Fortieth district.
It's a high-class salon where aristocratic ladies gather every day,......, well, it's a coffee shop,......, but you know, luxury,......, I had come with Jeannette.

'You look wonderful, Mr. Yashiro.

I'm sure you'll agree. The ...... face is close.
I told her I could do it myself, but she said, 'At least this one,' and happily wrapped it around me.
I'm now wearing a "chef" outfit. I made it myself to look like the kind of chef you often see at teppanyaki restaurants.

If I'm going to be standing next to Pompeo, I need to look the part. You also need to be able to convince the ladies.

'It's quite a look, isn't it?

Pompeo, who is still dressed in his chef's uniform today, smiles at me when he sees my outfit.

'But I can't deny that I still feel like I'm wearing a costume. You should quickly become a man who can wear a costume like me.
'''Yikes!Mr. Pompeo, you're beautiful!

A yellow voice came from behind the special kitchen.
These are the regular customers of Luxury who have been invited to today's special show. Apparently there are twenty of them.

Pompeo raises one hand to them. Every time he did, yellow voices flew.
Then he gave them a wink like, 'What? A wink from Pompeo ...... is annoying.
...... He's always been so stubborn, you know.

Now we are standing in a special kitchen set up in the luxury store.
The tables have been removed and a simple, yet functional and artistic kitchen set up has been set up in a space that takes up a third of the restaurant.

This is where I'll be cooking with Pompeo today.

Co-performance. It's a production, an act. A demonstration would be better.
I'm going to do the "cooking for show" that I've sometimes seen on TV, here at Luxury, in front of the ladies who patronize Luxury.

Due to a number of conflicts, the restaurant is thought to be the one that made cakes popular in the 42nd district. In fact, we're the only place where the obnoxious customers show up. ......
It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your vacation. ............ I'm exhausted just lifting that thing.

Anyway, the plan is that the restaurants of the 42nd district, represented by the Sunlit Pavilion, will show that they are on friendly terms with Luxury, and that they are engaged in friendly competition with each other, so as to mitigate the ill will of the ladies.
In order to do so, it would be best if we were to borrow their breasts. The ladies will be satisfied if we make them think that we have learned from Pompeo and can finally make a reasonable cake .......
And eventually, they will support you if they think, 'Oh, the new guy from that time, he's doing well these days.

Humble ...... humble ............ humble ...... humble ............ humble ............ humble ............ humble ............ humble ............ humble ............ humble ............ humble ............ humble ............ humble ............ humble ............ humble ............ humble ............ humble ............ I'll play the part of a humble man.

'Have a nice day.
'Sure. As a top chef, it's only natural to lend a helping hand to newcomers. Well, go ahead and hit them with all your might.
'''Yikes!Mr. Pompeo, you're awesome!

Oh, ......, I want to punch you.

''Mr. Yashiro. Your face is scary.''

Ginette said, pinching my cheek.
What?Is it okay to say, 'This guy did it' and hit him back?
I think I'm going to go crazy and pinch her breasts instead of her cheeks. ......

'By the way, I'm Ginette, the head of the Sunlit Pavilion and a first-class chef.
'Wow, I can't believe I'm top-notch. ......'
'I heard that a top chef lends his chest to a newcomer.
'You'll have to repent.

Perhaps because it was someone else's store, her voice was more subdued than usual.
Instead, I was poked on the bridge of my nose by a ginette with a raised eyebrow.
What's this, a reward? One more time, please.

'I hope you do well today.

Finally, straightening her scarf, Ginette returned to her reserved seat in the audience.
The only person on my side is Jeannette. ...... It's away from home.
But it's nothing to worry about. The regular ladies are not the judges.
In fact, it's easier to turn their feelings around if they look down on us.

My goal this time is to dispel the feeling of 'I don't like you somehow' directed at the Sunlit Pavilion.

'I'll do my best at random'.

I'll do my best to ............ appropriately.

'I've prepared top-notch ingredients here. Are you sure you used the same materials?'
'Yes. We use the same ingredients to make completely different sweets. I'm going to make two different kinds of sweets for today's guests.

A pile of colorful fruits piled up in front of the special kitchen.
Even though they are top-notch, after all, they are purchased through Assunto, so they are available at the Sunlit Pavilion as well. ...... Just because Pompeo says they are top-notch, they will be perceived as the finest sweetness by those ladies' taste buds. I'll leave it at that.

This time, I'm going to take full advantage of the characteristics of Pompeo, who is easily seduced, and the self-proclaimed well-informed, who are easily influenced.
If I can coax Pompeo into saying that the cake I'm making is 'wonderful', the ladies who are enamored with Pompeo will chant 'Yes, it's wonderful'.
Well, it's like phone shopping. If you can make your target think, 'Oh, so that's what it is,' you've succeeded.

It is easy to lose weight just by adding ○.


If you eat ________, you will not get cancer.

Many people may have believed such a statement.
Word of mouth and assumptions are not foolproof.

'Well. Today, I'd like to show you, our loyal customers, our new luxury cakes and the process of making them.
'''Yikes!'''
''However, a cake takes a lot of time and effort to make. In the meantime, please relax and enjoy our delicious tea and simple sweets.
'''Yikes!'''

The ladies are so friendly to Pompeo that I think it's a setup.
That makes it easy for me.

Pompeo was not exactly friendly to me, but once he got into it, his pride as a professional would not let him down. I'm sure he'll come up with something good.

In order to deal with the malice that has entered the Sunlit Pavilion, I came here yesterday and approached Pompeo about this project.
At first, he was fiercely opposed to the idea, saying, 'It's outrageous that you should show your customers how you cook,' but when I told him that Umaro was going to build a special kitchen 'just for this occasion,' he flipped his hand and said, 'Then let's do it! He agreed.

'Oh, the height of the ...... cooking table is perfect, and the kitchen ...... workmanship is beautiful and ...... awesome.

I feel like I'm swooning uncomfortably next to it. ...... I'm about to slide my cheek against the kitchen table.
When this is over, we'll tear it down. ...... He's not going to go crazy, is he?

And the ladies who are regulars ...... were very easy to collect.
I gave invitations to the customers who visited the store yesterday.
"To our special guests. An invitation from Pompeo.

The ladies jumped at the chance, and even though it was yesterday, and early in the morning, not a single one of them was absent.

The ladies who fished with magda, who fished with umalo, who fished with Pompeo.
This is how the world goes round, isn't it?

And so, the cooking demonstration show, "The Artisan of Cakes in Luxury," took place.

Tea and small baked goods were served to the audience by the unsympathetic staff of Luxury.
...... Oh, those baked goods, they're supposed to be cakes? I thought it was dry bread.

After taking a sip of the tea, Ginette's movements stopped for a moment. She raised her eyebrows in annoyance ...... and gently placed the cup back on the saucer. Yes, I understand. The tea here is thin, but it's astringent. You seem to think that's what makes it "luxurious". ......
That's right. I found out the other day that the shopkeepers here are unfriendly because "if they flatter the customers, they will think that the store is in a lower position than the customers," so they do it on purpose.
...... Huh, there are many different ways of thinking about customer service. And this store is succeeding in doing so. ......

'Let's get started.
Let's do it.

Luxury is temporarily closed until the show is over.
Well, I've heard that not many people come this early in the morning, so it won't be too much of a problem, but I've brought Jeannette with me. It's better to finish early and go home.

Pompeo is going to make the fruit tart that I taught him the other day. I was going to tell him about it after the whole mess was over, but he insisted, and it was so annoying that I had no choice but to tell him. ...... What's with the new luxury menu? It's already on the menu at the Sundaily Pavilion.
But Pompeo is not a man of words.
Although the self-proclaimed "cake" that I ate here for the first time was a bit of a mess, Pompeo was a man of proven ability and taste who deserved to be called a top-notch chef. As proof of this, he handled delicate decorations without difficulty and even arranged them in a beautiful way.
Moreover, she never neglected her efforts to master what she learned.
After being taught the fruit tart, she practiced and studied it for three days and three nights without sleeping, and now she has completely made it her own. The fact that he has a fan base does not mean that he is not good at it.

If you're ......, you should also look into tea and other things.
You're good at sublimating what you already have, but you seem to be really bad at creating something that hasn't been seen yet. He is a craftsman who will become amazingly good if I teach him many things. I'm not going to tell you .......

'So, what are you going to make?

Pompeo peers at my hand with interest.
...... What are you trying to steal? ...... I haven't made anything yet.

'This time, I'm ......'.

Shifting my gaze from Pompeo to the audience, I declare.

'I'm going to make pudding a la mode.

The name, which I had never heard before, caused a slight buzz.
But the ladies in the audience are only interested in Pompeo's new cake. My story seems to have been quickly dismissed from their minds.

Ginette and Pompeo stare at me.
Only people who know ...... are paying attention to me, which is a pretty cool situation. This is the kind of development that burns.

It's good to make a cake together and show that you have a good relationship, but if you make the same cake, there will be a tendency to make it inferior. That is not good.
On the other hand, if the products are completely different, it will be difficult to get people to have a certain level of interest in them. I guess you could say that I'm like the person who is not interested in the ...... tying product.

It is difficult to get people to be interested in it and not be able to compare it.
As a result, I came to the conclusion to make something different with the same ingredients.
Ordinary pudding is too weak, so I decided to make pudding a la mode. This way, I could use fruit.
If you make thin cookies with the same dough as the tart, and insert them in place of the wafers, you can make it with almost the same ingredients. Wafers can't be made here. The ingredients are different.


Instead, I'm gonna make you pretty heart-shaped thin cookies. You like that, don't you, ladies?

Let's start cooking!

I picked up the flour and was about to make the thin baked cookies when ......

'Jeez, ............'.

I was so close to him that Pompeo was attached to me.
You should make some too!Don't just watch me work!

'...... (I'll teach you later!)'
' (I swear!If you lie to me, I'll give you a thousand frogs!
' (I'm scared!I'm scared!

With these ominous words, Pompeo returned to his space.
The special kitchen is a wide angled 'eight' shaped kitchen, and is designed so that people can cook side by side.
You can watch us work up close as long as you don't disturb the ladies.
...... Well, the ladies seem to be preoccupied with Pompeo.

'Yashiro-san. Good luck with that.'

I've got one Ginette in front of me.
It's okay. I'm all about quality over quantity.
Besides, Ginette has the biggest tits of all of us.

'I swear to you that I'll make the best pudding, plump plump.
'Who's the plump one, d*mn it!

Ginette puffs out her cheeks as she holds her breasts.
Oh, I'll calm down. It's not the ............ s*xual harassment, you know?

'Your knife work is very artistic.
'Well, look how beautiful the fruit is cut.'
'Oh, it smells so good ...... I can't stand it.

Over there, the ladies are chatting away.
This is a great event for fans. If you hold this event on a regular basis, you'll have a steady stream of customers. You can have it, you know. I'm not going to do it because it's too much trouble.

'I see. ...... So you strain it three times with a fine colander. ......'

Ginette is staring at my work, mumbling to herself as she explains the process.
No,......, I'll teach you when I get home.

I, of course, and Pompeo proceeded without a hitch. Wow. You're very clever. That's a chef who owns a top restaurant. If it's just skill, he's probably better than me. Yeah, he's no match for me.
Though I'm sure Jeannette, not me, would be just as good.

'Ah, Yashiro-san. It's better to keep the white streaks on the orange for a better mouthfeel when you eat it.
'Huh?Oh, this? I see.'

As Ginette pointed out, I cleaned off the white stripes from the orange bunch with a knife. I'm impressed with Jeannette for taking into account the texture of the oranges.

Although it took a lot of time to bake and let the oranges rest, the time passed peacefully from start to finish.
The ladies listened in rapt attention to Pompeo's poetry, the ladies laughed at a gag I interrupted from the side, and then glared at me. ...... While all this was going on, both of our sweets were nearing completion.

'Well, ......'.

I'm not sure if you've heard of it, but I'm sure you've heard of it.
She had just taken the pudding out of the mold.

'It's a lovely, puffy ...... cake.'

It's not a cake, though. It's not a cake, but denying it would only make a bad impression. If the lady says it's a cake, then it's a cake. I don't have any strong beliefs about pudding that I can't compromise.

'This is the pudding. Isn't it an easy name to understand?
'Yeah, sure.'

The young lady chuckled.
I guess being in the same space for a few hours has made her less wary of me.

This was my aim.


The most effective way to eliminate the unseen malice of "I don't like you somehow" is to let people know who you are.
Reveal yourself.
By exposing your bad parts and inadequacies without pretense or excuses, the other person will be less wary of you.

However, there is no need to be humble. ...... Well, it's easier to be accepted if you start from the bottom, that's for sure. But if you're too humble, you'll end up with a weird hierarchical relationship, and that's not good.
I'm here to borrow your chest, Pompeo. It would be better to start with something like, "I'm here to ask Pompeo for his chest, and I'm not that big of a deal.

People are less likely to be antagonized by someone who makes no excuses.
It makes you look shallow if you keep accusing fair-minded people.

After that, the more conversations you have, the more the rancor will fade away.



In business, it is often said, "The more difficult your boss is, the more you should take the initiative to greet him. Even if it's just a greeting, if you keep talking to your boss, it will diminish the awkwardness.
For example, suppose you make a mistake and are severely reprimanded by your boss. In such a case, it is effective to go and apologize again after an hour or so has passed.
Even if you are afraid to approach the person with an irritating aura, you can approach him or her and say, "I'm sorry about earlier. I will be more careful in the future. I'll be careful in the future and ask for your continued guidance and encouragement.' ...... You don't have to go this far, but you should at least tell your boss that you will do your best from now on.
If you do this, your boss will be in a much better mood. Even if there is no change on that day, the next day or later, his mood will certainly improve.

Human beings are very simple.

In short, the true nature of "I don't like something" is "dissatisfaction with the fact that things are not going as I want. And the person at the center of it is perceived as "a hateful enemy who opposes you.
However, if that "hateful enemy" shows a friendly attitude toward you, ......?
It is true that you may not be getting what you want, but what if the other side came to you with a sincere explanation that there is a reason for it?

It's difficult to maintain the feeling of 'I don't like it somehow' until they do that.

To sum it up roughly, "I don't like it because I don't know it well.
It is said that the degree to which we can tolerate the same noise made by our neighbors differs greatly between neighbors with whom we greet each other on a regular basis and neighbors whose names and faces we do not know.
The faults of a stranger may be unpleasant to the eyes, but the faults of a friend can be tolerated to a certain extent, and may even be considered attractive.

It is often a simple comment that turns a weakness into an advantage. There is a fine line between 'stinky' and 'generous'. There is a fine line between 'saver' and 'poor', 'friendless' and 'beautiful', 'slender' and 'flat-chested'. ......

In the current situation, if the "cloned cake baker who imitates luxury and sells cakes" changes to the "fledgling cake baker who aspires to be a luxury baker and works hard to be one," the ill will toward the sunny pavilion will disappear.
The correctness or incorrectness of the perception is not important at this point. Even if you claim that we are the originator, it will only arouse antipathy at present. Then, we will convince them with our strength.
If people find out later that 'Oh, the original shortcake was made at YODAMARI-TEI? That's fine.

After all, our manager is not aiming to be the number one.
Rather than such a title, he is looking for peace and tranquility where everyone can relax.
It's up to the individual to decide what's worthwhile and what's most precious.

I will bring back the sunny pavilion where Jeannette can smile.
If you want number one, I'll give you as much as you want.

''It's done!
'''Yikes!'''

Cheers went up around Pompeo.
It seems the fruit tart is complete.

''Wow, ...... is beautiful.''

I couldn't help but let out a gasp at the result. Yes, it's beautiful.
To be honest, I was surprised.

'Well, well. I'm a professional.

Pompeo said, somehow looking very happy.
His nose is twitching. Was he that happy to be praised by ...... me?

''This one is finished too.
''...... Well.''

Looking at the finished pudding a la mode, several young ladies let out words of admiration.
They put their hands on their cheeks and stare at it with enraptured eyes.

The plump pudding is served in a long, thin bowl. It is beautifully decorated with jewel-like fruits and filled with pure white whipped cream. A heart-shaped cookie is inserted into the pudding.

'Cute ......'.
'It's ......, isn't it?

The young lady, disregarding the fact that I made it, gives me a favorable impression.
Or perhaps she is no longer hostile to me.

'Yashiro-kun. Tell me, please. I promise!
'I told you it was ...... minutes.'

Pompeo is approaching rapidly.
Too close!
Also, why are you being so hostile to me?
What's with the 'Yashiro-kun'? You're the first person to call me by ...... name.

'Now, please eat.

Pompeo's words were met with cheers from the ladies.
We sat down at the table, and as soon as the cakes were brought out, I took a bite of Pompeo's fruit tart.

'It's delicious!
'The rich sweetness is ......'.
'Yet the refreshing sweetness of the fruit is ......'.

The ladies, who were experiencing custard cream for the first time, seemed to be impressed by the deep sweetness of the flavor.

In the midst of all this, only Jeannette was the first to take a bite of my pudding.

'............ wasshoi............ wasshoi,sir! ......'

...... So that's what you think.
But it's not the usual excited feeling, it's the kind of emotion that makes your eyes water a little. It seems that Ginette has hit the nail on the head.

'It's a new kind of sweetness that I've never had before. ......'

Jeannette must have known some cream puffs and custard creams, but the pudding seemed to be something else.

Hearing Jeannette's words, the ladies shifted their interest to the pudding.

'............ Well.'
'...... This is...'
'.................. delicious'



Although there is still a part of me that thinks, "It's just the 42nd district," it is significant that I was able to get him to say that he approves of this district.
Once you have been recognized, the thought that 'I have recognized you' comes into play in no small part. Once that happens, you may feel annoyed when someone says something bad about you, or you may feel a little happy when someone praises you. ...... By repeating such small changes, you may find yourself becoming a fan ....... I can't say that I don't.

'Well, you are a craftsman approved by Mr. Pompeo, aren't you?
'Yes, that's true. This level of quality is rather natural, isn't it?
'On the contrary, I'm relieved. If it were too bad, it would damage Pompeo-sama's name.
'That's true. This much is natural.
'Yes, it should be delicious.

And just like that, the evaluation of the cakes in the 42nd district of the Sun Goddess Pavilion was reassembled in the ladies' minds.
"Of course it's delicious.
It's a compliment from the top, but it's the greatest compliment of all. The fact that it is 'natural' means that it is already top-notch.

'To tell you the truth, I've been to the Sunlit Pavilion before.
'Well, you too?
'Yes, me too.

Oh, no.
The person who was spreading ill will in the sunny pavilion was mixed in. ...... Should I have spit in his face?

I'm sure you'll be pleased with the results.
'Indeed, the texture of that mille-crepe cake was interesting,......, and I would be happy to go back for more.

At these words, Ginette's expression brightened.
The customers, whose intentions she could not see, actually thought the cake was delicious. This fact lightened Jeannette's heart.
I'm glad I brought you here.

'When I came here, the store was filled with scary people. ...... I was too scared to go in, you know?

So some of you came when the place was occupied by ruffians. I'm sorry to hear that. They came all the way from far away.

'That's why I thought it was a place for people like that.
'When I went there, it was a nice, calm place with a nice atmosphere.
'Mr. Umaro designed this restaurant.
'Well, Mr. Torbek's construction company?That makes sense. ......'

'Wow, Umaro is popular among this kind of people, let's use .............

'Then I'd have to say those scary people are out of place.
'They appear everywhere, you know, those people. There's no point in worrying about them.'
'Yes, yes. It's best not to get involved.
'That's right.

And the girls repeat their whispered conversation in full view.
No matter where you are in the world, girls' gossip is scary. ...... I don't want to hear it, I don't want to hear it.

.................. Huh?

It's delicious, Yashiro!I'm not sure how you come up with cakes with such interesting textures.

I felt something tugging at me, and I tried to figure out what it was, but ...... the hot Pompeo grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me around, shaking my brain and stopping me from thinking.

'By the way, I heard that Yashiro loves women's breasts,............, right!This is based on that motif, isn't it!
I'm not!

I'm sure there's boob pudding and stuff, but!
I mean!See!The ladies' gazes are getting really cold!
I was just trying to improve my image!

Because of that idiot Pompeo, I was forced to feel very uncomfortable after that.
I'll have to postpone giving you the recipe for much longer. Reflect on that.

'I'll be back for more cake.
'Yes. Please come back. I'll be waiting for you!

That's what the young lady said to Jeannette as she was leaving.
Ginette bowed deeply with her usual bright smile.

It's those talkative ladies. The malice emanating from this will fade.

Riding in the carriage prepared by Pompeo, Ginette and I returned to District 42.
In the carriage on the way back, I pondered over the uneasiness I had felt earlier.

I had speculated that the noble ladies had hired a ragtag group to harass someone they didn't like for some reason. ............

"I was too scared to go in.
I was too scared to go in." "There's nothing to worry about.
It's best to stay out of it.

This is how the ladies evaluate the ruffians.
It is natural that they are not favorable to you. ...... Would those ladies ask for a job with someone they dislike so much?
You can find a lot of things that you can do to make your life easier.

In the event that you've got a problem, you'll be able to always contact your doctor.

Did someone ask the ragweed to do it on their own and the other ladies didn't know about it?
Those rumor-loving, cake united ladies with a certain amount of unity?
Some of them even came on the very same day and left without entering the store. ............

It's a bit tricky.



I'm not sure if it's really those ladies who sent the ragheads.
Are they ...... luxury-related people to begin with?

But there are other people who would benefit from interfering with the distribution of the cake: ............

'...... Mr. Ro. Yashiro-san!'
'What?

Shaking my shoulder, I come back from the sea of thoughts.
Jeannette was peering at me with an anxious look on her face.

'Um, Estella-san is at ......'
'Estella?'

I noticed that the carriage was parked in front of the mansion of the lord of the 42nd district.
Estella was standing outside the carriage, clinging to the window in an impatient manner.

'What is it, Estella?

Was she here waiting for us to return?
If you look at the large number of maids led by Natalia outside, they seem to have blocked the road and stopped the carriage.

'Yashiro, I'm in trouble!

I have a bad feeling about this again.
I have a bad feeling that the unseen malice that's been smoldering these days is about to reignite.

'The hunting guild has refused to cooperate.
'Huh!
'They said they can't cooperate with anything related to the construction of the city gates in the future!

The sun, which had been high in the sky, was now covered by thick clouds, and the sky looked like it was about to rain.
It was just before noon.
Aside from Jeannette, it looks like I can't go back to the sunny pavilion just yet. ......

'Estella, get in. We'll drop off Ginette at the Sunken Pavilion and go see Use on the way.
'Yes!

We told the coachman where we were going and headed for the Hunting Guild's 42nd district branch.