By the time the desserts were plated, the dining table looked like it belonged in a bakery display, the kind where everything was arranged to make you feel guilty for wanting to touch it.
Lilliana's dark chocolate tart sat in the centre of a simple plate, glossy and elegant, with a small bowl of coffee cream beside it like an afterthought that was still somehow perfectly placed.
The surface caught the light in a way that suggested discipline rather than decoration, restrained, smooth, and almost too neat, and Soren couldn't shake the feeling that it would be dangerous if you underestimated it.
Olivia's fruit shortcakes were simple, tidy, and honest: soft cake, fresh cream, and berries arranged without fuss, no unnecessary flourishes, no need to prove anything.
They were the kind of dessert that didn't have to scream for attention, because it knew it would be liked anyway.
Soren's baked pudding sat in a larger dish, warm and fragrant, honey and cinnamon blending into something comforting with a faint citrus edge that kept it from becoming too heavy.
The steam rose slowly, carrying sweetness into the room, and Amelia's focus locked onto it like it had become her life's purpose.
And then there were Louise and Esper's cupcakes.
They had faces.
Cute, overly expressive faces that made them look less like food and more like tiny creatures that had somehow ended up on a plate.
There were little frosting ears, tiny paws made of strawberries, and minimal blush, apparently the compromise between "feelings" and "restraint."
One looked delighted, one looked silly, and another had the unsettling aura of something that knew your secrets.
Louise stood there proud enough to burst, hands clasped together as if she had just presented a masterpiece to the royal court, while Esper looked like she had completed a complex political negotiation and come out victorious.
Soren set down the last plate and clapped once to gather everyone back into focus.
"Let's do the tasting first, then they can handle the rest of the paperwork."
Felix, who had already been writing for a few hours, lifted his head slowly like the motion cost him years off his life.
"You're evil."
Lev didn't lift his head at all.
His pen scratched steadily, relentless.
"I hate this club."
Soren smiled sweetly, the kind of smile that made it clear he enjoyed being hated.
"You're very welcome, Mr. Trash and Paperwork Slave."
Amelia had already taken a spoon.
Soren gently pushed her hand down before she could stab the pudding with the force that would likely shatter the dish.
"We're doing it properly," he said, keeping his tone calm so she wouldn't decide to argue out of spite. "Small portions first. Otherwise everyone's just going to eat what they like, and we won't get any good notes for the paperwork."
Amelia stared at him, offended on principle.
Soren stroked the top of her head once, and the offence weakened immediately, melting into something quieter.
Across the table, Lilliana's ears shifted, and she focused very hard on slicing the tart into even pieces, the knife moving with almost excessive precision.
They started with Lilliana's tart.
Soren took a bite and immediately understood why she had made it.
It was rich and dark, bitter enough to make the sweetness feel intentional rather than excessive, and the salt sharpened it in a way that made his mouth want another bite even as his brain tried to complain.
The coffee cream softened the edge, turning it into something balanced without making it childish.
He looked at Lilliana.
"This is good," he said honestly. "Like… strangely good."
Lilliana's eyes flicked up.
"And that's a strange compliment."
"You know that's not what I meant, Lilly. I'm not a fan of bitter food," Soren clarified, because his mouth was terrible at praise and always had been, "but this is nice. That's what I meant."
Olivia took a bite and blinked, surprised by how strong the flavour was.
"It's… intense," she said softly, words careful, like she didn't want to criticise by accident.
Lilliana's expression twitched, almost imperceptibly.
"It's dark chocolate…"
Louise looked thoughtful, chewing slowly with the seriousness of someone performing a noble duty.
"It tastes like… Little Brother is right. Strange is the only thing I can think of."
Esper nodded as if that was a perfectly valid tasting note, then took another bite like she was reconsidering her opinion just to be thorough.
Amelia chewed slowly, expression flat, then spoke very plainly.
"Bitter."
Soren watched her for a second.
"Do you hate it?"
Amelia paused, eyes narrowing as if she was trying to decide whether honesty was worth the effort.
Then, with reluctant sincerity, she spoke again.
"It's okay."
That was practically praise.
Next was Olivia's shortcake.
It was light and fresh, balanced in a way that made it easy to keep eating without realising you were doing it.
The cream wasn't overly sweet, the fruit tasted like real fruit rather than sugar pretending to be fruit, and the cake itself was soft enough to melt under the fork.
Alex smiled at Olivia, the expression warm in a way he rarely showed so openly.
"This feels like home," he said.
Olivia's cheeks warmed immediately.
"It's… just simple."
"What's wrong with that? Just take the compliment," Soren replied with a grin, because he could see her trying to shrink away.
Louise nodded earnestly.
"I agree. It's comforting."
Esper took another bite, and her eyes softened slightly, the way they did when she forgot to perform for half a second.
"It's tasty… like really tasty. Can you give me the recipe after this?"
"Oh… uhm, sure?" Olivia answered hesitantly, blush still visible, voice small like she didn't know how to accept someone wanting something from her without flinching.
Then came Soren's pudding.
Amelia didn't wait for permission this time, but she did at least take a reasonable spoonful instead of scooping half the dish as if it belonged to her by divine right.
She ate it, paused, and then immediately ate another spoonful.
Soren watched her, amused, stirring a little more just to keep the surface smooth.
"What's the verdict, Your Highness?"
Amelia swallowed.
"Good."
Soren smiled.
"That's it?"
Amelia looked at him like he was being stupid on purpose.
"It's good. It's warm, smells nice, and tastes sweet. Make it again for me later."
Something in Soren's expression softened despite himself.
"Alright."
Felix, who had been watching the whole tasting with growing frustration, looked genuinely annoyed, like the desserts had personally offended him.
"Have you ever heard of 'too much'?" he demanded, stabbing his fork into the pudding with unnecessary violence. "How is any other guy meant to compete when you can cook, have a good sense of fashion, have money, and you look like that… fuck, it's so unfair."
Esper snapped her head toward him, eyes flashing.
"Oh my Gods, shut up already, Mr Trash. We're here to have fun. Stop complaining about Cutie all the time."
"You don't get it!" Felix argued back, voice rising like he was defending a tragic cause.
Soren let them go for a few seconds, watching their bickering the way you watched a familiar play, then cut in before Felix worked himself into a full rant.
"I'm still waiting for your opinion, you know?"
Felix's face twisted like the words physically hurt him.
"Fuck, whatever. It's good, okay? Really good. You could probably find a wife from cooking alone," he said, expression crumpling with each sentence like he was being forced to swallow poison.
Soren blinked.
"Wow… That might've been a bit too much."
Esper leaned forward with an exaggeratedly dreamy look.
"Well… he does have a point, Cutie. Maybe I am lucky that I got engaged to you~ It's so, so good, like really, really good~"
Soren went quiet at the honest compliment, heat creeping up his neck before he could stop it, because praise always hit him like a surprise attack and his defences were abysmal.
"Oh?" Louise's eyes widened with immediate delight. "What's this? Is my little brother blushing?"
Lilliana's gaze flicked toward him, and her mouth curved in a somewhat playful smile.
"Didn't this happen when you cooked for me too, Ren? You went quiet all of a sudden the moment I complimented your food."
"Awww," Louise cooed, leaning forward as if she wanted to squish him like a toy. "Little Brother, you're adorable."
"…Please stop," Soren muttered, already regretting every life choice that had led him to being complimented by three women at once.
Esper rested her chin on her palm, eyes gleaming.
"Cutie, you know you look super cute right now~"
"Please…" Soren begged, because he could feel himself losing ground by the second, and he was grateful they all enjoyed his food, but he wouldn't last if they kept it up.
He endured a few more minutes of teasing, each comment making his ears feel warmer, until Lilliana finally gave him mercy.
"Heh… let's cut him a break," she said, tone light, though her eyes still held amusement. "We still have one more thing left, don't we?"
Finally, it was time for the cupcakes.
Louise and Esper practically leaned over the table, watching everyone's faces with intense expectation as the first bites were taken.
They tasted sweet but not sickly.
The frosting was light, the cake soft, and the fruit decorations added a clean brightness that kept it from being one-note.
Louise clapped her hands together once, unable to hold it in.
"They're super cute and delicious!"
Esper nodded with a satisfied air that suggested she had known they would succeed all along.
"It went really well~."
Felix stared at the cupcake face he had just eaten, chewing slowly as if he was processing a philosophical dilemma.
"It's too much," he said solemnly.
Lev snorted without looking up from his notes.
"Then don't eat it. Food is food."
Felix's eyes narrowed.
"Am I the only real man here or something?"
"Oh, for fuck's sake, don't start this shit," Lev muttered, voice tired.
Soren let the table settle into easy noise: eating, small comments, mild teasing, the kind of chatter that filled space without demanding anything from it.
Then, when plates started to empty and Amelia looked like she was preparing to commit crimes against portion control, Soren clapped again.
"Now that we're done eating, it's paperwork time."
A collective groan rose from one side of the table.
Soren's smile turned sharp.
"Kitchen team, we can go to the living room, or you can head out if you want to. Lev, Felix, and Alex, have fun with the forms and write-up."
Lev stared at him like he was looking for a weakness.
"Why do I feel like you're enjoying this?"
"Because I am, duh?" Soren replied honestly.
Amelia grabbed the pudding dish like it was a prize and carried it into the living room with the focus of someone transporting a sacred relic.
Louise followed with the cupcakes, carefully protecting them as if they were political assets.
Olivia hovered for a second, then quietly carried her shortcakes too, setting them on the low table in the living room with small, careful movements.
Lilliana carried the tart with a faint smile and sat on the sofa with composed posture.
Soren sat down last, and Amelia immediately claimed her spot beside him, leaning into his shoulder the second he stopped moving, like she had been waiting for the moment to settle.
His hand found her hair without thought.
Amelia's eyes half-lidded again, content in a way she rarely showed so openly.
Lilliana sat opposite them, hands folded in her lap, expression calm.
Her ears, however, were not.
They shifted slightly every time Soren's fingers moved through Amelia's hair.
From the dining room, the sound of scratching pens and occasional swearing drifted over.
Felix's voice carried first.
"Why does it ask for 'emotional response'?"
Lev replied venomously.
"Will you stop crying about every detail? I want to finish this before nightfall."
Alex spoke quietly, earnest as ever.
"We can frame it as a sensory evaluation. Taste, texture, aroma."
Felix sighed like the competence offended him.
"Alex, you're making it worse by being competent."
Lev's chair scraped.
"If you're going to bitch so much, just write 'aroma: honey and cinnamon, pleasing.' or something simple."
Felix read it back aloud in a mocking tone.
"'Pleasing.' Who am I, a fucking sommelier?"
Louise giggled into her hand, shoulders shaking.
Soren leaned back, relaxed, and let himself enjoy it.
Because for once, nobody was fighting, nobody was hurting, and nobody was in a hurry.
Lev and Felix were miserable, yes, but that was their natural state, and it didn't poison the room, it just filled it with noise.
In the living room, with warm desserts on the table and Amelia leaning against him like she belonged there, Soren felt something quiet settle into place.
Not a grand revelation.
Just a simple thought.
'Days like this really are the best.'
He listened to Lev cursing under his breath and Felix complaining like it was an art form, and he smiled.
This was going to make a great report.
And an even better memory.
————「❤︎」————