Chapter 188: The Boastful Adamas?

"Father, this pastry doesn't even have a drop of honey—how can this even be called a dessert? It probably has no sweetness at all, right?"

Evan, who had always wished for his brother to fail, immediately spotted the problem.

He smirked, finally feeling at ease.

He had thought his elder brother's confident words were just empty flattery, that he'd truly found a solution.

The result? The pastries became even more beautiful and refined—but still no honey.

Can a beautiful pastry be eaten like honey?

And Adamas smiled beside him!

I've been waiting for this question!

"Evan, who said a pastry without honey isn't sweet, isn't a dessert?"

Adamas's voice rang out loudly—not just to their table, but to nearly half the guests at the banquet.

The entire hall fell silent; everyone stared at Adamas in shock.

Can a pastry without honey be considered a sweet?

Of course not!

That was the universal consensus among nobles.

Without honey, what's the difference from plain white bread?

At most, it's just missing the hardened outer crust.

Evan blinked, then realized—his heart surged with joy. "Brother, listen to yourself! Can a pastry without honey be called a dessert? You're going to drag Father's and the Austen family's honor into the mud!"

Hearing the accusation, Adamas remained calm, finally turning to the guests with sincere expression: "Esteemed guests! I know that in the past, a pastry without honey was not considered a sweet."

"But I say this: that was the past. From today, after this Austen Hou Jue estate banquet, that will change!"

"Sweet pastries no longer need honey—and their flavor will be richer, more delicious, uniquely delightful!"

"My lords, I know words alone mean nothing—please, taste them now, and you'll see whether I speak truth or falsehood!"

"Father, listen—what is Adamas saying? Can a pastry without honey even be swallowed?" Evan felt his elder brother had gone mad.

The Austen Hou Jue frowned deeply but said nothing immediately.

He was clearly questioning whether his eldest son was truly confident—or had lost his mind.

"Father, please try one! I guarantee you won't be disappointed!" Adamas turned to the Austen Hou Jue.

After a long look at his eldest son, the Austen Hou Jue granted him one final chance.

If his eldest son's claim was false, the Austen family wouldn't just be a laughingstock of the Eastern Region.

It might become the entire kingdom's joke for the rest of the year.

Slowly, he picked up a rabbit-shaped pastry from the tray—its appearance was exquisite, lifelike in every detail.

Unlike pastries of old, which were either cylindrical loaves for pouring in honey filling or doughnuts designed for even honey coating.

This rabbit shape could still be coated with honey.

But honey would be hard to control, dripping everywhere—extremely rude at a banquet.

After observing for a moment, the Hou Jue took a deep breath and slowly placed the rabbit pastry into his mouth.

"Hmm?"

As the pastry touched his tongue, an unusual flavor spread across his taste buds.

First came a rich wheat aroma; after that, an unprecedented sweetness.

This sweetness differed from honey—it was natural, as if the wheat itself carried its own sweetness.

How could wheat have sweetness?

Had some druid developed a new magical wheat variety, naturally sweet?

The Hou Jue estate had no shortage of sweets—even every meal included sweet honey.

Precisely because of that, the Austen Hou Jue could better sense the difference and superiority between them.

Honeyed pastries were indeed sweet, but heavily dependent on the chef's skill.

Too much honey made it cloying; too little made it bland.

But this wheat pastry was different—it was sweet, yet not cloying.

One bite, and the sweet, rich aroma filled his mouth—utterly natural, deeply mellow!

"Father, are you alright?" Seeing the Austen Hou Jue frozen in place, Evan grew uneasy.

Not because he feared for his father's safety—but because he wondered why his father hadn't yet scolded Adamas for his nonsense.

The Austen Hou Jue came to his senses; his stern face slowly softened into a joyful smile.

"Adamas, you've done well. This pastry… is truly delicious!"

He had feared the family's honor would be ruined by his eldest son.

Now he knew: this banquet wouldn't bring shame—it would make the family's name ring far and wide.

His banquet would become the legendary feast whispered about among nobles for months to come.

My own banquet will become the legendary feast spoken of by nobles in the coming days.

The surrounding nobles erupted in uproar.

The Austen Hou Jue's approval spoke volumes.

Instantly, the nobles, curious, reached for the silver platters before them.

As each exquisitely shaped pastry entered their mouths, gasps and exclamations filled the hall.

"Oh! Good heavens! What is this flavor… so unusual!"

"Yes! No honey, yet still sweet—and full of wheat aroma!"

"Mine has red beans inside, and they're sweet too! How miraculous! I think it's even tastier than honeyed pastries!"

Amid the exclamations, Evan's face turned deathly pale; his body began to tremble.

Adamas glanced at his younger brother with a smile and continued: "Father, besides these ordinary pastries, I've specially prepared a birthday gift for you—something no one has ever seen before!"

"Something never seen before?" The previously buzzing hall fell instantly silent.

Before, they would have dismissed this Hou Jue's son as boasting.

But having tasted the honeyless pastry, they now waited with anticipation.

The Austen Hou Jue also looked at his eldest son with keen curiosity.

"Father, this birthday gift is called a birthday cake!"

As he spoke, the banquet hall's doors opened.

Several servants pushed a serving cart slowly into the hall.

On the cart sat a round platter one meter in diameter, holding a white, spherical object, adorned with red jam-written characters.

On the cart stood a plate one meter in diameter, bearing a snow-white round object adorned with red jam-written characters.

"Adamas, what is a birthday cake?"

"Father, a birthday cake is the most delicious pastry in the world!" Adamas declared firmly.

"Father, birthday cake is the most delicious pastry in the world!" Adams declared firmly.

"Is he serious? The most delicious pastry in the world? I admit the honeyless pastry is unbelievable—but this claim? Where does it leave the royal court pastry masters and the ducal family's masters?"

"Exactly! The ducal families and royal court don't just have skilled pastry masters—they also have rare ingredients!"

"That's right—remember, the Duke's family and the royal house not only have master pastry chefs but also access to all manner of rare ingredients!"

The nobles had believed in the "never-before-seen gift"—after all, the world was vast, and unfamiliar things were plausible.

But to claim that the white pastry before them was the most delicious in the world? They thought Adamas was blowing smoke.

After all, the Austen family was merely a Hou Jue house.

Even the most delicious pastry would struggle to surpass those of the royal court and ducal families.

"Adamas!" The Hou Jue felt his eldest son had gone too far.

But before he could speak, Adamas cut him off: "Father, and esteemed guests!"

"I know you think I'm lying—so now, I shall serve the birthday cake to each of you. Taste it yourselves—and see whether I'm boasting!"

I know you all think I'm lying, so now I'll divide this birthday cake among you all—let each of you esteemed lords taste it and see whether I'm boasting!