After a few more words, the tofu in the pan had finished reducing.
Although Yuto had been speaking with the two girls, his attention had never truly left the heat and timing of the tofu in the pan.
When he lifted the lid, the water he had added earlier had already turned into a thick, pale-yellow sauce.
A rich fragrance immediately rose with the steam, tugging strongly at one's appetite and pulling out the craving hidden deep inside.
After reducing the sauce, there was still one extra step to enhance the color and aroma.
This step could technically be skipped if one did not want to do it.
Yuto sliced one green chili and one red chili, then cut a small section of celery.
Once they were added to the pan, the heat gently steamed them, releasing the flavors of the chili and celery.
The already delicious fragrance gained a faint, fresh sharpness that made it even more tempting.
Yuto took out a plate and picked nine pieces of tofu from the pan, placing them neatly onto it.
There were still two pieces left in the pan, which made the two girls look puzzled.
Yuto did not explain for the moment.
He held a spoon and scooped up a ladleful of pale-yellow sauce, pouring it over the tofu.
The pale sauce was like clear amber, transparent and beautiful, yet deeply fragrant. It wrapped around the tofu, with the bright red and green garnish scattered over the surface.
And with that, the Yipin Tofu was complete.
"All right. Bring it out."
At his soft instruction, Hisako carried the Yipin Tofu to the counter.
Before the girl even arrived, the fragrance had already reached the guests first.
When the dish was gently placed before Yagokoro Eirin, even the Moon Sage's usually calm and detached expression showed a trace of surprise.
"This dish suits my taste very well," Yagokoro Eirin nodded slightly.
Just its appearance and aroma alone were enough to win her over. She had lived through countless years, so she had long since lost interest in things that were merely luxurious on the surface.
The simple appearance of Yipin Tofu happened to satisfy her very much.
"I already told you, Kamisaka-kun's cooking is wonderful." Yakumo Yukari sounded rather proud from the side.
Compared with Yukari's satisfaction, Kaguya, who was beside Eirin, had already picked up her chopsticks.
But Eirin lifted her own chopsticks at the same time and blocked the princess's chopsticks with a crisp tap.
"Princess, you already refused this dish." Eirin's slightly teasing words made Houraisan Kaguya's face fill with annoyance.
'I'm so angry!' Princess Kaguya secretly fumed in her heart.
Yagokoro Eirin inhaled softly, then picked up one piece of tofu and took a light bite.
The moment it entered her mouth, her eyes changed slightly, and the corner of her lips naturally curved upward.
'Delicious.'
It was truly an incomparable delicacy.
At Eientei, it had always been Reisen who cooked.
The timid rabbit girl's cooking could not be called bad, but it was only average. Even during all the countless years Eirin had spent on the Moon, she had never tasted a dish quite like this.
A warm, soothing current drifted through her heart, the kind of feeling that could only appear after eating something truly satisfying.
The longer one lived in the mortal world, the more detached one tended to become, so for the Moon Sage, who had lived for an almost unimaginable length of time, even such a small change in her heart was already something remarkable.
...
After delivering the dish, Hisako returned to the kitchen.
Yuto immediately handed her a small plate. On that plate was, unmistakably, one of the pieces of tofu that had been left in the pan earlier.
Only one piece, though.
The other piece was on the plate in Erina's hands.
"Try it. I made these two extra on purpose." Yuto smiled faintly as he spoke to Hisako, and the girl accepted the plate almost on instinct.
Once she realized what had happened, joy immediately appeared on her face.
Erina had already taken her first bite.
Because of the God Tongue's influence, her expression and movements instantly became... a little suggestive.
Yuto watched the girl sink into pure enjoyment, and a slightly awkward smile appeared on his face.
After all, seeing her like this made it very easy for the imagination to wander.
When Erina finally came back to herself, her face flushed red, and her eyes were damp and glossy, making her look incredibly charming.
Fortunately, after experiencing this sort of thing several times, she managed to stay relatively calm this time.
"Good, right?" Yuto asked with a smile.
"Mm." Erina nodded, her face still red.
Hisako had also taken a bite, and she was equally full of praise.
Once the two girls finished tasting the tofu, they returned to their own positions
Erina still had fried chicken to make, and now it was time to start frying. Even though her face was still red...
Yuto left the kitchen and returned to Yukari's group. He looked at Yagokoro Eirin and smiled gently.
"Does it suit your taste?"
"It's wonderful."
"That's good." Yuto nodded lightly.
Then he felt an intense gaze and turned his eyes toward a certain princess.
"Kamisaka! Give me one too!"
Even if Eirin laughed at her, Kaguya had to try it!
Besides, she had long since gotten used to Eirin's teasing and scolding.
"What about your fried chicken?" Yuto asked.
"Don't worry at all! I can finish everything!"
"All right, then." Yuto could only agree to her request.
After he returned to the kitchen, it did not take long before Erina finished the fried chicken.
The princess ate it with great enthusiasm.
As for cola, the restaurant had plenty in stock.
By the time Yuto was about to finish another serving of Yipin Tofu, the restaurant door slid open.
"Welcome."
After calling out as usual, he glanced toward the entrance through the curtain.
Oh, it was Utaha.
Only today, the girl's complexion did not look good.
...
Utaha walked in weakly, greeted everyone without much energy, and then sat down in the corner of the counter near the wall.
That was where she usually sat.
Generally speaking, no one tried to take that seat from her.
After Yuto finished making the Yipin Tofu in the kitchen, he carried it out and placed it in front of the princess.
The fried chicken she had ordered had already been reduced to nothing but bones, and her cola had been refilled for the second bottle.
Even then, Kaguya still did not seem full, and the way she looked at the Yipin Tofu was filled with curiosity and longing.
The moment Yuto set it down, she immediately picked up her chopsticks and began eating, looking almost like someone who had been starving for days.
Her behavior was the complete opposite of the noble impression she had given when she first entered the restaurant.
Yuto did not comment.
He merely smiled faintly, he had already seen the princess's true nature, so the scene before him no longer surprised him.
Beside her, Yagokoro Eirin gave Yuto a helpless sigh.
Although she was used to her princess behaving improperly in public, completely ignoring it was still impossible.
Every time someone looked at Kaguya strangely, Eirin felt the embarrassment of a parent who had failed to properly raise her child.
'Ah... This was too difficult.'
Yuto met Eirin's gaze and smiled in understanding.
Naturally, he understood the awkwardness she felt right now.
If his future daughter ended up like the princess in front of him... he would probably have a headache too.
After briefly greeting Yukari and Eirin, Kamisaka Yuto walked over to Utaha.
The girl looked listless, as though she had suffered some kind of blow.
"Do you want something to eat?"
Yuto did not immediately ask what had happened, because he could tell that her mood was in a bad place.
In a situation like this, it was better to let her calm down first.
And eating was a very simple yet effective way to comfort someone.
Especially a girl.
"I want alcohol." Utaha raised her head and looked at him.
Her eyes carried a complicated mix of emotions—frustration, anger, helplessness, and a few others all tangled together.
Yuto sighed a little helplessly.
He still remembered exactly how embarrassing she had been the last time she got drunk.
She was the textbook definition of someone who went down after one cup.
Ever since that night, Yuto had come to understand one thing very clearly. It was better not to let her drink.
"No."
His refusal made the girl puff her cheeks in irritation.
"You let me drink last time!"
She tried to use the previous incident to convince him, but Yuto was completely unmoved.
"That was an exception. Wait until you're an adult."
The law in this country did not allow minors to drink alcohol in the first place.
Last time, he had only made an exception because Utaha had looked far too pitiful at the time. But this time? Absolutely not.
The law could be set aside for the moment.
The real problem was that drunk girls were troublesome.
That was the most important point.
---------
Read 30 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator