Let Them Eat Cake

Joshua walked back to the bakery with his sugar in tow. Gina was surprised to see him with such a large sack and wondered what it could be.

"Did you find what you were looking for Joshua?" Gina asked.

"I did!" Joshua said. "I need flour, eggs, milk, yeast, and a bowl." He said while he put the sugar on the counter.

Gina ran to the back and brought back the items he requested.

"Do you have butter as well?" Joshua asked.

"Of course." Gina said as she went back to retrieve some fresh churned butter. With all the necessary ingredients to make a cake in hand, albeit a basic cake. He went through step by step with Gina, showing her how to make a cake. When he was done with his instruction, they put it in the oven and waited.

While they waited, he took some of the sugar and pounded it into a fine powder and mixed it with a tiny bit of milk and softened butter. He whisked vigorously until he had a fluffy icing for his cake.

"Wait until you try this." Joshua told Gina.

"Are you sure it is okay to eat something called plant sand?" She said, reading the label on the bag Joshua brought. "That doesn't sound edible."

"It will be fantastic, trust me." Joshua said. They cleaned up the mess they had made and prepared a place for the newly baked cake. The hourglass counted down and Joshua opened the oven with excitement. This was the first cake ever made in this world.

In his old life he was just a boring programmer with no accomplishments to his name, but here within a week he was already the inventor of cake. He sat the cake on the counter to cool and Gina was amazed by how good it smelt.

"This is the best smelling bread ever!" Gina said.

"It's not bread." Joshua said. "It is cake, and it will make us both a ton of money. Every noble in the kingdom will want it. The recipe for it must remain your most tightly held secret. For as long as we are the only bakery that produces it, we can charge whatever we want for it.

Since our plan is to fleece the nobles for as much as possible. Also, if we have nobles paying high prices, we can lower the prices of the regular bread making us the number one destination for both the nobles and the lower class! We will be profiting from both ends!" Joshua couldn't help but to laugh maniacally at his plan.

"It's good to see you so passionate about something." Gina said nervously.

The cake cooled enough for Joshua to apply the icing to it. He then cut off a piece and gave it to Gina. "Try it." He said while grabbing himself a piece.

Gina's eyes lit up as she took her first bite. Jolts of electricity shot through her body as her tongue was overloaded with the pleasurable taste it was just experiencing. The pleasure she experienced was so great that she moaned as it rushed through her body.

Joshua took a bite as well. It was nothing compared to the fancy cakes he had experienced in his past life, but it was passable considering the equipment and supplies that he had. He looked over to Gina and tears were pouring down her cheeks. "Gina what's wrong?!" He asked.

"It's just so damned good!" She yelled. "This must be what angels eat! This is the food of the heavens! No, the very gods themselves couldn't even imagine an experience like this."

"So, you like it?" Joshua asked, laughing. "What if I told you this was only the beginning and that this cake is just a blank canvas that we will paint our masterpiece upon. You can add fruit, chocolate, or vanilla to it as well. Or you can add a combination of the three. The only limit on cake is your own imagination."

The door's tiny bell rang out as a customer entered the store while they were having their moment. It was a local noble that had never graced their shop with his presence before. The aroma of cake had enticed him inside.

"Welcome." Gina said to the man. "What can we do for you today my lord?"

It was customary for people of the lower class to address nobles as their lord or lady.

"I smelled something amazing emanating from this shop." He said. "I had to investigate." He noticed the cake on the counter. "Is that the source? I require a piece of that, snap to it now."

"Hold on." Joshua said. "I don't believe you can afford a piece of that sir. It is only reserved for the finest of pallets."

"You think me some common cur?" The man questioned. "I have more gold than you will ever see in your lifetime rat, how dare you insult me in such a manner!"

"One gold piece." Joshua said. "That is how much a piece of this cake is."

"A whole gold piece for just a single piece?!" The man yelled in an outrage. "Is this not a shop that serves the rats of the lower city?! How dare you charge an entire gold piece!"

"See, I knew he couldn't afford it." Joshua said. "Sir, if you're not going to buy anything I am going to need you to leave. The shop is for paying customers only."

"I have never been so insulted by someone of such low birth!" He yelled.

"Fine." Joshua said sensing he may have pushed too far. "I will allow you a sample bite before you buy, however I will be raising the price for each time you dared to call my friend and I here, a rat or commented on our birth. The price is now three gold coins."

"You rat!" He yelled. "You cannot do that! You should be honored to have my business!"

"Four now." Joshua said. He cut off a small bite sized piece and walked it over to the man. "You are going to wish you bought it at one, because after you try it, you will buy it."

The man was angry at his treatment, but extremely curious as to the source of this young man's confidence. He placed the cake in his mouth and ate it. He started to cry from the deliciousness of the flavor. He closed his eyes tightly as he enjoyed his single bite.

"I will buy all of it." He said. "Give me the whole thing!"

Joshua cut up the cake into fifteen more pieces and wrapped each of them in paper. "That will be sixty gold coins." Joshua said. "Will that be paid in coin or off of your status plate?"

The man pulled out his plate and handed it to Joshua. This was the first time he got to view another person's plate. He glanced at the level before handing it over to Gina for processing. The noble was middle aged and level fifty-five.

Gina processed his payment and handed his plate back to him. The man then began to storm out of the bakery. He was both furious and delighted.

"We will have fresh baked cakes every day." Joshua said with a smile. "Tell your friends."

The man rushed out the door and slammed it behind him.

"I can't believe you just did that!" Gina said. "You just got sixty gold coins off a noble! That's more than this shop has ever made in a year!"

"Yes, please send ten percent to me." Joshua said. "I think that is a fair business relationship. Look I have other things to do now, I still need to visit the guild. If I were you I would start baking some cakes. You are going to be busy tomorrow."

"Thank you, Joshua." Gina said. "I don't ever know how I could ever repay you."

"Gina, you already have." Joshua said. "This is me repaying your kindness. Besides, I stand to make a lot of money as well."

"But only ten percent?" Gina said. "You invented the cake thing. Don't you want more?"

"If anything, you can throw in a smile." Joshua said as he started walking towards the door.

Gina gave him the biggest smile as she started to tear up again.

After the door closed behind him, Gina stared at the shut door of her empty bakery. "Thank you, Joshua, I love you."

Her mom entered as she said those words. "Oh? Is my sweet girl in love?!" Her mother teased. After she had her laugh, she continued talking. "Don't worry dear, it's nothing we already didn't know. I think the only person who doesn't know is Joshua."

"Mom, I need to show you this." Gina said as she pulled out the business's account plate. It showed the new balance with the sixty new gold coins. "Joshua just saved us."

Her mother's jaw dropped as she saw the money. "You have to marry that boy!" She said. "That is an order from your mother!"

"Yes mam!" Gina replied, giving a little salute then laughing. She then went on to explain everything that had happened and the business partnership she had agreed to. Her mother was amazed by the whole story, and she would not have believed it if it weren't for the sixty gold in her account.