Chapter 302: The Magical Boiled Greens and the Nature of the Sly
Lucifer found herself genuinely curious. What would happen if you gathered several people with the same personality as Ren and Clow Reed in one place? She pondered the scenario for a moment before shaking her head. The question was simply too terrifying to contemplate.
After all, Ren was the kind of man who could watch the most gruesome scenes in a horror movie with a perfectly straight face while calmly eating a red dragon fruit, the crimson pulp dripping from his spoon. He was the kind of man who could make an ancient, powerful being in the form of a young girl declare, "You are a devil." By any measure, his particular brand of unsettling calm was on an entirely different level.
Tilting her head, Lucifer continued her analysis. Ren always projected an aura of deep gentleness. It was the same placid expression he wore while watching slasher films, and the very same one he had when he was subtly tormenting Yuuka Kazami.
Clow Reed, she realized, wore a similar mask whenever his own sly, manipulative side surfaced. 'It's confirmed!'she thought with a flash of insight.'These black-bellied types all hide behind a gentle facade! And they always, always speak to you with a smile!'
It was clear that Lucifer's primary occupation as a great detective was back in full swing, her side job as the Queen of Hell all but forgotten. Congratulations were in order. While most of her deductions were utterly useless, this time, she had struck gold.
People like that, especially men, were almost always pure, dyed-in-the-wool schemers. At that moment, the woman listening in on their conversation felt a sudden chill, sensing that her future was about to become fraught with challenges.
She had, after all, just escaped the orbit of one black-bellied man only to run straight into the territory of another. And was she now living with an actual devil? Though this particular devil seemed surprisingly easy to get along with, it also seemed she wouldn't be able to smoke openly here...
'You're overthinking things,' Ren would have said.
Just then, the aroma wafting from the kitchen intensified, a complex mix of scents that was overwhelmingly sour, sweet, and spicy. There was no discernible umami, or perhaps it was simply too faint to register against the other powerful fragrances.
Ren stood before the stove, peering into the pot. He observed the contents for a moment, nodded in satisfaction, and murmured to himself, "One meat dish and one vegetable dish, and the flavors must be distinct... Is that a simple request, or a troublesome one? The scope is a bit broad."
In truth, one meat and one vegetable was a perfectly balanced meal, offering both rich, savory notes and clean freshness. The requirement for different flavor profiles was also easy enough to fulfill. Sweet and sour paired with numbing and spicy; numbing and spicy with fresh and fragrant; bitter with sweet and greasy—the combinations were endless.
Seeing that Clow Reed was eating Chinese food, it was safe to assume the woman had ordered the same. But choosing just two dishes from the boundless culinary universe of Chinese cuisine, with its countless recipes and regional variations, was a genuinely difficult task.
However, a certain saying held true: when in doubt, simply decide what kind of animal you want to eat and which regional cuisine you're in the mood for.
That was the logic that led Ren to the dish he was currently preparing—a dish that, by all appearances, could only be described as simple. He finally let out a soft sigh of relief after piercing one of the ingredients in the pot with a toothpick, confirming it was cooked through.
'They probably won't recognize this dish... But Clow Reed should. He seems to be proficient in so many different cuisines.'
The gentle bubbling from the pot filled the kitchen, the air thick with its rich, tantalizing scent. The sound of ingredients tumbling in the simmering broth was exceptionally pleasant. How many people could possibly resist such a wonderful sound, enveloped in an aroma that promised pure delight?
"Hmm... this smell..." the woman mused aloud. "I feel like if I eat such delicious food all the time, I'm going to get fat."
Hearing her, Clow Reed smiled. "With your magic, I highly doubt you have to worry about getting fat."
The woman froze for a second, then shot back unhappily, "You always have to be such a wet blanket. I just feel like I'll get fat. Is there a problem with me expressing how unbelievably delicious Mr. Ren's cooking is?"
"Of course not," Clow Reed said, his smile never wavering. "But just as a single thought of mine can set great events in motion, a person of your immense power should be careful. A stray thought might just make you gain weight for real."
The woman's mouth twitched. This damned, black-bellied four-eyes. His words were as irritating as ever, and she had no way to refute them! He was right; she really did have to be careful about such things.
Lucifer watched the exchange and nodded to herself. 'See? Just as I said. He's exactly the same kind of black-bellied character as Ren.'
In the kitchen, Ren felt a faint prickle, the distinct sensation of being talked about. He thought for a moment, then called out, "Lucifer."
Yuuka and the others watched as Lucifer, who had been radiating the air of a queen just a moment before, suddenly flinched like a startled rabbit. She shot to her feet and scurried into the kitchen without a word.
"Ren? Why did you call me?"
"It's nothing," he said casually. "I just suddenly felt like someone was talking about me, so I called your name on a whim."
"Oh... Then I'll go back out... Huh? What are you making? Is this... boiled greens?"
The woman, who had been staring at the kitchen entrance with an expression that screamed, 'Is this person really the Queen of Hell?', heard the words "boiled greens" and was immediately stunned. Boiled greens? Seriously? What kind of boiled greens could possibly smell this heavenly?
Clow Reed considered it for a moment, then a look of sudden realization dawned on his face. He turned to the woman. "It seems you're in for a treat. Those 'boiled greens' are not a simple dish."
"I knew it! You, the man proficient in all cuisines, you know what this is. Tell me, quickly."
Clow Reed simply waved a hand, his smile widening. "It's a secret. If I tell you now, it will spoil the surprise. It's far better to wait for Shopkeeper Ren's creations with a sense of anticipation, don't you think?"
"This is why you're so annoying, you sly bastard," she grumbled. "But... you're right. I really am looking forward to it now. So, how do your dishes compare to Mr. Ren's...?"
"They don't."
The answer was so swift, so decisive, that it took her by surprise. "That's a rather blunt answer!"
Clow Reed smiled and nodded. "Indeed. If something can't compare, it can't compare. It's best not to tell lies that can be so easily exposed. That would be quite embarrassing."
"Eh? Well, now I'm really intrigued," she said, her eyes gleaming. "About those boiled greens."
"You should be more excited about the meal as a whole."
"Don't you understand the principle of using a specific example to represent the general idea?"
"No idea," he replied breezily.
Clow Reed had just made the woman realize another fundamental truth: a person who was black-bellied to the core did not adhere to the old saying, 'When a person is about to die, their words are kind.' On the contrary, they only became more reckless.
Just as Clow Reed was about to say something more, Lucifer walked out of the kitchen, scratching her head with a bewildered expression.
"How strange," she muttered, mostly to herself. "Why do those boiled greens smell so unbelievably good...?"
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