...
Early the next morning, as the sky was just beginning to lighten, Lucian had already arrived at the restaurant.
He had prepared various pastries in advance, along with drinks like red bean soup, mung bean soup, and specially mixed milk.
By the time Doto and the others arrived, guests had already begun streaming into the campus.
At first, things were relatively quiet at Lucian's shop, but as the flow of customers increased, the number of visitors to the store gradually grew.
"Boss, I'd like one of these fruit cakes."
"Could I get a chocolate one, please? And a glass of that mixed milk."
"Boss, one Black Forest cake and a cup of red bean soup, thank you."
...
"Oguri, is this the restaurant you wanted to come to?"
The white-haired duo, Tamamo Cross and Oguri Cap, arrived in front of the shop.
"Yeah, I've heard a lot of recommendations."
Oguri Cap and Tamamo Cross entered the restaurant and made their way to the counter.
"Hello, what would you like to order?" The little maid at the counter, Rice Shower, greeted them.
"Everything looks really good," Tamamo Cross scanned the options, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the choices.
"Then let's get one of each cake... and this milk," Oguri Cap ordered before suddenly remembering the tofu pudding Special Week had mentioned yesterday. "Oh, do you have tofu pudding here?"
"I'm sorry, we don't."
"Alright, then just these."
"As expected of you, Oguri Cap! I wouldn't have thought of that. But I can't eat that much, so I'll just try a bit of yours—that way I can taste everything."
Normally, one small cake would be enough for breakfast.
But Oguri Cap had ordered ten portions in total.
"E-every single cake? Understood." Rice Shower was slightly surprised but still handed the order to Lucian.
...
"How many? One person ordered ten portions?" Lucian stared at the order slip, lost in thought.
He peeked through the small window at the corresponding table and, upon seeing who it was, wasn't surprised anymore—though his hand trembled slightly.
So this was the ominous feeling he'd had...
Of course it's you, Oguri Cap.
Fortunately, Lucian had prepared in advance, so Oguri Cap and Tamamo Cross didn't have to wait long before their food arrived.
"Tamamo, you try first."
"Ooh~ Then I won't hold back! Once I find the tastiest one, I'll order another!" Tamamo Cross eagerly picked up her spoon and sampled a bit of each. "Mmm~ They're all so good! Oguri, you try too!"
Oguri Cap also picked up her spoon.
She took a small bite first, her eyes lighting up—this is really good. Then she scooped a big spoonful... and before long, she was lifting the entire plate to pour into her mouth.
This startled Doto, who happened to be passing by. "C-customer! Please stop, you can't eat the plate! (˃ʍ˂)"
Oguri Cap set the plate down, her cheeks stuffed full, and said to Doto, "Mafang, bwring anodder bwlack fowest cake."
"O-okay! Got it! (●⁰ꈊ⁰● |||)"
...
"Another ten portions..." Lucian checked his remaining ingredients and gulped. "It should be enough."
If not, he'd have to go out and explain to Oguri Cap the dangers of eating too much cake.
Soon, ten more cakes were sent out.
"Onii-sama, would you like some water?" Rice Shower handed Lucian a cup of warm water. "Please drink some."
"Thank you." Lucian took a sip, just as another order arrived.
...
"Oguri, are you full yet?" Tamamo Cross had already moved on to drinking milk.
Though the cakes were delicious, they were much sweeter than doughnuts, so she couldn't eat much more.
Oguri Cap wasn't full yet, but she was too overwhelmed by the sweetness to continue. "I'm about done too. I heard they'll have steak in the afternoon—let's come back then."
"Oh-ho, steak!"
"Yeah, it should be really good too."
No wonder Grass Wonder had been promoting it so enthusiastically—everything she said was true.
Though Oguri Cap usually ate just to fill her stomach, she was willing to slow down and savor Lucian's cakes.
...
Around eleven, Lucian closed up shop for the morning.
He had sold about three to four hundred cakes in the morning, which was beyond his expectations.
Ines Fujin and the others were exhausted—their voices were hoarse from calling out orders all morning.
They even ran out of plates at one point, requiring someone to wash them whenever there was a spare moment.
And that wasn't even counting the many people waiting in line outside, who also needed to be attended to, not to mention the constant stream of food deliveries.
"Have some mung bean soup to soothe your throats. You've worked hard," Lucian served the four horse girls full cups of the soup. "This afternoon... probably won't be any easier."
...
To give Rice Shower and the others more time to rest, Lucian didn't reopen until three in the afternoon.
Some customers were a bit dissatisfied that Lucian wasn't serving the morning pastries anymore and was only offering dinner.
Lucian could only smile apologetically—this was the downside of being too popular.
At dinnertime, Lucian spotted Oguri Cap and Tamamo Cross again, bracing himself for battle.
But if he ran away now, without even the resolve to face this, how could he call himself a top-tier chef? How could he claim to have watched Cooking Master Boy?
So what if it's the Oguri Monster? Bring it on.
"Rice-chan, why does Lucian-san seem so fired up? It's scary! (˃ ⌑ ˂ഃ )" Doto whispered to Rice Shower in the corner.
"I don't know, but let's believe in Trainer-san."
...
"Lucian-san, Table 4 wants another steak."
"Lucian-san, Table 4 wants another steak and pasta."
"Onii-sama, Table 4 wants another steak—this time with black pepper."
"Onii-sama, Table 4 wants the red wine steak this time."
...
Rice Shower returned to the kitchen. "Onii-sama..."
Lucian's gaze sharpened as he preemptively asked, "What does Table 4 want now?"
"The customer at Table 4 wants to meet you."
"Meet me?"
"Yes, she said she'll wait until you're done." Rice Shower watched as Lucian continued working even while talking, feeling a bit heartbroken. "And... another steak, please."
...