Erina's expression turned conflicted.
There were things she wanted to say, yet she swallowed them back down.
Her thoughts had become complicated.
"Then next, it's my turn." Yuto gave a soft laugh and brought his two portions to Tohru and Hisako.
A serving of white soup, a bowl of plain rice, and a plate of pan-fried meat slices.
Simple and ordinary.
Hisako was not quite sure where to begin, while Tohru was already preparing to eat the meat first.
"Don't rush," Yuto stopped Tohru.
Under the gazes of the three girls, he poured the white soup into the bowl of rice.
The milky broth soaked into the plain rice, making it look like rice porridge.
It was light, clean, and faintly translucent.
"All right." Yuto smiled and spoke to the two of them.
Tohru could no longer hold back.
She loved her Boss's cooking more than anything, so the moment Yuto said it was ready, she scooped up a spoonful of rice.
There was still broth in the spoon.
The dragon girl swallowed it in one bite.
"Mmm! Mmm! Mmm!"
'This—this was—The sea!'
The dragon girl picked up the bowl and drained the whole thing in one go.
It was just too delicious!
Even better than meat buns and rice! Tohru could not hold herself back.
Her actions startled Hisako and Erina and Yuto merely smiled.
Hisako looked at the simple bowl of soup-soaked rice, then scooped up a spoonful with nervous anticipation.
The moment it entered her mouth, her heart seemed to melt.
She should have been standing by the sea.
Otherwise, why would she see a beach? The white sand glittered with golden specks beneath the sunlight, and the ocean in the distance rippled with soft splashes.
Sunlight scattered across the surface of the water like gold, while seagulls circled overhead, their cries echoing through the air.
Palm leaves, reddish-brown beach stones, a faintly moist sea breeze... This was a seaside that belonged to her alone, a boundless silence meant only for her!
She should have been in the sea.
Otherwise, why would she see shrimp and crabs? Golden rays pierced through the deep blue ocean, and from that moment on, the sea had light.
Curled sea shrimp bounced across the sandy seabed, while crabs scuttled sideways in a dazed manner.
Beautiful fish swam through the water, their bodies shimmering with the luster of the ocean.
Colorful coral, drifting bubbles, the pulse of countless lives... This was her ocean, where every breath and every sign of life unfolded around her.
"Hisako... Hisako... Hisako?"
Who? Who was calling her name?
When the girl opened her eyes, she understood everything in an instant.
A bashful flush appeared on her face.
"Erina-sama..." Hisako was extremely embarrassed.
Erina understood what had happened to her, so she did not say much.
She simply became even more curious about Yuto's dish.
"You can try the pan-fried shrimp slices as well," Yuto spoke softly.
Hisako answered and picked up a piece of the pan-fried shrimp.
Mmm—
The girl's face flushed with happiness.
It was an incredibly delicious and layered sensation.
Springy, crisp, firm, mellow... That flavor almost made the girl show signs of losing herself again.
Fortunately, Erina interrupted her in time.
"Munch, munch..."
The dragon girl had already finished everything.
Her eyes looked toward Yuto with anticipation, and she raised her hand like an elementary school student asking to speak.
"Boss, Boss! I want more!"
This little amount was nowhere near enough!
"Wait a moment." Yuto lightly knocked her on the head.
It did not hurt, but Tohru obediently quieted down.
Erina let out a sigh.
A trace of gloom flashed through her eyes.
The result was already obvious.
Although she had known things would turn out this way, it was impossible to remain completely calm.
"Looks like I lost," Erina took the initiative to speak, her words carrying a hint of disappointment and helplessness.
"It's fine. Just keep working hard." Yuto's comfort was extremely simple, but it eased the girl's heart.
"Can I taste your dish?" Erina made the request herself.
She wanted to see what Yuto's cooking was really like.
"Of course. I made quite a bit of soup, so everyone can fill their stomachs while we're at it." Yuto smiled.
Hearing that, Hisako's face brightened with joy.
Although she believed one should not eat too much late at night, just this once, she would break that rule.
Just this once!
"I'd like another serving too." Hisako looked embarrassed as she spoke to Yuto.
"All right." Yuto smiled and nodded.
"Boss, Boss! Me too! Don't forget me!"
"I know!" Yuto pressed the dragon girl's head down.
This employee of his still was not steady enough.
Erina held a bowl of soup-soaked rice and gently tasted a mouthful.
The moment it entered her mouth, a blush rose across her face, and a tremor ran through her entire body.
"Nnnn... haaaaah..."
She could not avoid the physical reaction brought about by the God Tongue.
After taking several deep breaths, Erina was so embarrassed she wanted to die!
However, several different emotions also rose in her heart.
The disappointment from earlier vanished. What remained was openness and joy.
As expected, she was still far away from Yuto.
But was that not better? Now she had motivation again.
This time, she would chase after him openly and honestly.
She would chase that back she could barely see even if she had to raise her head and look far into the distance.
'Kamisaka Yuto.'
The girl silently repeated his name in her heart.
Her fighting spirit quietly rose, and her heart became refreshed and unburdened!
At that moment, the door opened.
An exceptionally tall figure appeared at the entrance.
Her long hair was an icy blue, and she wore a black-and-white military uniform. Her features were sharp, aggressive, and striking, while her figure was outstanding.
The moment one saw her, the word "queen" would naturally come to mind.
In every sense of the word, this was a very dangerous woman.
"Welcome." As usual, Yuto greeted the woman entering the restaurant for the first time.
The woman's face was dangerous, carrying an indescribable allure.
When she heard Yuto's words, the corner of her mouth curved upward.
If an ordinary man saw that smile, he would surely be drawn in by her. A cold, proud personality often stirred a different kind of feeling in men's hearts.
On top of that, this woman had an exceptional appearance.
Her face and figure were both outstanding, perfectly matched with her cold, piercing aura.
She was truly a rose with thorns.
"Interesting. I thought someone was targeting me again, but I didn't expect it to be something like this."
The woman's words carried both arrogance and surprise.
The arrogance lay in the first half of her sentence, while the surprise came in the latter half.
Hearing her words, Yuto began thinking slightly.
A great deal of information could be revealed through speech. Even a few short words were enough for one to infer certain things.
Yuto looked at her military uniform, then connected it with what she had said.
In his mind, he already had a rough guess.
Tap, tap, tap.
The woman stepped forward in high heels and sat at the counter.
The moment she entered the restaurant, the corresponding information had already appeared in her mind.
Although it was her first time here, she carried herself as if she were already familiar with the place.
That made Yuto feel a little surprised inside.
"Hello. What would you like to eat? I can make anything I know how to make." Yuto would not let his emotions disturb him.
By now, he could be considered someone who had seen plenty.
She was merely a woman with a somewhat unique presence.
He had already met many of those. After composing himself, he smiled and asked her.
His face were handsome to begin with, and his whole presence was as light and gentle as drifting clouds, enough to calm the heart.
With that smile, he seemed to gain a little more radiance, almost as if he were giving off light.
The woman sitting by the counter was briefly dazed when she saw Yuto's smile.
But in the next instant, she came back to herself.
She was the Empire's Great General, the strongest person in the entire nation!
Her heart had been tempered until it was incomparably strong.
It was only that recently, she had been feeling rather restless...
The corner of Esdeath's mouth lifted, and a strange light flickered in her eyes.
A sudden impulse rose in her heart.
"Just bring me some meat," Esdeath said it casually.
Yuto nodded and walked into the kitchen.
He planned to pan-fry a few pieces of beef for Esdeath.
It would not take much time.
There was no door to the kitchen, only a thin curtain barely thirty centimeters wide.
Esdeath crossed her legs and rested her clasped hands beneath her chin. Her eyes remained fixed on Yuto's figure in the kitchen.
The military cap on her head happened to block the light, making her face appear slightly dimmer, while her eyes looked especially bright.
Tohru and the others nearby were also watching Esdeath.
Although the dragon girl's usual role was mostly to act cute, she instinctively felt that something was off about this woman's gaze.
There was no malice in it, though and that left her confused.
...
It was only a simple matter of pan-frying a few pieces of meat.
After slicing the beef, Yuto placed it straight into the pan.
In truth, so-called steak was not much more complicated than this. Although the name sounded fancy, it was still just fried beef.
Yuto sprinkled on a small handful of salt and ground some pepper over it.
Then he placed the beef from the pan onto a plate.
Many Western restaurants would also serve it with sauce, but those sauces were often just oyster sauce and soy sauce simmered together.
Although the restaurant did not have steak sauce, he could still make something temporary.
Yuto took oyster sauce, soy sauce, and a few other seasonings, simmered them briefly, then poured the sauce over the beef.
Once the sauce covered it, the rich aroma originally coming from the beef became subdued.
That did not mean the fragrance had vanished. It had simply blended into the sauce, which would make the flavor of the meat itself much richer.
Yuto sliced a few pieces of onion as well.
They served both as garnish and as a way to cut through the richness.
Once everything was ready, he carried the plate out. The moment he stepped out, he met Esdeath's gaze.
She had been watching him the entire time!
Yuto was already used to being observed, so he simply placed the plate in front of Esdeath with a smile.
"Pan-fried beef. Please enjoy." After saying that, he stepped back a little.
"Just from the aroma alone, I can tell it's a decent dish. I imagine it tastes good as well."
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