Chapter 13: Shock triggered by modern baking
1243 Words
**Chapter 13: Shock triggered by modern baking**
As the dinner drew to a close, Castiel stood by the window, tapping his fingers lightly on the frame and gazing thoughtfully at the night scene in the distance. Erin, who at the moment was busily putting together the final arrangements for dessert, sensed an unusual atmosphere. She looked up at Castiel with a slight frown, her instincts telling her something was up.
“What's wrong with you today? Something seems to be bothering you.” Erin's voice dripped with concern as she approached Castiel.
Castiel slowly turned around and gazed deep into Erin's eyes. “There is something I have to tell you, and although there is no hard evidence yet, I have received some news.”
“What news?” Erin's frown tightened.
Castiel sighed softly, “I've heard that several nobles seem to be secretly plotting to try to disrupt the fairness of the upcoming tournament. They are dissatisfied that your success, especially the rapid popularity of your dessert, has touched their interests.”
Ayrin instantly felt a chill come over her, then she forced down the uneasiness in her heart and calmly asked, “What do they want to do?”
“According to reliable sources, they plan to manipulate the rules of the competition, and may even make a move against your raw material supply during the competition.” Castiel stepped closer to Erin, his voice low and warning. “If the competition loses its fairness, not only will it be detrimental to your personal reputation, even the economy of our territory may be implicated.”
Erin's heart sank as she realized that these nobles would never give up easily, but she was unwilling to be swayed by the threat. “How should we respond? I'm not going to give up on this fight so easily, and I'm not going to let them sabotage my efforts.”
Castiel gave a small smile, and despite his serious expression, there was a glint of appreciation in his eyes. “I know you won't back down, and that's one of the things I like about you.” His tone was firm in its gentleness. “We will come up with countermeasures to ensure the fairness of the match. However, we will have to be careful with what comes next, so be prepared.”
Erin took a deep breath and nodded. “I'm not afraid of difficulties, as long as we fight side by side, I'm sure we'll be able to overcome those obstacles.”
Castiel gently stroked Ayrin's shoulder with a hint of comfort in his tone. “With an ally like you, I will never let those who seek to destroy you succeed.”
The two looked at each other in silent understanding, as if everything was unspoken. The next match was destined to be a competition that was not only about pastries, but also a battle of wisdom and strength.
As the date of the competition drew nearer, the collaboration between Erin and Castiel gradually unfolded. Erin, with Castiel's assistance, quickly adjusted the production methods of the pastry store and focused some of her resources on the upcoming competition. At the same time, she began to scrutinize how to use her mastery of modern baking techniques to conquer the nobles not only in taste, but also in skill and presentation.
A few days before the competition, Irene's dessert store was extraordinarily busy. Every assistant was under her command, working intensely on the preparations, the selection of raw materials, the polishing of craftsmanship, and even the design of the shape of the pastries were all refined again and again. She knows that this competition is not just a business opportunity, but also a perfect stage to showcase her baking skills.
“We need to show creativity like never before.” Erin encouraged her assistants, “Not only should they taste good, they should be amazing!”
Under her leadership, the pastry store began to introduce a wide range of novel desserts, combining ancient recipes with modern production techniques, and Erin even experimented with unique sauces utilizing fresh fruits and herbs to enhance the layers of the desserts. Each of her creations is like a work of art, not only mouth-watering but also imaginative.
As the competition approached, the fame of Irene's desserts spread rapidly, with many nobles coming to book her creations and some even offering to collaborate with her. The nobles raved about her modern baking skills and how she had brought new life to traditional pastries. Irene's success sparked a baking frenzy, as people in the village began to copy her style, and some even asked Irene to teach them the tricks of the trade.
However, as Castiel predicted, some of the nobles did not want to see Irene succeed. They began to conspire behind the scenes, trying to interfere with the tournament by any means necessary.
The night before the competition, Irene received an anonymous letter suggesting that some nobles were trying to sabotage her entry by tampering with her supply of raw materials.
“Those despicable guys!” Ayrin angrily threw the letter paper onto the table, her heart welling up with unease and indignation.
Castiel picked up the letter paper and calmly glanced at it, then smiled and said to Ayrin, “Don't worry, I've made preparations in advance. Our people will protect your raw material supply, they won't have a chance to get their hands on it.”
“But if they do succeed ......,” Erin bit her lip tightly as worry welled up in her heart.
“You'll never be alone.” Castiel stepped closer to her and gently stroked her hair, his tone firm but gentle. “I will be with you until the very end of the tournament.”
Erin took a deep breath, her mind gradually settling down. She decided to stop fearing these shadowy forces and instead focus on the upcoming match. The success of the competition was not only about her personal reputation, but also about her future baking career.
In between competitions, Erin began to envision a bigger plan - a modern bakery. The idea was becoming clear in her mind, and she hoped to apply what she had learned in the modern world to this otherworldly world, boosting the economy of the entire region.
“I want to build a baking factory near the village,” Erin told Castiel excitedly, ”Not only can it produce more pastries, but it can also provide employment opportunities and drive the development of the surrounding farmland.”
Castiel's eyes shone with appreciation, “That's a fantastic idea. We can attract the surrounding farmers to provide fresh raw materials and even organize some training courses to teach people modern baking techniques.”
Erin nodded, endless possibilities welling up in her mind. “This way, we can continue to promote these techniques after the competition, further enhancing the quality and variety of the pastries.”
However, as Erin had foreseen, the real challenge was yet to come. On the eve of the start of the competition, Eileen, however, overheard some disturbing conversations in the background. Several nobles were discussing in low voices, mentioning that their next plan seemed to be not limited to the match itself, but to completely destroy her career.
“It seems that this match is just the beginning.” She whispered to herself, her gaze firmly ahead.
- Writer
