...
Lucian lingered behind Mejiro McQueen for quite a long time. Seeing that her sleeves and the front of her clothes were stained with more or less spots, he couldn't help saying:
"If Grandmother knew McQueen was here cooking, I wonder if she'd blame me."
"Trainer-san, the horse girls of the Mejiro family are not that delicate."
"Is that so? Actually, I'm still very curious why McQueen signed up for my class back then?"
Lucian clearly remembered that Mejiro McQueen hadn't joined the team at that time.
"Let me answer~" Grass Wonder suddenly popped up from somewhere. "It was me who dragged McQueen here."
"Little Grass, have you finished your pastries?" Lucian asked.
"They're already in the oven."
"Don't burn them and make me taste them later."
"That's not impossible..." Grass Wonder muttered softly. Seeing Lucian's gaze shoot over, she quickly changed her words: "Where were we? Right, it was me who dragged McQueen here."
Mejiro McQueen nodded. "Indeed, it was Grass Wonder who called me to come."
Grass Wonder recalled: "But I thought McQueen would refuse at the time. I didn't expect her to agree without hesitation, as if she had already decided to sign up."
"H-how could that be!? I just didn't want Little Grass to feel disappointed."
"Really not a single bit of your own desire?" Lucian's mouth curved into a smile.
Mejiro McQueen averted her gaze, slightly raising her chin. "Grass Wonder promoted it for a long time, so there was a little bit of desire..."
"I see... I thought McQueen was because she tasted that plate of egg fried rice. Looks like I overthought it." Lucian sighed with pretended disappointment. "Maybe that egg fried rice really was just so-so."
"No, it's not. The egg fried rice was delicious desuwa." Mejiro McQueen said passively. "Fine, mainly because the egg fried rice left a very deep impression on me."
The arc of Lucian's mouth bent much wider, like an unfolded folding fan.
Classic tsundere, that's more like it~
...
After a while, it was time for evaluation.
Lucian returned to the podium and began grading the horse girls.
Rice Shower, who had been waiting for a long time, eagerly brought up her work.
The usually quiet and silent little one was especially enthusiastic about this.
Lucian tasted it. "Rice-chan's pastries are still excellent, 86 points."
Hearing this, the horse girls all gathered around the podium.
Oguri Cap swallowed. "Rice-chan, can you share a bite with me? I'll trade with you."
"Sure." Rice Shower glanced at the small charred piece in Oguri Cap's hand. "Oguri Cap-senpai can just taste it, no need to trade so politely."
"I see, then thank you." Oguri Cap didn't stand on ceremony and took a piece from Rice Shower's plate to taste.
Since attending Lucian's practical classes, she didn't know how much cooking skill she had learned, but she had learned to chew slowly and enjoy food.
Otherwise, for small pastries like these, in the past she would finish a whole plate in one bite.
"Mmm~~ delicious." Oguri Cap narrowed her eyes, as if feeling the food slowly melting in her mouth. "Can I have another piece?"
"Sure."
After swallowing one, she said again: "Can I have another piece?"
"Little Oguri, leave some for me!"
Tamamo Cross finally squeezed into the crowd, only to see Oguri Cap taking bite after bite, thinking she was enjoying the pastries Lucian made. "I want some too, leave some for me!"
Her figure was really petite; even squeezing next to the podium desk, Lucian could only see half of her pretty face.
"Tamamo wants some too?" Lucian took the initiative to feed Tamamo Cross a piece.
He originally intended for Tamamo Cross to take it with her hand, but she was too busy watching Oguri Cap eat. Noticing the pastry brought beside her, she naturally opened her mouth and ate it.
"Eh, pretty good!" Tamamo Cross said while chewing. "Sensei, any more?"
"Not much left. Rice-chan might want to share with others."
After Lucian finished speaking, he was about to call the next student, but Rice Shower tugged at his sleeve. "Onii-sama, is there something wrong with the pastries I made?"
"There are areas for improvement, of course, but overall it's already very good."
"Then was my performance bad while making the pastries?"
Lucian was stunned. "Why do you say that?"
"Because Onii-sama said only students who perform well get a chance to taste the pastries you made..." Rice Shower said softly in grievance. "If you didn't give me any, doesn't that mean Rice-chan did poorly?"
"Ah, I completely forgot." Lucian moved the pastries he made in front of Rice Shower. "Rice-chan, pick one yourself?"
"Onii-sama, are you giving it to me just to comfort me..." After all, Rice Shower had actively asked, so she overthought.
"I really forgot." Lucian picked one and held it in front of Rice Shower. "I already gave you 86 points, that already shows Rice-chan performed very well."
"That's good." Rice Shower opened her small mouth, leaned forward and bit off half. "So delicious~"
After saying that, she leaned forward again to take the rest.
Just now Onii-sama fed Tamamo Cross-senpai like that.... I should do the same, then my heart won't feel uncomfortable.
Lucian felt like he was feeding a small animal. "Rice-chan, hold it and eat yourself."
"Um, thank you Onii-sama!"
"Sensei, taste mine." Oguri Cap followed closely, bringing up her work.
"Uh, Little Oguri, have you tasted your own pastries?" This was the question Lucian always asked before tasting Oguri Cap's work.
"I have."
"I mean taste, you understand? Taste."
Oguri Cap nodded honestly. "No."
"Then you didn't listen to Sensei."
"I can taste now." Oguri Cap tossed a piece into her mouth, chewed for a while. "So... so bad, tastes like it's burnt."
"Does that even need tasting..." Grass Wonder inwardly complained. Thanks to Lucian, she had tasted Oguri Cap's food plenty.
"Yeah, yours is completely burnt..."
"So..... no good?" Oguri Cap's ears drooped, like grass bent by the wind, her flat voice finally showing a hint of disappointment.
Lucian saw her holding her plate ready to leave. "Wait, wait... considering how hard Little Oguri worked, I'll give you one too."
Oguri Cap's horse ears instantly perked up. "Arigato."
Lucian: "Take one yourself."
"Um!" This time Oguri Cap tasted even slower than when eating Rice Shower's pastries. With just a tiny bite, her eyes narrowed into crescents, the surroundings rendered into a scene of blooming spring flowers.
After Oguri Cap and Rice Shower left, the surrounding horse girls swarmed up, eyeing the few remaining pastries on the plate covetously.
...