81 Ice Cream-- the Best Cream

Asu's eyes became conflicted, and I saw her subconsciously swallow after my enticement.

I smiled gently as I nibbled on the ice cream cone. "My! This is even better! It tastes like a cookie, but yet not so. So much like a waffle, but this is crunchy and crispy too! Hmm, oh! I know what it tastes like, a Pizzelle!"

But just as those words left my lips, my eyes widened, 'realizing something important.' "Ah! Clare, I'm so sorry. I forgot that you don't know what a Pizzelle* is… You see, it's another one of the snacks served at this festival, and it's from a small country in the northeast."

*VA note: For all those curious, Pizzelle are traditional Italian waffle cookies.

I left it at that and continued to eat without any care in the world, frequently murmuring words of praise and sighs of awe.

Just before I finished off the waffle cone, I felt a small tug on my dress.

She finally caught the bait!

"H-Hey…" Asu's voice was barely audible. "D-D-Does it taste THAT good?"

I inwardly smirked, but on the surface, I remained staid and replied genuinely, "Of course! Why would I ever lie to you, Clare?"

With a smile, I held out another serving of ice cream in my free hand. "Do you want to try?"

She gulped, apparently conflicted for whether she should accept or deny it. "W-Well… Since you are so persistent, I suppose I can spare a bite."

However, even though Asu's words were filled with grandeur, her body language was much more honest. Her hands had reached forward to snatch the dessert away even before she finished her sentence, as if afraid that I would change my mind and suddenly devour the ice cream by myself.

After she took a dainty bite, she took another one, and another one, having seemingly forgotten my existence.

I could barely hold back my laughter. "How is it?" I asked teasingly.

Started, Asu cleared her throat as she turned away in embarrassment. "Terrible. The only reason I even ate it was out of consideration of your feelings since you seemed to like it very much. How I wish there was some strawberry cake!"

"I-Is that so… Clare, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you to eat something you despise so much. As expected, this commoner food is not fitting to your taste… Should I eat it instead?" I replied 'woefully', reaching out to take what was leftover of the ice cream Asu was eating.

However, before I could even touch it, Asu slapped my hands away. "W-W-What are you talking about?! It's mine now. A-Although the taste is inferior to the desserts I usually eat, it is very fitting to my taste!" She harrumphed, carefully taking another bite.