"Two hours have passed in what felt like a blur, hasn't it, folks?" Lord Speziale said with a smile as all contestants stood by their workstations with ready dishes in front of them.
Melina looked at the other creations with great interest. She knew they would be no pushovers, but seeing what they had made, she had lost her confidence. Melina could see that in terms of experience, they definitely had her beat. Did she even have a chance of winning? She wasn't so sure anymore.
She wished she had had the time to observe them work and learn their techniques. But she had been quite busy with her own dish, having rare moments of respite. It truly had felt like two hours had gone by in a blur.
The crowd cheered in response to the host's encouragement. As Melina had predicted, the crowd had been rather thin while the cooking was in process. At 8 pm, many people returned. Some did remain the whole time. Melina saw glimpses of Erina, Remi, and Barrett in the crowd. Leon had disappeared at some point. Alistair and his sister remained the whole time.
Much to Melina's surprise, she saw Gilbert appear on the very edge of the crowd. Their eyes met, and he acknowledged her with a nod. He approved of the dish she had made. That was all that mattered.
"Let's get to the most exciting part of the competition! The taste testing. But it wouldn't be fair if I were the only one to try these delicacies, so I've invited some special guests for the evening. You may have noticed some of them already sitting in our VIP seats. First, a well-known food critic from our esteemed capital, Valerius Coren."
A stern-faced man with gray hair that was neatly slicked back stood up and walked onto the stage, taking a seat at the judge's table. Melina was embarrassed to admit that she hadn't noticed anyone besides Alistair, Charlotte, and Sienna sitting in the VIP seats. Partially, she was worried whether the wyrm would cause any trouble, but thankfully, she was obediently sitting in either Charlotte's lap or on Alistair's shoulder.
"I look forward to trying these exquisite-looking dishes," Mr. Coren said.
"Next, we have the Guildmaster of Pertia's Bakers Guild – Tobias Beck!"
Melina instantly recognized the tall man. Last time, their interactions had not ended quite well. But she had received her apprentice's license without any issues in the end. When their eyes met, the man smiled. It appeared he held no ill will towards Melina.
"Last but certainly not least, the one who is responsible for this whole wonderful festival—Duke Sinclair!"
An audible wave of gasps went through the audience as Duke Sinclair stepped onto the stage, followed closely by two knights. He was every bit as intimidating as Melina remembered. He was a bit shorter than Alistair, but had the same black hair and golden eyes. The difference was that when Duke's eyes lingered over Melina, they appeared cold and scrutinizing.
The audience was noticeably uncertain about how to react to the appearance of such a prominent person. Some people bowed deeply before the Duke, and others quickly followed suit, including all the contestants.
"At ease. Please, proceed with the festivities," the Duke said, and everyone relaxed a little. The only one who wasn't bothered by this was Lord Speziale, who merely looked amused.
"You heard him, folks. Let's begin sampling our wondrous baked creation. Felipe, why don't we start with you? What have you prepared for us, and how did you incorporate Sparkleaf?" Lord Speziale asked.
Melina felt sorry for Felipe at that moment, being the first one under scrutiny of these people. The food critic alone was bad enough. But the man held his back straight and his expression firm.
"Very well. I've prepared these mini cheesecakes with sparkleaf glaze," Felipe said proudly, and put a single mini cheesecake in front of every judge.
Melina had to admire a man for making a cheesecake in such a short amount of time. Not only did it take a long time for the cheesecake to cook, but they also needed time to fully cool down. Felipe clearly circumvented this issue by making them into mini cheesecakes, which greatly reduced cooking time. But even then, it was amazing that he managed to do it within two hours.
I can't even cool down pastry cream in two hours unless I call for Leon to help, yet Felipe did it in what? 30 minutes tops?
Melina looked at the magitech fridge that was hauled onto the stage. It was the culprit of the quick cooking time. She wanted it so badly. But it was clearly one of the latest models, judging by its sleek design. It must cost a small fortune. Only a nobleman could afford something like that.
"What do you all think? Visually?" Lord Speziale asked the judges.
"I believe it looks stunning with the beautiful sparkleaf glaze on top. Exotic even. But the design could be elevated with some fresh fruit," Mr. Coren, the food critic, said.
"I agree," said Guildmaster Tobias. "A few blueberries on the top would have elevated this dish from 9 to 10."
"I prefer the more simplistic design. It's more elegant, in my opinion," said the Duke.
"Fair opinion, gentleman. Now go ahead and try it, but do not tell us what you think just yet. Write down a score and we'll compare it at the end," Lord Speziale instructed.
I see. He's trying not to let them influence each other's opinions. That's fair. I imagine many would side with the Duke in whatever he said, so it was clever to ask his opinion last.
But I really want to know how they scored that cheesecake. It looks really tasty, but did the Sparkleaf retain its flavor within the glaze? That would depend on what's in it.
"Moving on! Mrs. Bennet, please present your dish and tell us how you incorporated Sparkleaf?" Lord Speziale urged.
"With pleasure. I have prepared this entremet with mirror glaze. I've incorporated Sparkleaf in two ways, actually, first within the gel that you'll find in the very center and then in the mirror glaze," the woman said proudly as she presented the delicate dessert for the judges.
Melina was blown away by how beautiful it was. The dark mirror glaze shone with bits of blue and yellow from the Sparkleaf, making it look like a tiny piece of art rather than food. Mrs. Bennet had even added a little chocolate leaf on top, making it look even more appetizing.
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"Visually, I have nothing to add. I've seen Mrs. Bennet's food before, and I have to say that there is nothing else like it," Mr. Coren said.
"It's like you put an art piece on my plate," Tobias cheered, looking at the dessert in astonishment from all sides.
"It's a bit over the top for my tastes," Duke Sinclair said, slightly dampening the mood.
Melina guessed that he wasn't a fan of bright desserts. With the corner of her eye, she saw Charlotte glaring at her father. The man noticed and pointedly looked away from her, appearing a bit guilty.
"Wonderful! Now taste it and write down your score. And no peeking," Lord Speziale waggled his finger at the Guildmaster, who guiltily scratched his chin.
Melina watched in awe as the inside of the dessert was revealed—layers and layers of delicate colors. In the very center, there was the blue and yellow sparkleaf gel, which appeared to be surrounded by some kind of mousse. Around it came sponge cake, and finally the glaze. It was a masterfully crafted dish, and Melina couldn't deny it.
"Okay, everyone's written their score. Next dish, please. Mr. Mortimer, if you would?"
Michael, the chef from the Sinclair household, was a picture of confidence. He presented three beautiful Tuvian cakes to the judges. It looked beautiful, and the cream between layers shimmered with what looked like Sparkleaf cream.
"I have prepared Mille-Feuille with Sparkleaf creme. Please enjoy," Michael said and then retreated. He was acting as if he had already won.
I wonder if he feels so confident because his employer is here? He certainly knows the preferences of Duke Sinclair better than anyone else.
"For those unfamiliar with the term Mille-Feuille, it refers to Tuvian cake, originating in my home city of Tuvia. Please give us your thoughts about the visual appeal, dear judges," the host urged.
"Beautiful, just beautiful. The layers are perfect, the cream inside is beautiful, as is the top side, which has this delicate glaze. I can't wait to dig in," said the food critic.
"I can't decide which one looks better, this or the entremet. They're both so pretty," Tobias added.
"I believe this is visually the most appealing dish," the Duke said curtly.
Melina could almost see Michael's nose grow higher into the air. Or was that his ego? Although she couldn't deny that the dessert indeed looked stunning. Her own felt rather simple in comparison.
As the judges ate the Tuvian cake, Melina couldn't help but feel nervous. Duke Sinclair's face betrayed no emotion, but surely he would like the dish made by his chef's apprentice. In the end, wasn't he the most important judge to impress? She felt like if she couldn't accomplish that, she wouldn't be able to face Alistair anymore.
"Alright, the judges have written down their scores. It's time for our final contestant. Miss Melina, please present us your dish," Lord Speziale said.
Melina took a deep breath and carried her dish over to the judge's table. "I have prepared Sparkle Meringue Pie!"
Unlike the other dishes, Melina had to cut into her own and then give each judge a slice. It took all of her willpower to keep her hands steady as she cut the slices of her pie. The bottom was her classic shortcrust pastry, followed by lemon curd filling, and finished with a sweet meringue in which she had incorporated the Sparkleaf bits.
"Your thoughts on the visual aspect, judges?" The host asked.
"As far as pies go, it looks wonderful. It's certainly the most interesting meringue pie I've ever seen with the Sparkleaf bits on top. However, compared to other dishes, it does look a bit rustic," the food critic pointed out.
Melina did her best not to show dismay.
"I do like it. It has a homely sort of appeal. Something I feel my mom would make," said Tobias.
"It is quite… simple," Duke Sinclair said coldly. Melina could tell that he wasn't impressed by her pie in the slightest.
I might have bitten off more than I can chew. I can't keep up with these professionals just yet. Maybe I shouldn't have entered.
However, when the judges took a bite of Melina's pie, their expressions changed instantly. Tobias began eating it so fast that she feared that the man might choke. The food critic had a distant, blissful sort of expression on his face. Meanwhile, the Duke stared at the pie in disbelief, taking one bite after another as if to confirm that his tastebuds were working right.
Her pie without a doubt elicited the strongest reaction, although Melina wasn't yet sure whether it was a good thing or not.
"Alright, everyone! The judges have tasted all the dishes. It is time to tally the scores. I'll name the dish, and I want you, judges, to give me the score you've given it. First, Felipe's mini cheesecakes."
"8. A perfectly executed cheesecake in such a short amount of time," Mr. Coren said.
"8. It's good, but nothing unusual," Tobias said.
"6. I couldn't taste the Sparkleaf," the Duke said.
"That is quite the starting point, folks. Let's continue. Mrs. Bennet's entremet with mirror glaze," Lord Speziale prompted.
"9. The visual appeal alone blew me away, and the flavor wasn't far behind."
"8. The gel was a bit odd, but otherwise it was good."
"7. The Sparkleaf flavor was present, but very little."
Interestingly, it appears that they had trouble incorporating Sparkleaf. It must be more finicky than I initially thought.
"Mr. Mortimer's Tuvian cakes next, please," the host continued.
"7. While Mille-Feuille was wonderfully executed, Sparkleaf didn't belong in that cream."
"7. Yeah, the cream tasted odd. It's a shame, because otherwise the dessert is great."
"5. As others said, the Sparkleaf didn't taste nice in the cream."
Michael noticeably deflated. Melina felt a bit bad for him. He was forced to work with a completely foreign ingredient. It wasn't surprising that he couldn't get perfect flavor balance on the first try.
"Finally, Miss Melina's pie."
"9.5. I've never had a better pie in my life. The flavors made a wonderful harmony in my mouth. The only reason it isn't a 10 is because I believe it is possible to improve the visual appeal."
"10. There's nothing to add. Can I have seconds?"
Melina looked nervously at Duke Sinclair, who had a deep crease in his forehead. Had he not liked it after all?
"9. The Sparkleaf flavor was perfectly incorporated in the dish, much better than in any of the other dishes presented. It's not perfect, but it is very good."
Duke Sinclair nodded at her in acknowledgement. Melina felt like her heart would jump out of her chest out of joy. She had actually managed to impress Alistair's father.
"You heard it here, people! The winner of this Baking Competition is none other than Sunglow's own Melina Dufour!" Lord Speziale announced.
The noises, applause, and racket that followed nearly made Melina deaf. Sunglowers began chanting her name and bragging by screaming, "That's our girl! That's our baker!"
Even Master Gilbert was smiling at Melina. The proud expression he wore brought tears to her eyes. She had actually done it—won without the System or mana or anything. She did it all on her own power.
"Thank you," she muttered, doing her best to hold back tears.
"Aww, you Sunglowers truly know how to make a girl feel special. You've brought her to tears," Lord Speziale said and kindly passed Melina a handkerchief. She used it to wipe away the tears.
"I always knew you were the best, Melina!" Remi screamed over the crowd, making everyone chuckle.
The warm feeling of happiness Melina felt that moment couldn't be replaced with anything. It all the more solidified that she had made the right choice.
"As promised, Miss Melina will receive all the exotic fruits and Sparkleaf, enough to last a bakery for a month. But that's not all. I'm also extending you the offer to join Tuvia's Bakers Guild as an official baker!"
The applause echoed around Melina, yet she felt like she had been doused with ice water. An offer to go to Tuvia's Bakers Guild from a noble, nonetheless. Count Speziale had turned her victory against her and backed her into a corner.
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