“All right, go ahead,” Lady Kuzunoha said at last.
Bal grabbed a manju in one hand and a senbei in the other.
I took one of the manju. Steam rose from it, and it felt heavy and hot to the touch. I reflexively bounced it between my hands and blew on it to cool it off. Once I took a bite, a mixture of sweetness and sesame filled my mouth.
“Mmm! So tasty!”
“Indeed, it has a rather good flavor.”
Lady Kuzunoha and I spoke at the same time.
Next, I tried the senbei. It was like a thin, hard sheet, and biting into it created a satisfying crunch. Its taste was the perfect blend of sweet and salty.
“They’re so thin, I feel like I can eat as many as I want!”
“Both turned out well.”
Lady Kuzunoha nodded and promptly stopped possessing me.
Lord Reineke tried each of the snacks, then licked his lips. The gesture looked so much more erotic in his human form.
“Hmm. Not bad,” he remarked, grabbing another manju.
“I prefer these!” Bal said. He grabbed a few of the senbei, stacked them up, and took a bite of them all at once. There was a loud cracking sound. “I knew it! They taste best when you have more than one at a time!” he said, proudly reporting his great discovery.
The rest of us tried it as well. With everyone crunching away, the atmosphere was fun and lighthearted.
“Wow! They really do taste better that way!” I said.
“True.”
Liam spread some cherry jam in between two pieces of senbei with an impish smile.
“Oh! This is amazing as well!” he said, then made one for me to try.
The sweet and tart jam sandwiched between crispy senbei had a slightly luxurious feel.
“You’re right, brother!”
“I wanna try too!” Bal pestered.
Lord Reineke also looked at the snack greedily.
Liam made two of the jam-filled senbei for them. They opened their mouths wide and took a bite at the same time. A loud crunch resounded, which satisfied Lord Reineke.
“Ohh, nice! Seems like we can make all kinds of flavors!” Bal said.
“Yes. It might be nice if we teach the recipe to the townsfolk and see what flavors each shop can come up with. I think it’d be exciting if they all could sell their original versions,” Liam said with a smile.
“Good idea,” Lord Reineke affirmed and patted Liam on the head.
The surprised Liam looked up at the spirit. Then he put both his hands on his head where he’d been petted and blushed.
“Th-Thank you very much...” he mumbled, shaken up.
“Oh? Are you not used to this?”
Liam nodded at Lord Reineke’s question. I’d never seen him look so embarrassed, and I suddenly felt jealous. I took his hand and peered up at his face.
“Brother! I’ll pet you too!!! Please lower your head!” I demanded.
Liam burst out laughing.
“Hey! Don’t laugh at me!”
He wiped a tear from his eye and petted my head.
“No! I want to pet you!” I hopped up and down, trying to reach his head.
“You’re so cute, Lune,” Liam said, bending down.
My fingers glided through his purple, silky hair, as elusive as wine. It was soft, beautiful, and smelled like him. It felt nice, and I let out a satisfied sigh.
Lord Reineke then put his hand on top of mine, and put his other hand on my head. Confused, I looked up at him. He grinned, petting both me and Liam simultaneously.
“You’re both cute,” Lord Reineke said gently, causing both of us to blush.