Chapter 24 - I begged for sweets (2/2)

And so, just as I wished, I managed to successfully secure a promise from Maria-chan to bring some of her handmade sweets for me to try.

After class the day after I secured Maria-chan’s promise to bring me handmade sweets, I headed to the dorms in order to change into my work clothes for the field, and was walking by myself on the road to the dormitory. By the way, my stepbrother and friends are gathered in the student council room right now for work, but……

Today, I wanted to use the fertilizer that I just received from Tom-san as soon as possible, before my friends see me doing something like this and try to break it off by pulling me away.

And so, while I was walking on the dorm path…… “Growl~~” my stomach began grumbling loudly. Since today I forgot my homework for my class at noon, I was scolded by Keith and had to write an apology, and I wasn’t able to eat enough lunch because of that. Usually before I headed out to work in the field, Anne would prepare something to eat for me. While I was thinking that - my sense of smell that I’m proud to say is like a dog’s, caught a very delicious smell in the air.

And so, I became all aflutter involuntarily and was hooked by the smell, and followed it towards the forest that was a bit off the road -

Maria-chan and a few girls that were probably students of this school were there.

They were positioned almost as if to surround Maria-chan, and from their sparkling dresses, I guessed that the girls were probably high nobility.

And so, the delicious smell seemed to be coming from a basket that Maria-chan was carrying covered with a handkerchief…… This delicious smell was permeating the air in the area.

What’s going on here! Could that possibly be, the handmade sweets that I had requested!? Even though she had just promised me yesterday, she’s already made them!? What a nice girl she is!

I was so thankful that I immediately ran up to Maria-chan and the others who didn’t notice me at all…… That’s when it happened.

“Thump!!” A loud sound echoed in the forest. One of the girls surrounding Maria-chan swung her hand wildly, and knocked over the basket Maria-chan was holding onto the ground.

And so, what fell out of the basket was probably the sweets that Maria-chan made herself, some sweets that looked like muffins came rolling out.

“Just because you have the power of light magic, you’re being fawned over by everyone, doesn’t that feel just great! A commoner bringing something as poor as this for the student council to eat, have some shame and know your place!”

The girl was saying so as the basket laid on the ground, and now it looks like she’s about to start stomping all over the sweets!? Wait a minute now, don’t do such a thing to my sweets~~!!

“Stop!”

I got between the girl and Maria-chan and shouted.

“……K, Katarina Claes-sama……”

Right now, all the girls surrounding Maria-chan were wide-eyed at my sudden appearance, and of course this included the girl that was about to stomp on the sweets.

“What exactly do you all think you’re doing!?”

What do you think you’re doing to the sweets that Maria-chan went to the trouble of making for me! I glared at the girls.

“……Eek!”

The girls all instantly turned pale. After all, this is a villainous face! It’ll double the strength of any glaring!

The crime of ruining my sweets, unforgivable!

I maxed out the power of my gaze, and increased the sharpness of my glare on the girls.

I guess they were affected by my anger and the girls -

“We’re very sorry!!”

And with pale faces and heads down, they raced each other madly in a manner unbefitting of ladies to dash away - no, to run away.

……Mmm. Today, my villainous face is in perfect condition.

But anyways…… I turned towards the handmade sweets Maria-chan made that were lying on the ground. Because the ground here was mostly grass, there seems to be very little dirt on them.

I picked up the basket first, then started putting the fallen sweets back inside.

Then, like usual, the smell started stimulating my stomach’s hunger again…… I couldn’t hold back anymore and finally reached for a sweet myself.

And so, I snapped up the whole thing into my mouth.

“……Delicious.”

This is, the best taste among all the sweets that I have ever eaten! This is too delicious! What is this mellow taste, and it’s not even that sweet, it’s unbelievable how perfectly controlled the sweetness is. And so, at how delicious the sweets were, I lost myself in a dream - and before I realized it, I’d already finished eating all of the sweets in the basket that I’d picked up.

And then “ahh, I’m full, I’m full,” and I looked up - and I saw Maria-chan staring at me in shock.

……Oh no, I’ve done it now! I’ve finally gotten so carried away that I ate all of Maria-chan’s sweets~! Since there were so many, they were probably for everyone in the student council to share……

……Or perhaps I should say, I had thought they were all meant for me, so I ate them all…… In the first place, it might not have been meant for me…… This is bad!

“Uh, uhh, I got really carried away and ate all of them…… I’m really sorry!”

I lowered my head to Maria-chan in a big panic. Then Maria-chan started talking in a rather hesitant manner.

“Ah, it’s okay. I don’t mind that, but…… Uh, but it’s something that’s fallen on the ground……”

Ahh, I see, so it’s about that. She didn’t say, “but it wasn’t even something made for you,” I’m really happy~.

“Since they fell on the grass, it’s no problem at all since they barely got any dirt on them.”

If you pick them up immediately, it should be safe by the three-second rule as well. As I said so, I puffed out my chest in pride.

“……Is, is that so.”

Maria-chan laughed as if she was somewhat troubled.

But anyways -

“Campbell-san is really really good at making sweets. That was very delicious.”

Yep, the deliciousness of Maria-chan’s handmade sweets far exceeded my expectations. That mellow taste in my mouth, that exquisite sweetness, her workmanship isn’t inferior to a professional cook’s in any way at all. When I told Maria-chan my passionate feelings -

“……Thank you very much.”

She laughed bashfully with her cheeks turning slightly red.

While my heart was beating involuntarily in excitement at her cuteness - Prince Jared came from the direction of the school campus.

It seems that, today was a student council meeting, but since Maria-chan who never missed a meeting didn’t show up, they got worried and were searching for her.

I was squatting on the ground while holding a basket, and Maria-chan was standing still with red cheeks, Jared seemed to be looking at us rather dubiously…… Maria-chan made a white lie for me by saying “by coincidence, I met Katarina-sama here, and we had a little chat.” Thank you for not telling him “Katarina-sama ate all the sweets that were meant for everyone.” If that had been exposed, I would have faced the anger of Jared and Keith, with them saying “how could you eat someone else’s sweets!”

And so, since Jared found Maria-chan safely without incident, they went back together to the student council room. For some reason, I was almost dragged there along with them as well, but since I really wanted to sprinkle the fertilizer in my field today, I courteously refused.

And so, with my stomach filled, I changed into my work clothes, and headed for the field.

But anyways, to think that Maria-chan was being bullied like that…… While I was working in the field, I thought about what happened earlier.

Even though she’s a commoner, she has the special light magic, and her grades are excellent. By the way, her face and personality are great as well. On top of that, she got chosen to be a member of the student council that all the students admire.

Maria-chan is the envy of the entire school…… The proud nobles must be very jealous of her. That’s why, people like that who pick fights will appear.

In the first place, in the game it was mostly Katarina that was doing that to the heroine, but…… That’s not the case now. But even so, this school is filled with high nobility, so for example, even if Katarina doesn’t take the lead in bullying the heroine, a second, or even third Katarina will appear to take that role.

But anyways, to treat the sweets that Maria-chan went to the trouble of making for me like that, they’re such bad kids. Just a little more and I wouldn’t have been able to eat anything.

Man, I’m not like the game’s Katarina anymore! High pride and mean intentions -

……The game’s Katarina……

Come to think of it, I feel like in the game, there was a scene where Katarina was harassing the heroine just like what happened to Maria-chan today……

When Maria-chan was bringing some sweets that she had made for everyone in the student council, on her way towards the student council room, she was intercepted and her sweets were thrown onto the ground, and then stomped all over.

At this time, the capture target Jared appeared in the nick of time in a gallant manner, and magnificently fought off the villainess Katarina and her comrades.

And so, he picked up some of the sweets that fell onto the ground and tasted them, then flashed a grin at Maria-chan and said “it’s delicious.”

Man, it was different from the usual Jared, his gentle smile at that time was almost as if it could transmit his emotions from across the screen.

I see, so what happened today, was that event…… Since I wasn’t the villainous Katarina, I hadn’t realized.

If I think of it like this, that explains why Jared appeared as well. After all, it was supposed to be Jared’s event. I see, so it was Jared’s event -

……So does that mean, I just stole Jared’s event away from him!?

I mean, originally, Jared was supposed to stop Katarina there, and before Jared could chase the girls off today I scared them all off with my villainous face…… On top of that, before Jared could show off such a nice smile, I had already eaten all the sweets……

Ahh~, I’m really sorry, Jared. I’ve stolen a love event from an important friend of mine…… If it’s like this, Maria-chan and Jared won’t be able to fall in love. I’m really, really sorry……

……Huh? Wouldn’t it be better if they didn’t fall in love?

I mean, if Jared and Maria-chan fall in love, then Katarina won’t be needed anymore and will fall straight to a destruction end……

That means, I’ve done really well! Go me! Without realizing it, I’ve gotten further off the path to destruction, wonderful!

Alright~! Then, I’ll work hard and keep going just like this!

And so with renewed resolve, I began sprinkling the fertilizer that Tom-san had sent me.

However, I got too carried away……

After that, I had to listen to Anne’s scolding, and my work clothes were confiscated for a day.