Cling Cling Cling
The sweet and musical sound of bell chimes echoed in the streets as two figures entered a certain store. It was Grey and Yuna who were still on their shopping date, heading inside their last stop.
It was almost lunch time and Grey and Yuna were about to head inside a restaurant when they saw a familiar brand logo they just couldn't ignore. It was the store of an acquaintance they had met a while ago.
"President, where should we put these?"
"Just place them in the storage for nowー No, no, no! You shouldn't place that there! They should be in the front!" ［Argas］
"President, we've done installing the fans."
"Oh, thank youー Wait! Be careful with that, that's very fragile!" ［Argas］
"President～"
"A moment, please! Ahh～! The tiles! The tiles!" ［Argas］
A familiar voice reverberated inside the store as he guided his employees into placing what in which places. His hands were so full that he did not have any time to notice that people had already entered inside.
The store was none other than the Sagrada company that was owned by Argas. It was a company which deals with magic tools and devices. Grey and Yuna got acquainted with the owner when Gabal and Algerio were arrested.
There also wasn't much in terms of display inside the store. There were only a few appliances here and there. Even the designs on the walls weren't half as good as the one back in Moterno. It was almost a blank canvas.
"Umm... Mister Argasー" ［Grey］
"Oh, please wait a moment. I still have some things to doー" ［Argas］
Argas instinctively ignored Grey, but as soon as his mind processed who were the ones who greeted him, he immediately stopped in his tracks and slowly turned his head towards them.
"Lord Grey?! Lady Yuna?! Why are you hereー I mean, it's a pleasure to meet you againー Ah, no, what brings you to my humble storeー" ［Argas］
There was so much going on that Argas' mind malfunctioned. He was already busy as is with the workers, but now that Grey and Yuna were added to the equation, he started to overload.
"Mister Argas, calm down. We've only dropped by since we're curious after seeing your store in the capital." ［Grey］
"Un. There is no need to be so formal." ［Yuna］
"Oh-Oh... Sorry, it was just so busy that the stress is starting to pile up." ［Argas］
The tension in Argas' body and mind slowly dissipated as soon as he heard Grey and Yuna's words. He was now back to his normal self, only that he looked more haggard and exhausted.
It wasn't only Argas, his employees also had hints of exhaustion on their faces as they continued to move furniture and appliances here and there. It was apparent that they have been working for days, lifting up heavy objects and moving them.
"By the way, Mister Argas. Is this perhaps a new store? I don't see much on display other than a few bits here and there." ［Grey］
"Well, actually, I just opened this branch a couple of days ago. We're still laying out the products as you can see..." ［Argas］
As Argas explained himself, the employees continued to work with transporting the products, moving them back and forth from the storage towards the store itself. It was a laborious task.
The new store wasn't the first branch Argas had established, rather, it was because it was located in the capital that it was increasingly difficult than others. He needed to consider the difference in demographics between the royal capital and normal towns and cities.
The royal capital of Alfrione, Farsa, unlike other settlements has a much larger concentration of the gentry and nobility. Appearances were one of the most important things in business, and it is because of it that he was very stressed.
With the founding festival along the way, it has become even more difficult. Although it could cause him more profits, it could also lead to a disaster if he couldn't handle things properly. Not to mention he only has about two weeks until the said festival.
"Must be tough, huh... Is there any way we can help?" ［Grey］
"Ah, no, no! How could I ask both of you such a thing?! I'm perfectly happy that you even remembered this store of mine." ［Argas］
"I see... Then just tell us if you ever need anything. We're currently staying at the Aldridge family's mansion." ［Grey］
"See you later, Mister Argas. I hope everything goes well!" ［Yuna］
"Ah, wait! Lord Grey, I have something to ask of you!" ［Argas］
"Huh?" ［Grey］
Grey and Yuna were about to leave the store, when Argas suddenly called out to them. Grey, whose name was called, arched one of his brows in confusion as to why the former called out to him only.
"T-The blender! Can I sell it?!" ［Argas］
"The blender...?" ［Grey］
"Yes! I want to sell it as one of Sagrada company's specialties!' ［Argas］
Following his sudden outburst, Argas explained his plan to Grey in great detail Starting from the day Grey showed him the blender and how to use them, up until the recent days where he had made a copy of it.
Although it's not as good as the blender Grey made, the ones produced by Argas after painstaking effort were good enough to be sold in the market. If there were any flaws, it would be that they are quite the expensive appliances.
Of course, it went without saying that a percentage of the profits will be given to Grey as the "inventor" of the blender. It was made to be an exclusive contract only limited to the Sagrada company.
Since Argas was still busy and Grey and Yuna also had their own schedule, the signing of contracts will be made at a later date. For now, they only discussed the simple terms and decided to add more when the time comes.
"Is that all there is, Mister Argas?" ［Grey］
"Yes, that's all. As for when we'll sign the contract, let's just say after the founding festival. I should be free by then. Is that alright with you, Lord Grey?" ［Argas］
"Yeah, there's no problem about that... Then, we'll beー" ［Grey］
"Ah, wait! There's one more thing I need to hand to you." ［Argas］
Once again, Grey and Yuna's leave was cut off by Argas. The latter suddenly headed towards his office, leaving Grey and Yuna behind for a moment. When he returned, he had brought with him three tin boxes tied with a blue ribbon.
Argas was a little out of breath when he returned, but as the company president, he tried to maintain his composure, especially in front of Grey and Yuna that he valued dearly as customers and benefactors. He then handed the tin boxes to both of them.
"What's this?" ［Grey］
"They're pastries." ［Argas］
"Pastries?!" ［Yuna］
Yuna's eyes immediately lit up at the sudden mention of pastries. Her eyes were sparkling so brightly that Argas couldn't help but chuckle at the sudden change of attitude of the young lady in front of him.
"I recalled that you took a liking to the pastries I served the last time we met. I also like them myself so I bought quite a lot." ［Argas］
"Waah～! Can we really have all of these?!" ［Yuna］
"Of course! There's many where that came from. If you want, I can still get more of these pastries." ［Argas］
"No, these are more than enough, Mister Argas. I'm sure we'll enjoy them." ［Grey］
"Un! Thank you very much!" ［Yuna］
"Hohoho, I'm honored to hear that." ［Argas］
A couple words later, Grey and Yuna finally left the store after waving their hands goodbye to Argas. And as it was already time for lunch, they decided to have some in a nearby restaurant, choosing one not as expensive as before.
After lunch, Grey and Yuna explored the shopping district a little bit more before heading back to the Aldridge mansion. It was already 2 o'clock in the afternoon when they returned and the children were having their afternoon nap.
Since Veronica was also busy, Grey and Yuna decided to head to the kitchen and make chocolate from the cacao they just got. There, they found Martin who was cleaning up some things.
"Mister Martin, can we borrow the kitchen for a moment?" ［Grey］
"Oh? Are you going to cook something again, Lord Grey, Lady Yuna?" ［Martin］
"Well, I'm just gonna do some experimentation. It's been a while since I've made them, after all." ［Grey］
"Is that so.... Then, can I watch while you cook?" ［Martin］
"Sure, you're welcome to." ［Grey］
With Grey's approval, Martin grabbed a stool nearby and sat himself near the kitchen table Grey was working on. He was a bit surprised when Yuna got a stool of her own and sat beside him.
"Huh? Is Lady Yuna not going to help out?" ［Martin］
"No, not this time. I also have no idea what Grey is going to make. But I'm sure it will be delicious!" ［Yuna］
"Oh, so it's a new recipe! I'm looking forward to it!" ［Martin］
Both Martin and Yuna quickly became excited as they talked about what Grey was going to cook. Martin was excited to learn a new recipe while Yuna was excited to eat new food. Two different reasons, one same expression.
Slowly, Grey took out ingredients one after another. He took out milk, sugar, butter, salt, and of course, the cacao beans they had just bought. Thankfully, the cacao beans were already processed and all that's left was to grind them into fine powder.
There was also no need for overcomplicated tools such as grinders and such, Grey only took out a mixing bowl, moulds, and a saucepan. Other steps will be left to magic as it is the most powerful tool Grey has in his arsenal.
"Hm? Isn't that..." ［Martin］
"It's cacao. Have you heard of it, Mister Martin?" ［Grey］
"Not just heard, I've also tried making coffee with it. It's slightly less bitter and has a peculiar taste to it. Are you perhaps trying to make coffee with it?" ［Martin］
"No, not at all. I'm making sweets out of it." ［Grey］
""Sweets?!"" ［Martin and Yuna］
Their voices in unison, Martin and Yuna voiced out their reactions to Grey's words. One was surprised how Grey would make sweets from a bitter substance, while the other was excited to eat some sweets. Of course, the latter was Yuna.
Grey was a little happy hearing Martin's reactions. He could tell from it that there was still no such thing as chocolate in Merusia. It was perfect since he wanted to surprise Yuna with it.
As for the puzzled chef, Martin, he looked curiously at the cacao beans. Veronica had recently bought it out of curiosity but after a while, she quickly lost interest in it and turned back to Alferia tea.
With the help of wind to grind the cacao beans and barrier magic to keep the particles in place, Grey turned the hard cacao beans into fine brown powder resembling that of the ones sold in convenience stores back on Earth.
When the powder was made, he then placed it on a mixing bowl along with some softened butter and started blending them. He whisked the mixture until it turned into fine paste with good consistency.
Grey then took a saucepan and placed it on top of the stove. He filled the saucepan with water to boil and another bowl on top of the saucepan. It was a substitute for a double boiler.
Gently as he could, Grey stirred the mixture consistently, removing it from heat only when the mixture was smooth. After which, milk, sugar, and salt were added in varying amounts in order to create different kinds of chocolate.
Three types of chocolates were made. One was the bitter dark chocolate, the second one was regular chocolate, and the third one, the sweetest, milk chocolate. Grey also added a touch of vanilla extract for fragrance and extra taste.
With the mixtures done, it was time to place them into moulds. Since Grey doesn't have a mould for bar chocolates, he settled on simple circle molds and used up all the mixtures, creating quite a handful of chocolates.
All that was left was to freeze them, and so Grey did, with the help of ice magic, of course. It didn't even take a minute for Grey to turn the chocolates solid. He controlled the temperature well so that there won't be any weird inconsistencies in the chocolates.
Of course, as Grey was making the chocolate, he also explained to Martin how to make them without using magic. The use of magic was only to speed things up. There are no other reasons other than it.
"Alright, I'm finished." ［Grey］
"Waah～ They look delicious!" ［Yuna］
Lined up before their eyes were brown colored sweets which had just been introduced to the world of Merusia. They are the king of sweets which ruled over the Earth for as long as Grey remembered.
"Can I have some?" ［Yuna］
"Just don't taste this one recklessly. It's a bit bitter so you might not like it." ［Grey］
"Grey, I'm no longer a child! I can eat bitter things! Just watch me!" ［Yuna］
Yuna protested as Grey warned her, little did she know, what Grey said was a "little" bitter was really bitter through and through. It was the worst decision Yuna had made which she will regret soon.
Without any hesitation, Yuna took a piece of dark chocolate which Grey previously pointed out. Following him, Grey and Martin also took a piece of the same chocolate and the three had a bite at the same time.
"Oh! It's bitter but not too overwhelming! I like this!" ［Martin］
"Mmm... Just like how I remembered it." ［Grey］
Martin and Grey wore expressions of satisfaction on their faces as they took a bite of the dark chocolate. Though it was the first time Martin ate a sweet which was actually more bitter than it is sweet, he easily took a liking to it. As for Yuna...
"Uuu... Bitter..." ［Yuna］
... she was suffering the consequences of her reckless actions. Tears were forming in her eyes as she continued to chew on it. Although she didn't like it that much, she didn't spit it out as she didn't want to waste food. Especially since it was Grey who made it.
"Haah... This is why I told you to not eat it recklessly." ［Grey］
"Sorry... I won't do it again..." ［Yuna］
"That's alright. Now, open up. This should help overpower the bitterness." ［Grey］
"Un..." ［Yuna］
Yuna timidly opened her mouth as Grey took a piece of milk chocolate and fed it to her. In contrast to the dark chocolate, the milk chocolate was much sweeter. It quickly removed the bitter sensation inside Yuna's mouth.
As she ate the sweet chocolate, Yuna's mood quickly improved and the more she chewed, the more the bitter taste faded away. Soon after, all that was left in her mouth was a sweet sensation, with a little hint of bitterness.
"Waah～ It's sweet!" ［Yuna］
"It's called chocolate. Do you like it?" ［Grey］
"Un! I love it!" ［Yuna］
Yuna expressed her happiness cheerfully as she could as she took another piece of milk chocolate from the table. Her smile became brighter and brighter as she ate more and more of it.
Martin also helped himself with the other types of chocolates and evaluated them closely. He took notes of how the chocolate tasted and took into consideration the ingredients he needed to make them.
"Big Bro Grey, Big Sis Yuna, what are you eating?!" ［Galvin］
"Vin, don't run around too much." ［Veronica］
Just as Martin finished taking notes, the kitchen immediately became livelier as Veronica along with her children entered. As Galvin just woke from his afternoon nap, he was full of energy.
"Madam, please have some of these. Lord Grey made them from cacao beans and they're absolutely tasty." ［Martin］
"Oh, from cacao beans? How intriguing..." ［Veronica］
"Me too! I also want to eat!" ［Galvin］
"M-Me as well..." ［Elnart］
Following Martin's suggestion, Veronica and the children also partook in tasting the chocolates. One after another, the pieces of chocolate in the kitchen slowly disappeared as everyone happily indulged in them.
Of course, Galvin and Elnart were only given the milk chocolates. Yuna forbade them from eating others as she didn't want them to have the same experience as her. She was a thoughtful older sister figure.
After eating chocolates, Grey and Yuna played with Galvin and Elnart until dinner arrived. Soon after, the night had come and it was time to retire for the day. Everyone headed to their respective rooms.
"Ahh... It was a long day～...." ［Grey］
"Un! It sure was! We did so many things today, it's quite tiring..." ［Yuna］
"You can say that again..." ［Grey］
Driven by exhaustion, Grey dropped himself helplessly towards the bed, lying down without making much movements. Yuna also finished fixing herself and sat on the side of the bed.
"By the way, Grey..." ［Yuna］
"Hm?" ［Grey］
"Today... You were trying to cheer me up, weren't you?" ［Yuna］
Silence swallowed the room as soon as Yuna asked that question. Grey, without any words, lifted himself up from his previous position and sat on the side of the bed, placing himself beside Yuna.
Yuna was correct. Grey was trying to cheer her up since morning. It was because today is the 3rd anniversary of the destruction of Yuna's village. Grey wanted her to forget such painful memories and have as much fun as she could. It was also part of the reasons why Grey suddenly suggested a shopping date.
"Looks like I've been found out, huh... Since when did you notice?" ［Grey］
"Since the beginning, or rather... you've always tried to cheer me up every time this day comes. I've already expected it since yesterday." ［Yuna］
"I see... So I'm that predictable, huh..." ［Grey］
Grey said as he looked up at the ceiling, letting silence once again take over the whole room. There wasn't any sort of awkwardness between him and Yuna. There was only silence.
As the deafening silence continued to ensue, Yuna's hands slowly crawled towards Grey's. The moment her hands held his, she interlocked her fingers with him and leaned her head towards his shoulder.
"Grey, I've already said this many times before, but while I was really devastated about what happened... it isn't all negatives." ［Yuna］
Yuna's hands held onto Grey's even tighter as her soft words rang throughout his ears. There was a trace of sadness over her face but there weren't any tears like before. She has become stronger.
"I've seen many interesting things, traveled to countless places, and eaten hundreds of new foods.... Most importantly, I met you. I couldn't be any happier." ［Yuna］
"Yuna..." ［Grey］
A gentle smile appeared on Yuna's face as she faced her beloved. Their hearts racing madly as they moved closer to one another. As their lips linked with one another, their hearts also beat as one.
A day which started full of worries now ended full of happiness as the night became deeper. The cold breeze embracing the city became nothing as two people slept in each other's embrace.
CHAPTER 92 END