Upstart Pastry Chef ~Territory Management of a Genius Pâtisserie~

Chapter 11: Duke Härtling

With all the commotions here and there, it’s finally the night before the D-day. Faruno and Margrave Fernande seem so busy for sending their greetings to various places. The margrave doesn’t only have a high social status, he’s also recognized as an influential person in the empire. In this kind of place, there is no end to that kind of people, though.

In order to calm down my thoughts, I went out to the garden with Tina and Chloe to catch some breather in the night. The wind feels nice.

“Tina and Chloe, great work today. I don’t know what to do without you.”

My prided Chocolate Cake. My newly improved work of art, the king of chocolate cakes. Today, I’ve finished the preparation step of all the portions except for those presented to the four Grand Dukes. The girls helped me out through the ordeal.

Tina used her Fire magic arte as superb fire controller, and thanks to Chloe’s Water magic arte, making jams had never been that easy.

Of course, preparation stage of the full course meals is also flawless. Except for one thing that we’ll receive in the morning of the D-day.

“I’m happy that I can become Kurt-sama’s strength!”

“I came along for that reason to begin with. I’m glad I can be useful.”

While looking a little bashful, they responded to me like that.

“But, it’s a pity. Kurt-sama’s cooking all looked so delicious and yet we couldn’t eat them.”

“It’s the full course for those elite people, huh. Can’t be helped. It’ll be bad if we say unreasonable things to Kurt.”

I smile wryly. They hit the mark, officially. But on the side, the arrangement is actually more flexible.

“Rest assured. After everything concludes tomorrow, I’ll ask for permission to hold our own banquet.”

Duchess Renalier is a reasonable person to talk to. She already agreed to two of my requests.

“Uwaa, I’m looking forward to it!”

“Un, I’m excited too. No matter how many Kurts we have, this kind of extravagant dishes cannot be cooked once we return to the fief, after all.”

She’s certainly right. This time, I can splurge money without thinking to procure the highest grade ingredients. There’s some pressure, but inside my heart, I undoubtedly also feel happy.

The three of us look up to the moon. It’s a beautiful full moon. It’s a really beautiful night.

While being fascinated by the full moon, I hear some footsteps and turn in that direction.

“Tch, so it’s preoccupied.”

A good-looking middle aged man shows up, clad in extravagant yet tacky outfit, while cursing on us. He’s trotting heavily while entering the garden that we’re in.

Behind him, there are people who look like his servants, holding baskets filled with wine and snacks. He must have been here to do the moonviewing with some drinks.

It’s an elegant garden befitting a night with beautiful moon. It’s not strange to have other people coming here. However, that man just spoiled the serene atmosphere of the night. Complaining won’t change anything, so I exchange glances with Tina and Chloe, signaling for us to return to our room.

“Please, do not mind our presence. We’ll retire to our room now.”

After saying that, I turn my back on that man. However……

“Such poor-looking lad. Low class noble, huh?”

I tsk’ed inwardly. Right now, I’m wearing my own clothes instead of the outfit that Margrave Fernande gave to me. Those clothes are too stiff, so I’m apprehensive in wearing them here, but that is such a blunder on my behalf.

“I am Kurt Arnold, a Baronet’s heir.”

“Arnold the spear, huh? So even a baronet is invited to this ducal house. How low has Duchess Renalier fallen?”

I feel a bit irritated at the man’s attitude, but I keep it from showing in my face. In the nobles’ society, there are ranks. From his attitude, his rank should be higher than mine. Unless I have absolutely no other choice, there’s no need to start a fight in this place.

“This humble self is truly honored to have received such invitation from Her Grace. There are obligations that we must do, therefore, we will retire with this.”

I bow once and intend to make ourselves scarce, but the man in front of us seem intent on speaking more.

“Eh, halt. I am Marquess Klanritte Fordell. You have some redeeming points. If you show me some sincerity, I don’t mind giving you some benefits.”

“Sincerity?”

“That’s right. Leave your two servant girls here. They’re rarely seen top grade women. Moreover Lunar and Elf are an interesting enough for me to taste once. I wonder how they’ll cry. I heard they’re harder to break than human. Sounds fun.”

Klanritte looks at Tina and Chloe with lecherous eyes that seems to lick them all over their bodies.

Tina’s fox tail puffs up in the opposite direction, while Chloe’s elven ears are trembling.

“My deepest apologies, but they are family. I will not present my family members for any reason.”

“Bastard, you dare to refuse this marquess even though you’re just a baronet?”

“Yes, that is indeed my intention.”

Actually, it’s just like what he said; it’s unrealistic for a baronet to defy a marquess. If I want to act terribly calculative, I have Margrave Fernande and Duchess Renalier as my backers. ……Still, unless I have absolutely no other choice, it’s true that I don’t want to dump more problems to their laps. However, this is that instance where “I have no other choice”.

“Truly, give an inch and they’ll ask for a mile. I’m being this kind but you smear the mud on my face. This is totally inexcusable. Oi, you guys beat that man and drag the women here.”

He sends out a dangerous order to the servants lying in wait behind him.

I’m not afraid at all, though. There’s no expert among them. I can singlehandedly turn the tables around by myself. I switch my thoughts into combat mode. It’s that kind of turn of events.

“It’s so terribly noisy over here. The moonlit sky is so beautiful tonight, though? Why are you being so wasteful?”

A young man with blue hair shows up. He’s around 20 years old. He’s wearing simple and good-looking luxurious black suit that fits him perfectly.

“Why, isn’t it Duke Härtling. What brings you to this kind of place, Your Grace?”

The middle-aged man suddenly looks panicked, talking despondently.

Duke Härtling. I remember hearing that name somewhere. He’s one of the four Grand Dukes that I’m serving for soon. And then, he’s also head of the noble faction who wishes for war.

“Fordell. I heard what you were about to do, you know?”

“This man is a mere baronet, but he dared to insult me!”

Marquess Fordell yells while pointing at me with veins bulging in his face.

“Hm, is he speaking the truth, heir Kurt of baronet of Arnold?”

When he calls my name, I feel agitated in an instant. Why would Duke Härtling know my name? It’s unthinkable for him to eavesdrop on us. If he was within the hearing range of our conversation, I would have noticed his presence.

Then it’s only possible if he knew me from the beginning. A duke remembering an heir of a baronet? That’s also unthinkable. ……No, if he has thoroughly investigated Duchess Renalier’s movements, he would have arrived at my information as well. Just how far did this man know?

Pushing down my agitation, I speak up.

“Marquess Fordell mistook my companions as prostitutes, so I refused his extortion. The marquess seemed unable to accept my refusal, and intended to use pure strength to continue the pressure, but Your Grace appeared in the nick of time.”

“I see now. Fordell, is this what you meant by an insult? Since you couldn’t allow him to refuse, you intended to assault the heir of Baronet of Arnold?”

“Th, that’s right! A mere baronet, no, not even a baronet, a brat like him, to me, to this me!!”

“I see. Fordell, you’re lucky.”

The next second, Duke Härtling lightly tapped Marquess Fordell’s shoulder without batting an eyelid. There’s a muffled sound coming from Marquess Fordell’s shoulder as it bent in an odd angle.

“Eek, eeeeeeeeeeek, m-m-my shoulder, aaaaaaaaaAAH!”

“Don’t be so noisy. It’s only slightly broken. Defiling Duchess Renalier’s garden only warrants this much, but I actually really want to cut your arm off.”

While he looks elegant and exudes a dignified, noble atmosphere around him, his smile looks so barbaric.

“Marquess Fordell. I won’t let you off just by this much if you truly assaulted this man. He’s someone valued by that Margrave Fernande, even as far as making him betrothed to her daughter. He’s also a person of interest for Duchess Renalier. He can trample someone like you as if you’re an ant. He’s the Arnold of the spear to begin with. You’re out of your mind to pick a quarrel with the strongest Arnold in this generation.”

The strongest Arnold in this generation. Those words won’t come up from the superficial kind of information. I have predicted that he had investigated me, but he proved to know me better than what I predicted. As someone unreachable on top of the clouds, why would a duke like him try to find out about me to that extent?

“Heir of Baronet of Arnold, my subordinate has troubled you. I wish you would allow this to settle the matter. I shall send an apology gift to your room later on.”

“Thanks to Your Grace’s timely manner to stop him, there is no trouble at all on my behalf. I am deeply grateful.”

“I’m glad if you think so. Still, I will definitely send the apology gifts. This is my responsibility. Also, I’m looking forward to your cooking. I hope you can take a good night rest today.”

After saying that, he leaves the place.

While looking at him, Tina speaks.

“That person is scary. His words are gentle, but cold and detached.”

“I don’t like him either. The mana around him is prickly and sharp.”

The two of them reject his presence with their own intuition. Their senses are quite sharp. I should be vigilant against that man.

We went back to our room while abandoning Marquess Fordell whom his servants were nursing, was clutching on his arm.

I’m going to serve food to that kind of man. This matter frightens me a little.