I'm In Love With The Villainess Volume 4

Volume 4 Chapter 12 The Ball: Part 3

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“Which is why I’ve gathered you all here. Please help me!” I lowered my head to everyone present.

Gathered in the Bauer student dorm’s kitchen were seven people: Lene, Misha, Frieda, Eve, Joel, Aleah, and me everybody who could cook. Claire wanted to participate as well, but I’d asked her to refrain on account of her disastrous skills in the kitchen. She had a good palate, though, so I intended to ask for her help with taste testing later.

“I don’t mind, but have you decided on what kind of dish you want to cook yet?” Lene asked.

It had been a while since we could properly talk like this. We’d both been busy since coming to the empire.

“Well, we’ll be competing with a three-course meal: an appetizer, an entrée featuring meat, and a dessert,” I said. “So we can work from there.”

“That’s quite a bit…” Misha said with a frown. I couldn’t argue with that.

“How long do we have?” Frieda asked.

“One week,” I answered. Far too short a time to invent a three-course meal’s worth of new dishes.

“And why am I here?” asked Eve, her words dripping with displeasure. She still hated me for some unknown reason.

“Sorry, Eve, but I need all the help I can get right now,” I answered.

“So you’d be fine with anyone then?” she seethed.

The misunderstandings just kept piling up.

“Isn’t seven people too many?” Joel asked. It was a good question too many cooks spoil the broth, after all.

“I’ll be overseeing everything while you six work in pairs on a single dish.”

“Huh? I’m making something too?” Aleah asked with surprise.

“Yes,” I answered. “I’ll help some, of course, but I think you’re a good enough cook already.” I meant it. Aleah might not have been able to use magic, but she was an astoundingly fast learner in every other regard.

“Okay, Mother… I’ll try my best,” Aleah said, nervous but happy.

“Does anyone have preferences as to which part of the meal they’d like to make?” I asked.

“I’d like the dessert, if possible.” Joel was the first to answer. I found it a little surprising he’d picked dessert, considering his usual brusqueness.

“Confectionery is more up my alley than the rest.”

“Oh, I see. I’ll leave it to you, then,” I said.

“You can count on me.”

That was one person down for dessert.

“Why don’t I work on the entrée? I sounds like the most trouble,” Lene said.

“That would be great.”

Lene offering to work on the entrée was a big help. Being the highlight of the meal, it was better to leave it to the most experienced member. Lene had years of serving the François house under her belt and was one of the key figures at Frater, a trading company at the forefront of the culinary industry. We had no one more experienced than her.

“Can you work on the entrée too, Aleah?” I asked. “There’s a lot you can learn from Lene.”

“Yes, Mother.”