February 15, 2021
"Don’t you have something to say to me?"
"Well, don’t you have something to say to me?"
Seated across from each other, Mikael and Cabelenus locked eyes in a silent battle of wills. Alicia couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight. They were both thinking the same thing, yet their pride kept them from saying it first. It was honestly quite adorable.
"Why don’t you just be honest and say it first?"
Alicia subtly hinted at Cabelenus. But he hesitated. Even knowing that Mikael had already learned the truth about his father, he wasn’t sure where to start or how to say it. After a long internal struggle, he finally spoke.
"Call me ‘Dad.’"
"...."
"...."
It wasn’t exactly the best response after all that deliberation. The moment the words left his mouth, he found himself met with identical expressions from both Alicia and Mikael—staring at him in disbelief. Cabelenus awkwardly turned his head away.
"You want me to call you ‘Dad,’ don’t you?"
"...For now, yes."
"Alright. Then I’ll do it."
Mikael nodded without hesitation. All eyes immediately fell on him.
"A... Ah... A..."
He had answered so confidently, but actually saying the word was much harder than he expected. Under the weight of the expectant stares, his lips simply quivered without producing a sound.
"Are you not going to say it?"
"Are you rushing me?"
"I wouldn’t say that—"
"You totally are! And it’s making me uncomfortable."
Mikael shot to his feet, his cheeks already burning from the mere thought of saying it out loud.
"You can’t do it?"
"I could have! But you ruined the mood. I’ll do it when I feel like it."
"That’s a terrible excuse."
"It’s not an excuse! Ugh! I was being really generous, you know? But if you’re going to act like this, then forget it!"
Cabelenus rubbed his forehead as Mikael exaggerated his frustration with dramatic gestures. In the end, it was Cabelenus who felt more disappointed than the boy.
"Fine. It was my fault. Sit back down."
"Apologize sincerely."
"I am sincerely apologizing."
"...Okay, then."
Satisfied, Mikael plopped back into his seat. This time, Cabelenus said nothing, simply waiting. Mikael prepared himself for another attempt, but as soon as he opened his mouth, embarrassment overwhelmed him again.
"I can’t do it."
"Why? My apology wasn’t good enough?"
Cabelenus’s brows furrowed.
"...Huh? Oh! Yeah, that’s it! Your apology wasn’t sincere enough."
Mikael quickly nodded, seizing the excuse.
"Then what will it take to satisfy you?"
"Hmm... Ah! Three wishes!"
"Three wishes?"
"You promised before that you’d grant me three wishes, remember? If you fulfill all of them, then I’ll really call you ‘Dad.’"
For an excuse he had just come up with, it wasn’t bad. Mikael puffed out his chest, looking rather pleased with himself.
"Mikael."
"It’s fine, isn’t it? It’s not even difficult. Just do as I ask."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Go ahead and grant my wishes."
Mikael blinked, slightly taken aback. He hadn’t expected Cabelenus to agree so easily. Since his request was just a spur-of-the-moment excuse, he hadn’t actually thought about what to wish for. And now that Cabelenus was willing to grant them so readily, it felt almost unfair.
"Go on. Since you keep bringing up these wishes, I assume you have something in mind."
"Well..."
Mikael glanced at Alicia. She had already figured out his little scheme. For once, she wasn’t on his side. Realizing he had no escape, Mikael’s eyes darted around the room—until they landed on Cabelenus’s hands. A mischievous smile spread across his lips.
"Cookies!"
"Cookies? That’s easy—"
"But you have to make them!"
"...."
A heavy silence filled the room. But Mikael, at least, was beaming from ear to ear.
Cabelenus’s large, rough hands were good for many things—but baking? That was a different story. If he wanted to make proper cookies, it would take a long time.
"I must have misheard."
"You have to bake the cookies yourself. That’s my wish."
"..."
"And! You have to do it alone! No getting help from anyone!"
"I’ve never baked anything in my life."
"Then it’ll be a new experience for you!"
Mikael’s cheerful reply only deepened Cabelenus’s scowl. The very idea of him cooking was ridiculous, but Mikael looked so delighted that it was clear he had no intention of backing down.
"...Can’t you wish for something else?"
"But I want to eat cookies that you made."
"You just want to mess with me."
Cabelenus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Ever since he learned that Mikael had a sweet tooth, the head chef of Schwarhan had been creating elaborate desserts daily. With a skilled professional around, there was absolutely no reason for him to bake. The boy’s intent was obvious.
"You did say you’d grant any wish."
"I didn’t expect this to be one of them."
"You said anything."
"..."
Once spoken, words couldn’t be taken back.
Cabelenus clenched his jaw, suppressing a groan, but in the end, he had no choice.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
***
"Do you need any help?"
"It’s fine. I’ve almost finished baking."
Cabelenus pulled a tray out of the oven. Alicia quickly stepped closer to take a look. The tray was filled with cookies that—surprisingly—looked quite decent.
"You did well. They look delicious."
"I had to get it right on the first try so I’d never have to do this again."
"Can I try one?"
"If you want."
Cabelenus placed the best-looking cookie on a plate and handed it to her. It was still warm from the oven, the scent alone making her mouth water. Smiling, Alicia took a bite.
"..."
The moment she bit into it, her expression became unreadable. She glanced at Cabelenus, who was watching her expectantly, looking oddly hopeful. Realizing she couldn’t possibly tell him the truth, she quickly chewed and swallowed. His proud expression was simply too much to ruin.
"Well?"
"It’s... not bad."
"That’s a relief."
Cabelenus’s lips curled into a faint smile. Alicia mirrored his expression, though she discreetly placed the remaining cookie back onto the plate.
"But Mikael doesn’t like walnuts. How about making a new batch with something else?"
"He doesn’t like walnuts?"
"Good eating habits are important, but right now, it’s more important that Mikael likes what he eats. You should bake something he enjoys."
"That does make sense."
"Maybe chocolate or peanut cookies instead?"
Alicia turned to search the pantry for ingredients but stopped when she noticed something—Cabelenus hadn’t just failed at making cookies. A broken baking tray sat off to the side, cracked in half. She pretended not to see it and picked up a bar of chocolate.
"Luckily, we have chocolate. We can use this."
"Then what about these ones—"
"I’ll eat them. I like walnuts, after all. They’ll make a good snack."
Alicia cut in quickly, looking up at Cabelenus. Fortunately, he didn’t question it and simply nodded.
"You might get bored while baking again, so I’ll keep you company. That’s alright, isn’t it?"
"As long as you enjoy it."
Cabelenus pulled a chair over for her. Alicia took a seat, discreetly gathering the walnut cookies into a basket. The last thing she wanted was for Cabelenus to try one himself.
"If you have any questions, feel free to ask."
"Mikael said I couldn’t get help from anyone."
"But you do realize that was just an excuse to stall for time, right?"
"I know. But it’s still my responsibility. I have to grant his wish."
Cabelenus grabbed a handful of flour, preparing to start over. Alicia observed him for a moment before standing up.
"Can I use this apron?"
"You don’t need to help."
"I’m not helping. I’m making cookies too."
"For what purpose?"
"I’ve received a lot of help from others. I thought it would be nice to repay them, even in a small way. Isn’t that a good idea?"
Alicia tied the apron around her waist and checked the oven’s temperature. As expected, it was far too high. She removed some firewood to adjust it before grabbing a mixing bowl.
"I personally like chocolate chip cookies with a bit of crunch from the sugar."
"..."
"When baking, I think the most important thing is sifting the flour properly so it doesn’t clump."
As she spoke, Alicia made sure Cabelenus could clearly see her process. He watched her for a while before finally pushing aside his previous mixing bowl and reaching for a new one. He was starting to realize that simply throwing ingredients together wouldn’t magically make cookies.
"Now, we just need to let the dough rest in a cool place."
"..."
"What’s wrong?"
"I didn’t expect cookies to be this easy to make."
Cabelenus frowned, still in disbelief. He had struggled with it for so long, but with Alicia, it was almost effortless—like magic.
"You get used to it."
"You seem very used to it."
"Well, I didn’t have a personal chef to rely on."
Alicia smiled lightly and placed the dough in a cool spot to rest. As she turned away, Cabelenus studied her for a moment before his gaze shifted to the basket of cookies. A thought struck him. Making sure she wasn’t watching, he quickly grabbed one and took a bite.
"..."
"We have some time while the dough rests. What’s wrong? Why are you making that face?"
Alicia tilted her head, noticing his stiff expression.
"...It’s nothing."
Without a word, Cabelenus hid the cookie behind his back and tossed it into the trash.
It was terrible.
It was unbearably hard, bitter, and salty all at once. The only thing that made it recognizable as a cookie was its shape.
He was genuinely impressed that Alicia had eaten one without a single complaint.
‘Now I understand why she decided to bake with me.’
Cabelenus looked at Alicia’s warm smile and let out a wry chuckle. Just /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ imagining how hard it must have been for her to pretend it was edible made his stomach twist a little.
"...Thank you."
"Hm?"
"Just... I felt like saying it."
"What’s that supposed to mean?"
Alicia laughed brightly, but Cabelenus’s expression remained strangely somber as he gazed at her.
