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Chapter 14
The bakery was small enough that it would feel crowded with just seven customers inside.
Behind the glass window, shelves were lined with desserts in all kinds of shapes. Judging by how many remained unsold, business didn’t seem to be going very well.
And yet, as if possessed by something, I opened the door and went inside.
“Welcome.”
As the small bell on the door rang, the owner emerged from the kitchen in the back.
She was a woman who had neatly tied her hair so that not a single strand was out of place, wearing a brown baker’s cap on top.
“If you buy something now, I’ll add some extra desserts for you. We have a lot left.”
Wiping her hands on her apron, the bakery owner gave me a bitter smile.
‘Is it actually bad despite how it looks?’
Given the size of the shop, it seemed impossible for them to supply large quantities of desserts right away.
But contrary to my expectations, I found myself already sitting quietly at a table, staring down at the bread she had brought me.
It was a fresh cream cake piled high with sweet strawberries.
‘Visuals: pass.’
First, I cut into the fluffy sponge with my fork.
My eyes were delighted by the plump strawberries packed inside.
And finally, the moment I put the colorful cake into my mouth—
“…It’s delicious.”
At once, the fresh, sweet aroma of strawberries filled my mouth, while the soft whipped cream melted gently on my tongue.
So shocked was I that I immediately picked up a cookie.
When I took a bite of the cookie, fragrant with buttery aroma, another whole new world opened up.
The best butter flavor I had ever tasted in my life!
In an instant, a rich, smooth butter fragrance spread through my mouth, and a cookie party began. No—this heavenly taste…!
The texture, so soft it seemed to melt and wrap around my tongue, was utterly intoxicating.
With a suitable cup of tea, I could easily finish an entire tin of these cookies.
While I was still stammering in disbelief, the bakery owner cautiously approached.
“Does it suit your taste?”
“It’s… it’s so good.”
This was a revolution.
I jumped up from my seat.
“I’d like to place a large order tomorrow morning. Would that be okay?”
“…Pardon?”
I pulled the flustered bakery owner into a chair.
* * *
Carefully, like a sneaky cat burglar, I opened the door so as not to wake Janet.
“Back already?”
But she was just rolling around on her bed, wide awake.
After explaining everything to her, I handed her one of the desserts I had bought from Dinah’s bakery.
“So… want to stay up all night with me today?”
“Sure, why not.”
I offered her a slice of cake as a bribe while she munched on cookies with sparkling eyes, then sat down.
Now it was time to deal with the interior decoration.
‘Let’s think. Think.’
Since the invitations had already been sent, changing the venue was impossible.
And it was too late to replace wallpaper or buy new decorations.
‘Is this the only way?’
After much deliberation, I took out several boxes filled with all sorts of odds and ends.
One box, two boxes, three boxes.
“What kind of business are you running, anyway?”
Janet clicked her tongue, wondering where I had even stored all this.
Digging through the boxes, I pulled out several tall stands.
Carefully fitting sealed glass spheres onto them, I began combining magic formulas I had scribbled down long ago.
After working for quite some time—
“Wow, Archel, what did you just do?!”
Janet, who had been lying with her feet against the wall, jumped up.
The way she looked around the room was anything but ordinary.
“I’m going to use this at tomorrow’s briefing.”
Admiring the scene before me, I smiled in satisfaction.
If I added a few more formulas, I could make it even better.
Feeling like I’d put out an urgent fire, the tension drained from my shoulders.
Sudden exhaustion washed over me. After roughly tidying up, I took out some stationery and began to write.
Lena, your fiancé seems to have some rough edges… (omitted) When are you coming back, anyway? Are you feeling okay? I’m worried because you haven’t replied.
— Your loving friend, Archel Nodovan
Since I wasn’t trying to seriously interfere between the two of them, I only wrote one line about Rihart.
It was such a timid form of revenge it almost made me cry.
“Archel, this is so pretty. Are you a genius? How did you even do this?”
With Janet constantly shaking my shoulder, it was hard to focus on writing.
I turned around, showed her more samples, and continued preparing for the briefing.
* * *
In front of the Udea Academy annex, carriages filled the area.
So many noble families had arrived that it was entertaining just to look at the crests painted on them.
“What lovely weather today.”
“Countess! It’s been so long. Have you been well?”
“Of course. Still, I’m curious how this year’s student council will turn out.”
“Oh, come to think of it, Lady Zenda attended last year too, didn’t she?”
As attention suddenly gathered on her, the former Marchioness Zenda—her dark blue hair tied up—gave a faint smile.
Her drooping eyes and pale gray-blue irises gave her a melancholy air.
“My son was supposed to enroll late, after all. It was postponed again this time.”
“I heard the young lord is part of the student council. You must be so proud.”
A noblewoman listening nearby approached, fluttering her feathered fan.
“My eldest son attends Udea too, so I went to the last briefing.”
“Oh my, Countess! Both of your children attend Udea? That’s amazing. How was the last session?”
“From the calm, elegant interior to the desserts—there was nothing to criticize.”
Lowering her fan, the countess smiled confidently.
As the academy that trained the empire’s future leaders, Udea was always at the center of gossip.
And it all began with the parents’ briefing, where high-ranking nobles gathered.
Simply attending such an event was a source of pride, and the noblewomen’s chatter never ceased.
“Especially the former student council president, Johan Derrial. I heard he was exceptional in every way—the most suitable president in history. How was he in person?”
“Oh, don’t get me started. If I had a daughter, I’d want her to marry him. He was absolutely perfect.”
While they were praising Johan’s perfection, gentleness, and beauty, a doubtful voice spoke up.
“But who became the new president this time?”
“Madam, haven’t you heard? They say it’s the daughter of a baron family with no connections in the capital.”
“Oh my, that’s impossible.”
A lady wearing sheer lace gloves looked around in shock.
“Wasn’t the exam unusually easy?”
“I wish that were true, but… so many elite heirs enrolled this year. Even Crown Prince Rihart failed to become president, and they say the Empress collapsed from shock.”
The woman whispering cautiously had a daughter who served in the Empress’s palace.
Thinking of her stressed daughter, her brows furrowed.
She resolved to see for herself who had defeated Rihart.
‘If I don’t like what I see, I’ll file a complaint with Udea.’
But despite her hardened resolve, the moment she saw what lay beyond the auditorium doors, she couldn’t help but gasp.
“What in the world…?”
“Oh my…”
Inside the hall was pitch-black, with not a single ray of sunlight.
Against the darkness of a moonless night, a galaxy of scattered stars spread out.
Clusters of light shimmered in different sizes and intensities, inspiring awe.
And that wasn’t all.
An aurora of mysterious colors flowed across the ceiling, fluttering like fairy skirts as it danced over the stars.
“It’s… so beautiful…”
A breathtaking, mystical sight no one had ever seen before stole both eyes and hearts.
Sighs of pure admiration filled the hall.
While everyone stood entranced, Iziel appeared before the noblewoman with a gentle smile.
“Please tell me your name, and I’ll guide you to your seat.”
With the help of soft floor lighting, the guests took their seats without stumbling.
Journalists who had arrived early were already busy taking photos with magic devices.
Even after sitting down, the nobles couldn’t take their eyes off the scene.
Then they noticed something even more astonishing.
The stars were moving.
The lights blinked as if greeting them, slowly shifting their positions.
And while everyone marveled at the universe inside the hall—
A white spotlight turned on at the center of the stage.
Within the circular light on the floor stood a student with neatly combed pink hair.
Cotton-candy-pink hair and ocean-blue eyes.
Despite the sweet colors, her calm expression and cool, commanding aura captivated everyone.
Soon, in the silence where even breathing could be heard, a clear, pleasant voice rang out.
“Hello. It’s my first time greeting Udea’s parents.
I am Archel Nodovan, the 154th Student Council President.”
