Chapter 48: Sweet Experiments and the Colors of Midnight
Chapter 48: Sweet Experiments and the Colors of Midnight
I straightened in my chair, brushing crumbs of the last bite of ember-fowl from my fingers. Kethra stood nearby.
"Kethra," I said, voice careful but curious. "Do you need something from me?"
She blinked, and the sparks in her hair danced faintly as if the very question had lit her mind. "I... yes, actually," she said slowly. "I’ve been working on a recipe, and I want you to try it."
My eyebrows shot up. "A recipe? Really? What kind?" My voice had risen with excitement before I realized it.
Her smile was small, but there was a flicker of pride in it. "Something sweet."
"Sweet?" I repeated, trying not to bounce in my seat. "Tell me more! What kind of sweet?"
Kethra shook her head, though her lips twitched at the corner. "I can’t say exactly yet. I have two different versions, but I don’t know if either will be good enough. That’s why I need you to try them."
I leaned forward, nearly falling out of my chair. "I’m intrigued. Let’s see what you have."
Kethra nodded. "I only just need you to tell me how it tastes, okay?"
I gave her a smile. I’m good for that. In my past life, I also experimented with flavors with my younger sister, who was a chef.
I watched her as she moved across the kitchen. Her pace was smooth, measured, almost like a dance. She dipped her hands into jars and bowls, sprinkling powders and grinding small seeds. She whispered to herself occasionally. It was kind of fun just watching her work.
I perched on the chair, watching as she pulled out frozen blocks of ice and began shaving them with a curved silver blade.
My pulse quickened. Was she making a sorbet?
I shook my head. Maybe it would be something similar, but I doubted they knew what a sorbet was.
"What was this inspired by?" I asked her.
"This is inspired by the water demons’ desserts, but I wanted to try my own version. I’m not good with foods from their region, but I want to try it," she told me.
She was moving with precision, folding powders and syrups into the ice, swirls of deep colors forming almost instantly. There was a dark purple, richer than any berry I had ever seen; a glowing orange that seemed to hum with light; and a brilliant, almost luminous white that shimmered like frost under the moon.
Time passed slowly as I watched her. Half an hour slipped by, and the kitchen around us smelled faintly of fruit, caramel, and a delicate sharpness I couldn’t identify. The stovetop glowed dimly, shadows stretching across the walls, and in the middle of it all, Kethra worked with the serenity of a sorceress.
The others didn’t assist her. She worked alone, and they gave her space, like they knew that she needed the space.
Finally, after everything, she placed a small plate in front of me.
I gasped at the sight in front of me.
Three scoops of frozen delight sat there, arranged in a perfect triangle. The colors were impossibly vivid, each seeming to carry its own light. The first was deep velvet purple, almost black in certain angles.
The second glowed a warm, amber-orange, with tiny specks that sparkled. The last was white, swirled with something silver that shimmered like frost catching the first rays of dawn.
"They look... incredible," I breathed. I leaned forward, reaching to touch the first scoop with the tip of my finger. The cold was immediate.
I swear this looked like ice cream. And hello, I would eat it and enjoy it.
Kethra’s voice was soft but steady. "I haven’t named it yet," she said, her gaze watching me carefully. "The water demons have something like this, but their version is... bland. I wanted to make one that captures the essence of the fruits themselves, their lives, their light, and their shadows. Something that tastes like them, not just looks like them."
I swallowed, entranced by the colors and the faint fragrance that seemed to curl around my senses. "What fruits did you use?" I asked.
Kethra smiled faintly. "The purple is made from nightberries harvested from the Veilwood, ripened only under a new moon. They have a slight tang, and a sweetness that hides a little sourness." She gestured to the orange scoop. "That is emberfruit."
"And the white one?" I asked, entranced.
"That one," she said, lifting it gently with her spoon, "is frostvine blossom."
I lifted my spoon, hands trembling slightly. "This looks incredible."
I took a bite of the first one and paused.
I took the second one, emberfruit, and paused.
I took the last, the frostvine blossom one, and paused too.
"Is it bad?" Kethra asked me, thinking my pause was because it was bad, but no.
It was because these tasted like blackberries, orange, and vanilla flavors—and they were good. So fucking good.
"This is so good," I said with a wide smile.
"It is?"
"Yes. Do you think perhaps we can try to give this to Zorathys?" I asked her.
"I didn’t think of that. Do you think he would like it?" she asked me.
"Honestly, we can’t really say when it comes to him, but it’s worth trying, right?" I asked her.
"Let’s hope he doesn’t say he doesn’t like the taste," Rin muttered from where she was.
I took another bite again and nodded. "Let’s really hope he likes it. Does he eat fruits? I know he doesn’t like pear, but what about these ones you used?" I asked Kethra.
"He tolerates them. He likes them a bit, but I can’t serve them more than once a year, if not he’ll push it away," she informed me.
I sighed. I really didn’t understand Zorathys’ taste buds. I had no idea how he was so extremely picky.
"Well, I’ll at least make sure he eats it. Serve it for dinner later tonight," I told her.
I meant as a dessert—I know, balanced diet after all.
"Yes, my lady," Kethra said with a bow.
"You said you haven’t named it, right?" I asked her.
"No, my lady."
"Can I name it?" I asked her.
"Yes," Kethra beamed. "It would be an honour."
"Okay..." I said and then pretended like I was in deep thought. "Let’s call it ice cream."
"Ice cream," Kethra repeated after me.
"My lady..." Rin said from where she still stood at the corner. "You are a genius."
I beamed proudly, if only she knew I wasn’t the one who came up with the name.