Upstart Pastry Chef ~Territory Management of a Genius Pâtisserie~ - Chapter 98

Chapter 98: Chocolate of Roses and Crown

I slipped out of the party to head to the restroom.

Then, I overheard a conversation from someone who was already there.

“That Arnoldt kid really pulled it off.”

“Tricking Duke Lenaril and making a big leap to becoming a baron, huh?”

“Even if they say he’s a smooth operator, at the end of the day, he’s just a clueless young lady. I should’ve forced myself on that woman and had my way with her.”

“No doubt about it. A kid who acts like a male prostitute shouldn’t be on par with us.”

The men laughed.

I hid my presence in the shadows.

I remembered the faces and names of the two who insulted Duke Lenaril. They were the viscount and the baron I had just greeted moments ago.

…So that’s how Duke Lenaril is viewed.

Duke Lenaril is capable and accomplished. However, as a beautiful young lady, such slander is inevitable.

And my own good looks are one of the reasons for such baseless assumptions.

There’s no point in revealing myself and demanding a correction here.

People like them would only apologize with words while secretly mocking me.

All I can do is become a distinguished baron and prove through my accomplishments that Duke Lenaril had good judgment.

“The reason not to fail in making sweets at the royal family has just increased.”

Duke Lenaril must have known that she would face such slander.

Yet, she still nominated me to be a baron.

To respond to her trust, failure is not an option.

I’ll do my best even more.

◇

The party came to an end.

I was quite mentally drained.

After all, I couldn’t say anything careless, given the status of the people I was speaking with.

Those kinds of people kept approaching me one after another.

I was desperate to remember everyone’s names and titles because failing to do so would be rude. I was so exhausted that I wanted to collapse face-first into bed.

“Did you enjoy the baptism of the nobility?”

“Yes, it’s an experience I’ll never forget.”

“Hehe, from now on, there will be more opportunities like this. You’d better get used to it quickly. Starting tomorrow, we’ll be visiting the nobles we greet. You won’t meet as many people as today, so it will be easier on you.”

For the week until we head to the royal capital, it would be a series of courtesy visits.

We needed to go and greet nobles who couldn’t leave their territories for various reasons or who, while not part of Duke Lenaril’s faction, had a deep connection with us.

It was a hassle, but it was necessary to become a baron.

“Duke Lenaril, may I have about thirty minutes before we depart? I’d like to use the garden.”

“If it’s just that much, it’s fine, but may I ask why?”

“Well, that will be a surprise for tomorrow.”

I want to repay Duke Lenaril’s kindness.

She put in a tremendous effort to make me a baron, accepted slander, and spent her precious time hosting this party and taking me around.

I want to bring her even a little joy.

And I intend to do it in the way of a pastry chef.
◇

After the party ended, I suppressed my desire to collapse onto the bed and began making chocolate.

I had just crushed the cacao beans, which had been aged and dried, separating them into powdered cacao mass and cacao butter. Now, I was finally ready to finish the chocolate.

I warmed the cacao mass powder over a double boiler, gradually adding white sugar, fresh cream, and cacao butter while kneading it together.

It transformed into a smooth black cream.

This process is called refining conching. For over thirty hours, or over seventy hours for high-end chocolate, you must continuously stir while maintaining a constant temperature. It’s the most labor-intensive step.

This task creates the chocolate’s smoothness and flavor.

With Chloe’s help, I had her apply pressure to the liquid cacao mass.

As expected, thanks to her magic, the cacao particles became uniform quickly.

With this, I could shorten the time to about ten hours.

“Thank you, Chloe. You can go back and rest now. Tina too. From here on, it’s my job.”

Both of them were tired. It felt wrong to force them to stay with me.

“Hmm, it looks interesting, so I want to watch. It seems Tina feels the same way.”

“Yes, Kurt-sama, you mentioned that you would manage the temperature yourself, but it would be more certain if I stayed!”

I was borrowing Tina’s fire while using the double boiler.

To prevent the chocolate’s flavor from evaporating, I needed to keep the temperature at 45°C, and I was relying on her help for that.

“I appreciate it, but is that okay? I could manage it on my own without the stove.”

“It’s fine. Kurt-sama doesn’t compromise when it comes to making the best sweets. So please, make full use of me.”

Upon hearing that, as a pastry chef, I couldn’t press further.

Having Tina around would definitely help me create something even better.

“Sorry, you two. Please stick with me until morning so I can make the best chocolate.”

“Sure, no problem!”

“Let’s do our best, Kurt-sama!”

So, we continued the refining conching process for the chocolate until morning.

After a night of hard work, we finally produced the best chocolate.

I spread the chocolate out on a marble slab, pulling it into shape.

This was the final tempering. It involved breaking down the cacao butter in the chocolate and adjusting the temperature to crystallize it into stable, fine particles with the same melting point.

Once tempering was complete, the chocolate would have a glossy sheen, a soft mouthfeel, and a smooth melt.

Of all the processes, refining conching was the most labor-intensive, but tempering required the most skill.

Once tempering was finished, the chocolate was finally complete.

I poured a portion of it into molds to make chocolate bars for use as ingredients.

The remaining chocolate would be used for making confections now.

“Finally, the chocolate is ready! Tina, Chloe.”

“Making chocolate is really hard work, isn’t it?”

“But it’s definitely worth the effort! You can’t experience the deliciousness of chocolate with any other sweets.”

“It’s tough, but that’s why we go through all this trouble. The effort is worth it.”

Exactly, this is why the process of turning cacao into chocolate is so complex and refined.

The passion of those before us was supported by the deliciousness of chocolate.

“Both of you, we have a bit of time before we leave. You should take a short nap.”

“What about you, Kurt-sama?”

“I have some business to take care of.”

I planned to repay Duke Lenaril with this chocolate.

◇

After Tina and the others left, I made some simple chocolate confections and brewed herbal tea.

I arranged everything on a tray and headed to the garden.

Duke Lenaril was there.

“You’re early.”

“I was looking forward to your invitation, so I couldn’t help myself.”

She smiled.

Always elegant and beautifully presenting herself.

She is a strong person.

“I called you here because I wanted to express my gratitude. I made chocolate just for you. It’s two varieties with different aromas. Please enjoy them with the herbal tea.”

I presented her with a plate of bite-sized chocolates and the herbal tea.

She reached for the tea first.

“It smells wonderful, and it warms my body when I drink it. This is a lovely tea.”

“This tea has effects for relieving fatigue and calming the mind. It’s a medicinal herb blend.”

It’s not just ordinary herbal tea; it’s a well-crafted herbal remedy based on traditional Chinese medicine knowledge.

Duke Lenaril had heavier makeup than usual, a sign that she was trying to hide her fatigue.

I had prepared this herbal tea to help soothe her even a little.

“Hmm, I really feel like my body has become lighter. I could drink this every day.”

“Here, take this. It’s a summary of the herbal tea blend and the pre-processing of the tea leaves. If you like it, please enjoy it every day. It would be best if it became a habit.”

While it doesn’t have dramatic effects, the goal of medicinal herbs is to improve health over time.

Given her condition, drinking it every day would be the best.

“I’ll do that. I feel better, and more than anything, it’s delicious.”

“I’m a pastry chef. Even if it’s healthy, I won’t serve anything that tastes bad.”

At that, she laughed.

It’s a matter of pride for a pastry chef. I’ve added a few unnecessary steps considering only the medicinal effects.

“You made chocolate for me, didn’t you? I’ve been longing for it. It would be lovely in a cake, but I’ve always wanted to try it just as it is.”

“Yes, it can be used in cakes, but the chocolate itself is a fine confection. Please do sample it.”

The chocolates are bite-sized and beautifully crafted.

There are two varieties: one is shaped like an almond, designed to have a rose pattern on it.

“I’ll start with the rose chocolate… ah, this is wonderful. The adult bitterness and elegant sweetness spread in my mouth. And the moment I put it in my mouth, I can smell the rose, which makes me feel at peace.”

“The chocolate is wrapped around a rose-scented syrup. I’ve crafted it so the fragrance doesn’t leak out, so when you put it in your mouth, it’s as if the rose blooms and the scent bursts forth. This is rose chocolate.”

This time, I minimized the sugar and cream to let her enjoy the rich flavor of the chocolate, resulting in a strong bitterness with not enough sweetness. However, when mixed with the syrup inside, it reaches the perfect balance.

“It’s wonderful; I love rose chocolate! It feels like all my fatigue has vanished.”

“Chocolate also has fatigue recovery effects. Next time, I’ll send you plenty.”

“Don’t hold back. I can’t resist something this wonderful. The other one is a chocolate with a crown design, right? Since it’s called a chocolate with two fragrances, it must not be rose.”

With an expectant gaze, Duke Lenaril looked between me and the chocolate.

It would be easy to just give her the answer, but that would take away the excitement.

“That’s something you’ll enjoy after tasting.”

“True, that sounds more delightful.”

The Duke placed the crown chocolate in her mouth.

She must have been quite surprised, as she dropped her fork.

Then, with an entranced expression, she savored the lingering taste of the crown chocolate.

“Wow, what a noble fragrance. It’s vivid and rich, a scent that tingles from the top of my head to the tips of my fingers. I’ve never experienced anything like this.”

It seems she was happier than I had anticipated.

Time for the big reveal.

“This is made with the same ingredients used for cakes offered to the royal family. While it’s not permissible to let others eat a cake dedicated to the royal family, there’s no prohibition against serving another confection. I made it for you to enjoy.”

And this is also an experiment.

I was uncertain whether the people of this world could truly appreciate the beauty of the black gem.

“The taste was, of course, outstanding, but I felt like I could melt away just from the fragrance. What on earth is this confection made from?”

With a look of keen curiosity, she inquired.

I took something from my pocket.

“Is it a black rock?”

“No, it may look like a rock, but it’s a mushroom. It’s called a truffle.”

The star of the cake served at the royal family is this black truffle.

On Earth, it is regarded as one of the world’s greatest delicacies—a king of mushrooms.

The finest ones can cost tens of thousands of yen, more expensive than gold.

However, in this world, they are not highly valued and can be obtained cheaply with good quality.

“Who would have thought that such a mushroom could become such a noble confection… It’s fascinating.”

Duke Lenaril said, picking up another crown chocolate.

The enchanting aroma was so captivating that she chose it over her beloved rose chocolate. That is the strength of the truffle.

The crown chocolate is actually chocolate wrapped around truffle butter mixed with sugar.

I put in considerable effort to bring out the truffle’s aroma in this confident creation.

The combination of the truffle scent and the chocolate aroma is superb.

It’s a recent revelation in the world of confectionery that truffles had only been used in savory dishes until now, with desserts rarely incorporating them. However, their value has been reevaluated, and now truffle-infused chocolate confections are served in some ultra-luxury restaurants.

“Isn’t it stylish to offer the king of mushrooms to royalty?”

“Ha ha, indeed it is. Just one piece of advice: keep the existence of that mushroom hidden to the fullest. The royal family has stipulated that they must never have tasted such a confection before. It’s conceivable that malicious nobles might investigate what you’re serving before you present it. If possible, it would be wise to pretend to create another dessert until the day of the event.”

I hadn’t considered it to that extent.

Since only I can make the perfect chocolate, it would be impossible for anyone to recreate the special cake abundant with truffles and chocolate, but caution is definitely warranted.

“I understand. Just so happens, an earl has asked me to make a wedding cake, so I’ll conduct a trial run of that conspicuously in the capital. Let them assume it’s a cake for the royal family.”

“That’s a great idea. By the way, mmm, this chocolate is truly delicious. The appearance, the aroma, and the taste are all top-notch. Do you think you could offer it at your shop? With how cheaply you can get cacao, you should be able to do it.”

Indeed, as for the cost of ingredients alone, it might be manageable…

“That’s difficult. It takes an entire day just to make a pot full of chocolate, so I can’t produce enough to sell at the shop. However, I might be able to hold a chocolate fair once a month.”

“That sounds great. Anyway, since the condition for sourcing cacao is for new chocolate confections, why not prepare the sweets to sell in the shop at that time?”

“I was thinking the same thing.”

Duke Lenaril and I laughed together.

“Thank you, Arnoldt, the next baron. You’ve lifted my spirits. Your confections are pure happiness.”

“That’s the highest praise I could ask for.”

That is precisely the goal of my sweets.

Creating confections that bring happiness to those who eat them is the true aspiration of a pastry chef.

“Well then, it’s time to get going. It’s a tight schedule, so do your best.”

“Of course.”

Someone who is much busier than I am has made time for me.

If I don’t do my best here, I’m not a man.

Alright, let’s get fired up and give it our all.

◇

For the following week, I made the rounds to greet people.

Becoming a baron. It’s a good opportunity to fully appreciate what that means.

The recipe for the cake to be served to the royal family has also solidified considerably, and I’ve managed to create some prototypes.

Then, I boarded the dragon carriage and set off for the capital.

The capital. A place I would never have set foot in during my lifetime.

I was about to enter it. A slight sense of anxiety mixed with, above all, expectation filled my chest.