Chapter 8: Dessert

He had finally come this far.

The man’s rising excitement had reached its peak.
Every dish he had served up to now had been nothing more than groundwork leading to this single plate—
it would not be an exaggeration to say so.
For this very moment, he had honed his skills.

He wanted to see their surprise.
He wanted to hear voices filled with emotion.
And then—he wanted them to say, from the bottom of their hearts, “It’s delicious.”

Now, it was time to face the moment—

“Thank you for waiting. This is a petit gâteau finished with a glaze.
For your drink, we have prepared a special herbal tea blended with mint and lavender.”

“Whoa—look how glossy it is!”
Yuka, fork still in hand, peered at the plate from every possible angle.
Her eyes were sparkling, as if she had just discovered a gemstone.

“It looks delicious.”
Misaki smiled softly. At a glance, it seemed quite ordinary—
no, it was an exquisite piece.
A glaze so smooth it reflected the light, adorned with a single fleck of gold leaf.
Unlike the dishes before it, there was no attempt at novelty;
it was like a refined work of art.

Misaki cut off a small bite and gently brought it to her mouth.
A soft sweetness spread, followed by a nutty aroma.
“It’s delicious. …I wonder if there are nuts in it?”

As if snapping back to herself, Yuka moved her fork, and the instant she took a bite, a voice burst out of her without thinking.
“It’s so good! What is this—this is insanely delicious! I’ve never had a cake like this before!”
Saying that, she turned a beaming smile toward the man.

“If you’re that moved by it, then it was worth making,”
the man said, nodding with satisfaction.

But—at that moment.
Misaki’s movement stopped.

“…Huh?”

On the cut surface of the cake on the plate, she could see something dark, glinting.
Misaki slowly poked at it with her fork and, almost as if praying, checked it.

“W-wait… a cock… a cockroach…?”

“Yes. They are Dubia roaches and Turkistan roaches, caramelized.
They are for consumption, so please rest assured, it’s safe to eat.”

The man showed a smile unlike any he had shown before.
It was an expression filled with satisfaction, pride, and anticipation.

Yuka looked surprised for just a moment, but soon turned her gaze back to the cake and said casually,
“Oh. So cockroaches are actually tasty. I didn’t know that!”

Beside her, Misaki had frozen in place.

That single bite she had put into her mouth just moments ago.
She had thought it was nuts.
Toasty, crunchy—without a doubt, that was it.
She had believed that.

But.

What if that had been that—caramelized?
What if it had been black, crisp, and wrapped in a sweet coating?

A shiver ran through her, something crawling up her back.

“…I’m sorry.”
Misaki rose to her feet hesitantly and turned to face the man and Yuka.
“…Even if they’re edible, I can’t do it. I hate even looking at them… eating them is just…”

She broke off mid-sentence and lowered her eyes to the plate.
Then she looked at Yuka and gave her an apologetic smile.

“Sorry. I’m going to head back to the room first.”

“Eh—seriously? Then I’ll head back too.”
Yuka jumped up in a hurry and, while gathering her things, called out to the man.

“Oh, the check, please. And—can you box up that cake? I’ll take it home and eat it!”

The two of them hurriedly left the restaurant.

The man who was left behind stared at the two empty seats for a while— and then, quietly, he smiled to himself.

“…They were the ideal customers.”