109. Cafe

109. Cafe

Just a common slice of cake.

Ur, seeing the cake presented before her, froze for a moment as if her brain had short-circuited, then quickly turned her head and batted away the fork. Her white hair brushed past my cheek.

“Ur does not eat food that those kinds of women eat!”

“Is that so?”

“Skeletons… Ah, no, Death Knights grow by eating evil energy! Although I can’t do that now, as a once-great knight of death, Ur will only eat strong and magnificent food!”

Ur turned her head away primly and let out a hmph.

She seemed so harmless, truly my cute ego sword.

“Really? You won’t eat it?”

“That’s right!”

Ur expressed her refusal strongly.

But I knew that Ur had been intently watching the snacks until just moments ago. Ur, whose height was so short that even when sitting on a chair, her face barely peeked over the table, was so cute as she turned her head and followed the movements of the cakes and cookies with her bright white eyes. It was a sight I couldn’t help but see.

Besides, strong denial often means affirmation. Ur clearly wanted to eat these sweet snacks.

Perhaps her acting so prim and turning her head away now was due to the gender-based stubbornness that often occurs among young children.

Like how they divide tasks based on gender, and tease each other if they try to do the other gender’s tasks.

Like teasing someone by saying “If you wear pink, are you a girl?” and the one being teased getting angry and saying “No!”

That’s how it was when I was little, but is it different now?

It’s been over 20 years since I was reincarnated into this world, so my memories are starting to fade.

Well, actually, once you get a little older, such distinctions quickly become meaningless. For example, the trend of saying “hot pink is a color for real men.”

Anyway.

Perhaps it’s a universal trait to tease stubborn children, but I suddenly felt like playing a prank on Ur, who wasn’t even looking at the cake.

“Ur, come here.”

“Y-yes?”

I put my hands under Ur’s armpits and lifted her onto my lap. Her white hair filled the lower part of my vision, and a soft milky scent wafted from it. It was Ur’s body odor.

“I-I won’t eat it!”

“It’s okay, I’m not going to force-feed you.”

If it were vegetables, maybe, but I didn’t want to force-feed a child who didn’t want to eat delicious snacks. I stroked Ur’s head and popped the cake I had speared with my fork into my mouth.

Nom nom.

The luxurious sweetness, befitting the cafe’s fame, spread throughout my mouth. The soft, fluffy bread crumbled, and the cream burst forth, scattering on my tongue. It was sweet.

“Chew chew.”

“….”

Ur puffed out her cheeks and maintained a firm stance. She seemed determined not to eat it.

However, she seemed unaware that her body was trembling every time the cakes and cookies passed by her head.

How cute.

“Yum yum.”

I deliberately guided the fork to pass near Ur. I gently shook the snack on the fork to spread the scent, and even blew a little breeze.

Enveloped by the sweet scent of the dessert, Ur began to tremble. But even so, she still seemed unwilling to open her mouth.

Ur is stubborn.

I turned my head away from the cute white-haired maid and looked towards Claire. Claire, who had finished eating her cake, was poking at the remnants of the cake with her fork, playing with it.

“Claire.”

“Yeah?”

Claire looked up from her plate and looked at me. Although Claire was taller than Ur, she was still quite short, so her gaze from below was quite cute.

“Say ‘ah’.”

I picked up a seemingly delicious cookie and offered it to Claire. Of course, I passed it right by Ur’s nose.

Claire, seeing my hand, took the cookie into her mouth in one bite without any hesitation.

Even my fingers.

“C-Claire, it tickles.”

Her small tongue, moving as if to suck on my index finger, and the rough texture of the crumbled cookie mixed with the soft touch of her tongue created a strange sensation.

Her lips, moving as if trying to suck my index finger, also felt strange because they tickled.

My fingers aren’t a pacifier….

The continuous slurping stopped when Ur, who was watching me with a peculiar look, noticed. Feeling like the build-up was collapsing, I quickly pulled my finger out.

A long silver thread stretched out.

“C-cough.”

I cleared my throat and started eating the snacks in front of Ur again. Ur’s white eyes, which had been glowing with a strange light, trembled and began to shake as soon as she smelled the sweet snacks.

Yum yum.

Tremble tremble.

Yum yum yum.

Tremble tremble tremble.

Ur, who trembled every time the snacks brushed past her, looked like a small, cute, white hamster.

The synesthetic stimulation of the crisp, sweet sound and the soft bread and cookies that were chewed and swallowed confused Ur’s ears. Ur herself seemed to be trying to maintain a firm stance by gritting her teeth and covering her eyes and ears…

“Nom nom.”

“…!!”

As long as she doesn’t hold her breath, there’s no way.

The scent of the abundant sugar surrounded Ur, and facing a situation of being surrounded on all sides, Ur stomped her feet in my arms, unsure of what to do.

“Priscilla, do you want some too?”

“Your tail?”

“No, the cake.”

I vertically placed the fork on the cake and pressed down with force. My swordsmanship, honed through endless training, cleanly cut the cake and even split the plate in half.

… No one saw, right?

I moved the cut plate out of sight and picked up the cake with my fork, shaking it a few times in front of Ur.

It was a fresh strawberry cake.

“Nngh.”

“Here, see. There’s a sweet and sour fruit here. Doesn’t it look delicious?”

“Nngh….”

Even if you open your eyes and look, it’s okay. The strawberry, which is so sweet and sour that your body trembles the moment you put it in your mouth, is right here.

The delicious strawberry that makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

“Ugh…!”

Ah, what a shame. If Ur doesn’t eat it, this big, bright red strawberry will go into Priscilla’s mouth, which is gaping open over there.

“…!!”

She must be happy.

When the sweet, sour, and cold juice bursts in her mouth, the soft bread will support the back of her tongue, and the rich cream will balance the tartness of the strawberry.

A cake that makes you want to eat it again and again once you’ve tasted it. It’s truly delicious and sweet.

“Nngh…!!”

But it seems Ur doesn’t want to eat it.

“Eh?”

Then it can’t be helped. I’ll give this to the obedient and good Priscilla. I really wanted to give this food to Ur, but it’s such a shame.

Ah, the cake is flying. Far away….

“Wait, just a moment…!”

As the cake, spinning in mid-air, headed towards Priscilla, who was waiting with her mouth open, Ur startled and grabbed my arm, stopping me.

It was as planned.

“Ur, what’s wrong?”

“N-no….”

Realizing what she had done, Ur’s face flushed red, and she let go of my hand, but my stopped arm didn’t move any further. I persistently teased Ur.

“Do you want cake?”

As if playing tug-of-war, I pushed the strawberry cake forward and then pulled it back, letting the scent spread, wafting the smell to disorient her, then pulling it back, and again.

“If you want to eat it, say ‘ah’, Ur.”

“Ugh….”

What I’m saying now is not a command with any coercion. It’s an order that leaves everything to Ur’s heart.

Do you want to eat it, or not?

The question transmitted from eye to eye. Ur’s body trembled slightly.

There was no answer.

Instead, her white eyes quietly turned towards the cake.

The cake covered in white cream, the brilliant red strawberry on top. Her small lips, which had been tightly closed, slowly parted….

So small, it seemed she couldn’t even fit the cake in her mouth. Yet, the movement of her swallowing her saliva revealed her fervent desire for the cake.

“Skadi? Mmph?!”

I’m sorry to Priscilla, who is gaping like a baby bird next to me, but I have to give this cake to Ur.

Instead of the cake, I put my tail into Priscilla’s mouth. This should surely appease her dissatisfaction.

“Here, Ur.”

“Aaaah….”

The fork was slowly extended forward.

The cream that hadn’t been fully swallowed smeared around her mouth, and the bread stuffed into her small mouth crumbled.

With an “ang” sound, the large strawberry disappeared into her mouth.

“Ur?”

Ur, with the cake in her mouth and her head bowed, showed no reaction.

She didn’t move her mouth, nor did she say anything.

Perhaps it didn’t taste good, or maybe she bit her tongue while eating it too quickly. As a mix of emotions crossed my mind, Ur lifted her head.

Her gaze was directed at the fork in my hand.

“Hup!!”

“Whoa.”

Ur rushed towards me, snatched the fork, and frantically devoured the cake. She ate so quickly that cake crumbs were all over her mouth and scattered on the floor.

“Haaah… Yum yum….”

Ur was engrossed in eating the cake, not even looking at her surroundings. Her maid outfit’s apron was stained with fallen cake crumbs and cream, but she didn’t seem to notice.

“Hehe….”

Ur, who devoured the cake in one go with sparkling eyes, licked the cream off her mouth meticulously and then smiled happily, as if she had conquered the world.

Swallowing the last bit of cake in her mouth, Ur seemed to regain her senses, looked around, and noticed my admiring gaze. She stopped moving.

“It was that delicious, huh?”

“….”

Ur’s body trembled, flushed red, perhaps from shame.

“Want another one?”

I picked up a cookie and dangled it in front of Ur’s eyes, and Ur quietly took it and ate it without a word.

It was truly cute.