I leave the kitchen with a tray on my hand. There's a big bowl of meatball soup which I just make with two small bowls and the egg yolk sponge cake. I bring them to my room and will give it to my personal maids later. After putting the tray in my room, I will take a bath and then prepared to receive guest in the great hall with my family.
When I arrive at my room and open the door, I see Carina already waiting for me there. She looks quite upset and sulking while pouting her mouth. She even turns her face aside when see I'm coming
Ah…I see…she must be angry because I'm not taking the morning bath with her like yesterday.
"Carina…you've waited for me?"
"No! I'm waiting for my father"
Haha, …she's really angry, but she still cute even when she angry.
"You waiting in the wrong room…if you wait for your father, you should wait in your room or somewhere else"
"Hmph! It's up to me where I want to wait"
She still pouting and turn her face aside.
"Haha…you angry, Carina? Sorry…but I'm really getting my hands full and not have a chance to take bath earlier. Are you waiting for me in the bathroom?"
"Huh! So you know it, Henry….but why are you not coming? I almost get cold there"
Carina's still grumbling over my absence in the bathroom this morning. But I know how to console her.
"Sorry about that…I really busy in the kitchen, you know? I make a new dish for the banquet…don't you want to be the first one who tastes this new dish?"
The word new dish and the first person who tastes it seems effective. Carina turns her head and faces me after hearing that.
"Really?..... I can be the first one who tastes the new dish?"
"You want it or not? Look, I have it in my hand now"
"I want!!"
She stands from her seat and running to me. It's so easy to calm her...
"Hey hey…be careful! Let me put this tray on the table first"
I must remind her because she almost jumps on me while I'm still carrying the tray. Carina following me to the table and seat near the place I put the tray on the table.
"Henry…Henry….what do you make this time?"
The content on the tray still covered with lid makes her can't see what inside the lid.
"Want to know? Okay…here we go…"
I open the lid and show the content to Carina. Her eyes are widened and beaming with joy when she saw the food she never saw before.
"Cake!! This is cake, right?"
"Yes, Carina…this is cake, sponge cake for the precise…let me cut it first"
I use the knife to cut the cake into four parts.
"Which one do you want to eat first? We have meatball soup and sponge cake here. I recommend eating soup first while still warm"
"Mmm…let's get the soup first"
I move some of the soup into the smaller bowl.
"Do you want me to feed you, Carina?"
"Yes! Please do so"
Carina opens her small mouth widely and waiting me feed the soup to her. Ah, she really cute…
I scoop the meatball and put it on Carina's mouth. I made the meatball in bitable size, not too big and not too small either, to make it easier to chew. Carina munch the meatball in her mouth gleefully
"How's the taste, Carina?"
"Delish!! More!! More please!"
Carina joyful expression when eat the soup makes me happy. Hearing her ask for more make me happier.
I scoop another soup and put it on Carina's mouth again and again until the bowl empty.
"Want to try the cake now?"
"Yes!"
I give a piece of sponge cake to Carina which immediately goes to her mouth. after taking a bite and chew it for a while…
"Soft! Tasty too!!"
Just when Carina bites the second time, the door open and Clara and Claire enter the room. it seems they already finish their duty with Celes.
"Aaahhh!! Carina, you cheating!!"
They both speak the same words as soon as they see Carina eat the sponge cake
"Calm down girls…there're still some for your share here"
They immediately surround the table to get their share of food.
"Henry, there's one bowl short"
"Use Carina's if you don't mind or take it on the kitchen or just eat what left on the big bowl after one of you take it"
"Claire, you can take it first, I'll take whatever left"
"Great! So it doesn't matter, right? Alright, I'll take a bath for a while, you girls just enjoy the meal meanwhile"
"Henry…need some help?"
"No, thanks. I'll be quick"
Ugh, if one of them comes with me to help the bath, it would take a longer time than I bathing alone.
"Oh…okay. Are you sure?"
Haha…they really persistent, aren't they?
"Yes, I'm sure. We need time to prepare ourselves for the banquet thou"
"Mmm…okay, please be quick then"
I leave my room to take a bath. By bathing alone, I only use the time around ten minutes to bath, if I bath with my maid at least it would need thirty minutes to finish. Finish taking a bath, I return to my room to change clothes, and when I arrive there, the bowl already empty and no cakes left in the plate. I wonder who eats my share from those three.
"Eh? Where's my cake portion? I make four slices for all of us"
The three girls only laugh mischievously when hearing my question.
"Henry, it's not the right time to think about cake. Get to change quickly!"
"Yeah, we can't get dressed if you haven't ready yet"
"It's useless to search what's not here anymore, brother Henry"
It seems they divide the remaining cake and eat it together and now they cooperate to evade my question.
"Alright….help me change clothes then"
My girls help me change dress with the uniform that I use yesterday. after I finish dressing, I told my girls to get dressing as well.
"Girls, you also should get dressed too. Wear your prettiest dress you have there. I want our guests can see how beautiful you are"
"Yes, Henry"
I give them parting kiss before they leave my room, and after they leave, I open my secret vault to take the black pearl that I've kept there. I want to give this black pearl to my fiancé as my dowry when Earl Stamfort announced our engagement on the banquet later.