Right in the middle of our meeting, Shiro-san’s voice echoed through my mind. This was bad—very bad. As was usually the case, anytime she got involved, a massive uproar was all but guaranteed.
It went without saying that her joining the staff would be a catastrophe, but even having her show up as a customer was a terrifying prospect. If Shiro-san made an appearance at an event like the Founding Anniversary Festival, it would be a worldwide incident.
I had to persuade her somehow... But how on earth could I convince her to stay away?
“There is no need for concern, Kaito-san. I have no intention of causing you trouble. Instead, I have prepared a proposal... a trade, if you will.”
A trade? That was a shift in the conversation I hadn't expected. I wondered what she had in mind.
“I wish to involve myself with your stall by providing the ingredients for the Baby Castella. In return... I ask that you give me the very first Baby Castella you make.”
Hmm... wait, really? That was much more reasonable than I’d feared. Having her provide the ingredients was actually a huge help, and the price she was asking for was surprisingly small.
"Are you really okay with just that?" I asked.
“I am. However, I have one more condition. I promise not to visit your stall during the Founding Anniversary Festival. In exchange, once the festival has concluded, you must bring some Baby Castella to the Sanctuary, Kaito-san. Naturally, these should be from the batch made at your stall on the day of the event, separate from our trade.”
This was actually a fantastic deal. At the very least, it meant I could avoid the chaos of her appearing in public, and the conditions weren't difficult at all.
People would surely panic if they knew the Creator God had produced the ingredients, but they wouldn't know unless I told them. There shouldn't be any problem.
"Alright, Shiro-san. I understand. I accept those terms."
“Very well. Please let me know once you have decided which ingredients you will require.”
With that, the biggest hurdle was cleared in an unexpected way. Tre-san and the others were staring at me with bewildered expressions.
“Kaito? What’s wrong? You were staring into space for a second there.”
“Oh, sorry. I was just talking to Shiro-san. It sounds like she’s going to provide the ingredients for the Baby Castella stall.”
“Wh-What!?”
“Oh, that’s amazing! To think Shallow Vernal-sama herself is going to provide the ingredients... we should be so grateful! You really are something, Kaito. We're going to make some incredible Baby Castella with her help!”
Tre-san gave me a bright smile and a thumbs-up, but Cento-san and Sien-san looked absolutely mortified.
“...Cento... D-Did he just say Shallow Vernal-sama is providing the ingredients...?”
“Y-Yeah... Wait, what? We’re going to be cooking with ingredients prepared by Shallow Vernal-sama? Oh gods... H-How terrifying...”
The two of them began whispering frantically to each other. They were a little too far away for me to catch exactly what they were saying.
Anyway, while the ingredients were now sorted out thanks to Shiro-san, there was one other thing I wanted to try. I needed to check if she could spare enough, but I was thinking of using the chocolate Nebula made.
I thought it would be great if we could offer two types: the standard Maple Baby Castella and a chocolate-filled Baby Castella. I didn't want to overwork Nebula, though, so I decided to consult her later and went back to the meeting with Tre-san and her sisters.
After they left, I mentioned my plan to open a stall to Lilia-san and the others.
“That sounds like a lovely idea. I wish I could participate as well, but... I’m required to attend the Founding Anniversary Ceremony and the Anniversary Party.”
“Milady is a noble, after all. It can't be helped,” Luna-san added with a wry smile. Sieg-san nodded along. Lilia-san was now a well-known figure within the Kingdom of Sinfonia, so her presence at the formal ceremonies was mandatory.
“Luna and I will be free while Lili is at the ceremony and the party, so we can come by to help if you’d like,” Sieg-san offered.
“We always spend the day browsing the stalls together anyway,” Luna-san said matter-of-factly.
“...Wait, what?”
Lilia-san's smile vanished instantly.
“...This is the first I’ve heard of this. Luna, Sieg... you two go to the festival every year?”
“Huh? Well, yes. Sieg and I don't participate in the ceremony, and we aren't allowed into the party venue, so we usually have a lot of time on our hands until the Anniversary Party wraps up.”
“We have to be back by a certain time, so we usually only see the stalls near the Royal Castle... but we go every year. This year, since I bought a Teleportation Magic Tool, I don't have to worry about the commute. I figured we’d be able to help out at your shop, Kaito-san.”
“...That’s... that’s not fair! I’ve never been allowed to go even once!”
“Now, now, Milady... Lili, you’re a noble. You’re the King’s Sister...”
It seemed she wasn't happy about being the only one left out of the fun. Lilia-san pouted, looking genuinely sulky.
“...So you’ve been enjoying yourselves without me all this time, keeping it a secret...”
“We figured you’d be exhausted after the Anniversary Party, so we always made sure to be back right when you were,” Sieg-san explained. “Um... Lili? If you’d like, would you want to go around for a bit after the party is over? Some of the stalls stay open quite late.”
“Really!? You promise!?”
Lilia-san's response was almost instantaneous. Seeing her react with such childlike excitement made Luna-san smile fondly. Seeing the three of them get along so well made me break into a smile as well.