Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder
Chapter 381

Chapter 39: A Special Cake for My Love

He didn't elaborate, of course, and only asked, “Now what?"

“I have to replace some way to make the king like me,” I said as Theo and I walked back toward myroom. I wished he would've just left this to me, but he seemed determined to be involved in everyaspect of this. Maybe he wanted to make sure I didn't mess it up.

Brook met us outside of the library, and she was very supportive of my trying to win the king's heartagain. “You could make his favorite dessert. He loves royal cherry revelry cake. Remember when youtried to make it for him last year, and you accidentally burned it?”

I didn't remember that, of course, but I couldn't tell her that. Theo and I knew that we were the onlyones who remembered who we were. I couldn't help but wonder what had become of Warren andSophia.

"What do you think, my lady?” Brook asked me. “Shall the two of us head to the kitchen?” She gaveTheo a look that said that he wasn't welcome.

“I think that's a good idea,” I told her, but when we started to walk down the hallway, in a direction Iknew would lead us to the kitchen, Theo was walking right behind us.

"You're going to cook?” Brook asked him. “I didn't know that guards were capable of making cakes.”Theo ignored her altogether and entered the kitchen.

"Hey!" Brook chased after him, and all I could do was shake my head. Hopefully, we all would forgetabout everything that had happened in this illusionary realm in the end.

Eventually, we made it to the kitchen. I had never been very good at cooking. As much as I tried tolearn from my mother and her head cook when I was younger, it just didn’ t seem to be a skill I hadmuch luck with.

I was better at doing things outside in nature. I could start a fire with two sticks and cook a smallanimal for dinner if I

had to, but I couldn't take a bunch of ingredients and mix them together to make a dessert to savemy life.

Maybe that was exactly what I was doing now-baking a cake to save my life...

Brook got the ingredients together. Most of them I could identify-flour, sugar, butter, eggs, milk,cherries, some sort of liquor, and oil. I thought I could handle all of that. She turned the oven on topreheat.

Theo was keeping his distance at the moment and was simply watching us. I tipped my head to theside and asked him, “Are you even going to help us?”

He said nothing, only glaring at me from a few feet away, his arms folded across his chest. His bodylanguage told me that he didn't want anything to do with cooking or pleasing whatever king that Iwas supposed to impress

“Uhm, I seem to recall this isn't exactly for me.” I turned to see Brook was still gathering dishes andutensils. Taking a step closer to Theo, I asked, “Is this berry we're after for me? Am I the one whoneeds it?"

Theo grumbled under his breath and stepped closer, but something told me he wasn't actuallygoing to do anything to help me with this task. He didn’t seem like the homebody type who wouldbe keen on cooking.

"Okay, first we need to open the flour and measure out three cups,” Brook said, gesturing at whereshe'd set the bowl I was supposed to put the flour in.

“No problem,” I replied, seeing a measuring cup sitting on the counter. Theo was in my way, and Ihad to lean past him. I didn't like the heat I felt radiating off of his body. I found it distracting.Quickly, I grabbed the utensil I needed and got back into my own space.

Clearing my throat, I opened the bag of flour and started to measure it out. “Oh! You need to makesure you grease the pan first!” Brook said, and the way she said it made me think that it was anemergency, so I switched tasks, picking up the open bag of flour and moving it out of the way.

I set it down on the counter in front of Theo rather hard, and the next thing I knew, he wascoughing.

I turned to look at him and shrieked, covering my mouth. with both hands.

Prince Theo looked like a ghost! When I'd set the flour bag down, a bunch of the white powder hadcome shooting out the top, sprinkling him from the top of his head all down. the front of his shirtwith the white substance. It even coated his eyelashes.

I wanted to laugh, but if I did, would he grab one of the kitchen knives from behind him and plungeit into my heart -berry or no berry?

Rather than letting the laugh I was fighting out, I said, “I'm so sorry about that.”

He glared at me, and Brook broke into a fit of laughing. “Serves you right!” she said, having no ideathat she was actually talking to her prince.

Theo's face darkened. Before he could scold Brook again, I handed him a towel. “Take it, so that youcan wipe yourself.”

However, he didn't take it. “You do it.”

“What? Why?!"

“You're the one who caused this,” he shrugged.

Brook pointed at him. “No, no! You're a guard! How could you ask our lady to clean up for you?”

To prevent Brook from calling other guards and throwing him in the dungeon again, I sighed andtold Brook, “Uh... he has a point. It's okay.”

Brook's eyes widened in disbelief while I did my best to get the flour off of his face. But I couldn'tget it all out of his dark hair, and it wasn't coming off of his uniform either. He' d probably need totake a shower later. But then, it would likely turn to paste.

Oops!

After cleaning Theo up, I returned to the counter while he looked at me out of the side of his eye. Ididn't think he was actually mad. In fact, he seemed to have a hint of amused expression on his face."Alright, now, let's put all the dry ingredients in that bowl and mix them.” Brook instructed, “Thenadd an egg and some milk and oil.”

I blended all of that together and then “folded” in the cherries, whatever that meant. Theo gothimself a cup of water, still just... watching.

“This dessert would probably taste a lot better if you just made it for me, Brook,” I complained.

“No, no, my lady. I cannot do this for you. I don't have the most important ingredient to put in.”“What's that?”

“Love, of course!” she beamed, and Theo let out a cough behind us, almost choked on his water.While it wasn't true that I loved the king, I did want to do my best to make it so that he liked it.After a while, the timer on the stove beeped, and Brook pulled the cake out. She stuck a toothpickinto the middle of it and pulled it out clean.

“It's done!” she declared. “Now, we just have to let it cool, and then we can put whipped cream ontop and serve it to the king. I'm sure this will win a spot in his heart!”

I looked at the cake and was quite astonished that I had made it almost completely by myself. It wasvery pretty with its red swirls through the white cake.

“It's a very special cake,” Brook said, leaning back against the counter near where the cake wascooling. “It's said that whoever bakes it must insist that the one she loves most has the first bite.Then, a blessing will be bestowed upon both the baker and the one who tasted it.”

I raised my eyebrows. “That does make it seem like a special cake,” I agreed with her.

We continued to chit chat while the cake cooled. Then, when we were satisfied that it had cooledenough to take out of the pan and put on a cake stand, Brook gave me special instructions on howto get it out without making it crumble. I took my time, finessing every movement, until I managedto get it out and onto the platter.

“I'll get the whipped cream topping and a few more cherries to add to the top,” she said, steppingaway to go to the refrigerator.

I took the baking pan to the sink to wash it out, again thinking it would be best not to leave a mess.When I turned around again, I saw Theo standing over my cake, a fork in his hand-and he waschewing!

"What in blazes are you doing?” I demanded, rushing over to him to pull the fork away from him. Ifhe'd been trying to keep me from doing so, I wouldn't have been able to dislodge it, but he let go,and my hand went flying backward as I glared at him.

“I was just making sure it tastes okay,” he said with a simple shrug.

Furious, I demanded, “Didn“t you hear what Brook said?”

“So? If it doesn't taste good, the king may dislike you even more.”

I was speechless. Brook began shouting at him, too. “You ruined it! You ruined the whole cake!”“Relax.” Theo took the whipped cream from her and began to pile it on top, easily covering thesmall hole where he'd taken the bite. By the time he was done, it did look like it had beenuntouched.

“There. Now put some cherries on top,” he ordered Brook.

Brook gave him a glare but had no choice but to do what he asked. Luckily, she was able todecorate the cake beautifully, and no one would be able to tell that a small piece had been takenfrom it.

288 Wouchers

As I prepared to take the cake to the king, I heard Theo say quietly, “And yes, I did.”

Taking my time, I carried the cake I had made for the king into his private chambers. I could foreseemyself tripping and dropping it or landing face-first in the cake, so I had to take my time and becareful not to let all of my hard work go to waste, although it was bad enough that Theo hadtechnically ruined how special it was anyway.

I walked into the room to see the king standing with his back to me, looking out the window. Helooked familiar, with broad shoulders and dark hair. He was tall and well-. built, but it wasn't until heheard the sound of my footsteps on the floor that he turned to look at me.

The cake platter slipped from my hands at the sight of him, and I only just grabbed it before it hitthe ground. I couldn't believe the face I was looking at.

Warren!