ââ¦a cake?â
âThatâs right! Why donât you try some, your Majesty?â
Serira smiled proudly next to me. I just wanted to cry. I didnât expect my mom to do this to me, really. Why was my mom doing this to me?! Why was she offering him the cake?! Couldnât he just have a look at it then put it away?! I was about to cry!
Even Assisi sent me a shocked look. I just wanted to die. Ha, I just couldnât look at that ugly thing⦠I should bury my face in it and end this now.
Itâs been a long time since the last time I wanted to die⦠I just wanted to disappear right nowâ¦
Dad looked at me with a blank face. Then, he watched Serira take the cake out of the cake box and cut a piece for him.
I was more anxious about my present because he didnât look happy at all. âHeavens above, please just take me now! Iâm begging you! Please!â
âHereâs your piece. Try some.â
Serira passed the piece of cake to dad. I managed to put up with the urge to scream. No! Aaagggghhh! Ugh! I would never ever bake another cake againâ¦!!
âItâs stiff and tastes burnt.â
Excuse me?! What did he just say?
I knew heâd say something like that, but itâs still annoying. I really tried my best to bake that! Hmph! Fine, I was sorry for burning his cake! I knew I was not skilled at baking!
Although I was baking with the best patissier of the empire, that cake showed how untalented I was in cooking. My father suddenly smiled as I pouted my lips.
âWellâ¦â
But⦠although he complained that itâs burnt, he was still eating it all. Seeing him like that made my heart flutter a bit⦠What was this feeling?
âAt least it tastes good.â
âHuh? Really?â
Was he⦠actually giving me a compliment?
And he had such a gentle smile on his face. The smile was not much different from the smile I saw every day, but I sometimes felt that he would show a satisfied, warm smile. I was worried⦠I was really worried, but I felt relieved to see this reaction. It was all worth it once I saw that smile. Dad smiled.
âBut, donât ever make this sort of thing again.â
⦠for a second there, I was almost moved. I guess he never changed!