1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 496 Hey, just a small favor
Before the match began, Ronan's match area attracted the most tourists.

After the competition started, this place attracted the most judges and guests.

After finishing the almond lava chocolate, the other contestants' desserts no longer piqued their interest.

Everyone is just waiting to see what new and interesting things Ronan can create in his second creation.

Llorente has many people to take care of. Ronan is certainly not the only player who knows the details of the match in advance.

However, he visited Ronan quite frequently. Seeing that a local official from Exeter wasn't concerned about his city's players and was staring intently at Ronan, he jokingly asked:

"Want to bring your almond lava chocolate to Aix-en-Provence?"

The official smiled and shook his head:

"Stop joking. Blanco knows he'll kill me. I'm just waiting to eat the next piece. There were too many people sharing just now, and I only got a little bit. The taste in my mouth is making me feel nauseous."

Another person nearby, who knew the two, had already grabbed a spoon, ready to rush over and start eating at any moment.
"To be honest, the chocolate flowing out of the almond lava chocolate didn't surprise me much. What surprised me was the taste of the hot chocolate and almond ice cream blending together. Don't you think the chocolate and almond ice cream here at Ronan's place tastes exceptionally good?"

As time passed, the participants who had finished the race gradually appeared.

The judges ate a lot of chocolate of various textures, and Ronan wasn't the only contestant to use almond ice cream. But after eating so many contestants' desserts, everyone's mouths and minds were still filled with thoughts of this almond lava chocolate, as if they were under a spell.

Llorente crossed his arms and smiled as he said:
"Didn't you notice? Ronan paid extra attention to the harmony and combination of flavors today, starting with the cherry tart this morning."

Upon his reminder, the official from Axel clapped his hands excitedly:

"That's right, he's paying extra attention to the presentation of the taste today."

The combination of cookie-baked tart crust, hot chocolate, and almond ice cream creates a delightful and surprising taste sensation with every bite.

This must be Ronan's battle plan.

"What kind of culinary feast will this be?" Llorente murmured with delight.

Everyone looked over expectantly, only to be stunned, because Ronan was doing something they couldn't understand.

While the other contestants were busy finishing up, he was brushing the dessert plate.

Ronan's hands seemed to possess magic; with a gentle turn of the brush, a circle drawn with chocolate appeared.

Seemingly dissatisfied with the design, he whispered a few words to Leah next to him and then erased it.

"That's right, that's more like it. Ronan's strength lies in his control over the texture and flavor of desserts. Don't waste time designing the plating." One of the judges commented anxiously.

Even without Llorente's reminder, many judges could see the path Ronan was going to take today.

But under everyone's watchful eyes, Ronan drew another plate pattern, then, still seemingly dissatisfied, crossed it out again, and then drew a third, a fourth, and a fifth.
The judges and guests lost count of how many designs he created; there were at least a dozen within minutes.

The plate became a blank sheet of paper, the brush and chocolate became a pencil, and that's how he started creating.

Even Llorente is starting to get anxious this time.

With little time left, Ronan was still designing the plate design.

Where is your second work?
Although there was another person on the field who was constantly running around busily, everyone thought that he was Ronan's assistant, and that Ronan should handle the important steps.

Three minutes later, Ronan finally finished his work and put down the brush and plate with satisfaction.

Almost instantly, Leah presented Ronan with two patterned 'eggs,' one large and one small, which looked like they were made of chocolate.

The judges and guests were completely focused on Ronan; they didn't even notice how this middle-aged woman had made it.

Leah then placed one prop and tool after another in front of Ronan:

"This is all I can do. You can adjust the rest."

Ronan tapped his watch twice, raised his eyebrows, and said:
"The timing is just right, and I've finished here too."

The judges and guests watching were dumbfounded.

Wait, what kind of relay race is this?
After that, Ronan never got distracted again.

He bent down and carefully finished the second dessert.

Those props familiar to pastry chefs seemed to be under a witch's spell, flying rapidly in Ronan's hands, dazzling the onlookers.

The turntable moved so fast that details were obscured, yet Ronan was able to precisely carve each 'egg', modifying its shape. Every minute, the two eggs presented new visual sensations; although everyone still couldn't discern what they were, there was a sense that they were becoming increasingly lifelike.

In the last five minutes, Ronan finally stopped sculpting and picked up the spray gun.

A black powdery substance sprayed out and landed on the 'egg', causing Llorente to almost scream:

"They made two 'almonds' out of chocolate!"

Actually, he had been thinking about how to incorporate almonds into the work, which seemed to only contain chocolate elements.

Because he overlooked Leah's actions, Llorente guessed that almonds might have been mixed into the chocolate, but he didn't expect the 'almonds' to appear at the very end!

The theme of the competition was almonds and chocolate, but no one stipulated that these two things had to be presented in the form of food ingredients.
That's amazing, truly amazing!

"Ronan is such a pleasant surprise." At this moment, the smooth-talking Llorente could not hide his favoritism towards Ronan and praised him sincerely.

Just when everyone thought he was going to conquer Aix-en-Provence with his taste, he used such an ingenious dish to prove to everyone that Ronan has a lot more to offer!
The last few minutes were simply a thoroughly enjoyable artistic display!

“Because he’s Ronan,” Bernard said, appearing out of nowhere and standing next to Llorente. “Desserts are Ronan’s forte, haven’t you forgotten?”

Before Ronan could even say anything, the judges snatched the second piece away to take pictures.

They were in such a hurry that they just divided up the almond lava chocolate, completely forgetting Ronan's identity as an artist.

Given that photos of 'Hope' can fetch a high price on the secondary market, why can't this new work's photos sell for several thousand or ten thousand?

In the chaos, Bernard, who wanted to have a word with Ronan, couldn't get close to him because there were just too many people surrounding Ronan.

Having regained his composure, Llorente was very considerate of the sponsor's feelings and stayed by his side throughout:

"Do you need me to schedule an appointment with Ronan for you?"

Judging from today's situation, Bernard and his fellow countryman Ronan won't be able to exchange more than a few words, but he knows that this sponsor is not willing to end things after just a few words with Ronan.

Bernard nodded:
"Opportunities to meet one-on-one are necessary, but congratulations should also be offered immediately. Ronan shone brightly again today."

Llorente asked cautiously:
"May I ask what you'd like to discuss with Ronan? That would be helpful in facilitating your meeting."

Bernard turned his gaze to Llorente:
“You should know why I sponsored this event. Ronan is very important to our wine, and I wanted him to endorse our brand.”

Llorente frowned and said:
"But you should know that Ronan has his own wine brand."

Bernard dismissed it, saying:
“It’s okay, we’re taking two different approaches. Rosé wine is a table wine, targeting the mass market, while our red wine is positioned as high-end.”

Llorente felt that Bernard was oversimplifying the matter.

Even if you're on different routes, you're still competitors.

He didn't want to see the two of them part on bad terms, as this could damage his relationship with both parties as the mediator, so he advised against it:
“Actually, I have a better suggestion. How about I introduce you to a few more suitable artists? They will all be coming to Aix-en-Provence to attend the dessert competition soon.”

Bernard smiled and asked in return:

"In Provence, is there an artist more inspired and talented than Ronan? His talent will soon overflow beyond Provence."

Before Llorent could say anything more, a 'feather' suddenly appeared in his hand.

Ronan dropped it off and left:

"I'm so sorry we can't let everyone try the second piece right away. They'll be done taking photos soon. Have some almond chocolate first."

The competition details were announced this morning. Although Ronan knew the theme early on, he wouldn't be foolish enough to prepare in advance. Therefore, this dessert made with chocolate and almond white chocolate must have been made during the competition.

Ronan has already made two desserts, and this feather design is so exquisite; it must have taken a lot of time.

"When was it done?" Llorente asked, his eyes wide.

Ronan waved his hand with a particularly dashing air:
"Just now, I had some materials left over, it was just a quick thing to do."

Golden light shone in Bernard's eyes, and several words kept swirling in his mind:

Ronan, the most talented artist in Provence, is collaborating with someone; success is inevitable.

(End of this chapter)