[Malice grins at that. Praise!!]

Helps that you were willin' to give me a direction to go in. An' give it a taste test!

[He laughs at that and holds out his hand again to make more sugar cubes. These ones are also looking pretty good!]

I thought learnin' magic was gonna be way harder. But now that I'm over the initial hurdle, it seems like I can do nearly anythin' if I set my mind to it!

[...maybe not anything, malice...]