Chapter 1: Cooking nightmare in the Miload Manor

Beatrice sat in the Miload Manor library, her small fingers delicately flipping through the pages of a pink book. Though her expression remained as composed as ever, her mind drifted to a cherished memory. As her pen scribbled in the margins, a faint smile graced her lips—a memory absurdly determined man who brought chaos into her life in ways no one else could.

It all began a couple of months ago, born from Subaru's relentless desire to surprise her with something special.

Flashback Pov:

"Beako! Beako! Come out, come out wherever you are!" Subaru's boisterous voice echoed through the halls of the manor, loud enough to make even the walls tremble.

Beatrice's head peeked out from behind a towering bookcase, her usual pout firmly in place. "Must you always disturb Betty's peace, I suppose?" she said, irritation creeping into her tone.

Subaru, completely unfazed, flashed her his signature grin. "Today is your lucky day! You're about to witness greatness!"

"Greatness?" she repeated, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"That's right!" Subaru declared, puffing out his chest in exaggerated confidence. "I've decided to make you a treat, Beako—a dessert fit for a queen! Or in this case, the cutest little spirit in all of Lugnica!"

Beatrice blinked at him, clearly unimpressed. "A treat, you say? What nonsense are you babbling about now, I wonder?"

Subaru's grin widened. "Cinnamon rolls! I'm making cinnamon rolls!"

"Cinnamon rolls?" Beatrice tilted her head, her curiosity piqued despite herself. "Betty doesn't even know you could make those , I suppose."

"Well then, prepare to have your mindblown," Subaru said with an exaggerated flourish. "Just you wait, Beako. Your taste buds are in for a magical experience!"

Subaru's enthusiasm was, admittedly, infectious. But Beatrice quickly discovered that enthusiasm alone wasn't nearly enough to guarantee success in the kitchen.

The scene that greeted her in the manor's kitchen was nothing short of catastrophic. Flour coated nearly every surface, bowls and utensils lay scattered like casualties of war, and Subaru himself looked as though he had been attacked by a bag of sugar. His apron was a patchwork of butter stains and what looked suspiciously like dough.

"Betty feels like this is a mistake, I suppose," she muttered from her perch on the counter, watching Subaru wrestle with a sticky, uncooperative lump of dough.

"Relax, Beako," Subaru said with a grin that was entirely too confident given the chaos around him. "Everything's under control. This is just… part of the creative process!"

"Your 'creative process' looks like a disaster, in fact," Beatrice said, her tone as dry as the flour dust in the air.

Subaru ignored her critique, pouring what he assumed was the correct amount of cinnamon into a bowl of sugar. Unfortunately, his "creative process" resulted in what could only be described as a cinnamon-sugar avalanche. By the time he attempted to roll the dough, it was an unmanageable, sticky mess.

When the timer finally dinged, Subaru retrieved the tray from the oven with a flourish, only to reveal a charred, gooey monstrosity.

Beatrice stared at the "cinnamon rolls," her expression caught between horror and reluctant amusement. "Whatisthat, I wonder?"

Subaru scratched the back of his head, grinning sheepishly. "Uh… experimental cinnamon rolls?"

"Experimentalfailure,I suppose," she quipped, her words earning a dramatic groan from Subaru.

Just as Subaru was mustering the courage to start over, Ram entered the kitchen, her ever-present smirk firmly in place.

"Barusu," she said, her sharp gaze taking in the chaotic scene, "what are you doing? Destroying the kitchen again, I see."

"Hey! I'm trying to make cinnamon rolls for Beako!" Subaru protested.

Ram's eyes flicked to the charred remains on the counter. "Those are cinnamon rolls? They look like something you dug out of the garden."

Subaru crossed his arms defensively. "Fine! If you're so smart, why don't you help?"

To Beatrice's surprise, Ram actually agreed. "Very well, Barusu. Watch and learn from a professional."

But as Beatrice soon discovered, Ram's "help" was far from a blessing.

Ram approached the task with her usual air of unshakable confidence, but her interpretation of the recipe was… unique, to say the least. She replaced flour with potato starch, claiming it would make the dough "light and fluffy." At one point, she even substituted sugar with salt, insisting that "a touch of salt enhances flavor."

The end result was a disaster even worse than Subaru's attempt. The dough never rose, and when the rolls emerged from the oven, they were dense, salty, and had the consistency of rubber.

Subaru and Beatrice stared at the horrifying creations.

"Beako," Subaru whispered, "I think these might be cursed."

Ram huffed, clearly unbothered by their reactions. "If you can't appreciate fine craftsmanship, that's your problem, Barusu."

"Craftsmanship?" Beatrice echoed, poking one of the rolls with a fork. It bounced.

Just as all hope seems lost, the kitchen door swung open, and Frederica entered, her serene presence instantly restoring order to the room as she walked in with bags of food.

"What's going on here?" she asked, her sharp eyes surveying the chaos putting down the bags of food.

"Frederica-sama!" Subaru cried, rushing to her like a man seeking salvation. "Help us! We've been trying to make cinnamon rolls, but it's been one disaster after another!"

Frederica took one look at the charred and rubbery remains on the counter and smiled gently. "I see. Why don't you let me handle this?"

With an air of calm professionalism, Frederica set to work. She measured the ingredients with precision, kneaded the dough with practiced hands, and mixed the cinnamon-sugar filling to perfection.

An hour later, the heavenly aroma of freshly baked cinnamon rolls filled the kitchen. When Frederica pulled the tray from the oven, the golden-brown rolls were a sight to behold.

"Here you are," she said, setting the tray on the counter. "Perfect cinnamon rolls."

Subaru took a bite, his eyes sparkling with joy. "Frederica-sama, you're amazing! These are incredible!"

Beatrice took a cautious nibble, her expression softening as the flavors melted in her mouth. "Betty approves, I suppose."

Even Ram couldn't resist sneaking a bite, though she muttered something about Frederica calling her a "show off."

Main Present Pov:

"That was a fun day, I suppose," Beatrice murmured to herself, her smile lingering as she closed the book. That chaotic yet heartwarming experience had stayed with her, not just because of the cinnamon rolls, but because Subaru had grown from it—just a little.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice.

"Beako! I made more sweets! You want some?" Subaru called, poking his head into the library.

Beatrice turned to face him, her expression brightening. "Did you make Betty her favorite, I wonder?"

"Yup!" Subaru said with a grin, holding out a tray. "Cinnamon rolls with strawberry jam cookies on the side."

Beatrice walked up to him, a rare warmth in her gaze as she took his hands. "Betty will accept, I suppose."

As they left the library, Beatrice used her magic to gently return the pink book she had been writing in—a book adorned with a butterfly and star-patterned wings—to its rightful place on the shelf.

Some memories, she thought, were worth treasuring forever.