Celia stood by the window holding a cup of Happy Water, staring at the black hole for three seconds.
“You haven’t fixed it yet?”
“I’m sorry, I really didn’t do it on purpose!”
Iris knelt nearby, her head buried almost into her chest. The cat-ear headband she wore to match her maid outfit drooped as she trembled.
‘It’s over. I didn’t restore the glass. This time, I’ll definitely be turned into fertilizer.’
Iris squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for judgment to descend.
“Forget it,” Celia replied without much reaction. “It’s just that one spot; it doesn’t really matter anyway.”
Because it was opaque, it actually blocked the direct sunlight during the harshest part of noon.
It saved her the effort of drawing the curtains, making it quite convenient in a way.
“Eh?”
Just like that?
This was residual Abyssal Magic! Not only was the Witch not enraged, she hadn’t even knit her brows?
Could it be…
Iris stole a glance at the black hole.
‘Could the Witch be leaving it there on purpose?’
Was it to remind her at all times that even the power of the Abyss was nothing more than a rag used for shade in the Witch’s eyes?
How arrogant, how disdainful!
“Elent.” Celia sat back down on the Slime Throne, adjusting herself into a comfortable position.
“Here!”
The Hero Candidate, who was doing his daily workout, immediately responded.
“It’s about time for lunch. Today, I want stir-fried meat over a high flame. Make it a bit spicy.”
“No problem, Priestess. Today’s ingredients are very fresh, perfect for stir-frying.”
“Also,” Celia pointed at Iris, who was kneeling on the floor, “take this child to the kitchen to help. If she’s no good at wiping windows, she should at least know how to wash vegetables.”
“The kitchen?!”
Iris’s body jolted.
In the Demon Realm, kitchens were often the same as alchemy rooms, places filled with various magic potion ingredients.
They wanted her to help there?
“What are you dazing off for?” Elent walked over, a dripping kitchen knife in his hand. “Let’s go. Don’t keep the Priestess waiting.”
Looking at the cold gleam of the knife, Iris obediently followed him into the kitchen.
Elent dumped a large bag of ingredients onto the cutting board.
“Listen up, your task is simple.”
Elent pointed at the pile.
“Peel this garlic, then wash those chilies and cut them into sections. Finally, clean this bowl of offal.”
Iris looked at her targets.
Garlic. For a Demon, this plant—with its pungent odor and trace amounts of light element—was practically natural tear gas.
Then there were the chilies. Just smelling them made Iris feel like a fire was burning in her nose.
“What? Don’t know how?”
“I… I do!”
Iris gritted her teeth and grabbed a head of garlic.
To prove her worth and avoid being thrown away like trash, the young girl began a fierce struggle against the garlic!
Pungent juice splattered onto her fingers, and the onion-like fumes made her tears flow uncontrollably.
“Ugh…”
Iris cried as she peeled. Tears slid down her cheeks and dripped onto the cutting board.
How cruel.
‘The Witch must be doing this on purpose. Using these plants to burn my skin… what a wicked method of torture!’
Elent was slicing the meat and glanced over when he heard the sobbing.
The new employee was wiping away tears while persistently peeling garlic; her tear-streaked face did look a bit pitiful.
“Homesick?” Elent asked.
“Huh?” Iris sniffled and looked at him with blurry eyes.
“It’s understandable. You don’t look as old as Miss Lynn; it’s normal to cry when you feel mistreated.”
“But tears won’t solve anything. If you want to survive here, you have to show some real skill.”
“Look at this meat.”
Elent held up a slice as thin as a cicada’s wing.
“If you can’t conquer it, it will become tough and dry in the pan, eventually turning into inedible trash.”
“So, when dealing with ingredients, you must have killing intent.”
“Hah!”
Along with Elent’s movement, the oil temperature in the pan surged, and flames shot upward.
He tossed the meat into the pan, and the roaring fire instantly engulfed the ingredients.
Iris shrank into the corner in fear.
‘This man really is a lunatic! To release this level of fire magic in a kitchen with such a fanatical smile on his face!’
“What are you standing there for? The chilies!” Elent shouted.
“Yes, sir!”
Iris grabbed a handful of chilies to hand over. However, because her hands were shaking, the chilies missed the pan and scattered all over the floor.
“…”
“I’m sorry!”
Elent turned off the heat. He looked at the chilies on the floor and then at Iris, who was curled into a ball.
“Forget it.”
The Hero Candidate shook his head, his face full of disappointment.
“Go on out. You’re not needed here. Hands that can’t even hold a knife steady will only ruin these high-quality ingredients.”
Iris felt as though she had been granted a divine pardon, yet a surge of frustration welled up within her.
She had been rejected again.
……
Half an hour later, in the Restaurant.
A long table was clearly divided by two very different lunches.
In front of Celia, Lynn, and Elent were white porcelain plates.
The meat slices inside were an enticing charred red; all the chilies and garlic had been picked out, leaving only the pure aroma of meat and seasoning.
Beside them sat cups of black Happy Water with ice cubes.
Meanwhile, in front of Iris was a wooden basin larger than her face, piled high with things that no longer resembled their original shapes.
Chicken butts, offal, leftover meat scraps, and a massive amount of chili sections and garlic skins were all mixed together into a stew.
Elent sat across from Celia, looking at the Priestess expectantly.
“Priestess, try this. This is the Explosive Flame Slash Stir-fry Method I just realized. It should lock in the juices.”
Celia picked up a piece of meat and put it in her mouth.
“Mm.”
The taste was indeed good.
The spicy and savory flavors exploded on her tongue, and the meat was incredibly tender.
Although the name was quite chuunibyou, she had to admit this Hero’s talent for cooking was truly maxed out.
“It passes,” Celia evaluated.
“Great!” Elent pumped his fist as if he had won a hard-fought battle.
“Um…”
A weak voice came from the side.
“Am I only allowed to eat this?”
Iris looked at the wooden basin, not daring to start.
“Don’t like it?” Elent looked at Iris and explained with total sincerity. “I saw how frail you are; you couldn’t even hold a chili steady.”
“These parts might not look good, but they have the highest nutritional value. Especially the offal—it’s rich in ma… er, rich in energy.”
“This is a wellness meal I prepared specifically for you. Don’t let it go to waste.”
‘Specifically for me?’
Iris looked at the pile of offal.
‘Is this a hint? You are what you eat… Is he warning me that if I don’t work better, my own internal organs will be in the basin next time?’
How vicious.
With tears in her eyes, Iris tremblingly scooped up a spoonful of offal and put it in her mouth.
This was necessary energy for her future escape.
So, as long as she ate…
‘Huh?’
A rich, mellow flavor spread through her mouth.
The offal had been cleaned exceptionally well, with no fishy smell at all; instead, it had become soft, tender, and flavorful after soaking up the broth.
‘It’s delicious.’
It was actually tastier than the delicacies she had eaten in the Demon Realm.
Iris was stunned.
‘What kind of scheme is this? Using this irresistible deliciousness to erode my will, making me gradually fall in love with the feeling of being kept like a pet while in humiliation? Is this the Witch’s way of taming pets!’
“Elent, pass me the Happy Water,” Celia said, pointing to the other end of the table.
“Sure.”
“Also, this meat is a bit too spicy.”
“Ah, sorry! I’ll be more careful next time.” Elent scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed. “By the way, do you want some water?”
“No.” Celia looked at the leftover food on her plate, thought for a moment, and dumped it onto Elent’s.
“I’m full. You eat these.”
Wasting food was bad, especially dishes made from Crimson Giant Chicken.
Besides, back when she was in school in her previous life, she had often done this with her brothers.
Surely the Hero wouldn’t mind eating her half-finished food?
‘Wait, I’m a girl now, aren’t I? Does this count as an indirect kiss? But I have a man’s soul.’
After 0.1 seconds of deep thought, Celia decided it was no big deal.
Elent also ate the leftovers without any hesitation.
See? The Hero didn’t think there was a problem.
Iris watched the scene while clutching her wooden basin.
The natural interaction between the two and the atmosphere that felt as if they were the only ones there made it seem like the entire world consisted of just them.
And she, plus the little demon over there, were like unwanted additions to the picture.
‘Damn it!’
Iris buried her face in the basin, shoving large mouthfuls of food into her mouth.
‘It’s so good.’
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At least shes eating well