After finishing their shopping, the four of them carried large bags of alcohol and juice back to Teacher Shalina’s house, which was the Independent Villa located in the Academy Faculty Housing Area.
Unlike Sefina’s slightly cold and quiet residence, Teacher Shalina’s home showed traces of careful attention even from the outside.
On the windowsill by the front door sat several pots of white flowers in full bloom.
As soon as the front door was opened, a wave of warmth mixed with a faint aroma of food greeted them.
The interior was also filled with a cozy and lived-in atmosphere.
The main color scheme of the living room was a gentle off-white and light coffee color, and on the soft fabric sofa lay a few brightly colored cushions in a casual manner.
Several landscape paintings with distant moods hung on the walls. In the corner stood a tall green plant.
A bookshelf occupied an entire wall, crammed full with all kinds of books.
The entire space was tidy yet relaxed, filled with the unique charm of a young and gentle woman.
At the entrance, Sefina changed into guest slippers, followed closely by Mia, Kefi, and Ellaria, looking like three little tails.
She placed the purchased alcohol and juice on the dining table, which was already covered with a light checkered tablecloth, and glanced over the living room.
She noticed that Shalina’s assistant, Feliel, was already sitting quietly on the sofa, completely absorbed in a thick Summoning Magic Tome.
Teacher John and Teacher Ben hadn’t arrived yet and would probably be a little late.
Sefina’s gaze shifted toward the kitchen, where she saw Teacher Shalina, wearing an apron printed with tiny flowers, busy at the cooking counter, clearly still preparing for tonight’s feast.
“Teacher Shalina, let me help you.”
Sefina said this and acted immediately. She deftly tied her loose pale blue hair into a clean high ponytail at the back of her head, revealing a smooth neck and sharp jawline.
Then she took down a spare plain apron from a hook in the kitchen and tied it skillfully around her waist, making her slightly loose dress outline her slender figure.
Shalina turned and saw her, and a gentle smile appeared on her face. “Alright, Teacher Sefina. I was just feeling a bit overwhelmed.” She cheerfully accepted the help.
So, the two female teachers began working together in the kitchen with great understanding.
Shalina was dealing with a fat and tender silver cod, expertly slicing it into evenly thick pieces, then sprinkling salt and herbs to marinate it.
Sefina was responsible for a fine piece of beef ribs, which she coated and massaged with special spices and sauce, her movements smooth and practiced.
Nearby, a variety of freshly washed vegetables were waiting—vivid green broccoli, bright red tomatoes, orange carrots, purple onions, and a basket of mushrooms and potatoes, making the selection seem abundant.
Kefi, seeing this, gathered her courage and stepped forward. “Teacher Sefina, Teacher Shalina, is there anything I can help with?”
Sefina turned to look at her and nodded. “Yes, thank you, Kefi. We’re making food for eight people, so there really is a lot to prepare.”
With that, Sefina handed Kefi a basket of green vegetables that needed to be picked and washed. “I’ll leave these greens to you, thank you for helping.”
“You’re welcome, Teacher!” Kefi took the basket and happily walked to the sink to start working in earnest.
Ellaria stood a little farther away, watching the busy scene in the kitchen, especially Teacher Sefina’s focused profile as she cooked in her apron. An urge to get closer welled up in her heart.
She hesitated for a moment but then softly spoke, “Um… can I help with anything too?”
It wasn’t so much that Ellaria truly wanted to help, but more that she wanted to get closer to that figure.
Sefina glanced up at her and didn’t refuse, instead pointing to a bowl of potatoes on the counter. “Then Ellaria, could you help peel these potatoes? Be careful not to hurt yourself. The kitchen is big enough, so it’s nice for everyone to prepare together.”
“Okay, Teacher!” Ellaria responded immediately, picked up the peeler, and joined the kitchen’s “assembly line.”
Though her movements were a bit more awkward and cautious compared to Sefina and Shalina, her attitude was extremely earnest, and she peeled every potato cleanly.
As for Mia…she was far less industrious.
Watching the kitchen suddenly become “crowded,” she lazily stretched and sprawled comfortably on the soft sofa without a care.
Still, seeing everyone busy while only she and Feliel were idle, she did feel a faint pang of guilt.
Fortunately, Teacher Shalina’s assistant Feliel didn’t seem inclined to go into the kitchen either, which immediately put Mia’s mind at ease.
Thick-skinned, she sidled up next to Feliel. Although the two weren’t very familiar, Mia’s sociable nature let her start a conversation without any hesitation:
“Hehe, they’re all busy in there, and it’s just the two of us slacking off. Isn’t that kind of bad?”
Feliel lifted her eyes from the book to glance at Mia, her expression still calm, her tone as composed as ever:
“I’m a bit clumsy in the kitchen. I’m afraid I’d just waste the ingredients Teacher Shalina so carefully prepared.”
She closed the book, stood up, and said, “Later I’ll help cut some fruit for after the meal, or help with serving and plating.”
Upon hearing this, Mia immediately felt like she’d found her tribe, and quickly convinced herself with the same logic:
“Yeah, yeah! Me too! My cooking skills are terrible, I’d just make things worse if I went in there! Ahem… Well, we can’t just be completely idle. Let’s go, let’s go, we’ll find something we can do too!”
So Mia and Feliel got to work as well, taking out the fruit basket to wash and cut fruit, and found some nuts and snacks to arrange on plates.
***
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Sefina and Shalina—both skilled cooks—worked in perfect harmony, everything proceeding in an orderly fashion.
As Ellaria’s maid, Kefi was also used to doing things by hand, working swiftly and attentively as she cleaned and picked the vegetables.
Though Ellaria moved a bit slowly, she finished peeling the potatoes with meticulous care, and all went smoothly.
But just as the preparations were nearly complete and the atmosphere was peaceful—
“Ellaria, could you hand me the light soy sauce?” Sefina called out while adjusting the flavor of the food in the pot, not even turning her head, her eyes still focused on the heat.
“Oh, okay, Teacher.” Ellaria quickly replied, put down what she was holding, and walked over to the spice rack in the kitchen corner, accurately finding the bottle of light soy sauce.
She took the bottle and turned to walk toward Sefina.
Maybe it was because some water from washing vegetables hadn’t been wiped from the floor, or maybe Ellaria was just too eager to hand over the sauce—her foot slipped just a little, and she lost her balance—
“Ah—!”
With a short gasp, Ellaria instantly lost her balance and stumbled helplessly toward Teacher Sefina!
Everything happened too quickly for anyone to react.