Upstart Pastry Chef ~Territory Management of a Genius Pâtisserie~ - Chapter 41

Chapter 41: Reunion with Farne

Early in the morning, I was sprinting at full speed.

It was a true full-speed sprint, utilizing both skills and magic. It meant pushing my abilities to the limit.

A shadow following my sprint. It was Volg, Farne’s butler and my mentor.

As usual, he was clad in a butler’s outfit, concealing his trained body within.

With a dagger in hand, he leaped from branch to branch, swiftly approaching me.

“Hah!”

Then, kicking off a branch towards me, he somersaulted mid-air and lunged at me.

To intercept him, I halted my steps and swung my trusted companion, Silver Flash, with all my might. However, he seemed to anticipate my move, twisting in mid-air and slipping past me.

Without panicking, I swiftly swung Silver Flash upwards from below, countering his charge.

He intercepted it with his dagger, effortlessly deflecting the counterattack, then swiftly retreated, disappearing from my sight.

I focused all my senses, closing my eyes.

We were in the forest, surrounded by ample cover.

I heard the rustle of leaves. Redirecting my attention, I found nothing; he had likely thrown a stone or something.

If he wanted to divert my attention there, then Volg must be elsewhere.

I turned towards the sound, adopting a low stance. Volg was creeping towards me, almost crawling on the ground.

Once again, he launched an attack. This time, Volg intercepted and deflected Silver Flash, closing the distance between us.

Then, with his momentum, he delivered a second strike. I took it on Silver Flash’s blade.

Before the follow-up attack could come, I kicked his abdomen and followed up with a series of strikes.

Volg parried with his dagger, and the sounds of our swords clashing reverberated through the forest.

◇

“Volg, thanks. Thanks to you, my body feels much more responsive now.”

After finishing the morning training and drinking water, I thanked Volg.

“No, it’s thanks to you that I’ve been able to grow as well. Your growth rate is truly terrifying. I barely won today, but if I were the same as when we first met, I would have lost. …Perhaps in the not-too-distant future, I will lose to you.”

Volg smiled faintly.

I didn’t refute his words.

We both knew it would come to that.

“I’ll work hard every day to make that day come sooner.”

“And I’ll work hard not to let that happen. Losing to you would be too frustrating.”

We fist-bumped.

I gained a lot from this man. He was my mentor and my rival.

“Speaking of which, today is the day Farne is supposed to come, right?”

“Finally. Today, the young lady will be here. I can finally do my real job. I’ve been so focused on carpentry work that I almost forgot I’m a butler.”

Finally, with the completion of the mansion, Farne would be arriving.

Well, various problems were likely to arise, but I was looking forward to it.

“I used to joke that I would entrust the young lady to someone stronger than me, but it’s no longer a joke.”

“It’s still just an engagement. We don’t know what will happen next.”

I said with a wry smile.

The agreement with Farne was that if she could capture my heart within a year, we would marry, otherwise, the engagement would be dissolved.

No one knew what would happen next.

◇

The arrival of carriages bearing the Fernande crest at my village had become commonplace.

They transported materials for the mansion, supplies for the workers, and various other things.

However, now that the mansion was complete and the workers had all gone home, leaving only Farne and the servants, the frequency of these visits would likely decrease significantly.

Tina and I were preparing to welcome Farne. Given who she was, there were various preparations to make.

It was about time for her to arrive according to the schedule…

And then, she came.

A carriage bearing the crest of the Count Fernande appeared on the road, and when it stopped in front of our house, the doors swung open with force.

Out stepped Farne.

“I finally made it here. It’s a pleasure to see you, Kurt-sama!”

Farne enthusiastically leaped towards me.

I caught her, albeit a bit taken aback.

“That’s, um, a bit forward, Farne.”

I felt I should gently reprimand her.

It wasn’t something a woman about to be married should do.

“But what else can I do? We’ve been apart for so long.”

Farne pouted as she stepped back from me.

“Well, uh, anyway, nice to meet you.”

I awkwardly responded.

I extended my right hand.

Farne then grasped my right hand.

“Likewise, please take care of me, Kurt-sama!”

She said with a smile.

◇

Farne and I walked around the village together.

It was to familiarize her with the village where she would be living. It’s essential for her to know the basics; otherwise, it would be difficult for her to settle in.

During our stroll, mixing casual conversation, Farne seemed to enjoy chatting with me.

As we took a break, I brought up an important matter.

“To tell the truth, I’ve been preparing some sweets for you, Farne.”

I thought welcoming her with sweets was the least I could do, so I had prepared something special.

“Oh, that’s delightful! Let’s head to your house right away.”

“Well, there’s a favor I’d like to ask. If possible, I’d like to make the sweets not just for you, Farne, but also as a celebration for our new friends in the village. I’d like to treat them at your estate, and I’d like to invite the children too. Would that be alright? It might be too much if it’s at my house.”

Girls tend to enjoy feeling special. Rather than celebrating new friends, they might prefer being the center of attention themselves.

However, I deliberately mentioned it this way. If Farne was truly concerned about the children…

“Well, of course! That’s a wonderful idea! It’s much more enjoyable to share with everyone! And I’ve been curious about those children for a while now. It would be lovely to chat with them over sweets!”

“Thank you. Then let’s make something special. For our new friends in the village, for you, Farne, and for our new future together.”

This time, the star ingredient would be raspberries.

Fortunately, the season had just changed, and they were bearing red fruits.

I had the children harvest them.

Eating what they themselves had grown would surely motivate the children even more.

Let’s put our best effort into making the sweets.