Back home, barely settled on the living room couch to watch TV until dinner, I dragged Evin to the kitchen.
“Why do I have to help make desserts? I don’t even know how…” Evin grumbled, clumsily stirring egg yolk batter in a glass bowl.
“No whining from freeloaders,” I shot back, adding flour and cocoa powder to my mix.
While stirring, I whipped sugar into my egg whites, beating out the big bubbles until the bowl held a creamy, white mixture.
In the words of Evin, who suddenly leaned in, “It looks like something you’d get from your hand—”
I didn’t hesitate, smacking her head to stop any outrageous words.
“How much weird stuff is in your brain?”
“Is ‘hand cream’ weird?” she asked innocently.
“Adding that descriptor makes it shady!”
“If you didn’t think dirty, it wouldn’t be a problem,” Evin pouted cutely. “So it’s just Anan’s impure mind.”
“No way!” My cheeks flushed as I coughed, unable to find a comeback, resorting to a topic change. “Focus on work, idiot!”
But Evin acted like she didn’t hear, staring at me before flashing a bright smile and patting my shoulder. “It’s okay. Even a naughty Anan is super cute~”
…
For someone this oblivious, tough measures were needed to snap her brain back on track.
With a thunk and a small animal-like whimper, the world returned to peace.
After evenly mixing the whipped yolks and whites, I put the mold in the oven, setting it for thirty minutes.
“Is it done?” Evin leaned on the counter, rubbing her sore head, curiously eyeing the baking.
“Just the base. Now we make the cream,” I said, grabbing milk and heavy cream from the fridge.
“Ugh, so much work. Why not buy ready-made?” Evin’s cute face drooped.
“Store-bought doesn’t have the meaning of something you make yourself,” I said calmly. “Doesn’t it feel more rewarding?”
“Maybe,” Evin nodded thoughtfully, then tried to sneak toward the couch. “In that case, I’ll let Anan have it…”
I was ready, grabbing her collar and yanking her back. “No slacking. We’re doing this together.”
“Is stirring all there is?” Evin complained, mixing cream, milk, cocoa powder, and sugar. “So boring!”
“You can’t even do that right,” I scoffed.
“Excuse me? I’m stirring super seriously!”
“Forget that—your pace is too slow. I’d lap you in a second.”
I smirked, but caught her shifty eyes, sensing trouble.
Sure enough—
“Here’s my tornado attack!” Evin spun the whisk wildly.
“Wait, stop! You’re making a mess!”
Her “genius plan” was halted quickly, leaving her looking unsatisfied, though her attention soon shifted to me.
“Why’s Anan’s face covered in white stuff?”
“Don’t phrase it like that! And whose fault is it, idiot?!”
Even shielding my face, I got splattered with cream and milk. I could imagine how messy I looked in her eyes.
Not quite the doujin protagonist on the last page, but definitely mid-chapter.
Yet her actions pushed the pages further. “Let me lick it off~”
“Wait, no, don’t just come closer!”
Meanwhile, Anrou, testing the rib soup’s saltiness, glanced at our playful scuffle and smiled.
The scuffle ended in a mutual defeat.
“Ugh, my clothes are dirty~” Evin blinked at the cream speckles on her.
“Serves you right.”
Despite my words, after wiping my face, I grabbed a clean towel and carefully cleaned hers.
Evin closed her eyes, tilting her cheeks up, clearly enjoying my service.
“This girl…” I muttered, but her rare quiet moment, so doll-like and delicate, made me pause.
Even through the towel, her soft cheeks felt tender, her porcelain features like jade adorned with intricate patterns, both refined and captivating.
Her current docile look added a childlike charm and fragility, sparking an urge to protect her.
But that fleeting impression shattered with her words.
“So Anan, don’t be so naughty next time~”
“Who’s the real culprit, idiot?!” Snapping back, I gritted my teeth, aggressively scrubbing her face with the towel.
As expected, her cuteness was an illusion. Not cute at all.
“Done already?” Evin, wiping cream off her face, curiously watched me take the cake from the oven.
“Now we add the cream,” I nodded, slicing the cake into three layers and grabbing chocolate and vanilla cream.
Evin’s eyes lit up. “Sounds fun! I want in!”
“Tch, who was trying to slack off earlier?” I teased, handing her a cake layer.
Ignoring my jab, she eagerly spread her mixed vanilla cream evenly across the surface.
The vanilla and chocolate cream for the filling was simple, but the outer chocolate layer took effort.
Without proper tools, we had to carefully smooth the surface with a spatula, keeping the edges clean for a sleek look.
It felt like holding my breath, fearing a shaky hand would ruin it—like a game over with a corrupted save.
Finally, the last corner was smoothed.
“Anan’s amazing!” Evin, who’d been holding her breath too, cheered like a cheerleader celebrating a team’s first point.
Though the “event” was about as thrilling as a pigeon-releasing contest.
“Don’t underestimate me.”
I basked in the praise, happily decorating the cake with pre-prepared fruit slices.
“Wow, we made this?” Evin stared at the chocolate cake, plain compared to bakery ones but special because we made it.
“Who else?” I licked cream off my finger.
“Looks great, you two are awesome~” Anrou’s voice came from behind, followed by a warm hand patting our heads. “Dinner’s ready on the table. Bring your masterpiece too.”
The table was laden with dishes: rib soup, braised beef with radish, bamboo shoot stir-fry, plus veggie salad and tofu for “development,” and even almond tofu and fruit jelly for dessert.
The star, of course, was our handmade chocolate cake.
Evin’s eager look showed how popular it was.
“Can we eat it now? I really want some!”
“Nope,” I shook my head, pressing her shoulders to keep her seated. “The cake’s not finished.”
“Huh? Not done?” Evin blinked at the clearly finished cake, confused.
“Of course. And haven’t you noticed…” I started, catching a sound from the entrance. “They’re back.”
Sure enough, the living room echoed with a certain chestnut-haired girl’s voice, forgotten for a while.
“I’m back~”
Her energetic tone shifted upon seeing us at the table. “Wait, why do you look like you started without me?! Am I excluded?!”
“Pfft, don’t worry, Yuyu. We’re all waiting,” Anrou reassured.
“Oh, Yuyu-jie…” Evin chimed in, clearly having forgotten her. “Nope, no sneaking bites. We’ve been waiting for you~”
I side-eyed the girl who definitely forgot someone existed. “Got the stuff, Aunt Yuyu?”
“So mean! Not even a thank you? I searched two stores for this,” Yuyu huffed, her hands attacking my cheeks with mock indignation.
I could imagine the brutal bad ending if I didn’t choose wisely.
“…Uh, thanks, Aunt Yuyu. You’re the best for this.”
Clearly the right choice, judging by her smug grin.
“That’s more like it. Here’s what you wanted,” Yuyu said, handing me a bag while rubbing my cheeks. “I knew you care about your aunt.”
No, your affection meter rose on its own. I wasn’t planning to max it.
But I had to thank her for getting the stuff.
Evin, puzzled, asked, “Stuff?”
Her confusion was cleared up the next moment.
…