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 desperately wanted 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 as honey?

And Adamas smiled beside him!

I've been waiting for this question of yours!

"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 called a sweet?

Of course not!

This is the universal consensus among nobles.

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

At most, it's just missing that 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 Marquis Marquis Aosiding family's honor into the mud!"

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

"But I say—those days are over. From today, after this Marquis Marquis Aosiding Hou Jue Castle banquet, that will change!"

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

"Lords and ladies, 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 Marquis Marquis Aosiding Hou Jue frowned deeply but said nothing immediately.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Unlike in the past, where pastries were either cylindrical loaves for pouring in honey filling, or doughnut-shaped 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 entered his mouth, an unusual flavor spread across his tongue.

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

This sweetness differed from honey—it felt 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 Castle had no shortage of sweets—even every meal featured sweet honey.

Precisely because of that, the Marquis Marquis Aosiding 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, and it became cloying!

Too little, and it tasted bland.

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

One bite, and the sweet, fragrant flavor burst forth—natural, rich, and profound!

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

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

The Marquis Marquis Aosiding 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 this eldest son.

Now the Marquis Marquis Aosiding Hou Jue knew—this banquet wouldn't bring shame, but glory.

His banquet would become the next legendary feast whispered among nobles.

Whoa!

The surrounding nobles erupted in uproar.

The Marquis Marquis Aosiding Hou Jue's approval spoke volumes.

Curious, the nobles eagerly 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's going on? This flavor… so unusual!"

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

"Mine, besides the wheat aroma, has sweet red beans inside—truly miraculous! Why do I feel it's even more delicious than honey pastries?"

Amidst a chorus of exclamations, Evan's face turned deathly pale, and his body began to sway uncontrollably.

Adams glanced at his younger brother with a smile, then continued, "Father, besides these ordinary pastries, I have specially prepared a birthday gift for you that everyone has never seen before!"

"A gift never seen before?" The hall, which had been buzzing moments ago, instantly fell silent.

Had this happened earlier, they would have severely questioned whether this son of a Hou Jue was boasting.

But having witnessed pastries without honey, they were now filled with anticipation.

Hou Jue Marquis Marquis Aosiding also looked at his eldest son with a face full of curiosity.

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

As his words fell, the doors to the banquet hall opened.

Several servants slowly pushed a dining cart into the hall.

On that cart sat a round platter with a diameter of one meter, holding a snow-white round object, upon which several red characters were written in jam.

'Happy Birthday to Father!'

"Adams, what is a birthday cake?"

"Father, a birthday cake is the most delicious pastry in the world!" Adams declared with absolute certainty.

Hush!

"Really? The most delicious pastry in the world? I admit pastries without honey are indeed hard to believe, but Adams's statement—where does that leave the royal court pastry chefs and the pastry masters of the ducal families?"

"Exactly. You must know that in the ducal families and the royal court, there are not only exquisite pastry masters but also various precious ingredients!"

The hall erupted in an uproar.

Regarding the previously unseen birthday gift, the nobles believed it; after all, the world is vast, and there are many things no one has seen before.

But to claim that the white, snowy pastry before them was the most delicious in the world, they felt Adams was bragging.

After all, the Marquis Marquis Aosiding family was, no matter what, merely a Hou Jue family.

Even if it were the most delicious pastry, it would be hard to surpass those of the royal and ducal families.

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

But just as he was about to say something, Adams cut him off with a single sentence: "Father, and all the distinguished guests!"

"I know you must think I am lying. Very well, I will now serve the birthday cake to all of you, so that every one of you may taste it and see if I am bragging!"