Taste of Magic: Ambassador's Voice

The second morning after the bakery re-opening had been quite hectic. Melina tried to get Roxie to make shortcrust pastry for the tarts. It was one of the easiest doughs to make. Unfortunately, the girl had been so nervous that she quickly forgot all the ingredient ratios for the dough. Melina encouraged her to ask for help when she didn't understand something, but for some reason, Roxie stubbornly insisted on doing it herself. And messing up.

After it was clear that Roxie wouldn't be making any proper shortcrust pastry that morning, Melina put her on fruit cutting duty and took over shortcrust pastry itself. Roxie was apologizing profusely, but Melina understood that it would take some time until the girl felt comfortable in her new workplace. She would have to be patient.

The service was rather tense. People talked about what happened yesterday with the spy. Many people praised Melina's actions and were eager to take the Church head on. Too eager. Melina worried they might do something drastic when the Church expedition arrived. That could easily turn into a bloodbath, so Melina did her best to pacify the people.

"This is just a special case," Melina said.

"Leave it to the adventurers," Remi would often add.

But the townspeople were fully convinced that they could openly oppose the Church. She hadn't anticipated that capturing the spy would lead to this. But on the other hand, she couldn't allow him to return to the Church with all that information in tow. Especially when there was a chance that they could learn something about the Church's plans from him.

Part of her wanted to be present during the interrogation. Partially because she could help with her magic, and partially because she didn't want the Guildmaster to go too far with her interrogation methods. But Alistair said that it was best if she kept away from such unpleasant matters and promised to take care of it himself. The best she could do was trust him and continue working.

Afternoon came, and the bakery closed, having sold out everything. Melina, Roxie, and Adrien were cleaning up the kitchen and bakery when a knock resounded on the front door.

"Just as we closed?" Adrien noted, looking somewhat peeved.

"I'll check it. Perhaps, it's just Leliana," Melina said. The girl did have a habit of showing up at most random times. Although she had already seen Leliana that morning, she gave her some pastries to help Elowen recover.

But behind the door stood the last person she expected to see—Auden Speziale.

"Good day, Miss Melina," he said and bowed with a flourish.

"Count Speziale? Good day," she mustered a reply, taken aback by his sudden appearance. "I never expected to see you here."

With the corner of her eye, she saw both Adrien and Roxie slink back into the kitchen. The two still felt quite nervous around Alistair, even if, as far as noblemen went, he was quite approachable. Another noble showing up was probably too much pressure on the two of them.

"How could I not come after you sent me a letter yourself?" Count Speziale smiled and pulled out the letter that she had sent to him. "I'd very much like to discuss our cooperation. Is there any place where we could do that?"

Melina looked back into the bakery. While it was renovated and new, it didn't have any tables where to sit. Their kitchen was definitely not a suitable place to invite a nobleman, and neither was Erina's cafeteria. Sunglow didn't really have a place that would suit noblemen's standards since hardly any noblemen ever showed up here.

The only place suitable for such discussions was Alistair's home. She knew Alistair wouldn't like her bringing Count Speziale there, but where else could she take him? She wanted, no, needed his help. He could become a powerful ally to their cause, and she wouldn't let this chance slip by just because Speziale was peeved by an inappropriate setting.

"Yes, of course. If you'd allow me a minute to get ready," Melina said.

"Of course. Any self-respecting gentleman can wait for a lady to get ready," he said and reached out to plant a gentle kiss on her fingertips.

It was a common way noblemen greeted noblewomen. But Melina wasn't a noblewoman. Quite frankly, she wanted to pull her hand away, but managed to keep her hand and her expression steady. "Thank you."

She hurried into the kitchen to take off her apron and wash her hands. Adrien and Roxie followed her with their intense gazes.

"W-Who was that?" The girl dared to ask.

"Auden Speziale. He's a System user with a [Confectioneer] class. I messaged him hoping that he'd be willing to work with me," Melina explained.

"How did you casually message a nobleman?" Adrien asked in shock.

"Through Alistair," she said.

"Oh, right. I completely forgot he's a noble, too," Adrien sighed.

"G-Good luck!" Roxie said.

"Thank you! Sienna, Mango, we're going," Melina called out.

Sienna scurried out of the still-warm oven and ran over to Melina, climbing up to her shoulder in a matter of seconds. Mango came out from underneath the kitchen table, yipping and wagging her tail happily. Melina picked her up in her arms and headed out.

Count Speziale's eyes widened a little when he saw Mango. "I see you have expanded the number of familiars you have."

"It kinda… happened," she said sheepishly, clutching Mango close.

"You're building an incredible force here. Ember wyrm and an ice kitsune. Do you have them help around the bakery?" He asked.

Melina motioned him to follow, and they continued their chat as they walked.

"Sienna does help, but Mango is a bit too young. She can't produce ice yet," Melina said. However, she felt no need to mention Mango's superior control over mana.

"In time, then. But the fact that you're using a monster to help you at your job is revolutionary. As is everything you do, it seems," he said with a smile.

Melina didn't quite know how to respond. She saw the calculating glint in his eye. There was no way he came all this way just to praise her. She knew he wanted to spread the use of Monster Realm ingredients and normalize them. But she had no idea why. Especially when it was against the Church's teachings.

How come the Church didn't do anything about him? Even Duke Sinclair was wary of the Church and didn't dare to openly contradict them, even if it was clear that he didn't fully agree with them. There were so many questions about Count Speziale, yet so few answers.

"I'm just doing the best I can with what I've been given," Melina said.

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"And you're doing phenomenally. I was impressed to see what you've done with the old bakery. And I'm most pleased to see that you're selling your magical pastries without fear."

"I wouldn't say it without fear. I'm just ready to face the consequences."

Count Speziale's eyes narrowed. "Brave. Perhaps, even foolish. But then again, who am I to say that? I've been doing the same thing for years now, although I haven't been able to achieve the heights you have. A pastry that heals injuries just as well as a potion. I could only dream of creating something like that."

At that point, they had reached Alistair's home. Or their shared home to be correct. Melina was still getting used to the fact that it was her home too.

"We can talk in here," Melina said, opening the door for Count Speziale.

"My, I didn't think that you'd be earning enough money to buy such a wonderful house so quickly. Not to slight your talent. In ten years, I have no doubt, you'd have enough gold to buy yourself a castle. But it's only been a few months…" Speziale scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"Oh, no, this isn't strictly speaking my home. It is the home of my beloved, Lord Sinclair," Melina said, trying her best not to show her embarrassment. She needed to get used to calling Alistair her beloved as well.

"My, oh my! And here I was wondering how the letter from you came from his name. I understand now why he was so cold toward me during the Summer Festival." Count Speziale gave her a knowing grin, then stepped inside the house.

Melina didn't reply; instead, leading him into the living room. She then went to the kitchen to prepare some tea and pastries that she had at home. Which admittedly wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.

Once she had prepared the table for Count Speziale, she sat down and took the first sip of the tea to demonstrate that it was safe. Count took a sip, then regarded her with great interest. "So tell me—what is it that you wanted to discuss with me?"

"Previously, you said that you wanted to spread unusual pastries throughout Alemahria. To make Monster Realm ingredients a norm," she said.

"Yes, that is indeed what I wish to accomplish," he nodded.

"Why?" Melina asked. Before she asked for his cooperation, she wanted to understand what made this man tick.

"Why? That is a great question," he said, elegantly sipping the tea and taking a bite from a cloud muffin. "These are wonderful, by the way. I wish I could have these muffins every day. But to answer your question—I just love creating new sweets and pastries."

Melina blinked. "Is that the only reason?"

"Obviously, selling new and never-before-tasted confections is giving me a nice profit. But the main reason is that I simply love discovering new flavors," he said with a smile.

Melina wasn't sure if she was buying that. The man seemed far too calculating to be chasing after something as mundane as curiosity. "Then why are you trying to cooperate with me? I don't see why you can't just carry on doing what you were doing before without me."

Count Speziale smiled and leaned in closer. "I could, of course. But I'm sure that you're aware that the Church is not too happy about these kinds of activities. I want people to recognize Monster Realm ingredients as something normal. Not only will that get Church off my back, but it'll surely increase my profits as well."

So the Church was giving him quite the trouble, too. His expression changed for just a split second when he mentioned the Church, his eyes growing cold. It appears they had a common enemy. While this didn't necessarily make them friends, it means that cooperating would benefit them both.

"I see. Then I suppose you wouldn't mind if I asked for a favor, Count Speziale," Melina said.

Count Speziale nodded, taking a deliberate bite of the muffin. "I feared you'd never ask. And please, call me Auden. I never liked the stuffy way nobles addressed each other."

"I'd prefer to adhere to proper ways of address," Melina said, feeling that he was getting a bit too friendly.

"I insist. We're going to work closely as friends from now on, no?"

"If we can come to an agreement," she reminded him. They hadn't agreed to anything yet.

"Oh, I'm more than certain that we can, Melina. So please, do address me by my name," he smiled victoriously.

Melina frowned, but she couldn't refute him. He was a noble. If he insisted that she call him by his name, she was in no position to refuse. Not if she wanted him as her ally.

"Very well, Auden. I was hoping that you'd be able to supply me with Monster Realm ingredients. You were the one who gave me the feyfruit and later sparkleaf. It makes me believe that you have access to more," Melina said.

Auden nodded. "Very observant. Yes. I have access to many more ingredients than that. In fact, I was hoping to send some your way. You'd be able to do more with them than I ever could."

"What would you like in return for the ingredients?" Melina asked, wondering what kind of price he could demand. She wasn't exactly swimming in gold, and there wasn't much she could offer besides her talents.

"Nothing. Consider them yours," Auden said.

Melina blinked. "Y-You must be joking, Cou— I meant Auden."

"Haha! Just a little. I would like to ask for one thing, but I believe it'll be no big deal." Auden reached down to the small suitcase that he had carried with him and pulled out a few papers. He handed them over to Melina.

It was a contract for mutual ownership.

"Mutual ownership?" Melina raised an eyebrow.

"Exactly. I'd like a 20% share of your bakery, and in exchange, you get all the Monster Realms ingredients you could ever wish for."

Melina narrowed her eyes. She was beginning to understand the driving force behind this man—money. He saw Melina and her bakery as a goldmine and was eager to take a good chunk of profits for himself.

"20% isn't exactly a small thing," Melina pointed out.

"I believe it is quite worthwhile. I've written down all the ingredients I have access to in the contract. I suggest you take a look," he prompted.

Melina flipped over the page and saw that there indeed was a list of Monster Realm ingredients: feyfruit, sparkleaf, scorchvine pepper, and many, many more ingredients. She couldn't believe her eyes.

"How did you get your hands on all these?" She asked in shock.

"Trade secret, I'm afraid. If I reveal how I acquired them, then you wouldn't need me anymore," Auden said with a predatory smile of a cat that had successfully chased a mouse into a corner.

Melina had a strong feeling that she was walking into a trap. Agreeing to work with this man would only bring her trouble. She wished that she knew about Auden Speziale from the previous timeline, but she hadn't even met the man then. On the other hand, maybe that was a good sign that he wasn't involved in the whole mess.

"And you'd be able to deliver these ingredients from Tuvia to Sunglow regularly?" Melina asked.

"Absolutely. I have plenty of ships at my disposal, which I can send to Sunglow with a shipment of Monster Realm ingredients," he said.

Melina turned her eyes towards the contract, scanning it carefully. She couldn't see anything inherently wrong with it, but she was by no means an expert on these matters. As the [Archmage], she did have to do some paperwork, but it was mostly reports on the operations of the Mage Guild and the progress they've made on this or that mission. The contracts she dealt with were templates that had been used by the Mage Guild for a long time, not to mention that she had people who helped her with legal matters.

"Do I have to sign it today, or would you be willing to let me think it over?" She asked.

"You have time to think, of course," he said, but his satisfied expression suggested that he felt that he had already won her over. "I'll be staying in Sunglow for a few more days before returning. I'd like to see your bakery during the opening hours."

"I'll be eagerly awaiting your arrival tomorrow morning," Melina said.

They talked for a while longer, discussing the ingredients Auden had at his disposal and what he had discovered about them. Most of them were quite a mystery for him, although Melina recognized them.

Once he had finished the tea and muffin, he bid her goodnight and left. Melina let out a sigh of relief as soon as he was gone; however, as she went to wash the dishes, there was a knock on the door. She wondered whether he had forgotten something.

But it turned out that it was Alistair knocking on the door, and he looked rather annoyed.

"Melina, would you please tell me why I saw Count Auden Speziale coming out of my house, where he was alone with my beloved?" He asked, irritation clear in his voice.

It was only then that Melina realized that as a young, unmarried woman, she wasn't supposed to meet with a man in a private setting. It was improper according to noble etiquette, but it had completely slipped her mind. But how come Auden hadn't said anything about it?

"I-I wasn't actually alone with him. Sienna and Mango were here too," Melina said in defense.

But Alistair didn't seem pleased by this explanation. She couldn't blame him. She probably wouldn't be too pleased if she heard that Alistair had been alone with some young woman in their home, either.

"I cannot let this one go, Melina," he muttered, stepping closer to her. Her heart raced as she saw him looming over her. "Count Speziale is not somebody you can trust."