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Once I began to realize it, the unmistakable spicy aroma burst out amidst the sweet and savory scents of vanilla, sugar, butter, and milk that filled the cafe.

‘And to think, it’s a warm scent, no less.’

Karem turned his gaze around, ears perked up.

“When’s the cake I ordered coming?!”

“I’ll be having this vanilla ice cream today. Oh, don’t worry. I can eat alone.”

“Thank you for your hard work!”

“Oh dear, it’s too precious to eat!”

Karem, who had been quietly listening, twitched his eyebrows.

Surely, it was a strange scent that clearly stemmed from some misuse.

However, no one around in the cafe seemed to be ordering any dessert that could be the culprit.

“Then what on earth—”

“Kid. It’s chaotic. What are you so anxiously looking around for? Just sit still, and it’ll come out on its own.”

Catherine lightly tapped the table and scolded him.

“So don’t act like a hick that just came to town.”

“No, that’s not why…”

“Then what?”

“Um… Am I the only one who smells this spicy aroma?”

“Spicy aroma?”

No one else in the vicinity seemed to react, so it could just be a mistake. Given how mentally fatigued I felt, it was entirely possible.

“Now that you mention it, it’s a scent I haven’t smelled in a while.”

“…Do you know what it is?”

“Yes. It’s… Mint’s Affair? It’s a herb widely used in the mainland. It’s used for healing ointments, low-grade recovery potions, and so on.”

Catherine spoke with a tone of certainty.

“So what’s wrong with this scent?”

“Isn’t it a bit odd to smell this in a cafe?”

“Well, it’d be strange to claim someone was just doing a little… something for a request.”

Then Catherine realized the anomaly, and her expression subtly shifted.

Mint’s Affair grows wild in the central and southern parts of Europa.

Specifically, it thrives around Bersengzeto and Servianus.

While it’s fairly common, it’s not even imported to other regions.

There were two simple reasons.

There were no surpluses, and substitutes were abundant.

After all, it’s not like there aren’t similarly leveled plants in other regions, and while it’s common, its versatility as a herb leads to it being entirely consumed within its self-growing area.

“Are there similar plants?”

“Well, there are things like catnip and sage in the Kingdom of Seophone.”

“Sage is an herb, right?”

“It’s used ‘as an herb’, too.”

The herbs that were stuffed in stews or plenty filled in roasted dishes can be materials for potions as well.

It felt strange, but there was no reason not to accept it.

In my past life, they said old spices and herbs were also used as materials for healing potions.

If that’s the case, it seemed reasonable.

Clink.

“Here are the Rose Cradle and Marmalade Pudding you ordered. Enjoy.”

Just in time, the waiter brought out the items ordered.

The crepe cake introduced as Rose Cradle was vastly different from the type that Karem was accustomed to seeing, except for the delicate sugar powder that made it appear more beautiful than snow.

On the cake plate, layers of crepes piled up like petals vertically mirrored a giant rose, as if snow had fallen over it.

“Not a custard pudding, but a bread pudding?”

“Well, there’s also what Lord Atanitas ordered. I’ll partake a little.”

“You have some nerve.”

Catherine commented as if incredulous but didn’t refuse. Karem gratefully accepted the intention and took the knife the waiter picked up.

“This red color… Is it rose water?”

Catherine looked at the piece of cake Karem had tossed.

The thin, stacked crepes layered over whipped cream seemed like they had been frozen in ripples of water, reflecting not horizontally but vertically.

“The cross-section is different from what I’ve had before.”

“Well, it’s not an overly complicated method.”

“Did you already figure it out?”

Rose Cradle. The technique used for the red crepe cake wasn’t particularly special or difficult.

You simply grilled the crepes in a square shape, spread whipped cream on just one side, and kept rolling and adding cream until you got the desired size.

It was just tedious and required a lot of effort.

“Now, how does it taste—”

Catherine, after tasting the piece of Rose Cradle Karem offered, raised her brows as if intrigued a moment later.

“Using rose water gives it a rose scent, but it’s just an ordinary crepe cake.”

“Just the shift in thinking deserves some praise.”

“Shifting thoughts. That’s important.”

While Catherine mumbled, Karem swiftly chopped off a big piece of the Marmalade Pudding and popped it into his mouth.

The taste of syrup was so sweet it made his tongue tingle.

Squeeak—

The soft bread, soaked generously in syrup, squeezed out the sweet liquid infused with orange fragrance the moment he bit into it, much like wringing out a sponge that has soaked up water.

The naturally syrup-soaked soft bread shattered into pieces as its loose bindings broke apart without leaving a trace.

As Karem’s nose adapted to the orange scent, a subtle vanilla aroma swirled around his mouth with each particle he chewed, and the familiar orange fragrance rose again.

The first sweet bite that tingled his teeth faded away, just leaving behind the savory taste he felt from the bread pudding as he swallowed the dessert.

“This is… quite good.”

“Really?”

“Would you like to take a bite?”

“Sure. But the fork—”

“Here it is.”

Catherine, trying to call for the waiter, reflexively opened her mouth and grabbed the fork as the bread pudding, dripping with marmalade, came closer.

Bread pudding can be classified into two types.

One is for meals, roasted in juice and fat, while the other is soaked in syrup for dessert.

Naturally, the sweetness that tingles the mouth is a characteristic of dessert bread pudding.

Personally, what I thought was crucial for dessert bread pudding was how to naturally suppress that sweetness… Wait a moment.

Catherine nodded her head, savoring the taste, her expression suddenly froze.

Wasn’t this fork the one he used earlier?

She turned her gaze to the side.

“Delicious, right?”

She casually asked while implying the answer, as the end of the fork she had just taken had a bit of marmalade syrup stuck to it.

That’s right; the fork had been used just a moment earlier by Karem.

“That cheeky little brat. Right now, this is—”

“I’m just flirting.”

“W-what…”

“I mean, just a few days ago, we had an indirect kiss; feeding me with the fork I used isn’t such a big deal.”

At those words, Catherine snapped her head up.

Indeed, she had momentarily forgotten about Karem confessing his feelings, as he had directly drunk from the cup she had previously sipped from.

“…This is—”

“I’m embarrassed, but I went ahead and did it.”

“You did it, yet you’re the one embarrassed…?!”

Karem confidently nodded, affirming.

If Iona, the one who advised him on this, saw, she’d likely be dismayed, saying that he was progressing way too slowly, but Karem felt justified.

“If you’re embarrassed, then don’t do it…!”

“That command is not something I can follow.”

“You little brat with unnecessary determination—”

“Oh, is there something happening?”

Suddenly, a woman who appeared to be the cafe owner clapped her hands and emerged from behind the counter, prompting Karem to swiftly change the topic. Catherine shot him an annoyed glare, but the cafe owner spoke first.

“I would like to first extend my gratitude to the brave gentlemen and lovely ladies visiting my cafe.”

As the cafe owner’s grandiloquent speech continued, Karem, like most other customers, started to feel overwhelmed by sudden boredom.

Suddenly—

But that boredom faded quickly.

Several waiters rolled out carts covered with shiny lids in a line.

Though the sudden event had taken them by surprise, the crowd was in high spirits.

There seemed to be no one at this gathering who despised unexpected gifts.

New menus, birthday events, grand opening celebrations, and more.

As guests whispered amongst themselves, speculating joyfully with their companions.

“Kid. Your expression seems off.”

“Is the scent getting stronger?”

“Scent? It definitely is.”

“…Could it be.”

Karem trembled with anxiety.

The refreshingly potent warm scent that had been unpleasantly lingering became even stronger as the waiters rolled the carts closer.

What did that mean?

It was too obvious.

Behind the counter in the kitchen, they had just prepared the source of this scent, and the source of the smell lay hidden beneath the covered carts.

“-So please, enjoy the latest trend from Servianus, which has made its way through Kingsland to our cafe, tea culture, on a trial basis!”

Clap clap—

The cafe owner’s light claps seemed to signal the waiters, who quickly lifted the lids simultaneously.

Whoooosh-!

“….!”

And just as he had suspected, the aroma exploded.

“Just as I expected, it’s the scent of Mint’s Affair. It smells like when it’s brewed into a potion.”

Few people knew the true identity of the aroma, aside from the two of them.

“…It’s refreshing, but it feels a bit too strange for me—”

“What is this scent? It’s a peculiar feeling.”

“Is this something they drink in Servianus these days?”

“What’s this? I’ve smelled this somewhere before.”

“In Kingsland, you say? Interesting!”

Naturally, the negative reactions were minimal.

The majority of guests were curious.

The primary modes of transportation in Europa are merely ships and wagons.

Unless one is an adventurer, merchant, or sailor, most people across Europa seldom venture outside their birth regions or cities.

Of course, there are areas like Iceland where movement is more active, but such cases are rare.

Thus, it was natural for them to show interest in a culture from a very distant country on the mainland, especially one that was currently trending in another region.

Clink—

“Be careful; it’s hot.”

Karem glanced at the glass set on the table.

Inside a neat silver cup resembling a mug sat a clear liquid of light brown with a tinge of yellow that shimmered slightly.

“I never expected to smell this here. But to drink this as a beverage in a cafe instead of just using it for medicinal purposes…”

The item that had only been used as a magic material was now being transformed into food.

Karem wondered if roasted Alraune would apply in this case as he turned his head to the strangely quiet side.

Karem was glaring at the Mint’s Affair potion as if he could split it in half just by staring.

“Hey kid. Snap out of it. Hey!”

“Lord Atanitas.”

“Yes, this time it’s fortunate—”

“I’m as clear-headed as when I discovered Fire Witch Finger and vanilla.”

“That doesn’t sound good.”

His voice was calm as the frozen waters of winter.

If you only listened to him, he sounded as if he was speaking calmly.

He didn’t hate mint.

He didn’t particularly like it either, but he didn’t intensely detest it.

Mint chocolate brownies, mint chocolate ice cream, mint vanilla, and so on.

Above all, the ratio was crucial. The roles could not be reversed.

But tea? No way.

Absolutely not.

Eating mint, peppermint ‘hot’… was something he could never tolerate.

“Thus, I’ll be heading to that kitchen that made this abomination for a moment.”

Catherine didn’t have time to stop him.

Grasping the silver cup, Karem sprang up from his seat. Though the surrounding gazes gathered, he didn’t care as he confidently headed towards the counter. The waiters hesitated briefly, wanting to stop him, but backed off.

If he genuinely lost his temper, heaven help whoever was in his way…!

Catherine inadvertently touched her forehead and swept her face, then followed behind Karem.

But it was already too late.

Slamming the door open—

“Who made this monstrosity?!”

As Karem erupted, pushing through the swinging door behind the counter, Catherine couldn’t help but touch her forehead again.

This scene was being observed by the three figures in the crystal chamber in Winterhome.

Olivier, Elizabeth, and Iona all touched their foreheads in unison.

 

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