A few hours earlier.

Working diligently in the kitchen with the maid sisters, I heard some unexpected news.

“Huh? Raven’s coming to dinner later?”

“Yes. It seems Elga invited him.”

“Well, that’s strange. I thought Sione wouldn’t let him out.”

“He’s only allowed out for tonight. They arranged for soldiers to accompany him.”

“Heh, that’s pretty interesting.”

I was surprised that the stubborn Sione had changed her mind.

Known for being highly principled and not one to change decisions easily, it felt incredible that he would change his mind just because Elga invited him.

‘I had just baked a bunch of cookies, so this works out well.’

The last time I secretly gave him chocolate chip cookies, Raven seemed to enjoy them, so I had planned to bake some more for him.

Moreover, today’s cookies were different from the last ones, which were largely helped by the maid sisters. This batch, although not as aesthetically pleasing and slightly burnt in some areas, seemed alright to me.

“Ronya, try this. Is it good?”

“Erm… Uh. Yes!! It’s really delicious!”

Erm, uh?

Her exclamations didn’t match her statement that it was delicious, but Ronya’s teary-eyed, thumbs-up expression looked genuinely sincere.

“That’s good to hear. I want to try some too.”

“No, no!! The first cookies you bake should be given to others. Eating them yourself is considered bad luck!”

“What? Where’d you hear that? It’s just superstition.”

Just as I was about to try a cookie, Ronya swiftly snatched it away from me.

“Trust me on this! There’s even a legend that says if you eat your first self-baked cookie, you’ll have nightmares about a terrifying black cat!”

“I actually like black cats, though?”

“Regardless, you absolutely can’t. Let’s beautifully package these and give them to others!”

How scary could these dreams be, to elicit such a response?

The maids and soldiers who had nibbled on my cookies reacted the same way as Ronya.

“Haha! My goodness! One could die from this taste and no one would know!”

“Yes, indeed… cough. These cookies are too delicious!”

“We should not be the only ones to experience this. I’ll get the packaging materials!”

Everyone around me started to act efficiently, irrespective of my intentions.

Standing there, I awkwardly watched the scene unfold.

‘Just how terrifying must the nightmares be for everyone to make such a fuss?’

I had never heard such tales when I was in the empire, but after all, this is a vampire kingdom.

Some customs, though hard to understand, must be followed.

“Alright. Should I also start packaging?”

“Of course.”

Afterwards, we sat at a round table, heads together, diligently packing cookies.

I thought I had baked too many, but the remaining amount was so little after distributing to the maids and soldiers that the packing was done in no time.

‘Wow, it actually looks decent when packaged?’

Before packaging, the color and appearance were quite dull.

However, the pretty packaging paper and ribbons made them gift-worthy.

“Hehe, I should give these to Sione later. And to Elga too!”

“Ah, giving to Sione is one thing, but for Elga…”

“Hmm? What? Does Elga not like sweets?”

As I asked, slightly disappointed, Rosa, the eldest sister, immediately interrupted what Ronya was about to say.

“Not at all! Elga would surely appreciate it. Elderly people tend to like sweets.”

“Ah, then it’s settled.”

“Then, shall Ronya and I go back to our room first? We should prepare to go for dinner soon.”

“Yep, understood.”
“Today’s meal will be really splendid. Given that Lady Elga is visiting Rose Palace, the chef promised an extraordinary feast.”

Before following Ronia, I tucked three bags of the most beautifully wrapped cookies into my pocket.

One for Sione and Elga, and the remaining one was for Raven.

‘I feel too awkward to give it openly, so I should give it secretly.’

Rose Palace had multiple dining areas, both large and small, but the main dining hall where dinner was usually served was quite expansive.

The tables were so large that it could be a bit difficult to pass something to the person sitting next to you. However, as time passed, an opportunity to share a cookie or two would surely arise.

Having neatly laid out my plans, I left the place humming a tune with pride.

For some reason, I thought I heard agonized moans coming from the direction of the kitchen, but I decided it was just my imagination.

A little later, back in my room, I changed out of my flour-covered clothes into a cute dress with a subtle lavender hue.

I also combed my slightly tangled hair and neatly braided it on both sides. After tying it with a ribbon, I found my reflection in the mirror quite adorable.

“Wow Ronia, why are you making such a fuss? We’re just having dinner.”

“It’s the first time we’ve formally had a guest in Rose Palace. Moreover, it’s Lady Elga, so everyone is excited.”

In a somewhat excited voice, Ronia diligently helped me get ready, sweating profusely.