Chapter 616: Cream Puff
“Well then, shall we head to the cafeteria?”
I had already mentioned the cream puffs before our meeting.
Since they’re fresh pastries, I wanted to serve them today. The island has a network of waterways, making it much cooler compared to Naruadeid and the surrounding areas, but I still wanted to take them out of [Storage] at the last possible moment.
Distributing them in the cafeteria seemed like the best option. There’s a staff cafeteria for employees, but this time, Soleil is hosting guests in a spacious dining hall.
They won’t be eating there; instead, they’ll take the treats home. However, there’s a long table set up, making it convenient for arranging everything.
By the way, the people working in the castle receive meals, and they can go to the cafeteria during their free time to eat. There are multiple dining halls for non-combat staff, like those who handle customer service and cleaning, as well as for the guards.
After all, there are plenty of rooms. I suspect cleaning takes up the most time. There are many unused spaces! Like the audience chamber, where unnecessarily grand music plays!
In this world, the number of meals can range from one to three a day, with snacks included. It seems that live-in employees typically have two meals a day.
It appears there was a time when lower-class laborers ate a lot, while the upper classes, who didn’t engage in physical work, ate less—eating less was a status symbol. Perspectives on meal frequency vary from person to person.
Currently, having tea with sugar and chocolate, along with snacks, is a status symbol among the upper class in culturally advanced nations.
In our castle, meals consist of soup or stew, with cheese and bread available at all times. During designated breakfast and dinner hours, a side dish is served. Additional items can be ordered for a fee.
For those who wish, meal tickets are provided in exchange for lower wages. These tickets can be used to enjoy dishes made from vegetables and fruits grown in the castle garden.
Initially, meal tickets were only intended for changelings, but it turns out that some human employees are choosing them as well.
Walking through the high-ceilinged corridor, we arrive at the cafeteria. Auro opens the door for us.
He smoothly closes it behind him, leaving Kiel locked out.
“Hey! Auro?!”
“We wouldn’t want my lord’s generous offering to run out, would we?” Auro smiles at me, ignoring Kiel’s commotion outside.
“Kiel, you promised not to touch anything unless it was approved by Nii-sama,” Soleil calls out toward the door.
I can sense Kiel’s suspicion about the sweets, as if he’s waiting for a chance to sneak in. Well, whatever. While we’re engaged in this door-side standoff, I’ll start arranging the treats.
What I’m serving are cream puffs, croquette bread, hot dogs, sandwiches, and rice balls—all items from [Storage] that are easy to take home.
Guests will take a cream puff and one other item of their choice. For those who aren’t fond of sweets, I’ve made arrangements for them to trade with others. This also coincides with the timing of dinner.
Since we often go to the labyrinth or eat outside, I can’t provide a wide variety, but I can ensure there’s enough quantity. Even though time doesn’t pass here, I’d like to refresh the food in [Storage] soon.
“Here we have something vibrant… strawberries, right? They have a sweet aroma,” Auro remarks, though he’s not particularly fond of sweets.
However, the cream puffs I had planned from the start are plentiful, creating a stunning display. They’re quite cute in appearance.
“Ugh…”
It seems Kiel has accepted the condition of not reaching for the arranged food and has finally entered the room.
Upon seeing the spread, he clenches his teeth. His fingers twitch restlessly.
Is he really that impatient? Is he going to be okay? Will he last until the end?
“Wow, it’s beautiful!” Soleil exclaims, gazing at the cream puffs.
I apologize; I may have skimped on the decoration a bit. I believe the taste is the same as what I served to Ash.
And then the employees arrive. Chaos ensues.
Yeah, I expected this.
“Oh!?”
“I can finally taste the cream…!”
“This is bread, right!?”
“The cafeteria food is heavenly, but my lord’s cooking is on another level…!”
“The taste is different! You can’t find this anywhere else!”
Hearing lines like these makes me want to provide even more flavorful meals for the changelings—wait, was that last line from a human?
Well, it’s nice to hear that the food is delicious. Maybe I should put in a bit more effort for the staff meals. Once we can gather more ingredients from Amijin, it should improve. The island is much larger, after all. The only issue is the firewood.
“You lot! Don’t eat on the spot; take it home! One per person!” Kiel shouts, veins bulging as he manages the crowd.
“If you take more than one, my lord’s sweets will be gone from now on,” Auro warns with a smile, keeping an eye on the employees.
“One sweet per person, and you can take one more from us. Any tussles after exiting should be kept within reasonable limits.”
…So it’s okay to tussle?