"Ah, yes, everything about tomorrow has to be approved," I respond, a little bit of bitterness entering my voice.
"You're going to be fine," Nate assures me."You've met plenty of nobles before and managed to make convincing small talk."
"I'm not sure that convincing is the right word," I murmur.
"You haven't caused any diplomatic incidents yet," he responds."Or none that I've heard about."
"Maybe my parents managed to cover them up before the papers in Wafeland heard about them."
He chuckles."Did they?"
"Not as far as I know.Veronica is more likely to cause a diplomatic incident than I am."
"I think we all know it," he says."Right, so frangipane."
I grimace."I'm sorry you have to make this."
"I'm a pastry chef, Evie.It's my job to make this," he says."Though I am tempted to burn it."
"Nate!You can't do that."
He laughs."I promise I won't.I don't want to tarnish my reputation with burnt pastry.Besides, the Queen might remove me from my position for it, and that would run very contrary to my plans."
"Your plans to..."
"Be with you, Evie."
"I would still find a way."
"I have no doubt about that."He smiles at me in a way that fills me with warmth."All right, so the pastry case is already rolled and in the ice house, we just need to make the filling."
I frown."We're not blind baking it?"
"Not this time.The frangipane is a thick batter, you don't need to blind bake the pastry because it's not going to make it soggy."
"Oh."
"Here, you're going to need this."He passes me the rotary whisk."Beat the butter and then add the sugar."
"Got it."I put the whisk into the bowl with the butter and turn the handles to make the attached whisks spin until the butter is fluffy.
Once that's done, I beat in the sugar while Nate finely chops two bulbs of preserved ginger.The rest of the ingredients are already laid out on the table in front of us, including a jar of preserved apricots.
"It must not have been very fun to eat in winter before they started preserving things," I say as I look at the bright orange halves floating in the jar.
"I think they've been preserving things for a long time," Nate responds.
"Even so, I'm glad we live today.There are always new methods of cooking and preserving things coming out."
He nods in agreement."I've heard rumours that there's a new tea shop in the village," he says."The owner is from Shengda and has dozens of different kinds of tea."
I blink a few times."That's so many different types."
"It is."
"Maybe we could go?"I suggest.
"To see if there's a new blend for the castle?"
