"Hmm - delicious!" The fragrance filling her lips and teeth made Liliana exclaim that it was delicious.
Picking up a piece of pale pink pastry again and feeling his taste buds, Leonhardt's eyes couldn't help but widen. In terms of making pastries, he has become a semi-expert after a long period of accumulation, but he can't tell how the pastries are made just by tasting them.
When you take the first bite, the first thing you feel is the crispy exterior exploding, and the milk-flavored powder contained inside fills your mouth with saliva without causing any discomfort. The sweet taste is refreshing. . After a few more bites, the texture is similar to fried food, but because the taste is covered at the beginning, it doesn't feel greasy at all. After swallowing it, I savored it again. There seemed to be a floral fragrance left in my mouth, and the light sweetness lingered for a long time, leaving an endless aftertaste.
"It's really good!" Leonhardt stared at the pastry, trying to see if there were any clues about how to make it under the simple appearance.
"As long as you two like it." Xiaoyue came over with two glasses of watermelon juice, "Let's try the juice again."
I couldn't wait to take a sip of the juice. The aroma of flowers and fruits mixed, the sweetness deepened, and at the same time, there was a comfortable coolness in my throat.
If it were summer, drinking watermelon juice after being chilled would be the ultimate enjoyment.
"Ha-it tastes much better than the traditional pastries made by Lian!" Liliana leaned on the seat, tilting her head back slightly, savoring the sweetness in her mouth.
Leonhardt looked at Liliana, his face darkened, and he didn't understand why the traditional pastry in her words had to be prefixed with "made by him".
Are you criticizing traditional pastries or questioning my craftsmanship?
Leonhardt, who knew he would not get any good answers, did not pursue the question. Instead, he asked Xiaoyue a more concerned question: "What is the name of this pastry? Is it a specialty of that place?"
"It's my trial work, it doesn't have a name. Because I got a good response there, I made it for the young lady and the young master to try." Xiao Yue stood aside and explained softly with an elegant posture.
Because it was in the princess's garden, Xiao Yue would call Leonhardt "Master". When outsiders were around, she would always call him "Leonhardt-sama".
"In other words, is this a pastry created by Xiaoyue?!" Liliana said in surprise, "It's amazing!"
"You're flattered." Xiaoyue said with a ceremonial smile.
She rarely smiles from the bottom of her heart, but as a perfect maid in the eyes of servants, even a polite smile is still perfect when it appears on Xiaoyue's face, which is fatal to others.
"How do you make this floral fragrance? Do you use pollen?" Leonhardt, who was a little unbelieving, ate another piece and tasted it carefully, "It seems to be the smell of roses. Rose pollen?"
"The taste is blended with spices. If you use pollen directly, it is difficult to control the sweetness and the taste will be worse. If you don't control the heat during frying, the taste will be lost. If you are interested, Master, I will make a copy. I’ll show you the method.”
"Really? That couldn't be better!" Leonhardt smiled like a child who got his favorite toy.
Maybe this is the expression he should have at the age of fourteen...
Surprised by the fluctuations in his mentality, Leonhardt coughed twice and straightened his posture: "Xiaoyue, have you gained anything from this return home?"
Compared to Leonhardt's stiff change of subject, Liliana was much more unscrupulous: "For example, have you met a man you like? If so, you can tell me, and I will kidnap you even if you kidnap me!"
Xiaoyue stopped pouring water, then replaced the glass with watermelon juice, and said: "This time I returned home just to miss the scenery of my hometown, and I didn't meet anyone worth missing."
As the head maid of the Imperial Palace, Shinozuki's status is even more special than her position. In addition to being the person who takes care of the twins, she also grew up under the regent of the empire and was brought into the palace by the regent himself.
Because she and Regent Lecco were only two years apart in age, there were rumors about Lecco and her for a period of time. Later, as Xiaoyue's abilities gradually emerged, no one cared about whether the rumors were true or false, and everyone turned to admiration for her.
Without Lecco's intervention, she relied on her own abilities to rise through the ranks to become the ruler of all servants in the palace.
As the secret spokesperson of the Prince Regent, she also had a certain degree of political influence.
When the regent disappeared, a small number of voices had mentioned that she should temporarily take over the responsibilities, but in the end it was dropped because of Xiaoyue's silence. However, with this episode, Xiaoyue came into the sight of more imperial nobles.
She is beautiful, elegant, knowledgeable in various fields, and seems to be omnipotent.
The wise move of not speaking out at the cusp of the storm highlighted her hidden trait in the eyes of the nobles: intelligence.
Adding these together, the nobles came to a conclusion:
She was trained by the Prince Regent himself!
In addition, he is also the person responsible for taking care of Princess Liliana!
So Xiaoyue's identity became transcendent.
Normally, the servants of the royal palace have to stay in the palace for the rest of their lives. Not to mention returning home, it is difficult for even those with relatives to come to the imperial capital to see them. Xiaoyue, on the other hand, was not affected at all. If she wanted to go home, she only needed to tell the princess and report to the imperial guard.
If a person with such a transcendent status has his own power, he will definitely become a thorn in the eyes of those in power. But Xiaoyue didn't, and after the regent disappeared, she didn't say anything in formal occasions.
Ever since, Xiaoyue has become a mascot-like existence in the eyes of the major nobles. She is transparent most of the time, but cannot be ignored when she is present. Nobles will be polite to her regardless of their position.
It can be said that Xiaoyue may be the person who lives the most comfortable life in the entire imperial capital.
However, there are always people who want to stimulate her.
Xiaoyue looked at Liliana without changing her expression.
"Haha, what a joke!" Liliana laughed mischievously, "If you meet a man you like, then I would find it strange."
Xiaoyue closed her eyes: "Then what I said is also a joke."
"...Eh? You're lying, right?" After hearing Xiaoyue's words clearly, Liliana's eyes widened, "Is it possible that you really have..."
"You misunderstood. What I mean is that returning to my hometown is not just for the old scenery." Xiaoyue suppressed the smile that appeared at the corner of her mouth and explained.
"Huh~ I was still thinking about what an outstanding man you would be tempted by..." Liliana patted her chest to comfort herself.
"Ling, the relationship between respect and liking is not that close." Leonhardt's words were somewhat admonishing. "Whoever Xiaoyue likes does not need to be outstanding, as long as she likes it. .”
Liliana understood what Leonhardt meant, but that didn’t mean she would be convinced: “Don’t use what Brother Wang said as rhetoric. Brother Wang also said that after seeing the first peak, all mountains They will all turn into short soil!”
Xiaoyue's eyes were somewhat reminiscing, and then she said to the two of them: "Please end this topic. Xiaoyue has already decided not to get married and to serve the royal family for the rest of her life."
Her words made the two men stop their little quarrel and look at each other, looking helpless. Rather than having Xiaoyue by their side all the time, they hope she can find a home and live a happier life.
In the eyes of Leonhardt and Liliana, Xiaoyue is no longer a simple servant, but more like a sister or even a mother.
It had been mentioned more than once, but Liliana, who knew that this topic could not progress, happened to remember something important.
At the same time, with the intention of diverting attention, she said: "Ah! Xiaoyue, do you have any plans for the future?"
Looking at Liliana's expectant eyes, Xiaoyue quickly understood her hidden intention: "Do you want me to go to the kingdom together?"
"Of course! I never had the chance to mention it to you before. Do you want to go?"
"Where the accusation lies." Xiaoyue put one hand on her chest and bent slightly, "I will arrange the affairs of the palace in advance."
