Chapter 122

Kurt, who had just finished making the fruit tarts, brought a tray full of them.

Despite the fairies being small, the sheer number of fairies attending the tea party meant that the amount of tarts Kurt brought was enormous.

The tray was so full of tarts that it almost seemed like he was planning to open a bakery.

Moreover, each tart on the tray was made with different types of fruit, shining in various colors, making them a beautiful sight.

And the aroma?

The sweet and fragrant scents from the various fruits, combined with the rich and smooth aroma of butter and sugar, wrapped around the tangy and sweet flavors of the fruits, creating a delightful fragrance.

Kurt set down the tray and said, “I made as many tarts as I could, but with this many fairies, I’m not sure if it’ll be enough.”

*Gulp*

A faint sound of someone swallowing their saliva.

“Y-Your Majesty…! Hurry…!”

“Then… I hereby declare the tea party has begun!”

The queen’s voice announced the start of the tea party, responding to the fairies’ urging.

At the same time, Kurt cut the small fruit tarts into eight pieces, like slicing a pizza, and began distributing them to the fairies, who lined up in an orderly fashion to receive their share.

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*Gulp*

Vivian, who had swallowed her saliva earlier when Kurt brought the tarts, couldn’t help but do so again when her subjects brought her a tart.

The sight of her subjects, who must have wanted to eat the tarts themselves, lining up first to bring her the best part of the tart was truly a display of loyalty.

‘Even though they must want to eat the tarts themselves, they bring me the best part first. How deep their loyalty is! I am truly a fortunate queen!’

But that thought was fleeting.

Vivian’s eyes soon locked onto the tart her loyal subjects had brought.

The fruit tart she chose was a mix tart, with various fruits cut into small squares and arranged on top.

The fruits, though tiny by human standards, were just the right size for Vivian, appearing large and generous to her.

‘The fruits are shining like jewels…!’

Melon, strawberry, blueberry, and plum grapes.

It must have been difficult for a traveler of such large stature to cut the fruits into such small pieces, but this traveler was clearly skilled.

And the cream holding the fruits and tart together was so white, it looked like a piece of cloud.

After glancing around to make sure no other fairies were watching, Vivian brought her face close to the tart and inhaled the rich, milky aroma of the cream mixed with sugar, so delightful that she wished she could bottle it and spray it around the palace.

“Ahhh…”

Vivian, intoxicated by the scent of the cream, trembled with happiness, unaware that some cream had smudged on her nose.

‘Yes. This is the scent.’

When the guards first reported that there was a traveler making extraordinary dishes, she hadn’t understood why it was such a big deal. But now, with the complex aroma of fruit and fresh cream filling her senses, she could see why the guards had been so excited.

‘It was a good idea to invite this traveler to the tea party.’

‘I should reward the guards who reported this traveler.’

But rewarding the guards could wait until after the tea party.

Vivian, holding the tart with both hands, desperately tried to control her urge to devour it and instead picked up a fairy-sized fork and knife to cut a bite-sized piece.

By human standards, it was the size of a grain of rice.

Even by fairy standards, it was a cute, tiny size.

But as a queen, she couldn’t lose her dignity.

Vivian, with a dignified expression, put the tart into her mouth.

Though, with cream smudged on her nose, she didn’t look particularly elegant.

*Haaap*

*Mushy mushy*

That was the texture of the tart as it entered her mouth.

The cream, which had looked like a cloud, spread softly and smoothly in her mouth.

The rich and deep flavor of cream cheese, the tangy and refreshing taste of yogurt, and the sour zest of lemon juice all blended into the overwhelming richness of milk, creating a magical sensation as if she were walking on clouds.

‘Yes. This is like a cloud!’

The taste of the cloud, which even the dwarves, known as giants, couldn’t reach, was now in Vivian’s mouth.

‘Yes. The hard pie part is just a vessel to hold this cloud. The essence of this dish is eating the cloud with the fruit!’

It was a swift judgment befitting a queen who always led the prosperity of the Fairy Kingdom with wisdom and intelligence.

Though, swift as it was, it wasn’t entirely accurate.

In fact, Vivian’s misconception was understandable. The rich cream she tasted was a mysterious flavor even she, the queen of Arciel, had never experienced before.

Naturally, she thought the cream was the main part of the tart.

But that was a big mistake.

*Crunch*

The tart crust hidden beneath the cream layer crumbled in her mouth, revealing the fantastic chemical reaction of butter and flour.

‘No way! How can even the crust be this delicious?!’

It was like receiving a birthday gift from her mom and then getting another surprise gift from her dad—a happy confusion.

The taste of the crumbling tart crust was, in her opinion, in no way inferior to the cream.

If the cream’s flavor was a rich, milky taste that maximized the sweetness of milk, the tart crust was a deep, sweet grain flavor from the perfect combination of butter and flour.

Both were sweet, but their sweetness had different directions.

*Munch munch*

*Gulp*

“Ahhh…”

Vivian, having swallowed the piece of tart, let out a happy sigh, forgetting her dignity.

Then, forgetting to maintain her composure, she grabbed the tart on her plate with both hands and took a big bite.

Her face was now smeared with cream, but Vivian didn’t care, smiling happily as she stuffed the tart into her mouth.

“Indeed! The harmony of this tart and fruit is truly beautiful!”

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The tea party was a great success.

The fairies, gathered like ants in front of the queen’s palace, each held a piece of tart, sometimes sharing bites with others who had chosen different flavors, enjoying a warm and cheerful time.

“Such delicious food…! As a guard, I can confidently say this is the first time I’ve ever tasted something like this!”

“Being able to eat such delicious food is all thanks to Her Majesty’s grace for inviting this amazing chef to the tea party! Let’s all cheer for Her Majesty!”

“Ohohoho! Well said. Show your gratitude to me as much as you like!”

The fairies cheered while eating the tarts, and Vivian, fanning herself, laughed with an “Ohohoho!”

Though both the cheering fairies and Vivian had cream or fruit juice smeared on their hands or faces, it was still a heartwarming scene that made anyone watching smile.

After receiving enough praise from her subjects, Vivian folded her fan and pointed to one side of the fairies who were cheering.

“But today, the fairies who deserve cheers are not just me! They are the guards who have been tirelessly protecting the peace and prosperity of our Fairy Kingdom, Arciel! They were the ones who advised me to invite this traveler! So it is only right to reward these guards!”

The guard who was pointed out by the queen was momentarily flustered but then pointed to the guard next to him.

“No! I did report it, but it was my subordinates who discovered this chef! So the reward should go to them!”

“No! We did find the travelers, but being able to eat such delicious food is all thanks to Her Majesty’s generosity in opening the royal storeroom for the people!”

“Wow! Long live Queen Vivian!”

“The guards are amazing too!”

And so, the fairies’ tea party ended in a heartwarming atmosphere of mutual praise and admiration.

By the way, some fairies, reluctant to finish their tarts, wanted to save them to take home, but when I warned them that tarts spoil quickly and attract ants, they turned pale and quickly ate them.

Yeah.

Gotta watch out for ants.

No ants allowed.