The warm breath tickling her ear and those almost-too-obvious words sent Lucy's heart racing faster than the steamy heat wafting from the kitchen.
With the thought of heading to the park soon—and the fact that Erza could wake up any moment—Roger quickly collected himself, steering the conversation elsewhere. His eyes landed on the quiet oven nearby. "Uh, Mira, aren't the cupcakes done baking by now?"
"Pfft!" Mira let out a silvery laugh, wiping a tear from her eye as she caught his flustered expression. "Oh, Roger, that's what makes you so fun. Did you forget? The oven has a timer—it'll beep when it's ready."
As if on cue, a crisp ding! rang out from the oven.
Mira blinked, then stuck out her tongue with a playful, slightly shy smile. "Okay, maybe I forgot. I mean, that whole process was so delightful, it's hard not to get distracted~."
She turned to the oven, slipped on heatproof mitts, and carefully opened the door. A rich, warm aroma of cream, eggs, and frosting burst out, filling the kitchen so thickly it felt almost tangible. She pulled out the baking tray and set it on the counter to cool.
Roger leaned in curiously, noticing not just cute cupcakes but also an assortment of oddly shaped cookies. "Why so many cookies?" he asked, pointing to the baskets already packed on the counter. "Didn't we have enough over there?"
"Because it's fun, obviously~," Mira said with a grin, picking up a plain-looking cookie and holding it to his mouth. "Here, try this."
Roger took a bite, expecting the crisp, wheaty flavor, but a sharp spiciness exploded in his mouth, making him raise an eyebrow. "A little spicy?"
"Exactly~," Mira said, neatly sorting the cupcakes and cookies into different baskets as she explained. "These are my 'surprise cookies'! Like opening a blind box, you might get sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, or salty—five different flavors." Her face lit up with a mischievous grin. "And I added five 'grand prize' cookies with unforgettable flavors. I can't wait to see who gets them today." She pointed to a basket with a unique woven pattern. "Oh, and don't eat from this one later—all the surprises are in there."
"Alright," Roger said with a helpless smile.
As he moved to help pack the food, his gaze drifted to Erza's still-closed bedroom door, a puzzled look crossing his face. "Erza's not up yet? That's not like her."
"I remember she went to bed early last night," he added. "She should be up even earlier today."
"Maybe she was so excited for the cherry blossom festival that she stayed up late," Mira said smoothly, her expression unfazed. Meanwhile, her slippered foot subtly nudged a small, inconspicuous trash can deeper into the cabinet's shadow.
(Daphne's calming sleep aid worked like a charm. Just a pinch in her dinner knocked Erza right out. Gotta ask her for more next time.)
Roger walked to Erza's door and knocked lightly. "Erza, you up? You said last night you'd prep food this morning. We're running out of time."
Silence. Then, a sudden thud! echoed from inside, like something heavy hit the floor. A flurry of clattering and scrambling followed, and the door flew open with a snap. Erza stood there, her scarlet hair a wild mess, still in cartoon-patterned pajamas, eyes bleary. She bolted toward the kitchen, muttering in a panic, "Oh no, oh no! My marinated cutlets! They're past the perfect marinating time!"
She skidded to the counter, yanking off the cover of a large dish. Underneath were rows of cutlets, perfectly coated in flaky breadcrumbs. "Σ(°口°)? They—how did they get like this?!" Erza's eyes widened in disbelief. "I swear I only seasoned and started marinating them last night!"
Tilting her head, a giant question mark practically hovering above her, she mumbled, "Did… did the Snail Girl come and finish them for me?"
"Hai-yee! The Snail Girl's right here~," Mira chirped, raising her hand with a radiant smile. "I saw the marinating time was almost up, but you were still asleep. I didn't want the meat to get tough and ruin the flavor, so I took care of the rest."
She pointed to a prepared frying pan and chopsticks. "Now you just need to fry them~."
Erza let out a long breath, her tense shoulders relaxing as she gave Mira a grateful smile. "Oh, thank goodness. You scared me for a second. Thanks so much, Mira!"
"No problem~," Mira said, her smile growing sweeter, clearly delighted. "I'm happy to help Erza out."
Erza blinked. "???" (Why does that sound… weird?)
But with time running short, she brushed off the odd feeling, rolled up her sleeves, and got to work heating the oil to fry the cutlets. Roger joined in, prepping portable snacks, while Mira started pouring juice and tea into thermoses. The three worked in sync, each claiming a corner of the kitchen—until a distinct burnt smell hit Roger's nose.
He and Mira froze, glancing toward Erza. The Fairy Queen was laser-focused, flipping cutlets in the sizzling pan with long chopsticks, her expression as serious as if she were commanding a battlefield. Unfortunately, one cutlet's edge had turned an irredeemable dark brown.
"Erza! The heat's too high!" Roger called out.
"Huh? Oh!" Erza startled, fumbling to adjust the stove knob. She overshot, and the blue flame shrank to a flicker, nearly going out.
"Too low now~! It's about to die," Mira pointed out.
"What?! Then—how high should it be?" Erza stared at the now-still oil and the raw cutlets waiting to be fried, her eyes spiraling with indecision.
Roger and Mira exchanged a helpless look and stepped in to save the day. With their teamwork, they managed to produce a batch of slightly dark but not completely charred cutlets. After carefully packing all the food into elegant picnic baskets, the trio grabbed their heavy "spoils" and headed out to the park for the cherry blossom festival.
At the park entrance, a sea of pink blossoms filled Roger's vision, stretching endlessly. A sweet floral scent, mingled with the fresh dew of morning grass, tickled his nose, instantly refreshing him. Inside the park, the fragrance grew richer but never cloying, like soft background music that lifted everyone's mood.
They reached the guild's reserved viewing area, where a few members were already scattered about. "Roger! Erza! Mira! Over here!!" Lucy's vibrant voice called out.
They turned to see her kneeling on a large picnic blanket, wearing a lovely dress, her hair neatly styled. She waved enthusiastically, practically bouncing with excitement.
"You're here early," Roger said with a smile, scanning the spot. Lucy had snagged a prime location—cherry blossoms bloomed thickly overhead, and the view ahead was unobstructed.
"Hmph!" Lucy puffed out her chest, her face screaming praise me. "I got here two hours early! Couldn't sleep a wink—tossing and turning all night. I was up at four, packed by five, and rushed here at dawn to claim this spot! It was totally empty, just me! I scouted every inch and locked down this gem!"
"Wow~," Mira said, stepping forward to gently touch Lucy's neatly trimmed hair. "Not only early, but you got a haircut too? It's gorgeous."
"Really?!" Lucy beamed, her eyes sparkling at the compliment. "Hehe, Cancer did it! He's got serious skills with hair. If you like it, Mira, I can summon him to give you a new style!"
"Cancer… cutting hair?" Mira and Erza exchanged puzzled looks.
Erza crossed her arms, analyzing seriously. "Normally, Cancer's weapons are dual blades, right? His swordsmanship must be incredible to trim hair without nicking your scalp."
"No, no, no!" Lucy waved her hands frantically. "His weapons are special scissors, not swords!"
"Scissors?" Mira tilted her head, curiosity piqued. "Can those really be weapons? Does he win by snipping the enemy's hair?" She pictured it and giggled at the absurdity.
"Uh, well…" Lucy faltered, her expression torn. "They can be, but it's not as epic as you're thinking. Still, since my magic's gotten stronger, his scissors are sharper now—sharp enough to slice through tough armor!"
Seeing Mira and Erza's confusion deepen, Lucy decided to drop it. She held up her basket of cookies, pivoting with enthusiasm. "Forget that! Try my cookies! They're not as good as Mira's, but I think they're pretty decent!"
Seeing her excitement, the others didn't press further. Each grabbed a cute cookie and took a bite. The crisp texture and perfectly balanced sweetness earned a nod of approval from Mira.
She then picked up her specially woven basket and offered it with a bright smile. "Lucy's cookies are great! Want to try mine?"
"Yes!" Lucy grinned, grabbing a cookie from the basket and popping it into her mouth without hesitation, chewing eagerly.
But the next second—"Pffft! S-Spicy!!" Her face turned beet red, practically steaming as she stuck out her tongue, fanning her mouth as tears welled up. "Water! Where's the water?!"
Mira, still smiling angelically, calmly poured a glass of juice and handed it over. "Hai-yee~."
Lucy hesitated for a split second, but the fiery spice overwhelmed her. She chugged the juice, easing the burn, though her tongue still tingled. Slurring through numb lips, she wailed, "Why's the cookie so spicy?! It's like a chili bomb!"
"Because the same flavor every time would be boring~," Mira said, winking playfully. "Congrats, Lucy! You hit one of the five 'special surprises' on your first try. Lucky you!"
"(=_=) I don't want this kind of luck!!" Lucy groaned.
"No need to worry about being late, I see," a warm voice chimed in. Ultear waved, smiling, and sat on the blanket, setting down a food box. "I made some sandwiches and bought a few cakes."
"Long time no see," Roger said, grinning as he sensed her noticeably stronger magical aura. "Your magic's grown a lot. You're not far from the Ten Wizard Saints threshold."
"Thanks to our contract," Ultear said, casually grabbing a cookie from the special basket as she spoke. "Soon after joining the Council, Simon insisted I had room to grow and shouldn't be bogged down by paperwork. He took over most of my daily tasks."
"Now my main job is boosting my strength. Missions have sped up my magic growth, and since I was already at Saint-level, my power's been climbing fast." She bit into the cookie, her face lighting up. "Mmm! Delicious! Who made this? It's amazing!"
"That's me~," Mira said cheerfully, setting out more food. "There's plenty—help yourself."
Lucy blinked. "???"
"Delicious?" She couldn't believe her ears. Ultear took a cookie from that basket—how was it good? Seeing Ultear's genuine enjoyment, Lucy's curiosity stirred again. Hesitantly, she grabbed another cookie from the basket and nibbled cautiously.
"Ugh! Bitter!!!" Her face scrunched up, turning ashen. "How is this cookie this bitter?! It's worse than medicine!"
"Huh?" Ultear looked at her half-eaten cookie, puzzled. "Mine's not bitter. It's lightly sweet with a creamy flavor."
"Oh~," Mira clapped her hands, her smile as bright as the cherry blossoms. "Congrats again, Lucy! You got the second 'special surprise'! Two out of five special cookies in such a short time? That's some serious luck!"
Lucy, face still contorted, grumbled, "I don't want this kind of luck!!!"