Cream Puff, What’s Up With You?
At the final stage of the three-legged race, the setting was an outdoor kitchen.
Dozens of simple cooking stations were neatly arranged in the open area.
Leon and Roswiser were, as usual, the first ones to reach this final challenge.
“Welcome, both of you, to the last round, titled ‘Cooking with Love’!”
“A qualified home-cooked meal should not only have top-notch ingredients and meticulous preparation but must be infused with strong family love!”
“Only when cooked with love can food be considered true cuisine!”
“The rules are simple: each family will draw lots to determine the type of food they must prepare. The competition lasts one hour. Finally, Vice Principal Wilson, the head of Teswa Noodles, and a renowned foodie will score your dishes.”
“Alright! Now, the first family in this round, the Melkway family, you may start your love-filled cooking!”
“Oh, and remember, during the cooking process, you cannot untie the ropes around your ankles! Let this love be transmitted through the ropes!”
At this point, the couple rolled their eyes in unison.
It’s a competition, not a cringe-fest.
Even if we weren’t a real family, no actual family would tolerate this kind of nonsense, right?
However, their thoughts were swiftly battered by a family that came in just after them.
“Darling husband, I’m going to use all my love to make the most delicious home meal with you!”
“Wife, I will do my best to return this love! Let’s get started quickly!”
Leon and Roswiser were so nauseated by the scene that they were left speechless.
With such a display, they were bound to draw “make dog food” as their dish, right?
Roswiser was the first to snap back to reality, nudging Leon’s arm, “Come on, let’s go draw.”
“Okay.”
They approached the lottery box, sharing a glance. Leon volunteered, “I’m lucky; I’ll go!”
Drawing lots has its own tricks.
If they drew a dish that was simple to make and would taste good no matter what, their ranking would likely improve significantly.
Conversely, if they drew a complicated dish where even a slight mistake in ingredients could ruin the flavor, they’d be in big trouble.
Leon reached into the lottery box and started rummaging around.
Finally, he pinched a paper slip.
Pulling it out, Roswiser leaned closer to him as Leon slowly opened it.
“Cream—”
The first two words revealed were about cream.
The couple sighed in relief.
What a good draw!
Why was it considered a good draw?
They just hoped that the simple cream would outshine the other families, clearing some obstacles for the Leon family.
Cream’s deliciousness is a guaranteed win in any dish, easily helping Leon and Roswiser clinch the victory. As for flour, eggs, and sugar, they could each take a third of the credit!
This was a good draw for the audience, a treat for the principal’s taste buds, and especially a win for Leon and Roswiser.
With cream in the mix, Leon didn’t even need to check the rest of the details; he could start laughing already.
“Cream… puff.”
“Cream puff?!”
Their early celebration was premature.
This laughter sent them straight back to a month earlier and Dragon Strength’s night.
Goodness, that night was unforgettable for them.
Leon, high on Dragon Strength, plus the coy Roswiser, equaled—
Cream Puff (Mother Dragon Edition).
Even the next morning, Roswiser even used a cream puff to jog Leon’s memory of last night.
However, they never expected to face revenge from the cream puff one day!
Stuck!
Their faces flushed in unison, feelings complex.
“So this is what you call… good luck?” Roswiser teased.
Leon blushed, “Unfair! This is way too targeted!”
Making me think of things I shouldn’t!
Roswiser suppressed her embarrassment, “But do you even know how to make cream puffs?”
“Do you really not know if I can or can’t?” Leon replied straightforwardly.
“You!…”
“And you made them last time, didn’t you?”
Roswiser’s scalp tingled, “That was Anna’s doing! I can’t make pastries like that at all.”
Leon covered his face, burying his fingers in his hair, “Who’s the genius that added cream puffs to the lottery box? Should I take them out? Can we redraw then?”
“Yes, but our championship would be gone too.”
As the couple pondered, a staff member approached, “What did you draw? Oh, cream puffs! That’s a great draw!”
Leon feigned a grin, “Thanks a lot!”
“Oh, so you’re not great at making pastries, huh?”
They nodded.
“Oh, that’s okay! To prevent this kind of scenario, we specially prepared a detailed recipe for every dish.”
Saying that, the staff pulled out a laminated sheet with the cream puff tutorial.
From the first step to the last, everything was clearly written down.
“It’s a family competition, after all; we’re here to enjoy, so do your best!”
Because the ropes around their ankles made it hard to move, they helped each other put on their aprons but didn’t dare to look each other in the eye.
But why, while dressing, do they keep thinking about undressing scenes?
Once preparation was done, Roswiser rolled up her sleeves, steadying herself as she read the tutorial.
First step, milk…
Just seeing the word milk made Roswiser freeze.
“Pour the milk into a small saucepan… milk… milk, uh, hand me the milk.”
Leon obediently handed it over, not daring to say more or look too closely.
Second step, butter…
What kind of butter?
…
…
Third step, inject…
Inject what exactly?
Why do all these words sound perfectly innocent when separately stated, but once you overthink just a bit, it turns somewhat inappropriate?
The more Roswiser thought, the redder her face became, and the harder it was for her to control her thoughts.
After all, the memories of that night were all too vivid.
Finally, Leon couldn’t help but ask, “Why… are you blushing? Is making a puff that embarrassing?”
Roswiser knew exactly why he was asking.
He just wanted to preemptively strike before she could mock him!
“Who’s blushing? I’m just… it’s hot! You, on the other hand, look a bit flustered; are you thinking of something dirty?”
“How can that kind of thing be considered dirty?” Leon countered.
Roswiser seized the opportunity, “Oh look, I didn’t even say what I thought it was, and you just admitted it.”
“Oh, my short temper—”
“Alright.” Roswiser slapped the recipe against Leon’s chest, “Let’s get to work. You sift the flour, and I’ll beat the eggs. Hurry, hurry!”
“Okay, okay!”
At the same time, Leon heard the host’s excited commentary from another area:
“Oh~~ it seems our balloon survival game has reached a fever pitch! Only four little young dragons remain!”
“Two of them are from the Claw Dragon Race, one from the Ice Dragon Race, but for some unknown reason, the three little dragons have formed a coalition to attack the last remaining silver dragon youngling.”
“I remember her, her name is Noia. She’s the youngest student in the Young Dragon Department this year, yet she’s topping the charts in all subjects.”
“So, with three larger younglings attacking her, will little Noia manage to break free?”
“Let’s find out!”
At the sound of this, Leon and Roswiser unconsciously turned toward the nearby balloon elimination game area.
Indeed, just as the host mentioned, three young dragons that looked about seven or eight years old were surrounding Noia.
“It seems Noia’s one-versus-three fame has spread throughout the Young Dragon Department, so they’re banding together to deal with her first,” Leon commented.
“I hope Noia isn’t in danger,” Roswiser expressed her concern.
“She’ll be fine; I trust our daughter.”
Roswiser paused, blinking as she savored Leon’s casually dropped words, “Our… daughter…”
Before the queen could ponder it further, Leon excitedly shouted, “Yay! A stunning backflip! Go, baby, smash them!”
As soon as he said that, a puff of flour unexpectedly flew into Roswiser’s face.
Leon had gotten so pumped up that he accidentally punched, sending the flour stuck to his fist flying along with it.
Seeing this, Leon hurriedly rushed over to wipe her face.
“Sorry, sorry! Our daughter was so cool, I couldn’t control myself.”
He grabbed his sleeve and began wiping the flour off Roswiser’s face.
But this scene was seen by the game host.
“With Noia bravely facing three opponents, her dad and mom, while fierce in culinary competition, have not forgotten to care for each other! Oh my, what a sweet couple to blend their love into such details!”
Leon froze mid-motion, wiping Roswiser’s face.
Originally, they thought it was a casual act, but after the host’s linguistic embellishment, it became a display of love?
Let’s just say, there wasn’t much else to do besides bite the firestarter.
“Thank goodness the audience is far away; they can’t see clearly,” Leon reassured.
But unfortunately—
“Though they may not see clearly from afar, let’s utilize our large Shadow Stone to project the live footage of the competition above!”
The large Shadow Stones on either side of the venue activated, instantly displaying Leon wiping flour from Roswiser’s face for all to see.
Everyone in attendance had a crystal clear view.
In the VIP seating area, Principal Wilson leaned back on the couch, smugly stroking his mustache, “As expected of the model couple I picked, they might as well be writing ‘lovebirds’ on their foreheads.”
The noodle head and the famous foodie beside him nodded in agreement.
The entire audience was moved by this family warmth and love.
Yet the two protagonists didn’t seem to think the same way.
“Which dragon should I take down to end this event early?” Leon gritted his teeth.
“My advice is to slay all witnesses.”
After a bit of social d*ath, the couple redirected their focus back to making cream puffs.
“Fourth step, shape the puff into your desired form.”
Roswiser frowned in her scrutiny, “The shape I desire… but the only molds provided by the school are…”
When she glanced over at the only mold, Leon had already picked it up, measuring it in hand.
Roswiser silently covered her face.
Great, that made it even more like what she remembered.
“Oh, forget it, it’s the mold’s fault; it has nothing to do with me! I don’t even like this shape!”
Roswiser soothed herself internally while shaping her cream puff.
As the cream puffs neared completion, Leon, too, heard good news from Noia’s area.
“Let’s congratulate Noia K. Melkway for winning the ultimate victory in protecting the balloon against three opponents!”
A small figure stood in the center, exhausted with her legs barely holding her up, gasping for breath.
Yet she still lifted her right hand high, giving a thumbs up towards Leon and Roswiser.
“Awesome, sister! Did you see that? That’s Moen’s sister! Super impressive!” the cheerleaders in the audience didn’t forget their roles.
Well, since their daughter achieved such great results, how could the parents lag behind?
Leon and Roswiser perked up and prepared to tackle the last step of the cream puffs:
“Make a cut on the side of the puff and inject it with cream…”
Roswiser gulped, “Inject…”
This verb once again triggered her painful memories from that night.
Leon had gotten high on Dragon Strength that time; he could barely recall the specifics.
Yet Roswiser remembered every detail of that evening quite clearly!
Saying “inject” was no exaggeration at all.
“What’s the matter? Afraid you’ll spill cream outside? Don’t worry; I’ll inject it, and you hold the puff open.” Leon urged.
“Uh… huh?”
“Uh, what? The group next to us is about to finish, we need to hurry! Here, take this.”
Saying that, Leon handed the cut puff over to Roswiser.
Roswiser looked down and gently peeled open the side of the puff.
Something felt off.
It was very, very off.
This action was something she had done that night too…
“Hold it steady; I’m going to inject the cream.” Leon reminded.
“… Yeah.”
Pfft—
“Hey, slow down! It’s spilling out!” Roswiser said in a panic.
“Oh, sorry, sorry! I applied too much force.”
Finally, through their joint efforts, three cream puffs were successfully made.
The couple bent down, shoulders brushing together as they admired the delicious treat they created together.
“Indeed, the dirty parts are our hearts, not the puff itself,” Leon displayed some self-awareness.
“Remove the ‘we,’ it’s only you who’s dirty. Thanks.”
“Tsk, how can you say that? It was you who used cream puffs as a metaphor; I was still so pure back then!”
Roswiser shot him a sidelong glance before standing up with the platter, “Let’s go, it’s time to submit.”
Indeed, it was time to turn in their project—Leon particularly preferred the term “tribute”—but what grade would this cream puff that triggered their “embarrassing memories” receive?
Whether it was filled with love, Leon wasn’t sure;
But the hate was definitely there.
At this moment, Vice Principal Wilson and the other two judges had already arrived at the judging table.
Before ascending, the staff untied the ropes from around Leon and Roswiser’s ankles.
Ah~
The breath of freedom!
Carrying their platter, they approached the judging table.
The three judges each took a cream puff and began tasting.
First was the evaluation from the head of the Teswa young dragon noodles, “Hmm, not bad, but it would be better with a sprinkle of meat floss. I’ll give it a seven.”
Next was the renowned food critic’s critique, “The puff skin is crispy and flavorful; the cream is smooth and delicate. Though it may not have the bashful charm of a shrinking flower, it carries a unique taste of happiness. I’ll give it a nine.”
Leon leaned towards Roswiser’s ear and whispered, “If making things up could make someone a food critic, I could do that too.”
Roswiser fought back her laughter, making a shushing gesture.
Lastly, it was Vice Principal Wilson’s turn, “This puff looks plump, with a rich milky aroma. You two must often make this at home, right?”
The couple behind exchanged pokes, signaling each other to answer this super awkward question.
Eventually, Roswiser softly said, “Seven days’ worth of vacation.”
Leon finally mustered up his bravery, “Yes, Principal, my wife and I often cook at home. We really enjoy making cream puffs and cherish the process.”
As he spoke, he repeatedly reminded himself:
Puffs are pure; only human hearts are dirty! As long as my heart is not dirty, then I’m talking about puffs!
Yeah, that’s right; he was talking about puffs.
“Haha, it seems your private life is also quite colorful. May I ask, does this puff contain any special feelings from you both?”
Both knew exactly what the Vice Principal wanted to hear at that moment.
Just like that initial interview, they had to weave a tale.
So, they exchanged glances, then, remarkably, held each other’s hands (hey, when did they get so good at this?).
“Yes, Principal, while cream puffs are normal, we added our intense, unique love in this one,” Roswiser said.
Leon glanced at the whitish cream on the puff, nodding, “Yeah, very intense… very intense.”
“What a satisfactory answer! Ten points! I give it ten! Congratulations to you both!”
“As expected of the model family I selected; their love can transform such ordinary food into something delicious. How many families can achieve that?”
After scoring, Noia also reunited with them, as they awaited the final rankings together.
About half an hour later, Vice Principal Wilson stood with the list, slowly announcing,
“Now, the rankings of the first Family Parent-Child Sports Meeting at Saint His Academy are out! I’ll announce the top three.”
“Third place goes to the Alex family from the Claw Dragon Race, who will receive a noodle discount voucher provided by Teswa for a duration of fifty years.”
“Second place is the Ross family from the Wind Dragon Race; their reward is an B-rank rare magic tome.”
“And in first place~~~”
The principal exaggeratedly drew out the final word, engaging the audience’s anticipation.
Leon instinctively clenched his fists, while Noia held her mother’s arm tightly.
“Before that, how about we listen to a segment of an advertisement for Teswa noodles?”
“Ugh~~~~”
A chorus of groans emerged from the audience.
The Vice Principal chuckled, raising his hand, “Calm down; it was just a little joke. Now, let’s announce the first place—the winners are—”
“The Melkway family from the Silver Dragon Race! Let’s congratulate them!”
Thousands of dragons in the hall stood up to applaud them.
Noia and Roswiser visibly sighed in relief.
“As first-place winners, your prize is a seven-day luxurious hot spring trip!”
Hearing this, Leon’s smile froze.
XX
Saint His Academy: You want vacation? Not on our watch!
Leon: d*mn it! I’ll k*ll, k*ll, k*ll!
