cooking oil, sugar, milk, and a pinch of salt together in a large bowl.
“Oh! You’re already done grating them?”
“Yes. There really weren’t that many.”
Adults really were convenient.
Everything got done so much faster.
Kitty added the grated carrots to the bowl and mixed everything thoroughly.
Once it looked evenly combined, she sifted in flour and baking powder.
Depending on personal preference, almond flour, cinnamon, or crushed walnuts could also be added for extra flavor and texture.
She poured the batter into a lightly greased cake pan.
Then it went straight into the preheated oven.
Done!
“Is… that all?”
Pope Yehudiel peered curiously into the small, old oven that clearly wasn’t used very often.
He looked as though he’d been expecting something far more spectacular.
Apparently, this Pope belonged to the sort of people who imagined baking involved dazzling techniques and extravagant decorations.
*Tsk, tsk…*
*What a pitiful servant of the Divine.*
The essence of baking wasn’t technique.
It was heart.
If making it was enjoyable…
And eating it was enjoyable…
Then that was baking.
Like the generous Saintess she was, Kitty decided to enlighten the poor, ignorant servant of God.
“In one way, it’s finished.”
“But in another…”
“It isn’t.”
She struck a dramatic pose as she spoke in riddles.
Pope Yehudiel tilted his head.
“What do you mean?”
“We still have to decorate it.”
“Eating plain cake is boring.”
Normally, carrot cake paired best with rich cream cheese frosting.
But today’s cake was meant for an especially serious picky eater.
Extraordinary treatment was required.
In a smaller bowl, Kitty mixed butter, sugar, milk, and cocoa powder that had been sifted once.
Once the butter had softened and everything was thoroughly blended, the mixture was placed over low heat.
Since using fire was dangerous, children should always ask an adult nearby—or in this case, the Pope—for help.
Stirring occasionally with a spatula while checking the consistency…
When it thickened just enough, remove it from the heat.
Stir it a couple more times.
The result was delicious chocolate sauce.
It tasted good enough to eat straight with your finger.
*Ding!*
Right on cue, the cheerful bell announcing that the cake had finished baking rang through the kitchen.
Wearing thick oven mitts, Pope Yehudiel removed the beautifully golden cake from the oven and inverted it onto a serving plate.
After allowing it to cool completely, Kitty generously poured the prepared chocolate sauce over the top.
The important part…
Don’t fuss over it.
Just pour it boldly.
The chocolate should drip naturally down the sides of the cake.
“Now… is it really finished?”
“Hmm…”
“It still feels like something’s missing…”
It looked too plain.
She had thought pouring lots of delicious chocolate over it would be enough.
But…
Something was still lacking.
Something that would make even someone drowning in sorrow immediately smile and laugh,
*”Oh my! What’s this? How fun!”*
Deep in thought, Kitty rubbed her soft little chin.
Then she noticed a few leftover pieces of carrot in the corner.
“Ah!”
“We’ll make tiny little carrots and use them as decorations!”
She arranged the miniature carrot decorations evenly across the chocolate-covered cake.
Bright orange carrots against the dark chocolate background…
Just imagining it made her think,
*”Oh my! That’s so fun!”*
It was nothing short of genius.
As expected of the holy child foretold in prophecy—
Katrina Sophiana Ortosia.
Another obstacle overcome with ease.
Feeling much lighter, Kitty bounced happily on her feet before suddenly turning toward Pope Yehudiel, who had simply been watching her the whole time.
“What are you doing?”
“You have to carve them into little carrots.”
“…Me?”
“…I can’t carve them myself.”
—
### ***
Some time later…
Kitty finally returned to the banquet hall carrying a box containing the carrot cake.
She had first gone to the lounge where Lady Shunoa had been.
However, the young lady was already gone.
Only the two maids remained, anxiously waiting for Kitty.
According to them, Lady Shunoa had gotten into a huge argument with the First Prince, Dimitrius—whom Patrick had apparently gone to fetch—and had stormed off afterward.
They were most likely somewhere in the banquet hall now.
The maids also urged Kitty to greet His Majesty the Emperor while she was there.
And so…
Balancing the cake box on top of her head, Kitty hurried toward the banquet hall.
*What if Father knocks this one onto the floor too…?*
She couldn’t bring herself to say it aloud.
But it was entirely possible.
After all…
He had already knocked over one of the cakes she had painstakingly baked before.
If possible, she wanted to find Lady Shunoa and give her the cake before that happened.
Whether things would work out that way…
No one could say.
Fortunately, after arriving at the banquet hall, there was no sign of the tyrannical Emperor Theodore anywhere.
Looking around at the unusually restless atmosphere, Kitty asked Margaret,
“Where’s Lady Shunoa?”
Margaret immediately replied with a puzzled question.
“Huh? You want to see the young lady?”
*After everything that happened…?*
The unspoken words hung in the air.
Undeterred, Kitty nodded firmly.
“Yep.”
“I’m going to give her the carrot cake.”
Margaret stood there speechless, her mouth hanging open before she slowly closed it again.
As a maid, she was supposed to obey her princess’s orders.
But this…
She clearly wasn’t sure she should obey **this** one.
Then Diana, who had remained silent until now, hurriedly spoke up through nervous sweat.
“I-I’ll go look for her, Your Highness.”
“Thanks, Diana.”
It didn’t take Diana long to find out where Lady Shunoa was.
“Um… it seems the young lady is on the terrace with His Highness the First Prince…”
“Oh.”
Come to think of it…
Although the banquet hall itself felt strangely unsettled, the area around the terrace Diana pointed to was packed with people.
Most of them were elegantly dressed noble ladies.
They wandered around outside the terrace, idly fluttering their fans despite having nothing else to do.
It looked exactly as though they were trying to eavesdrop on whatever was happening inside.
Because all the ladies were gathered there instead of enjoying the festivities…
Very few people were dancing to the waltz being played.
Naturally, the atmosphere of the banquet had become awkward and chaotic.
*Perfect!*
*It’s time for Kitty to save this doomed banquet!*
Clutching the cake box securely atop her head, she hurried toward the curtained terrace.
“Your Highness…!”
She heard her anxious maids calling after her.
But she didn’t slow down.
With her tiny, nimble body, Kitty slipped through the crowd of adults, reached the terrace doors, boldly grabbed the handle, threw open the curtains, and shouted at the top of her lungs—
“Stop fighting! Stop fighting and eat cake!”
