It was in a room in Duchess Albert's mansion. Lilia and Sieglinde are in
the large kitchen, which is typical of a noble's home.
Valentine's Day is coming tomorrow, and Lilia also wanted to give
chocolate to her lover, Kaito.
In the Symphonia Kingdom, or rather, in the Human Realm, Lilia is
called a genius, but in fact, she wasn't very good at cooking alone.
Ever since she failed in cooking in her previous trip with Kaito, she was
occasionally being taught by her best friend Sieg how to cook but… not
much growth can be seen.
[…For the time being, I think it would be too difficult for Lili to make it
from beans, so I've prepared some chocolates here.]
[T- Thank you.]
[Well then, let's crush the chocolate into smaller bits and boil it in hot
water first.]
[Yes!]
When Sieglinde calmly spoke to her, Lilia nodded with a tense
expression, "and with a thunderous roar", she crushed the chocolate as
instructed.
[…Ahh.]
[…Lili, who told you to smash the "whole chopping block"? Please
remove your Body Strengthening Magic first.]
[Uuuuu, I'm sorry.]
[Anyway, this time, you will follow all my instructions. Is that clear?]
[U- Understood.]
[…Well then, first of all, "these ingredients that Lili prepared",
immediately return them where you got them from.]
[…Eh?]
Sieglinde is well aware of Lilia's cooking skills. She's well aware of her
lack of sense of taste, to the point that it's painful for her.
Therefore, she began by putting away the ingredients that Lilia had
brought with her.
[I've already prepared what you would need here. Please put away what
you have brought there.]
[…B- But…]
[Haahhh… We're making chocolate here, you know? That "fish and
meat", what do you plan to use it for…]
[F- For arrangement…]
[Listen here, Lili. Today, you are prohibited from doing any arranging.]
[Eh? B- But, what about individuality…]
[Do— you— un— der— stand?]
[Yes! I- I understand!!!]
When Lilia, who was supposed to be making chocolate but for some
reason, brought fish and meat, Sieg intimidatingly reminded her.
There are several types of bad cooks.
The type that doesn't follow a recipe, the type that doesn't have a sense
of taste… and the type that adds unnecessary arrangement to the
recipe. Lilia was the type who adds strange arrangements.
[I'm not going to make Kaito-san eat anything dangerous. I'll have you
follow even the finest detail this time.]
[U- Understood… By the way, it seems like Sieg's ingredients look
different from mine?]
[Aahhh, I'm making chocolate fondant. Kaito-san said he liked it
before.]
[T- Then, I'll also make that…]
[Unfortunately… I don't have the coaching skill to have Lilia successfully
make chocolate fondant in a day. My apologies, please just put up with
making a normal chocolate.]
No matter how good Sieg is at cooking, she didn't have the power to
make Lilia, who's still making the mistake of crushing the chopping
board along with the chocolate, make something that's rather difficult
like chocolate fondants.
In the first place, if she needs to focus on giving instructions to her, she
wouldn't have the time to make her own chocolate.
And thus, after she somehow convinced Lilia to make a normal
chocolate, she began guiding her.
After some time, the chocolate is finished. When Sieg tasted the
chocolate Lilia made, she looked at Lilia while trembling with fear.
[…Lili… I… I'm afraid of you. You made it according to the recipe… How
in the world did you make it "taste this miserable"…]
[C- Can't you be a little gentler on saying that to me!?]
[All you have to do is melt the chocolate and let it solidify in the mold,
so how did you manage to do this… Lili, are you sure you followed the
right amount?]
Looking at Lilia's slightly misshapen chocolate, which is supposed to
have no strange ingredients in it, has a strange flavor, Sieglinde asks,
suppressing the urge to throw a spoon at her.
Thereupon, Lilia nodded with a serious look on her face and muttered a
few words that made Sieglinde's head hurt.
[Y- Yes… I added a little too much sugar, but I properly "neutralized" it
with salt, so it should be fine.]
[...]
[Eh? Arehh? S- Sieg… Why do you have that scary look on your face…]
Seeing the wondering and feeling troubled Lilia, who just developed a
super theory that is a staple thought of bad cooks, a vein popped out of
Sieglinde's forehead.
However, Lilia actually doesn't seem to understand at all and is puzzled
as to why Sieglinde is sharply glaring at her.
[Haahhh… Lili, for the time being, start over from the beginning. Also,
adding salt will never neutralize sugar.]
[R- Really!? T- Then, what do I have to add to neutralize it?]
[…My head is hurting already. For now, please stay away from any
neutralizing…]
Holding her head after hearing Lilia's statement, Sieglinde prepares
another set of ingredients again.
Then, she watched Lilia make the chocolate with a serious look on her
face, as if to say she won't miss anything this time.
[…Errr~~ the whipped cream… needs this much… so I guess that's
around "three tilts"…]
[Properly measure it!!!]
[Hyiiihhhhh!?]
She immediately scolded Lilia for trying to add whipped cream just by
measuring with her eyes, and made her measure it properly before
resuming.
[Errr, to warm it up… I guess I should use Fire-Attribute Magic…
Crimson Flare should do…]
[Use the heating magic tool! The magic tool!!!]
[Y- Y- Y- Yes!?]
Sieglinde hurriedly handed an exclusive magic tool to Lilia, who tried to
heat the cream to be added to the chocolate with Fire-Attribute Magic.
[…Stir in a way that prevents air from entering? How do I do that… I
guess I should stir it so fast that there's no room for air to get in!]
[…You just slowly and gently stir… Slowly…]
[R- Really…]
While holding her head because of Lilia, who acted so dumb that she
wondered if Lilia was doing this on purpose, Sieglinde still patiently
taught her how to do it.
And then, after several failed attempts… Lilia finally finished making a
chocolate with a decent taste.
[…Unnn. This should be alright… Y- You finally did it.]
[I- I'm sorry for all the troubles.]
[Next would be decorating… I've already prepared white chocolate
cream over there, so draw any pattern you like on it.]
[I understand!]
After watching Lilia finally making her chocolate, Sieglinde lets out a
big sigh and then proceeds to make her own chocolate that had been
quite delayed.
As she was skillfully cooking her chocolate fondant, she heard Lilia say
"I'm finished." and turned towards her.
[…Lili, what is that? This picture… is this a frog?]
[Eh? It's a dragon though?]
[…Is that so…]
Apparently, the Duchess, who was called a genius in the Human Realm,
it seems like not only does she not have culinary talent… but artistic
talent as well.