After roughly an hour of cooking, the kitchen was filled with a heavenly, mouth-watering aroma that wafted through the entire house. Having finished the elaborate feast, Dylan carried the steaming dishes out and called Scarlet over.
Dylan laid out a spectacular spread of dishes in the dining table. A sticky glazed pork ribs, a glistening golden-brown roasted chicken, chunks of rich savory beef simmered in its own juices, and a mountain of velvety, garlic-infused mashed potatoes.
"Wooooow!"
Seeing the spread of perfectly glazed ribs, golden-brown roasted chicken, and rich savory beef, Scarlet's eyes sparkled in anticipation and her mouth immediately watered.
The pork ribs were coated in a sticky, deeply caramelized glaze that crackled slightly under the teeth, giving way to incredibly tender, smoky meat that fell effortlessly off the bone in a melt-in-your-mouth wave of sweet and savory flavor.
Beside these glazed pork ribs, the roasted chicken looked especially appetizing. It had a shattering, paper-thin skin glistening with rendered fat and aromatic herbs, locking in intensely succulent, pooling juices!
Next to the poultry, thick, heavily marbled chunks of beef were slow-simmered in a dark, glossy reduction of bone broth and aromatic garlic, creating meat so marvelously tender that it seemed like it would dissolve on the tongue in a burst of rich, umami depth.
Completing the feast were the garlic mashed potatoes, whipped to an impossibly smooth, cloud-like consistency that swirled with pools of rich, golden melted butter and heavy cream, releasing a fragrant, garlic-scented steam with every decadent spoonful.
"These all looks so delicious!" Her pupils dilated, completely captivated by the sight, her stomach letting out a loud growl that betrayed her intense hunger.
*Groooowl*
"Eat up, Scarlet," Dylan said softly. He gave a small nod, turning around to head back toward the kitchen to start washing the heavy iron cookware.
"Brother, wait!" Scarlet cried out, her small hand reaching out to catch the edge of his sleeve, stopping him in his tracks.
"What is it?" Dylan halted, looking back over his shoulder in confusion.
"I don't want to eat alone, Big Bro!" Scarlet said, her lower lip trembling slightly as she tugged gently on his sleeve, looking up at him with big, pleading eyes. "I want you to eat with me. Pretty please."
Dylan could only stare at her small, fragile hand clutching his sleeve. His mind screamed at him to pull away, to tell her he was busy, to protect his scarred, bleeding heart from getting attached.
But looking at her hopeful, vulnerable face, the cold armor he had just built began to crack, threatening to shatter bit by bit.
"Alright..."
Eventually, he decided to just stay.
"Hoooray!" Scarlet rejoiced as she started eating the scrumptious feast that her beloved brother prepared for her.
"DISH ISH SHO JELISHUS! (THIS IS SO DELICIOUS, BIG BRO!)" Scarlet's face lit up adorably as she chomped down on the roasted chicken.
'I can't believe that you're even vilifying a little child in your head, Dylan. Dale is Dale and Scarlet is Scarlet.' Dylan shook his head, feeling guilty for doubting the purity and innocence in the eyes of this child.
"Slow down, now. Don't talk when your mouth is full. There's plenty of food for everyone in the table." Dylan said with a smile.
'Dale and I had circumstances that led to that betrayal. Scarlet and her big brother does not have anything that would lead to them falling out on each other. I shouldn't impose my problems on a child. Haaayst... Have I developed a trauma because of what happened with Dale..?' He could only sigh exasperatedly.
'I should focus on gathering information first. What happened with the owner of this body? The state of this world and how it operates. I need to understand. Everything first.' For now, he decided to bury his personal troubles.
Scarlet did not notice this as she was too busy munching down on the food in front of her. She finally looked at Dylan with her eyes glistening in amazement, "Your cooking became so good, Big Bro! It didn't taste like this yesterday!"
"I just tried something different for a change." Dylan Ford smiled as he replied vaguely.
"You should keep on doing it! It's super good!" Scarlet had nothing but praise as she continued eating.
Dylan also started eating the meals he made and joined Scarlet. He sliced a chicken leg and started eating.
"Still got it."
It was as if his entire body was craving for more meat. His stomach growled aggressively as if telling him to shove more food into his mouth at this instant. Dylan also started devouring the meals he prepared at a frightening pace.
'So this is the level of appetite, he has?' He picked up a piece of the pork ribs he cooked and some beef that he complimented with some mashed potatoes.
Although people would be terrified to see two gluttons unceasingly devouring the feast together, there was something beautiful about the scene between these two siblings eating happily in a table.
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
"Someone's knocking at the door?" Dylan said as he bit a piece of meat from a delicious pork rib.
"I'll get it!" Scarlet volunteered.
She quickly made her way to the front door which was considerably far from the dining area.
Once she reached the front door, she asked who it was first before opening the door as though it was a routine. The younger Dylan had always told her to first ask about the identity of the person who came knocking before opening the door.
"Who is it?" Scarlet cautiously inquired.
"Oh, is that you, Scarlet? It's me Victoria, the one who brought your brother back home." Victoria introduced herself once again.
"Oh, it's you, Big Sis!" Scarlet immediately let her guard down and undid the locks on the door to open it.
"Hello, Scarlet!" Victoria as soon as Scarlet opened the door.
"Hi..." Victoria ran backwards and hid her body behind a wall with only her right eye peeking while waving her hand.
"You're so cuuuute!" Victoria's heart melted seeing how adorable the shy Scarlet was.
"Still shy as ever despite me coming here a few times already." Victoria commented.
"Errr..." Scarlet blushed as she was being teased. It seemed like she wasn't that comfortable around people she's not familiar with.
"What's wrong, Scarlet? Who was at the door?" Dylan who was possessed by Dylan Ford also appeared in this moment. He was asking Scarlet first before looking at the person in the front door.
In front of him was a beautiful lady with auburn brown hair. Her hair looked so smooth and shiny and it flowed down gently like a river. She had an exquisite white skin and amazing facial features. Her eyes were like an opal shining faintly.
Despite wearing cultivator's robes, her athletic and voluptuous body was still visible that would drive any man mad. She had this shy and demure princess aura with her that made her even more attractive.
She seemed to be holding a box of sorts. Based on its appearance, it seems to be a whole set of sweets.
Inwardly, he thought, 'If she became an actress or a model on Earth, I'm certain she could become number 1 internationally.'
"Oh, its Lady Benefactor! My humble greetings." Dylan Ford immediately recognized the lady in front of him through Dylan's memories. He slightly bowed and switched to a more formal language.
'Despite that amicable appearance, she's actually very skillful and dangerous with the sword.' Dylan shuddered as he remembered the fantastical clashes in the battle at the Northern Main Road of Soaring Cloud City.
"Oh, thank goodness that you're awake now!" Victoria smiled as she could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Scarlet ,who was hiding behind a wall earlier, now hid behind Dylan. She was like an adorable and fickle cat who snuggled to her owner.
She whispered to him, "She's the one who brought you back home. She comes by every day to make sure that you're okay. She always brings delicious sweets too!"
"Oh I see..." Dylan immediately understood what was happening.
Dylan maintaining the bow again as ,"We were just having our brunch. May I invite you over to our humble house for a meal?"
"I have already eaten-" Then, Victoria smelled a collection of wonderful fragrances coming from inside Dylan's house.
'It smells so delicious!' Victoria's mouth watered as she could not help but swallow the gathered saliva uncontrollably produced by her salivary glands. Then, her stomach responded with a growl.
*Growl*
"I..." Victoria felt embarrassed. She covered her face with the box full of sweets and shyly said, "I brought some sweets!"
Dylan laughed as he received the sweets, "Thank you very much! This seems to be one of the famous sweets from the City!"
"... You're welcome..."
Seeing that Victoria was still embarassed, Dylan made it easier for Victoria to save face in this situation, offering a polite, reassuring smile as he gestured toward the dining area, "Apologies, it seems I am still starving and my stomach could not help but grumble. It is the greatest compliment a chef can receive. Since I have prepared far more than we can manage, your timing is actually perfect. Please, come inside."
He also gestured to Scarlet to take his hand, "Let's go, Scarlet."
"Mhm." Contrary to her behavior with Dylan, she was more well-behaved with the eyes of others.
"Thank you." Victoria knew that what Dylan just said was in consideration of her. She made her way inside.
Victoria noticed that Scarlet was actually staring at her intently while walking as her hand was being held by Dylan.
'She's very territorial when it comes to her brother. I used to be like that.' Victoria found this adorable as she smiled back.
"Hmph!" Scarlet turned her neck on her sassily to express her displeasure.
'How cute. Hehe.' Victoria chuckled.
As she was being guided to dining area, her heart could not help but ache at the dilapidated state of Dylan's house. She thought 'Despite being less fortunate, he would still offer meals for others. How admirable.'
"We may not be wealthy but we never scrimp of food." Dylan made a comment as he offered an old wooden seat for Victoria to sit on.
"This... you prepared all of this yourself?" Victoria asked, her eyes tracing the steam rising from the roasted chicken. She had expected simple, rugged fare, but the sophisticated glaze on the ribs and the artistic arrangement of the beef suggested a level of culinary mastery rarely seen outside the elite estates of the cultivation world.
She felt a strange, lingering warmth in her chest; despite the cracks in the walls and the worn wood of the table, this humble home felt more welcoming than any palace she had visited.
"Yes, hahaha."
"Thank you." Victoria nodded as she sat.
Then, he helped Scarlet sit as well before proceeding to sit on his own.
"I hope that you find it palatable." Dylan smiled.
"Thank you for the meal." Victoria nodded to Dylan before picking up her utensils to eat.
In Victoria's first bite, the harmonious blend of smoky, succulent meat and the rich, velvety mashed potatoes sent a shockwave of flavor across her palate, equaling if not surpassing the refined delicacies she was accustomed to in the upper echelons of the Cross Clan.
"This is amazing...!" Despite her well-trained etiquette, she just had to speak even when there was food in her mouth.
She could not stop eating the food that Dylan had prepared!
"What ingredients did you use? Have you used any high-quality mystical herbs and high-quality mystical beast meat?" It was so delicious that she just had to know.
"It was just some forest beasts that you could see." Dylan replied amused.
It was simply because cooking techniques that would be taught was much more accessible in the 21st century than the traditional way of learning that is done here.
"Then, it must be technique... This is at least the same quality if not better than the meals our chefs have made!" Victoria was all praises for Dylan's cooking that he even compared him to a professional chef.
"It's an honor for my cooking to be complimented by you, Lady Benefactor.." Dylan smiled.
"You have great taste, Big Sis!" Scarlet feeling smug and proud of how her brother's cooking was praised.
The three continued their hearty meal, looking like a happy family. The atmosphere in the modest home turned serene as Victoria let her guard down to enjoy the cooking, while Scarlet beamed with pride. For Dylan, the warmth of the moment helped dim the weight of his past, offering a brief, peaceful respite in an unfamiliar world.