<Author’s Notes>
I don’t have time today, so today’s chapter is a bit short.
After watching the thief being taken away by the guards, I pulled myself together and moved with Aria-san toward the tea item store.
[By the way, Kaito-sama, you had launched Nifty, right? I was lucky enough to win the lottery too, and I purchased a cup from your place. It’s a very nice item.]
[Thank you. Hearing you say that makes me happy. Rather, you also know about Nifty huh.][Of course I do. I’m sure no one knowledgeable about tea wouldn’t know about Nifty. Your ceramics and tea leaves are really wonderful. It’s difficult to obtain your products now because they’re so popular, but I’m sure things will calm down in a little while, and at that time, I would like to buy your other products as well.]
[Aria-san also seems to know a lot about tea.]
[Yes, as a maid, I’m very particular about tea, and I’m confident that my tea skills are at a level where I would have no problem calling it top-notch.]
[I see, Aria-san likes tea then?]
In response to my question, Aria-san lightly placed her hand on her chin before holding up her index finger above her lips, as if to make a “shhh” gesture.
[……Let’s keep this to ourselves……]
[Unn?][……But I actually prefer cocoa.]
[Eh? I- Is that so?]
I had assumed that like Ein-san or Jutia-san, Aria-san would enjoy tea, but with a slightly mischievous smile on her lips, she confessed that she actually prefers cocoa.
[No, of course, I like tea. But if I’m asked about my drinking preference, I prefer cocoa over tea, and steamed pastries over cakes and scones. In terms of the skills required for my work as a maid, I approach tea-related tasks with a high level of sensitivity and technique…… but I have a sweet tooth, and I prefer sweet drinks. However, if too much sugar or syrup is added to tea, it kills the flavor so……]
[I see…….]
She likes tea, and due to the combination of her job’s requirements and her detail-oriented nature, she has a considerable amount of knowledge and confidence in her tea skills, but she personally prefers cocoa…… This is just my hunch, but Aria-san seems like the type who can firmly switch between being on duty and off duty.
[By steamed pastries, you mean baby castellas and the like?]
[Yes, I quite like them. Regarding baby castellas, since Underworld King-sama also enjoys them, and it’s designated as “one of the mandatory sweets for maids” by the President of the Maid Association, Ein-sama, any individual who identifies as a maid can bake baby castellas.]
[……I- Is that so?]
I don’t really know if baby castellas are an essential confectionery for maids, but well, Ein-san would definitely say it’s essential. Given that Kuro has a penchant for it that’s borderline insanity, baby castellas would be an extremely important treat for Ein-san, who takes pride in being a maid serving Kuro.
[Do you have a favorite confectionery, Kaito-sama?]
[I like ripple pies.]
[Ripple pies are great. I like fruit-based pies very much. Since you like ripple pies, you’d probably also like shineberry pies.]
[Shineberry pies huh, that’s the first time I’ve heard of those. It does sound delicious though.]
[Shineberries taste relatively similar to ripples, but since berries are smaller, so pies made of them have quite a different texture, giving them a different deliciousness compared to ripple pies.]
[Heehhh~~ I’d love to try them. I’ll look for them next time.]
A pie made with berries with an apple-like flavor huh…… That sounds really delicious, and I definitely want to try it. If I search for them in Kuro’s food guide, I think I’d find them listed, so let’s look for it and try it out next time.
<Afterword>
Serious-senpai : [It’s like having a distinction between what is necessary for work, of which you have the most knowledge and are most proficient, and what you personally prefer…… Well, it seems to me like she also enjoys keeping an eye on her image though……]
