Chapter 81: Cream Puffs, How Have You Been?

The final challenge of the two-person, three-legged race took place in an outdoor kitchen, where several dozen makeshift cooking stations were neatly arranged in an open space. Leon and Rosvitha were still the first to reach this final challenge.

“Welcome, both of you, to the last challenge, titled ‘Cooking with Love’!” announced the host.

“A qualified family dish shouldn’t only consist of top-notch ingredients and exquisite craftsmanship, but it should also be filled with abundant love for the family.”

“Only when cooked with love can a dish truly be considered delicious!”

“Now, the rules of this challenge are simple. Each family will draw lots to determine the type of dish they need to prepare. The competition lasts for one hour. Finally, Vice Principal Wilson, the representative from Teswah Noodles, and a renowned food critic will be the judges.”

“Alright! The first family to arrive at this challenge, the Melkvi family, please begin your cooking filled with love!”

“Oh, and please note, during the cooking process, you must not untie the ropes around your ankles. Let the love flow through the ropes to each other.”

This time, the couple rolled their eyes simultaneously. Competition was competition; there was no need for such awkward activities. Even if they were a fake family, real families wouldn’t be able to stand it, right?

However, their thoughts were soon shattered by the arrival of another family.

“My dear husband, I will definitely use my deepest love to create the most delicious family dish with you!”

“Honey, I will also reciprocate your love with all my might! Let’s get started quickly!”

Leon and Rosvitha were nauseated by this scene and couldn’t find words to express it.

“You guys are really showing off. What if we end up drawing to make a bowl of dog food later?” Rosvitha snapped back to reality first and nudged Leon’s arm. “Let’s go, we need to draw lots.”

“Alright.”

They approached the lot-drawing box, exchanged glances, and Leon volunteered, “I’m feeling lucky, I’ll do it!”

Drawing lots also had its nuances. If they drew something with a simple preparation method and a guaranteed delicious taste, it would greatly improve their final ranking.

On the other hand, if they drew something complicated to make, and even a slight mistake in ingredients would affect the taste, then the couple would be in big trouble.

Leon reached into the lot-drawing box and rummaged around before finally deciding and grabbing a piece of paper. Rosvitha leaned in as Leon slowly unfolded it.

“Cream—”

The first two words revealed were ‘cream.’ The couple immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

A good draw!

Why was it considered a good draw? Simply because they hoped a simple cream dish would overshadow whatever others produced, helping Leon’s family to overcome some obstacles.

The deliciousness of cream could elevate any dish, ensuring Leon and Rosvitha’s victory in the competition. As for flour, eggs, and sugar, they each had their share of the credit.

For the audience, it was a good draw. For the principal’s taste buds, it was a good draw. And for Leon and Rosvitha, it was indeed a very good draw.

With just the mention of cream, Leon already knew he could start laughing without even looking at the specifics.

“Cream… puffs.”

“Cream puffs?!”

The couple had opened the champagne a bit too early.

This laughter also brought back memories of that night a month ago with Long Dali.

That night with Long Dali was truly unforgettable for them. Leon, who was driven mad after knocking heads with Long Dali, and Rosvitha, who was both resistant and welcoming, equaled—Cream Puffs (the adult version).

Even the next morning, Rosvitha deliberately used a cream puff to awaken Leon’s memory of the previous night.

However, they never imagined they would one day face revenge from cream puffs!

Caught off guard!

The two blushed in unspoken understanding, feeling a mix of emotions.

“So, this is what you call… good luck?” teased Rosvitha.

Leon’s face reddened, “Unfair! This is too targeted!”

It makes me think of things I shouldn’t!

Rosvitha held back her embarrassment. “But can you even make cream puffs?”

“How would you know if I can or can’t?” Leon replied bluntly.

“You…!”

“And besides, didn’t you make them once before?”

Rosvitha felt her scalp tingle. “That was Anna, not me. I have no idea how to make pastries like that.”

Leon covered his face with both hands, his fingers buried in his hair. “Who put cream puffs in the lot-drawing box? I’m going to give them a piece of my mind. Can’t we redraw?”

“We can, but then we’ll lose our chance at being champions.”

As the couple pondered their predicament, a nearby staff member approached. “What did you draw? Oh, cream puffs, what a great draw.”

Leon grinned awkwardly, “Thank you.”

“So, are you two not particularly skilled in making pastries?” the staff member asked.

They both nodded.

“Oh, that’s alright. To prevent such situations, we’ve prepared detailed instructions for making each dish.”

With that, the staff member pulled out a sealed plastic sheet from their backpack, containing the tutorial for making cream puffs. From the first step to the last, everything was clearly written out.

“It’s a family competition, so just focus on having fun. Good luck to both of you!”

Because they were tied together by ropes, they helped each other put on aprons without making eye contact. But even though they were just helping each other dress, why did they keep imagining scenes of undressing?

After preparing themselves, Rosvitha rolled up her sleeves and steadied her mind to follow the tutorial.

“The first step, milk…”

Just the mention of milk made Rosvitha hesitate.

“Pour the milk into a small saucepan… milk… milk, oh there it is, pass me the milk,” she said, reaching out.

Leon obediently handed it over, not daring to say much or look too much.

The second step, butter…

Butter what?

…

…

The third step, fill…

Fill what?

Why did all the vocabulary sound so innocent when taken out individually, but as soon as you thought about it even a little bit, it became somewhat inappropriate?

Rosvitha’s face grew redder the more she thought about it, and she found it increasingly difficult to control her thoughts. After all, the memories of that night were too profound.

Finally, Leon couldn’t help but ask, “Why are you blushing? Are you shy about making cream puffs?”

Rosvitha blushing was no mystery to Leon. He just wanted to strike first before Rosvitha could mock him.

“Who’s blushing? It’s just… it’s hot! And you, looking all flustered, are you thinking about something dirty?” Leon retorted.

“How can you call it dirty?” Rosvitha countered.

Seeing an opportunity, Rosvitha continued, “Hey, I didn’t even say what it was, and you’re already confessing.”

“I have a temper—” Leon began.

“Enough.” Rosvitha slapped the recipe onto Leon’s chest. “Let’s get to work. You sift the flour, I’ll beat the eggs. Hurry up.”

“Okay, okay.”

Meanwhile, Leon heard the energetic commentary from another area, “Oh~~ It seems our balloon battle royale has entered its most intense stage, with only four young dragons left on the field.”

“Two of them are from the Claw Dragon tribe, one from the Ice Dragon tribe, and for some reason, the three young dragons seem to have reached some kind of tacit agreement, simultaneously attacking the remaining young Silver Dragon.”

“I remember her, she’s called Noia, the youngest student in the Dragonling department this year, but she excels in all subjects.”

“So, can little Noia break free from the siege of the three larger young dragons?”

“Let’s wait and see!”

At the sound of this, Leon and Rosvitha looked towards the balloon battle royale game area not far away. As expected, three young dragons, who looked to be around seven or eight years old, were attacking Noia.

“It seems that Noia’s feat of taking on three opponents alone has spread throughout the Dragonling department, so now they’re teaming up to deal with her first,” Leon said.

“Will Noia be in any danger?” Rosvitha asked, feeling worried.

“No, I believe in our daughter.”

Rosvitha blinked, savoring Leon’s slip of the tongue, “Our… daughter…”

Before Queen Rosvitha could fully process this, she heard Leon excitedly shout, “Yes! Beautiful backflip! Let’s show them who’s boss, kiddo!”

As he spoke, a puff of flour unexpectedly landed on Rosvitha’s cheek.

Leon, too excited, accidentally swung his fist, flinging the flour stuck to it.

Seeing this, Leon hurriedly stepped forward to wipe it off for her. “Sorry, sorry, our daughter was just too awesome, I couldn’t contain myself.”

He pinched the sleeve of his shirt and wiped the flour off Rosvitha’s face. However, this scene happened to be noticed by the game host.

“While Noia is not backing down from a one-on-three situation, her parents, amidst the intense cooking competition, also don’t forget to care for each other!

My goodness, what a loving couple, to incorporate such care for each other even in such detail!”

Leon’s action of wiping Rosvitha’s face froze in place.

Originally, both Leon and Rosvitha thought it was just a minor incident. But after the host’s commentary, it turned into a display of affection? It just goes to show that there’s no such thing as a small matter.

“Fortunately, the audience seats are far enough away, so they can’t see clearly,” Leon reassured.

Unfortunately—

“Although everyone may not see clearly from afar, let’s bring out our large-scale photo stone and project the real-time footage of the competition above the field!”

The large-scale photo stones on both sides of the field activated, instantly projecting the scene of Leon wiping Rosvitha’s cheek for everyone to see.

Everyone in the audience could see it clearly.

Principal Wilson, sitting in the VIP spectator seats, leaned back on the sofa, smugly stroking his beard. “Truly a model couple I’ve chosen. They might as well have the words ‘loving couple’ written on their faces.”

The noodle representative and the renowned food critic next to him also nodded in agreement.

The entire audience was moved by this display of familial affection.

But the two parties involved didn’t seem to share the sentiment.

“Which dragon do I have to slaughter to end this sports day early?” Leon gritted his teeth.

“My suggestion is to slaughter all the witnesses.”

After this small conversation, the couple refocused their attention on making cream puffs.

“The fourth step, shape the cream puffs into the desired shape.”

Rosvitha frowned as she read, “The shape I want… but the only molds provided by the school are…”

As she looked at the only mold available, Leon had already picked it up and was comparing its length and thickness in his hand.

Rosvitha silently covered her face.

“Ah, forget it. This is a problem with the mold, it has nothing to do with me! I don’t like this shape at all!” Rosvitha comforted herself inwardly as she shaped her cream puffs.

As the cream puffs were nearing completion, Leon also heard good news from Noia’s side.

“Let’s congratulate Noia K. Melkvi, who, against all odds, has secured the final victory in protecting the balloons!”

The tiny figure stood in the center of the field, so exhausted that she could barely stand straight, panting heavily. But she still raised her right hand high and gave a thumbs-up towards Leon and Rosvitha’s direction.

“Sis did great! Did you see that? That’s Muen’s sister! She’s super awesome!” The cheerleaders in the spectator seats didn’t forget their duty.

So, if their daughter achieved such great results, how could the parents fall behind?

With renewed determination, Leon and Rosvitha prepared to tackle the final step of making cream puffs:

“Slice open the side of the cream puff, then fill it with cream…”

Rosvitha swallowed hard, “Fill it…”

This verb once again stirred up memories she’d rather forget.

Leon could only vaguely recall the incident with Long Dali, but Rosvitha remembered every detail of that night vividly! When they said “fill,” it was no exaggeration at all.

“What’s wrong? Afraid of spilling cream outside? Don’t worry, I’ll do the cream filling, you just help me open the cream puff.” Leon urged.

“Ah… ah?”

“What’s with the ‘ah’? The team next to us is almost done. We need to hurry. Here, take this,” Leon said, handing the sliced cream puff to Rosvitha.

Rosvitha lowered her head and gently opened the slice on the side of the cream puff.

Something wasn’t right.

It was very, very wrong.

This action seemed familiar… from that night…

“Hold it steady, I’m going to squeeze the cream in,” Leon reminded her.

“…Okay.”

Squish, squish—

“Hey, slow down! It’s leaking!” Rosvitha exclaimed in a panic.

“Oh, sorry, sorry. Applied too much pressure.”

In the end, with their combined efforts, the three cream puffs were successfully completed.

The couple leaned down, shoulders rubbing against each other, admiring the delicious pastry they had created together.

“Indeed, the dirtiness lies within our hearts, not the cream puffs themselves,” Leon admitted with some self-awareness.

“Remove the ‘we’ and it’s only you who’s dirty, thank you very much.”

“Tsk, how can you say that? You were the one who used cream puffs as a metaphor back then. I was innocent then,” Leon retorted.

Rosvitha gave him a sidelong glance, then stood up straight, picked up the tray, and said, “Let’s go, it’s time to turn it in.”

It was indeed time to submit their dish—actually, Leon would prefer to use the term “tribute”—but he wondered what score their “cream puffs” would receive, which could trigger their “shameful memories.”

Whether their dish was filled with love, Leon wasn’t sure, but there was definitely resentment.

At this moment, Vice Principal Wilson and the other two judges had already arrived at the judging table. Before approaching, the staff untied the ropes from Leon and Rosvitha’s feet.

Ah~ Freedom at last!

The couple carried the tray and walked up to the judges’ table. Each of the three judges took a cream puff and began to taste them carefully.

First was the review from the responsible person for the Teswah dragon noodles: “Hmm, not bad, but it would be even better with some shredded meat. I’ll give it a seven.”

Next was the review from the renowned gourmet: “The cream puff pastry is crispy and delicious, the cream is smooth and delicate. Although it lacks the bashful charm that makes one lower their head in embarrassment, it has a unique taste of happiness. I’ll give it a nine.”

Leon leaned in close to Rosvitha’s ear and whispered, “If bullshitting could make one a gourmet, then count me in.”

Rosvitha suppressed a smile and gestured for him to be quiet.

Finally, Vice Principal Wilson gave his evaluation, “This cream puff is full-bodied in appearance, with a rich aroma of cream. I presume both of you often make these at home, don’t you?”

The couple exchanged glances, silently urging each other to respond to this extremely embarrassing question.

In the end, it was Rosvitha who whispered, “Seven-day vacation.”

Leon then bravely spoke up, “Yes, Principal, my wife and I often make these at home. We both love cream puffs and enjoy the process of making them.”

As he said these words, he kept reminding himself inwardly: Cream puffs are pure, it’s only the heart that’s dirty! As long as my heart remains pure, then I’m talking about cream puffs!

Hmm, yes, it’s about cream puffs.

“Haha, it seems that the private life of the two of you is also quite colorful. So, may I ask, does this cream puff contain your special feelings?”

The couple knew exactly what the vice principal wanted to hear at this moment.

It’s just like the interview at the beginning, telling lies with eyes wide open.

So, the two of them exchanged a glance, then very tacitly held each other’s hand. (Hey, why are they getting more proficient at this?)

“Yes, Vice Principal, although cream puffs are ordinary, our deep and special love is infused into them,” said Rosvitha.

Leon glanced at the creamy white cream on the cream puff and nodded, “Hmm, very rich… very rich.”

“What a satisfying answer, full marks! I give full marks! Congratulations to both of you!”

Truly deserving of being the exemplary family I have my eye on, their love can actually make such ordinary food taste so delicious. How many families can achieve that?

After the scoring was over, Noia also came to join them, waiting together for the final ranking.

About half an hour later, Vice Principal Wilson held the list and slowly announced,

“So, the ranking of the first Family Parent-Child Sports Festival of St. Hys Academy is out. Let me announce the top three.”

“In third place, it’s the Alex family from the Claw Dragon Clan. They will receive a noodle coupon provided by Teswah Dragon Noodles, valid for fifty years.”

“In second place, it’s the Rose family from the Wind Dragon Clan. Their reward is a B-rank rare Magic Grimoire.”

“And the first place~~~”

The principal deliberately elongated the tone, arousing the audience’s curiosity.

Leon couldn’t help but clench his fist, and Noia hugged her mom’s arm even tighter.

“Before that, how about we listen to a short advertisement for Teswah Noodles?”

“Sigh~~~~”

There was a collective sigh from the audience.

The vice principal smiled and raised his hand, “Keep calm, it’s just a little joke. Now, let’s announce the first place, and they are—”

“The Melkvi family from the Silver Dragon Clan. Let’s congratulate them!”

The entire audience of thousands of dragons stood up to applaud them.

Noia and Rosvitha visibly sighed in relief.

“As the first-place winners, your reward is a luxurious seven-day hot spring vacation!”

Upon hearing this, Leon’s smile froze.