The Villainous Princess Wants to Live in a Gingerbread House - Chapter 50

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Villainess Princess Wants to Live in a Confectionery
Episode 50

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“Cashew… what on earth… what exactly are you planning to do with cashew…?”
Chop-chop-chop-chop.
Chop-chop-chop-chop.
Even as Pavel asked his question in a gloomy tone, his hands never stopped dicing the carrot. Asha measured out flour by type, glancing over at him sideways.
When Asha had entrusted the cashew to Kalno, Pavel had briefly—for about a second—entertained the thought of smashing the mortar and claiming it was gone. But he’d abandoned the idea, doubting his own strength would be enough to actually break it.
“Carrot cake tastes good with cream cheese frosting, but cream cheese is made from milk too, so I can’t use that this time, right?”
“Ah, yes, that’s right……”
“But if I don’t add any decoration at all, I don’t think even the Emperor’s grandfather would accept it as a banquet dessert, would he?”
“That’s… also true.”
How could such a plain-looking thing ever grace a banquet table?
“So I’ve been thinking—I’ll grind the cashew to make it like butter, then mix it with coconut cream. Once we whip it together and it gets firm, I can use it on top instead of cream.”
“That’s… that does sound good.”
“Right?”
“But the fact that he’s grinding cashew over there with a mortar—that’s not good!”
The last remark came as a hushed whisper. Asha pursed her lips.
“What can’t he do? Kalno’s really skilled at it. Look at him.”
“That may be, but……”
“Are you worried Kalno might kill you? Trust me—I know Kalno doesn’t kill people easily. Don’t worry. You’re definitely safe for at least the next five years.”
“That’s not the reason! He’s the vice commander……”
“I hear everything.”
Kalno’s voice drifted over from a distance. Asha coughed awkwardly, then glanced at Pavel and jerked her head toward Kalno.
‘See? I joke like that, and we’re all still alive. I told you he doesn’t kill.’
‘So why do I feel like I’m dying right now?’
‘Pavel’s just got a tender heart.’
‘…!’
“I… heard that too.”
“Maybe you’re not grinding the mortar hard enough. Are you done?”
“……”
“……”
Pretending not to notice Pavel’s face turning white, Asha gathered sugar, oil, vanilla, and other ingredients into a large bowl, then opened a container of coconut cream.
“Hmm? Is this all there is?”
At Asha’s surprised question, Pavel stammered out an explanation. Coconut cream wasn’t a commonly used ingredient, so it was only ordered occasionally when needed.
“If I just mix this into the cashew butter and make icing, that should be it, but what should I do……”
Maybe it’s better to invest in the cake itself rather than add more to the icing? She could always make the icing next time……
It was just as Asha was pondering this, holding the container of cashew butter, when her eye fell on something Pavel had soaked for the evening meal.
“Oatmeal!”
“O… oatmeal?!”
Asha nodded and quickly reached out toward the bowl Pavel had soaked the oatmeal in and then left unattended until now. Pavel belatedly tried to intercept the oatmeal, but he was too late.
“If I grind oatmeal and strain the liquid, it becomes oatmeal milk.”
“This… becomes…?”
Pavel’s eyes widened as he looked back and forth between the oatmeal and Asha.
“Yes. Since it’s not real milk, of course the Noctis Elves will be fine with it. You can use it when making confections too.”
After making the oatmeal milk and adding it to the cake batter, Asha paused for a moment in thought, then whisked two eggs until properly foamy.
‘The Noctis Elves aren’t vegetarians, so this should be okay, right?’
Eggs would keep the cake from crumbling when baked and make it taste even softer. Once she’d mixed everything in, Asha divided the batter into two bowls.
“What will you do with the divided portions?”
“I’ll bake one with cinnamon and one without.”
“Ah! Cinnamon would definitely suit this cake well. With the nuts you’ve added, and it’ll cover any grassy notes the carrot might have. That’s clever.”
“…Yes… but maybe the Noctis Elves might prefer the one without cinnamon instead.”
Asha spoke in a slightly uncertain tone, but Pavel didn’t seem to notice.
“No, I’d stake my reputation on it—the one with cinnamon will definitely taste better. How could you compare a version with a complementary scent to one without…wait, no. We should still check. Let’s split them and bake them quickly! Come on!”
Pavel cleared his throat. Asha’s expression grew sullen as she prepared two rectangular molds and filled them with cake batter.

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“Since the Commander has seen her himself, you’ll understand. That girl is truly clever, and quite charming.”
……
Guilhelm’s lips twitched faintly. He was trying to gauge the sincerity in the Crown Prince’s Son’s words about Asha, the Imperial Grandchild.
“I imagine only Asha would think to offer Kalno something like a spicy chicken sandwich.”
Pfft.
Guilhelm found himself stifling an unseemly sound, half-choking on his own breath. Even after composing himself, the Crown Prince’s Son maintained his gentle expression.
“Sometimes I find myself thinking: What if that girl isn’t really ten years old? Haha, I know how absurd that must sound.”
What……
The Crown Prince’s Son broke a confection in half—darkly toasted, almost burnt—and pushed it into his mouth, then spoke slowly after swallowing.
“When that girl sulks, she isn’t truly sulking at all. She’s only pretending to, to comfort me. She lies sometimes too. If she thinks I’ll worry, she’ll insist it’s nothing serious, that she hasn’t been hurt or fallen ill, that everything’s already healed.”
Ah……
Alexei, the Crown Prince’s Son, held a quiet smile on his face.
“Kalno approached her first and spoke to her, and Asha is the only one who can approach Kalno of her own accord. So there’s no need to ask me to be lenient with her for Kalno’s sake.”
Guilhelm could say nothing, his chest suddenly hollow. Two Imperial Grandchildren left behind by the Emperor—and caught in the struggle for the throne. A five-year-younger cousin girl could only be an evil thing, an enemy, nothing more. So he’d believed.
That was why Guilhelm had come rushing here like this. To confirm how the Crown Prince’s Son truly regarded Asha, what standing that girl held in the Imperial Palace, and to protect her……
“She’s my one and only cousin sister. If anyone were to make that little pea of a girl cry, I wouldn’t forgive them first. So don’t worry.”
……
“Rather, I’m grateful that you care for Kalno so much.”
That’s… not necessary at all.
Guilhelm flustered and waved his hand, but the Crown Prince’s Son did not retract his words, only regarding him with that same gentle gaze.
It was only later that Guilhelm learned the confection Alexei had been eating that day was made by Asha, the Imperial Grandchild. Alexei had helped make it too, and the burnt parts were his doing—he’d held it in the fire too long.

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Uh, well… do you think we could figure out what those people like? I mean, maybe……”
Pavel’s eyes flickered toward Kalno in the distance. He seemed to be thinking that perhaps they could infer something through him, since he’d had much contact with the Noctis Elves. Asha laughed brightly and waved her hand dismissively.
“Kalno didn’t become an elf just from spending a few years in the North. It’s not like that.”
In the meantime, Kalno had finished the Cashew Butter and withdrew. The frosting was complete—finely ground Cashew Butter mixed with lemon juice and Coconut Cream, stirred thoroughly, ready to be spread on the cake.
Once preparations were done, Asha waited for the cake to bake and pulled an old Recipe Notebook from her bag, organizing what they’d made that day.
What’s… that?
Pavel noticed the notebook was filled with recipes and sidled closer, his eyes glancing over it. Asha smiled softly.
My Confection Notebook.
Only Confections in there? Nothing else?
If there was something else?
Asha asked with a slight smirk, and Pavel cleared his throat awkwardly in embarrassment.
I’m not asking for anything, just… well… I was wondering if maybe I could just take a look or something……”
Unfortunately, it only has Confection recipes in it.
Really nothing else?
Really nothing!
But then why does your Highness only make Confections?
Asha’s eyes widened at Pavel’s sudden shift back to the original question, and Pavel too startled, gesturing in denial.
I mean, even if you’d done other kinds of cooking… you’d have had talent for it……”
Looking at the Confections Asha made, Pavel thought it was impossible to describe them with any word but “talent.” Of course, the court and nobility wouldn’t be pleased with such talk—that the Imperial Grandchild had talent for making mere Confections.
To Pavel’s muttering, Asha replied cheerfully.
Well, it’s because I love Confections!
Because you love them…… But no matter how much you love something……”
Why did you become a cook, Pavel? You could have inherited a countship if you’d just waited.
……!
This time Pavel’s mouth fell open. His eyes asked ‘You knew?’ and Asha nodded. Pavel became flustered and hesitant.
Well, I mean, I did want to become a cook, so… but what I meant was why only Confections……”
Actually, that’s what I want to ask you? Why don’t you bake Confections, Pavel?
Pavel opened his mouth to answer, then quickly shut it. Asha closed her eyes and smiled mischievously.
Is it because you don’t have the “history” for it?
Ah, no. It’s not really like that.
Pavel wore an uncomfortable expression.
It’s just… well, how should I put it. I mean, it’s not like that, is it? Cooking has always been treated as…… how do I say it, Cooking is essentially refining something that must be eaten anyway, but Confections aren’t necessary like that……”
Pavel’s words grew increasingly evasive and vague. The truth was, he didn’t refrain from pastries out of any particular distaste for them. It was simply that he’d never touched Pastry Making with any real thought, treating it as something less socially significant than baking or other forms of cooking.
And after he’d let that opinion slip and been beaten half to death by the master who had taught him Cooking, he’d kept even further away from it ever since.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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