Chapter 55 — Sweet & Sour Cake

Volume 2 — The Honeymoon of the Northern Nobleman and the Raptor Wife

It’s already been three days since we arrived at Sieg’s homeland. Today, the three of us, grandfather, Sieg and me, are going to out together. At night, we will visit Emmerich and Aina.

In the living room, Sieg and I waited for grandfather to finish dressing up.

Today, Sieg’s clothes were tightened below her breast, but put on strain on the belly. It was a mild dress. Of course, this was prepared by grandfather for Sieg who might be pregnant.

Yes. She might have a baby in her belly. It wasn’t certain yet, but just from thinking about it my heart beat faster and I grew restless.

It seems that it showed on my face when I grew careless, so I was warned by Sieg many times.

Her crimson hair was tied into one. Her hair had some natural curls, so it was tied into a round shape. I slowly observed her, thinking that her hair grew quite a bit during the past year.

Because I wasn’t glancing but looking straight at her, I was pointed out by Sieg.

“What is it?”

“No, I just thought that my wife is really lovely.”

“……I don’t want to hear that from you.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“……I invoke my right to remain silent.”

“?”

I asked her what it was, but Sieg crossed her arms and shut her mouth with a frown. Well no matter. I sipped some coffee, which had gone cold.

“By the way, grandfather wouldn’t wear bear fur, right?”

“Surely he wouldn’t?”

Grandfather really liked the bear fur coat we gave him. Every time he had the chance he wore it, wearing it like a cape as Teoporon did, and imitating his actions cheerfully.

While we were chatting, grandfather came out of his room.

He wore neat clothes for going out.

“I made you wait.”

To grandfather who said that, I waved no.

It was just that Sieg and I were uselessly fast.

“Grandfather-in-law, where will we go today?”

“I’ll leave that fun for later.”

“Is that so.”

While getting dragged along by grandfather, Sieg asked awkwardly.

Now, let’s go! With that line from grandfather, our fun trip began.

Grandfather took Sieg’s arm and declared himself her escort. He looked at me and asked, “Want an arm?” with a mischievous smile, but I respectfully declined.

On our carriage, while watching steam cars pass by, we soon arrived at our destination.

“Grandfather, this is?”

“The biggest zoo in the world.”

“Hehh!”

The huge facility named after the capital was created some decades ago, and it apparently is one of the biggest facilities in the world. As soon as we went in we were greeted by a gate that was supported by two statues that had far eastern cultural designs. I was awed.

The vegetation was thick, and the animals were relaxing about.

There were animals that I never saw before, so I ended up asking many questions to grandfather.

“Grandfather, what’s that!?”

“What, you don’t know monkeys.”

There were so many unknown animals in the zoo. It was full of surprises.

Sieg apparently came here a few times with her family. She was dependable.

What I was most surprised about was the white bear exhibition. I tilted my head because it was different from the white bears back home.

“These are polar bears.”

“H~m.”

On the information plaque, it says that polar bears live on the seas in the arctics.

I heard the information from father so it wasn’t that surprising, but I was curious because it was different from the white bear I saw in the forest with Teoporon. It was also strange that it lived in the forest but did not hibernate.

“Oi, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

I decided to not to think to much about them and continued on.

After we finished looking around the zoo, we went to a store for lunch and went home.

After we returned, Sieg and I just rested. Tonight we have an appointment with Emmerich. So we don’t have anything else to do.

Grandfather went out because he had work. He bequeathed his title over to uncle, but he’s still busy, or so the butler said.

“Sieg, I’m going out for a bit.”

“Where to?”

“To buy confectionaries for Emmerich.”

After saying that, I stood up, but my coat was grabbed.

“Nn?”

“I’ll go too, so wait a bit. I’ll go fix my makeup.”

“Sieg, please stay home.”

The zoo was big, so you must be tired, I said.

“Why are you leaving me.”

“Because……”

We walked around quite a bit. I didn’t want her to push herself.

“I don’t want you to go alone.”

“Even if you say that, I can speak the language and I’m used to the streets.”

“……It’s different. That’s not what I mean.”

“……Then?”

Sieg hunched and looked up here.

I wonder what my wife is being shy about.

I grabbed Sieg’s hand.

“What is it, Sieglinde.”

“……”

“I won’t know unless you tell me.”

I touched Sieg’s cheeks and turned her head towards me.

She was frowning, so I caressed her cheeks to make her feel better.

A while later, her frown disappeared and she returned to the usual Sieg.

“So, what is it?”

“Well, it’s not that important, just,”

“Just?”

“A young woman was looking at Ritz at the zoo.”

“Eh, that’s all!?”

“……”

“Were you ashamed because I was like a country bumpkin!?”

“No, stupid!”

“Eh?”

“……”

I was slapped lightly, but I was still clueless.

“You look at an attractive person of the opposite sex, right!? It’s that!!”

“Ah~”

I forgot. That I was handsome here.

“So you were worried that a woman would whisk me away if I went out alone! I see!”

“……”

I did propose to Sieg because I fell in love at first sight so it might be natural that she’s worried.

However, after I married, no other women came into my sight. I want to tell her this, but it’s probably hard to convince her.

“M~m”

“……”

“After I married, I could only see Sieg though.”

“!”

Her grey eyes opened wide.

“……Indeed, there were many pretty ladies at the ball, but Ritz did not look at any of them.”

“See?”

It seemed that Sieg did see that. How thankful.

“Then, there’s nothing to worry about, right?”

“……”

I wondered if she was convinced, but seeing her face it didn’t seem like that.

I can’t leave with Sieg like that, I thought.

“Don’t make that face, Sieg.”

“What kind of face.”

“……Somehow provocative face.”

“……”

But there was the possibility of her being pregnant so I can’t knock her over now.

“Okay!”

“?”

I clapped.

“Let’s make a simple confectionary as a gift! Sieg, you can help too!”

“!”

I grabbed her hand and pulled her up.

“Sieg, what’s your favourite?”

“Fresh berry cake made by Ritz.”

“……”

Hearing her say that with a serious expression, I became embarrassed.

“There aren’t ay fresh berries in this season, so something else please.”

“Then there is a confectionary of this country, called ‘Black Forest cake (Schwarzw?lder Kirschtorte)’……”

It seems that the confectionary Sieg is talking about is made using cherry liqueur. If it’s this, I can make this by getting the recipe from the people in the kitchen.

In the kitchen, all the ingredients were prepared and a patissier was there to help us. While receiving instructions, we started making them.

First, for the cake sponge, we whipped egg whites to make something fluffy. Chocolate was mixed in as well.

While the dough was being baked, we boiled alcohol and sugar to make syrup, mixed alcohol into a bottle full of cherries for flavour and made cream.

Once the cake was baked, we sliced it was a knife. The cakes back home had a heavier texture, but here the cakes are soft and fluffy.

Using the leftover heat, a layer was soaked in cherry alcohol syrup then left. Afterwards, we spread cream on top, placed cherries on that and then covered it with cream again. Another layer was placed on top, then pasted with cream so that the joint won’t be seen.

Finally, cream and cherry was placed on top, and it’s finished by placing on chocolate shavings that look like bark chips.

“Looks pretty nice.”

“Aa, looks delicious.”

We wrapped it up and took it too Emmerich and Aina’s house.

The four of us shared it together, and it was really nice.

It was soft and moist thanks to the cherry liqueur. The deep flavour of the chocolate and the sour taste of cherries went strangely well.

Aina wanted to learn how to make it, so I taught her. Meanwhile, Sieg and Emmerich were talking about past stuff.

The fun night passed by quickly.