“Step one of cooking, prepare the ingredients…”
Vivian pulled out the recipe and glanced at the basic tutorial. Following the instructions, she first washed all the ingredients needed for the meal. The rice was put into a basin to soak, while the onions, carrots, and lamb chops were washed and set aside.
She then took out a dagger and sliced the onions and carrots into strips.
*Clack clack clack*
the crisp and rhythmic sound of the cutting board echoed. Hearing the noise, Nolan looked up and slowly walked behind Vivian. Watching her handle the ingredients with curiosity, he asked softly, “Vivian, what are you planning to make?”
“A type of rice with lamb. I guarantee you’ve never eaten this in your entire life.”
“Is it delicious?”
“Uh…”
Vivian’s movements paused. “Actually, I’ve never eaten it either…”
She turned around, looking a bit embarrassed. “Wait, you guy! The kitchen is a sacred place. Don’t just come in here and disturb the chef while she’s cooking!”
Perhaps worried that Nolan would ask another embarrassing question, Vivian shouted and pushed the hesitating Nolan out of the kitchen area.
“Alright, prep work complete!”
She stabbed the dagger into the cutting board and wiped the non-existent beads of sweat from her forehead with her hands on her hips.
‘That was exhausting…’
Vivian, who had never cooked seriously before, felt the hardships of housework for the first time. She leaned against the counter to rest for a while, then took out the recipe again to start learning on the fly.
Now, the cooking begins.
Vivian gave the stove a light kick. The Zaphira statue, sensing the movement, understood immediately. The statue inside the stove shook its head slightly, and then a ball of flame soared from the top of its head. The surging tongues of fire licked along the bottom of the pot until they entered the crevices, with a few wisps of flame peeking out from the stove.
Once the pot was hot and smoking, Vivian poured in half a bowl of oil and the sliced onions. She fried the onions until they were golden brown and then fished them out.
Then, the lamb chops went into the pot. A short while later, a scent of charred, fragrant lamb wafted out. Vivian sniffed. Smelling the aroma of meat in the air, she suddenly felt a craving.
She stole a glance back at Nolan to confirm he hadn’t noticed. Vivian reached directly into the hot oil pot and took out a lamb chop. Like a thieving little mouse, she quickly stuffed the lamb chop into her mouth.
The rich flavor of lamb instantly filled her mouth.
“Mmh~ delicious.”
Vivian narrowed her eyes comfortably, enjoying the pleasure of the stolen snack. As the saying goes: a cook who doesn’t steal is a harvest that won’t yield.
‘I, Vivian, am now an honorable cook. What’s wrong with stealing a piece of meat?’
“Oh no, the meat is going to burn!”
Vivian hastily wiped her hands on her skirt and poured all the shredded carrots into the pot. She then added a small basin of fresh water and a large handful of salt. Taking out her wooden spoon, she began to stir vigorously.
Under the high heat of the intense fire, the meat broth bubbled and quickly turned a bright milky white. She took one last look at the recipe, repeatedly confirming the details that followed.
Vivian’s attitude toward this meal was exceptionally serious. This was the first time she had cooked with all her heart. If it failed, it would be a heavy blow to her culinary career, and she might never recover. To prevent that, Vivian put in 200% effort.
After the broth had simmered for about 20 minutes, she picked up the soaked rice and poured it into the pot. Using the wooden spoon, she pressed the uneven surface of the rice until it was flat. Finally, she poked several holes evenly across the surface of the rice and covered the pot with a lid.
“It’s done. We can eat in about 1 hour.”
A look of anticipation flashed in Vivian’s eyes as she jumped down from her small stool. It was either success or death!
“Remind me in 1 hour, Nolan. I’m going to sleep.”
She yawned and spoke to Nolan, who was not far away. Then, she scrambled into her coffin and had a beautiful sleep.
—
1 hour later, as the sky grew dark, a rich fragrance filled the entire cottage. Naturally, this scent also drifted into the coffin in the center of the hall. Vivian’s nostrils flared a few times, and she suddenly opened her eyes.
*Bang!*
She violently threw open the coffin lid and jumped out in a hurry.
“My food!!”
She let out a roar like a dragon.
“Don’t shout so loud…” Nolan couldn’t help but cover his ears. It almost blew out his eardrums. He said, “When the time was up, the fire in the stove went out automatically. We didn’t need to watch it at all.”
“Hmph, Zaphira is somewhat useful after all.”
Vivian let out a light hum, jumped onto the small stool, and impatiently opened the pot lid. Steam rushed toward her face, accompanied by the mixed aroma of lamb and rice. Before her was a large pot of pale yellow rice, as if every grain was glowing with golden light.
“It seems like a success?!”
She said with some surprise, her tone unconsciously rising. She took out the wooden spoon and flipped the lamb chops, which had been stewed until they were fall-off-the-bone tender, to the surface and mixed them with the rice.
Bringing out two wooden bowls, she filled them to the brim with rice and sprinkled a few raisins on top.
At the dining table, Nolan scooped up a spoonful of the pale yellow rice. The surface of the rice was covered with a thin layer of oil, shimmering slightly under the light of the fire on the wall. The grains of rice were distinct and had soaked up the lamb broth, looking exceptionally plump.
The rice was also mixed with brightly colored shredded carrots and adorned with a few raisins. Just looking at it was enough to make one’s appetite soar.
“Ah~”
Under Vivian’s expectant gaze, Nolan slowly put the rice into his mouth. His expression suddenly froze, and his brow furrowed slightly. Then he picked up a lamb chop and took a small bite of the meat.
“Is it good?” Vivian’s large eyes were wide, not blinking once.
Nolan looked up at her, and the corners of his mouth gradually curled up. Slowly putting down the spoon in his hand, he said softly, “It’s delicious… To be precise, it’s very delicious. So delicious that it surprised me.”
This meal truly exceeded Nolan’s expectations. He had originally thought Vivian would produce some burnt mush again. He had even wondered if he would have to violate his knightly oath and say something insincere to encourage her. Now it seemed he had worried too much.
‘Heh heh heh~’
Vivian played it cool and didn’t speak. She simply raised her jade-white neck proudly, looking like she was enjoying the worship of others.
‘This is the true strength of a gold-medal chef!! Actually, I purposely failed before just to test if Nolan had patience. Only the most patient diners are qualified to witness my full power!’
Her eyes curved into crescents, and the corners of her mouth almost reached the sky. Seeing this, Nolan was unconsciously infected by Vivian’s mood and laughed softly.
“You’re not allowed to laugh!”
Vivian seemed to notice that Nolan was laughing at her proud appearance and hastily shouted.
“Fine, I really won’t laugh… Hahahaha!!”
With Vivian acting like this, Nolan couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing, clutching his stomach.
“You!!”
Vivian immediately became frantic. She quickly moved behind Nolan. With a kick off the ground, she climbed onto Nolan’s head and started playfully messing with his short blonde hair. Amidst their playful banter, today’s dinner came to an end.
When night fell, the two of them didn’t have any activities. After washing their hands, feet, and faces, they both went to bed.
There would be no stories tonight… probably…
Wait! No!
One moment Vivian was peacefully in her coffin, and the next she suddenly woke up.
‘Aren’t Nolan and I husband and wife? Why are we still sleeping apart! This is not right!’
Thinking of this, Vivian quickly began her operation. She crept to the side of Nolan’s bed. Looking at Nolan, who was sleeping with a proper posture, a faint smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
Then, she reached out and wrapped her arms around his firm waist. She carried Nolan on her back and secretly brought him back to her coffin.
‘Heh heh heh~’
Vivian wiped the drool that was about to drip from the corner of her mouth. Using both her hands and feet like an octopus, she firmly locked Nolan in her embrace. Feeling the warm breath in her arms, she finally closed her eyes in peace and fell asleep comfortably. Before long, the sound of light snoring could be heard.
At that moment, Nolan suddenly opened his eyes. Then, he cast a tender gaze at the girl holding onto him.
‘That really scared me to death just now…’
He still had lingering fears. Their neurotic little kitten—Nolan—had already woken up the moment Vivian approached the bed. His keen senses remained on high alert even while he slept. If there was any movement, he would react immediately.
However, this time, realizing that the person coming was his wife, Vivian, he didn’t move. Instead, he continued to pretend to be asleep to see what Vivian was up to.
But when Vivian grabbed him, he broke out in a cold sweat. Nolan thought this greedy little cat was hungry again…
‘If I get bitten by a vampire princess while I’m this weak… I might actually go to see the God of Light…’
Fortunately, Vivian only wanted to hold him while she slept. Nolan breathed a long sigh of relief and gradually relaxed his tense nerves.
‘Sweet dreams, my Vivian…’