Special Extra Chapter: A Glimpse into the Future of the Three
"Today, let's make cookies!"
As time passed at the Fayette estate, I celebrated my ninth birthday.
...These four years have gone by so quickly.
From outings with Lulu to encounters with potential romantic interests—those are stories for another time.
I've also grown quite close to my older brother during these four years.
Today, in the Still Room of the Fayette estate, Lulu, my brother, and I gathered. Melty was there, as well as the head housemaid and a maid dedicated to the Still Room.
The three of us decided to make sweets together today.
Since my brother is participating in making sweets for the first time, we opted for simple cookies.
I wore a dress that was almost like a simple one-piece, while my brother took off his jacket and put on an apron.
My brother chuckled.
"Who would've thought I'd end up making sweets with Lucienne like this? If you'd asked me at the beginning, I couldn't have imagined it."
I nodded in agreement.
"Yes, I thought Dear brother really hated me at first."
"I'm sorry; I was at fault back then..."
"Don't apologize. Even if I were in Dear brother's position, I would've probably felt the same way initially."
My brother looked a bit embarrassed, and I smiled back. That was a story from four years ago.
"At that time, Aristide was so little, huh?"
Lulu raised his hand to a random height and laughed.
To that, my brother made a slightly disgruntled face.
"I wasn't that small."
"No, you were about this height."
"I was a bit taller."
Their banter was odd.
Although they weren't on bad terms, these two always seemed to interact this way. While Lulu teases my brother, he responds, and a playful argument ensues.
Even though my brother and I are siblings, Lulu and my brother have developed quite a friendly relationship, if not quite sibling-like.
...But, indeed, my brother has grown.
When we first met, he was seven years old, and now he's already eleven.
"Well, Aristide's past size doesn't really matter," said Lulu. Although my brother seemed slightly bothered by Lulu's words, he must have realized that we couldn't make sweets while arguing.
Lulu kept his attire as a valet but rolled up his sleeves. He refused to wear an apron, saying, "In case of an emergency, it might be troublesome." When I asked if he was okay with getting dirty, he responded, "I'll change if that happens."
The ingredients were already prepared, and we had washed our hands, ready to start. On the worktable were various ingredients such as flour, sugar, butter, eggs, almond powder, as well as cookie cutters, molds, a pastry bag, and nuts. Since I had made cookies many times before and Lulu had joined me twice, today was about teaching my brother how to make them. We decided on simple cut-out cookies, and the recipe was quite basic.
The head housemaid and maids were watching over us. By the way, we left the baking to them. We were still children, so we weren't allowed to touch the oven, a magical device where you set the temperature and time, and it baked accordingly. Having an oven made baking and cooking much more convenient.
"First, sift the flour and sugar."
We placed two bowls, attached a sieve on top, and I poured in the flour while my brother added the sugar.
"Why bother with this?"
I lightly tapped the side of the sieve, shaking it to sift the flour. "This eliminates clumps, ensuring a smooth mix. If clumps remain, the texture won't be good when baked, and it won't taste delicious."
"I see."
Both of us moved the sieve back and forth smoothly. Behind me, Lulu peeked over my shoulder. My brother turned his face away quickly.
Achoo. He sneezed. I remember doing the same when I first dealt with flour. It was a bit nostalgic. Once we finished sifting the powders, it was showtime.
"Next, mix the butter until it becomes creamy."
We placed our bowls and added softened butter. My brother stared at the butter in our bowls. "We're using quite a bit more than I thought," he remarked, and I nodded.
"It's better to use plenty of butter; don't reduce it just because it seems wasteful," I explained while holding a whisk. Since the butter was soft, it crushed easily.
"This is my first time touching butter outside of spreading it on bread. Will it really turn into something like cream?" my brother asked while mixing.
"Yes, it will. After crushing the butter to a certain extent, you add the sugar," I replied. I demonstrated the whisking motion, and my brother, mimicking my movements, mixed it with a bit of awkwardness.
Once the butter was sufficiently crushed, and clumps started to stick to the whisk, we added the sugar sifted earlier into each bowl and continued mixing. Lulu poured sugar into my bowl, and the head housemaid added sugar to my brother's bowl. Mixing carefully to ensure thorough incorporation, the dough began to form a smooth consistency.
Around this point, my brother seemed to get the hang of using the whisk, and his mixing speed increased.
"Now, let's add a little salt."
My brother was surprised. "Salt in sweets?"
I nodded. "Adding salt enhances the sweetness of the sugar."
"I see."
The salt was added to both bowls. Once the salt was well-mixed, it was time for the eggs.
"Now, have you ever cracked an egg, Dear brother?"
"No, never."
I showed him how to crack an egg using the corner of a fruit knife, tap it a few times to create a crack, hold it over a small bowl with the crack facing downward, and then split it open by pulling the halves apart. A beautifully intact yolk fell into the bowl.
"Dear brother, give it a try."
He attempted to crack the egg with the knife but ended up creating a big crack.
"Let's transfer it to the bowl," I suggested, seeing his troubled expression. I guided him on how to transfer the egg to the bowl, and some shell fragments fell in.
"That's quite a bit of flour on your face," I chuckled, pointing out the white streaks on my brother's cheek.
"Ah, really? My bad," he said, attempting to wipe it away with his hand.
"Don't worry, let me help," I offered, handing him a clean cloth. As he cleaned his face, I couldn't help but find his slightly sheepish expression endearing.
"Now, while the dough rests, let me show you the next steps," I continued, moving on to the next phase of our cookie-making adventure.
We began by preheating the oven, a magical appliance that, once set, would take care of the baking process for us. It was a handy tool, especially considering our age, as it ensured our safety.
With the oven warming up, I explained, "Now, we'll roll out the dough and use cookie cutters to shape our cookies. It's the fun part!"
I handed each of them a small rolling pin and a section of the dough, which had now taken on a smoother consistency.
"Roll it out evenly, not too thin," I instructed, demonstrating on my own portion. Lulu and my brother followed suit, creating thin sheets of dough on their surfaces.
"Good, now pick your favorite cookie cutters and start creating shapes!" I encouraged, presenting an array of fun-shaped cutters on the table.
My brother chose a star-shaped cutter, while Lulu went for a heart shape. I opted for a classic round one. As they pressed the cutters into the dough, the kitchen filled with the excitement of creativity.
"Nice choices! Now, carefully transfer your shapes onto the baking sheets," I guided them, helping to place the delicate creations without distorting their forms.
Once the baking sheets were filled with our carefully crafted cookies, it was time to put them in the preheated oven.
"Remember, safety first. Let's use the oven mitts," I reminded them, emphasizing the importance of caution around hot surfaces.
As the cookies baked, a sweet aroma began to fill the air, creating an atmosphere of anticipation.
"Enjoy the process, and soon, we'll have delicious homemade cookies!" I cheered, sharing in the joy of this delightful baking experience with my brother and Lulu.
...Dear brother, you look a bit cute for your age.
"Let's take advantage of this moment and prepare another batch of dough, shall we?" Lulu suggested.
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," I agreed.
Once again, we sifted the flour, this time planning to incorporate almond powder.
"Almond powder adds a delightful aroma when replacing about ten to thirty percent of the flour. It enhances the nutty fragrance. Lulu, you prefer a bit more powder, right?" I asked.
"Yeah, I like it more fragrant," Lulu confirmed.
So, I decided to replace thirty percent of the flour with almond powder.
"As it's my first time, I'll go with just ten percent to see how it turns out," my brother decided, opting for caution.
Following the same process as the first batch, we mixed butter, sugar, a pinch of salt, and beaten eggs, to create a creamy texture. Then, we added a mixture of almond powder and the remaining flour.
Maybe due to the almond powder, this batch seemed to have a slightly richer color than the first one.
"Lucienne, aren't we adding chocolate chips to this one?" Lulu inquired, expressing his fondness for chocolate.
"We'll make another batch, and that one will have chocolate chips. Interested in this one too?" I asked.
"Yeah, I'd love to try the one with chocolate chips," Lulu agreed.
So, we divided the dough in half, setting aside one portion for later and adding chocolate chips to the rest.
My brother decided to make his batch without chocolate chips.
After flattening the dough and allowing it to rest, Lulu raised a question, "Does letting the dough rest make a difference?"
"If you don't let it rest, the cookies might turn out too firm or shrink during baking," I explained.
My brother took a short break, giving me the opportunity to start on the third batch of dough.
"Lucienne, aren't you tired?" my brother asked as he sat on a chair.
"I often make sweets. Besides, having various types of cookies makes the eating experience more enjoyable," I replied.
"Ah, indeed. Having different types not only looks good but also adds the joy of choosing," my brother agreed.
This time, Lulu took charge of adding the ingredients as we mixed butter, sugar, a pinch of salt, beaten eggs, and flour. No almond powder this time.
"But it's fun to make them together with you, Dear brother. When they're done, can we exchange some of your cookies for mine?" I asked.
"Of course, I don't mind," my brother happily responded.
"Lucy, how many chocolate chips should we put in?" Lulu asked while sneakily eating one.
No one pointed it out, but Lulu had been sneaking chocolate chips bit by bit for a while.
...Well, he does love chocolate.
Lulu always has chocolate with him. Since we first met, after taking medicine, Lulu always gives me chocolate to refresh my palate. He openly declares his love for chocolate.
"Hmm, Lulu, how many do you want?" I asked.
"I want plenty," he replied, munching on another one.
"Got it."
I added a generous amount of chocolate chips as per Lulu's request.
"I won't need this anymore," I said, returning the bowl of chocolate chips to Lulu.
"Can I eat these?" Lulu asked, looking at the remaining chocolate chips.
The housekeeper smiled wryly and nodded. When Lulu and I make sweets, he always ends up eating the leftover chocolate, so the housekeeper is used to it.
"Lucy and Aristide, why don't you join in?" he suggested.
While letting the dough rest, we decided to enjoy some chocolate chips.
"Now, what do we do with the rested dough?" my brother asked while munching on chocolate chips.
The atmosphere carries a hint of joy.
Well, that makes sense, I guess.
My brother has probably eaten finished sweets before but has never done impromptu tastings at the ingredient stage like this. When I make sweets with Lulu, I often taste the ingredients we use. However, everything is already delicious at the ingredient stage, so the anticipation for the finished product is always high.
"After this, we'll roll out the dough, cut it with a mold, and then bake it to finish."
"I see, surprisingly, making cookies is easy."
"Just mix, cut with a mold, and bake. But baking is the most challenging part. If you bake it too much, it will burn, and if you make the dough too thick, it will be undercooked."
"Then, the steps after this are the most important. How thick should I make it?"
I take a moment to think about it.
"Um, about this thickness...?"
I show the thickness with my thumb and index finger.
"It's thin."
"It puffs up a bit when baked."
So, if you accidentally make the dough too thick, the center won't cook properly, resulting in a failure. Luckily, our housekeeper, who teaches me how to make sweets, is here, preventing any mishaps.
"That's why it's okay for the dough to be thin. In fact, if you make it too thick, it won't cook through in the middle and it will fail."
"Is that so?"
My brother nods, displaying a curious and impressed expression.
"His Highness Aristide, Her Highness Lucienne, I think the dough is ready," the housekeeper says.
I stand up, saying, "Yes, thank you."
My brother and Lulu also stand up as I bring out the rested dough.
We cut it in half. Lulu takes one half and pounds and flattens it with a rolling pin. My brother does the same with the other half.
I remember the first time I asked Lulu to do this, she pounded quite hard, surprising me. On the other hand, my brother is cautious, seemingly checking the strength.
After pounding and stretching the dough, Lulu stops when it feels right.
"Lucy, is this the thickness we want?"
I nod, and Lulu says, "You got it. It was about this thick last time too."
My brother, diligently working beside us, carefully stretches the dough. It's touching to see him doing this for the first time.
Meanwhile, Lulu, in her usual way, continues to stretch the dough forcefully, yet the thickness remains consistent.
Once both are done, it's time to use molds.
Various shapes are available - round, square with jagged edges, bird-shaped, star-shaped, heart-shaped, and more.
My brother cuts his dough, and Lulu and I use the molds to cut ours.
... I think I'll make more heart shapes.
Pressing the mold onto the dough, we cut out the shapes. Though the dough feels thin, it bakes to just the right thickness. Perfect.
"It's like paper, huh?" My brother comments, echoing my thoughts.
"Yeah, it does feel that way," I agree.
"So, what's the plan after we finish cutting with the molds?" my brother asks.
"We'll gather the leftover dough, roll it into a ball, flatten it again with the rolling pin, and cut more shapes. We'll keep repeating this until there's no more dough left," I explain.
"Got it," my brother acknowledges.
We all focus on cutting shapes with the molds, then roll the remaining dough into a ball, flatten it again, and cut more shapes. This process continues until we've made all the cookies. The cut shapes are arranged on baking sheets, ready to be baked in the preheated oven.
Having multiple ovens allows us to bake them all simultaneously.
As the first batch is baking, we roll out the dough for the second and third batches, cut shapes, and bake each batch in the oven. Lulu handles the rolling pin, and I take care of cutting shapes.
My brother, appearing more confident, efficiently rolls out the dough with the rolling pin for the second batch. His overall skill makes everything seem easy, much like Lulu.
"It smells great," my brother remarks, lifting his head while cutting shapes.
The first batch of cookies must be almost ready.
"How does it feel, making cookies for the first time, brother? Enjoying being on the creating side?" I ask.
"Yeah, it's pretty fun. Making something to eat for yourself is a good feeling," he replies.
"It's even more satisfying when someone else enjoys what you've made."
Hearing this, my brother looks contemplative.
"...If these turn out well, what do you think about sending some to Father? We're not far away, and a servant could deliver them quickly," he suggests.
I'm surprised by the idea.
"To Father? Is that okay?"
"Yeah, he might test them, but I don't see any problem."
Until now, we've only made sweets for ourselves, Lulu, and my brother. Come to think of it, Father has never tasted what I've made.
"Are you sure about this...?"
My brother nods.
"I think Father would appreciate it."
"If that's the case, I'd like to do it."
"Let's do that. I also want Father to try the cookies I've made."
My brother calls a maid to prepare the wrapping.
While we work, a sweet and inviting aroma fills the room. After a little while, the oven stops.
Wearing oven mitt-like gloves, the housekeeper takes the baking sheets out and cautions, "It's hot, so please wait a moment."
All the cookies on the tray look perfectly baked.
As we wait, more batches of cookies come out, and soon the countertop is covered with freshly baked treats.
The delightful smell envelops the still room.
The housekeeper checks that the cookies have cooled and hands one to Lulu, who takes a bite.
With a satisfying crunch, Lulu chews and says, "Mmm, it's delicious!"
He gestures for us to try, and my brother and I each take a cookie.
Biting into it, there's a satisfying crispiness, and the fragrance of baked wheat and a simple, gentle sweetness fills our mouths. Perhaps due to their warmth, the sweetness feels more pronounced than usual.
"This is delicious."
"It's really good."
My brother's and my words echo each other.
We share a smile, and my brother offers me a cookie, saying, "Lucienne, here."
I take it and give him one of mine.
We both take a bite of our respective cookies.
"Mmm, it's delicious!"
I laugh, and my brother looks relieved.
"Lucienne's cookies are delicious too," he remarks.
I can't help but smile at his words.
Feeling Lulu's gaze, I pick up a heart-shaped cookie and offer it to him.
"Here, Lulu, say 'ah.'"
"Ah."
Lulu takes a bite, and the crisp sound accompanies his enjoyment.
It's a chocolate chip cookie.
After finishing, Lulu happily squints his gray eyes.
"As always, it's delicious!"
"I'm glad. After we share some with Father and Dear brother, you can have the rest, Lulu."
"Thanks!" Lulu says with a smile.
We transfer the cookies onto plates, separate those for Father, exchange some with my brother, and arrange the rest on a larger plate.
I'm satisfied with the cookies my brother shared with me, leaving the rest for Lulu.
... Honestly, I'd love to give him all of them.
But, of course, I want to share with Father and my brother.
After cooling Father's share, we neatly wrapped them and had the servants deliver them to the royal castle.
Considering Father often stays there, he can enjoy them. Cookies make for a perfect snack during breaks.
Later, we headed to the greenhouse.
Recently, my brother and I have been enjoying tea time here.
A round table with three chairs—my brother sits across from me, and Lulu is right beside me.
... Ah, tea after hard work is truly delightful.
Sipping sweet tea with ample milk and honey, feeling the warmth of the greenhouse, Lulu reaches for the plate of cookies.
"Alright, time to get some cookies!"
He pulls the entire plate of cookies that I made closer and starts munching.
Cookies that seem reasonably large when my brother and I hold them appear smaller when held by Lulu's large hands.
Lulu continues to munch on the crispy cookies.
"Which one's your favorite, Lulu?"
I ask after he's had a few.
"Hmm, maybe this one. The one with almond powder and chocolate chips. It's crispy, and the chocolate is delicious!"
He offers a bite with an "ah."
With our hands together, I take a bite. The cookie is crispy, with the fragrance of almonds complementing the sweetness of chocolate. The crunchy texture of the dough and the chocolate chips create a delightful combination.
"Mmm, this is delicious!"
While I used to make chocolate chip cookies and almond powder cookies separately, maybe it's better to combine them from now on.
As I contemplate this, Lulu wipes my lips with his finger. There's a bit of melted chocolate on the offered finger, and I lick it off.
... Wait, this feels familiar.
I feel like I've experienced this before.
"Lefebvre, properly wipe that off," my brother says, reaching out. He beckons, and as I lean in, he lightly wipes my mouth with a napkin.
Lulu watches us, resting his chin on his hand.
"Lucy and Aristide, you two have become like siblings, huh?" Lulu remarks, furrowing his brow, causing my brother to react.
"What do you mean, 'become'? We are siblings, you know?"
"Yeah, but, you know, before, it was more awkward, and now it feels like we're real siblings. It's great, Lucy."
I nod enthusiastically. "Yeah, I'm happy that I've become closer to my Dear brother."
"I see. But, you know, pay a little more attention to me too. Don't forget about me, okay?" Lulu says, poking my lips with a cookie.
"I haven't forgotten. I made these cookies with you in mind," I reply, accepting the offered cookie.
"... How about we do some baking together, the three of us?"
My brother interjects, "Wait," he adds when we're about to agree. "You two are always together, aren't you? Do you intend to take away even our brother-sister time? I also want time alone with Lucienne."
"Eh, but Aristide always joins us for tea, right? And we eat together too. Besides, I want to serve Lucienne," Lulu argues.
"No, I never said I wanted you to serve me," my brother retorts.
Seeing Lulu looking displeased, which is rare, I hug him. "Lulu, I love you."
Lulu blinks in surprise and then smiles. "You really are unbeatable, Lucy."
He returns the tight hug. "Let's make sweets together again sometime, okay?"
I want to bake with both my brother and Lulu. But, ultimately, Lulu is my top priority.
"Are you forgetting about me?" my brother complains with a slightly dissatisfied tone.
"I haven't forgotten. I also want to bake together with you again," I reassure him.
"Yeah, I'd like that too," Lulu chimes in, and both of them share a laugh.
... I hope Father enjoyed the cookies.
Holding Lulu's hand under the table, he looks down, smiling. Despite the potential challenges ahead, as long as Lulu, my brother, and Father are with me, I know I can do my best.
Lulu squeezes my hand in response.
For now, this is enough, but I can't wait to officially get engaged to Lulu.
... Lulu, let's be together forever.
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