Chapter 113: Dinner 3

Isadora chose the apple pie.

She obviously knew about apples.

She knew about pastries.

But the combination of the shortcrust pastry, butter, sugar, and spiced apples was new.

She took a bite.

Then another.

Her expression gradually softened.

"This one is dangerous."

Adam raised an eyebrow.

"Why does everyone call my desserts dangerous?"

Isadora replied:

"Because I could very easily eat much more than I need."

Adam smiled.

"I’ll take that as a compliment."

Lyriana took a purple macaron made with strawberry-grape fruit.

She examined it closely.

"What is it?"

"Macaron."

"Is it hard?"

"Taste it."

She took a bite.

The thin shell cracked.

Then her expression changed as the soft interior and fruity filling appeared.

She looked at the remaining half.

"The texture changes."

"Yes."

"Crispy on the outside, softer on the inside."

Another bite.

"And that taste... is it the fruit from the market?"

"Exactly."

Lyriana immediately took a second.

Then a third.

Elena looked at her.

"Are you going to take them all?"

"There are several."

"That’s not an answer."

A few seconds later, the two began comparing the flavors.

Strawberry.

Pistachio.

Chocolate.

Vanilla.

Local fruit.

Elaria, for her part, immediately chose the tiramisu.

Adam wasn’t surprised.

It had coffee and cocoa.

Two ingredients she had practically never considered food before.

She picked up a spoon.

The layers gently separated.

Cream.

Coffee-soaked biscuit.

Cocoa.

Elaria tasted it.

Her spoon stopped mid-movement.

Adam waited.

"Well?"

She swallowed.

Then took a second bite without replying.

"Elaria?"

"Wait."

Third bite.

Adam burst out laughing.

"Are you still analyzing?"

"No."

She looked up.

"I’m enjoying myself."

This surprised almost everyone.

Then she pointed to the dessert.

"Coffee is bitter. Cream is sweet. Cocoa adds another layer of bitterness. Taken separately, some parts would be too strong. Together..."

She picked up another spoon.

"It’s perfectly balanced."

Vespera immediately took an interest in the coffee.

Adam poured her a small cup of black coffee.

"Careful. This one’s bitter."

The dragoness brought it to her lips.

A first sip.

She frowned slightly.

"Very bitter."

"I warned you."

She took another sip nonetheless.

Then another.

"But the aroma is interesting."

Adam gave her a little sugar.

Then a second cup with a little milk.

Vespera compared the three.

"I prefer this one."

She indicated the version with a little milk but almost no sugar.

"That doesn’t surprise me."

Then she tasted the tiramisu.

Her reaction was even more interesting.

"This coffee is definitely better."

Adam smiled.

"Because it’s part of a set."

Shiora had chosen the cheesecake.

She took a bite.

Then she fell silent.

Adam was immediately suspicious.

"Shiora?"

She took a second bite.

"Don’t talk to me."

Adam blinked.

Selene burst out laughing.

"She’s defeated."

Shiora raised a finger.

"I’m thinking."

Adam sighed.

"Potential market?"

"Obviously."

She took another bite.

"Completely different texture from local cakes. Relatively simple ingredients. Possibility of changing the coulis seasonally. Individual portions. Large portions. Deluxe portions..."

Adam reached out and temporarily took her notebook away.

"You eat."

"Give it back."

"After dessert."

"Adam."

"Shiora."

She narrowed her eyes.

Then she went back to her cheesecake.

"Very well."

Selene, meanwhile, had decided to try everything.

Flan.

Cheesecake.

Tart.

Macarons.

Tiramisu.

Adam watched her move from one dessert to the next with an increasingly shocked expression.

"Are you alright?"

"No." "

Adam was worried for a second.

"What’s wrong?"

She pointed to the desserts.

"Why hasn’t anyone given me this before today?"

Silence.

Then Elena burst out laughing.

Selene continued very seriously:

"I’ve lived for over a century completely unaware of the existence of all this."

Adam couldn’t help but laugh too.

"Technically, it probably didn’t exist here."

"It’s even worse."

Finally, they tasted the hot chocolate.

Adam poured a cup for each of them.

The drink was thick.

Smooth.

Very chocolatey.

With a hint of vanilla.

Vespera examined her cup.

"Is this the same cocoa as in the tiramisu?"

"Yes, but prepared differently."

Isadora tasted it.

Then she looked at Adam.

"Does this also come from the same plant as bitter powder?"

"Yes."

Elaria seemed almost offended by this information.

"So all this time, we’ve been using this plant for perfumes and certain alchemical preparations..."

She looked at her cup.

"When we could do this with it?"

Adam smiled.

"Apparently."

Shiora slowly set down her cup.

"Valoria’s cocoa reserves are insufficient."

Adam stared at her.

"It’s already starting."

"I’m just seeing a future problem."

"What problem?"

"As soon as people taste this, the price will skyrocket."

Adam thought about it.

She probably had a point.

Elena took a second cup.

"Then don’t give any to others."

The entire table turned towards her.

She blinked.

"What?"

Lyriana smiled.

"I didn’t think you were so selfish."

Elena gripped her cup.

"I can make an exception for the chocolate."

Even Isadora laughed.

The juices also received their share of attention.

Elena particularly enjoyed the strawberry-peach blend.

Lyriana preferred the strawberry-grape.

Isadora chose a much less sweet citrus juice.

Selene tasted practically everything.

Shiora was already asking which ones would be the least expensive to produce.

Vespera seemed more interested in the coffee and hot chocolate.

As for Elaria...

She kept coming back to the tiramisu.

Adam finally noticed.

"I think I’ve found your favorite dessert."

Elaria paused.

Then she looked at her plate.

"Maybe."

"This is your fourth piece."

She adjusted her glasses.

"I confirm my hypothesis."

Adam burst out laughing.

Dessert lasted almost as long as the meal itself.

Each new flavor sparked a new question.

How was chocolate made?

Why did vanilla give so much flavor when so little was used?

Why did caramel completely change the sugar?

How could the macarons be both slightly crisp and tender?

Why was the cheesecake so different from ordinary cakes?

Why hadn’t anyone thought to serve coffee with milk?

Adam answered as best he could.

Sometimes simply.

Sometimes with a mental demonstration.

And sometimes with:

"I’ll show you another time."

When the last dessert finally disappeared...

No one wanted to get up anymore.

Selene had practically slumped in her chair.

Elena was still clutching her stomach.

Shiora stared at the empty plates as if she had just watched a fortune vanish.

Vespera had saved one last small cup of coffee.

Elaria seemed to be thinking about the cocoa.

Lyriana was discreetly eating her last macaron.

Isadora looked at Adam with an amused expression.

"Well?" "

Adam raised an eyebrow.

"So what?"

"You wanted to show us the cuisine of your old world."

She looked at the others.

"I think you succeeded."

Selene weakly raised a hand.

"I vote for Adam to cook every day."

Adam replied immediately:

"Rejected."

Elena raised hers.

"I second Selene."

"Rejected twice."

Shiora added:

"We could at least negotiate a schedule."

"No."

Elaria thought for a moment.

"Once a week?"

Adam looked at them all.

"You’re amazing."

Lyriana smiled.

"Does that mean yes?"

"It means I’ll think about it."

Selene sat up slightly.

"It’s almost a yes." "

Adam gave up.

The table cleared itself automatically.

The last cups disappeared.

The Chamber then made the large relaxation pit reappear as if it perfectly understood what everyone needed after such a meal.

Isadora was the first to get up.

"Let’s sit down."

No one protested.

They gradually settled onto the cushions.

Selene was the first to flop down.

"I’m never eating again."

Adam sat down next to her.

"Until tomorrow morning."

She opened her eyes.

Then she remembered.

Crepes.

Pancakes.

Jam.

Spreads.

Her expression changed immediately.

"Oh, right."

Adam shook his head.

"Incorrigible."

The group settled comfortably in the pit.

The evening was far from over.

But for the moment...

No one wanted to talk about work.

No politics.

No training.

No commercial launch.

Even Shiora had finally abandoned her notebook.

They simply wanted to stay there.

To digest.

And to talk quietly about what they had just discovered.

For Adam...

It was probably the best compliment possible.

Settled deep into the cushions of the relaxation pit, Adam let out a long, contented sigh.

Around him, no one seemed in any hurry to move.

Selene was almost completely sprawled out, one hand resting on her stomach.

Elena and Lyriana occupied several cushions close together.

Elaria had taken off her glasses to clean them.

Vespera was still holding a small cup of coffee, which she was drinking slowly.

Isadora had settled in with much more dignity than the others, even though she seemed just as satisfied.

And Shiora...

Shiora was thinking.

Adam saw it immediately.

He narrowed his eyes.

"No."

She turned her head toward him.

"I haven’t said anything yet."

"I recognize that expression."

"What expression?"

"The one where you turn something I love into a business." "

Shiora smiled.

"It’s a professional skill."

Selene raised her head slightly.

"If it means we can have pizzas more often, I support Shiora."

"Obviously."

Elena chimed in:

"Burgers too."

Lyriana, more discreetly, added:

"And macarons."

Elaria put her glasses back on.

"Tiramisu."

Vespera looked at her cup.

"Coffee also deserves to be studied."

Isadora finished quietly:

"And crab soup could easily be added to the mansion’s menu."

Adam watched them all.

"Have you each already chosen your item?"

Selene raised a finger.

"I haven’t chosen."

Adam was almost surprised.

Then she continued:

"I want everything."

"Obviously." »

The laughter resumed.