The Villainous Princess Wants to Live in a Gingerbread House

nkle again!”

“…Isn’t it about time to back off, if it means spraining an ankle?”

“Wrist too, aigoo!”

“…”

To be precise, she unilaterally forced Karnov to come over as if she didn’t know.
Karnov’s face frowned, but he didn’t shake off Asha’s hand.
Asha smiled broadly.

Judging by Pavel’s rapturous reaction during the day, he’s not going to do his part today, and the cake she came up with required a lot of her hands to make.
On top of that, decisively.

‘Even if I run amok with evil deeds, Karnov Neustadter will endure for five years!’

It’s been less than a year now, so the deadline was ample.

“…It would be a real distraction for the chef if I went.”

“Wouldn’t it be more frightening for Pavel to fail in hosting national guests? And getting familiar requires seeing each other frequently.”

Karnov gave up his final resistance.

“…You helped me this time, so I understand.”

“This time?”

Asha tilted her head.
Karnov had a rare expression that seemed a bit tired.

“Lord Elmin recommended that I attend a special lecture at the academy…”

“Academy?”

“Yes.
To the Vichegda Magistrum Academy.
I definitely refused, but he can’t let go of his lingering feelings.”

Named after the old river that crosses the system, the Academy was a higher education institution built directly by the imperial family and produced officials and scholars, as well as an imperial university in name and reality.

“A special lecture there? To do it?”

“Shall I go to accept it then?”

“…Is Karnov going to be a teacher?”

“That’s what I meant.”

However, no matter how you look at it, it’s not a face that shows he liked the idea.
Asha tilted her head.

“You don’t want to do it?”

“Would you like that?”

“Why don’t you like it?”

“I’ve already done enough on the battlefield for the past few years to give speeches to students who thought they would die if I looked away.”

“Oh.”

Asha tilted her head with her brows a little raised.

“But what does Karnov teach?”

“Tactics or something.
It’s about war.”

“I don’t think it’s a good thing for sprouts to hear.”

“Those sprouts will be about twice your age, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

“Ah, are they all grown up?”

Karnov looked down at Asha, who could not even reach his shoulder, and shook his head.

“Rather than that, why the hell are you trying to intervene in this matter? Isn’t that the chef’s job?”

“I think it’s because of me.”

As Asha moved her steps, she tried to hide her embarrassed expression.

“Because I’ve been in and out of the kitchen so much… I think the chef seems to be hated because of me, so I took on this job.”

“Not quite.”

Karnov said casually.
Asha opened her eyes wide.

“Do you know anything?”

“Rus Marka… So Count Petrov has a soft temper, but his loyalty to the imperial family is exceptional.
And people who have something special are always accompanied by people who look down on it.”

“…?”

Karnov was a little embarrassed this time when Asha suddenly looked like she didn’t understand why he was talking about a completely unknown count.

“…don’t you know? The chef of His Highness, the Crown Prince, is the eldest son of Count Petrov.”

“Oh?”

“Pavel Marka wanted to open a restaurant, but his father, the count, did not allow it.
So I heard that he eventually entered the palace.”

“Oh my… No wonder he said he has no friends.
It seems like being a noble didn’t earn him any playmates…”

This time Karnov covered his mouth.

“…Anyway, I’ve heard that even the head chef has political rivals.
If he’s in trouble, it’s probably because of their schemes.
It’s not our place to interfere…”

“No, it’s more of an intervention!”

Asha clenched her fist.

“Those who say that Count Marka’s loyalty to the royal family seems like a thorn in their eyes are the ones harboring ulterior motives, you know? Alexei also seems to have some reservations about it.”

“…”

“Okay, I’ll have to flatten their nose this time.”

“…Is there any way to flatten it?”

“I’m going to make a carrot cake.
Do you know carrot cake?”

“No.”

Karnov shook his head with a single stroke.
Asha looked at Karnov again with a slightly cautious face.

“Have you never seen it in the north?”

“Don’t tell me, are you asking me about the food culture of the Noctis Elves?”

“It’s nice to know what their preferences are.”

“Are we going to be picky about our meals on the battlefield? When it comes to survival, we should eat whatever comes our way, even if it’s dirt.”

“…”

“…”

The cold air passed by, and only then did Karnov cough lightly.

“…But I think there might have been carrot cake…”

“It shouldn’t have been there.”

“It doesn’t seem to have been.”

“What?* It’s there, it’s not there.”

[*TN: Asha speaks to him informally here, making her annoyance clear]

“…”

Asha, grumbling for nothing, went on about the cake she had conceived, even though she knew that Karnov was not interested in it and wouldn’t understand it.

“Grinding carrots gives them a mild sweetness.
Also chop the walnuts.
Add pickled orange peels and make it sweet and sour.
For the sugar, I use brown sugar to give it a little caramel flavor.”

“Is it delicious, that kind of thing?”