CH 14

In this world, no one understood Erina-sama better than she did. But, in the end, childhood sweethearts couldn't compare to a boy!

That boy suddenly became Erina-sama's fiancee, and she who had originally wanted to divorce him actually had a change of heart and said she wanted to guide and teach him how to properly use his culinary talents. In only one hour, Erina-sama changed her mind. And last night, the two of them had been in the kitchen until this morning, when she saw the boy carry Erina-sama up the stairs!

Miss Secretary is heartbroken!

The woman she admired has been taken away by a stinky man!

Even though she has no right to be angry, she can't help but feel unwilling. At this rate, won't there be a baby soon? What will she do then?

After Erina-sama and that guy get married, will she still be able to live with Erina-sama and be sisters like they are now?

Unknowingly, Hisako has already arrived at the patisserie's entrance, looking at the "Closed" sign hanging in the window of the shop with a sad gaze. Last night, sadness flowed like a river!

Another black car drove up and stopped in front of the patisserie. Kotobuki Tsumugi, the golden-haired blue-eyed young lady of the Kotobuki family and a high school sophomore at the Sakuragaoka High School and member of the light music club, made her entrance!

Tsumugi took a few steps forward and walked up to Hisako's side, looking at the "Closed" sign with a surprised expression and unconsciously covering her mouth with a small hand.

"Hey, why isn't Sakuraba-senpai open for business at this time?"

"I was planning to buy some extra pastries to treat my friends, but it looks like I'll have to hold off for a while," Tsumugi said with a slightly surprised tone, her face sporting a pleasant smile as she adopted an adorable posture.

She slightly turned her head to look at the girl about the same age as her and, especially when she saw the streaks of blood in the girl's pupils and her tired mental state, the young lady's expression was gentle and caring, like a concerned younger sister. "You must have been waiting for a long time. Don't worry, Sakuraba-senpai will open the shop soon. This patisserie will always open unless there is a special circumstance or holiday."

Hisako looked at Tsumugi, who was clueless and shook her head with a complicated gaze. "No, you should leave. The patisserie won't open today, at least not in the morning."

Tsumugi blinked, not understanding the girl's words.

Seeing her expression and the similar golden hair to Miss Erina, Hisako's mood softened a little, and explained, "The lights on the first floor of the patisserie were on from last night until five o'clock this morning. Now, the chefs are resting. You should go to school too. After all, it's Thursday and it's not good to be late."

Erina-sama is not available at the moment, but her job was still there. She had to go and help with the student's exam review or ask someone to cover the class. Tsumugi looked at the patisserie behind her and then at Hisako's departing back and slightly bowed to show her thanks.

"Well then, I'll come back this afternoon."

However, next time, she should ask for a phone number from Sakuraba-senpai so it's easier to make a reservation in advance. As for why the girl knew that the patisserie's lights were on until five o'clock in the morning, Tsumugi didn't delve further into the matter. She believed that sometimes, knowing too much is not a good thing.

As an example, Tsumugi wondered if, if she didn't know the truth and just watch idly by, a girl in love with a boy would silently stand in the corner and watch the hardworking young man she fancy.

Ignorance is bliss.

Miss Kotobuki sat in the car with a pleasant smile on her face, ready to go to school.

Hisako also took the car back to Totsuki Academy.

On the second-floor guest room of the patisserie, Erina slept more peacefully than any other day, with a faint smile on her face and occasionally letting out a slight, short laugh. Then...

Thump!

Erina tumbled off the bed, her laughter fading as she fell into a deeper, more peaceful sleep, her expression serene.

The scene was originally very beautiful, but the small, swollen area on the girl's forehead, which seemed to be accidentally bruised, disrupted the atmosphere slightly.

Ichiyo slept very peacefully in the master bedroom. He was forced to work hard by his sister-in-law all night, but he could finally rest well.

In the post-apocalyptic wasteland, Chito and Yuuri woke up to find a pile of beautiful fruit next to them. Without hesitation, they picked up one and ate it, then hugged each other and sat on the ground, their faces beaming with happiness.

For Chito and Yuuri, who had been counting their survival time in this difficult world based on the amount of food they had, this delicious meal was like a gift from heaven. Every bite was a moment of pure joy!

With breakfast taken care of, Chito set about searching the library with a desk lamp, looking for books on how to deal with deities.

***

After being squeezed by his sister-in-law all night, Ichiyo finally managed to tire her out and fell asleep at around 6 in the morning. He slept until after 3 in the afternoon and woke up feeling refreshed, lounging on the bed with a stretch.

It's no wonder, with a dish that exceeds 100% completion and includes emotions like fatigue as a bonus, it's really potent.

Last night, he ate a seven-flavors treasure fruit daifuku, and slept soundly through the night without even dreaming. It's clear that he entered a deep sleep, and this effect is a blessing for insomniacs.

After being squeezed by his sister-in-law all night, Ichiyo finally managed to put her to sleep and fell into a deep sleep himself, waking up only at around 3 pm. He stretched out on the bed, feeling refreshed.

That's right, with a completion rate of over 100% and the added emotion buff of fatigue, the medicinal properties of the dish was really strong.

Earlier that morning, he had eaten a seven-flavors fruit daifuku and had fallen into a deep sleep, not even dreaming. It was clear that he had entered a deep sleep, a blessing for those suffering from insomnia. It was only because he had been so tired that the dish had the added fatigue buff effect, but fortunately, it had allowed him to rest and get the upper hand over his sister-in-law.

Ichiyo's mindset was usually pretty good, and if it were any other day, the dish he made would never have had such emotion buff. It just goes to show that people's potential is brought out through adversity.

It was the first time Ichiyo had discovered that the completion rate of a dish could surpass the 100% limit. Should he say that his sister-in-law's improved recipe was too powerful, or that his own potential was truly top-notch?

Maybe both were true, but as a normal human, he had a normal physique and endurance, despite his regular exercise. Pulling an all-nighter cooking was not as easy as playing games all night, and throughout the process, his sister-in-law had only tasted and pointed out problems, leaving all the steps and processes to Ichiyo himself. It was like an intense workout for an entire night!

His waist was fine, and his kidneys were not overtaxed, but his legs felt a bit weak and his arm muscles were still aching from lactic acid accumulation, making his hands shake a little.

Rubbing his brow, Ichiyo yawned and stood up, preparing to wash up and go out. As he opened the bedroom door, a sour face appeared in his field of vision, making him instinctively step back in surprise.

"You're still here?"

Standing at his doorstep was none other than his sister-in-law.

At this moment, Erina lightly bites her lower lip, her forehead flushing with a small patch of red. Her expression is complex. "You locked the store on the first floor and I don't have the key to open the door."

Ichiyo guessed that she would wake up earlier than him, after all, the resistance to food was also related to being a chef. If it were an ordinary person, a casual dish might be enough to knock them out, but for food critics who eat food every day that can reach the level of poison, their resistance to food is already strong, and dishes that do not meet the standard do not qualify to stimulate them to form a food hallucination in their minds.

Similarly, as an excellent chef who can improve the recipe of a signature dish, Erina's resistance to extraordinary dishes is also well-known to all. He originally thought that the girl would leave on her own after waking up, but he didn't expect to accidentally keep her there when he closed the store door, which was quite coincidental.

Feeling a little nervous under Erina's gaze, Ichiyo turned and went back to the room to get the key and handed it to her.

"Just go open the door yourself, I need to take a shower first. I was too tired last night and didn't even have time to wash up before going to bed."

Erina took the key and stood there, stunned. Seeing that she wasn't moving, Ichiyo frowned. "Is there something else?"

he was in a rush to start the day!

Erina raises her head and looks at him, her lips moving as she tries to ask why she woke up on the floor this morning, and why the quilt ended up at the bottom of the bed, but in the end, she doesn't ask. "Study well. I'll come back once a week to check on your progress, and if it's a holiday I'll come even more often."

Ichiyo's mouth twitches as he thinks of the sister-in-law's devilish teaching methods and instinctively refuses, "No need, I'm actually a genius. I can learn it all by myself."

"No way. The book only covers basic knowledge. You won't understand the important parts unless I teach you bit by bit!"

Ichiyo was silent for a moment, then tried to ask, "Could I have your sister teach me instead?"

Erina stared at him incredulously, as if she couldn't believe what he was saying.

Where did her sister's name come up from all of a sudden?

If the real Alice found out that she was using Alice's name to meet with her fiancé and teach him cooking, wouldn't Erina lose face?

Most importantly, how would she explain it to Alice later?

Erina tightened her grip on the keys to the pastry shop she was holding and turned away from her idiot fiancee. "Of course not. My sister doesn't like boys with poor cooking skills. If you want to see her, you should study well with me first and learn how to cook properly."

Ichiyo had a somewhat speechless expression. "By the way, this doesn't necessarily have anything to do with her, right? she is my fiancée, so even if my cooking skills are a bit poor now, it won't affect our relationship. And weren't you the one who opposed our engagement before?"

Ichiyo furrowed his brow as if he had just realized something. "You're even actively teaching me cooking now, and you haven't mentioned opposing our engagement. Did you two have a fight?"

After thinking for a while, Ichiyo could only come up with a reason that seemed plausible.

And when he thought of his fiancée's cute and delicate appearance, compared to his haughty and spoiled little sister, he thought that it must have been this woman who had started the conflict between the two sisters.

He was definitely not partial to anyone!

He was just being realistic!

Erina was amused by Ichiyo's words and turned to look at him seriously, pointing her finger at the tip of his nose. "Give up. There's no way Alice and I could ever have an argument. I never get angry at Alice, never disagree with her, and I'll always love her just as much as I love myself. Do you have any more questions?"

Ichiyo nodded in realization. "No, I understand everything now!"

So, it turned out that his little sister was a severe siscon patient!

No wonder she had a strange feeling of dislike for him the first time they met. Now it all makes sense!

The cause of the disease was here!

It seems that Mr. Ichiyo is not qualified to live peacefully with his little sister-in-law. He is an enemy to her, and there must be a winner and a loser in their relationship. Even though he is grateful for her tireless guidance in cooking, he cannot compromise on the matter of his wife!

Ichiyo once again scrutinized his little sister and placed her in the first position of his enemy list!

Erina didn't know why, but she felt that this guy was looking at her strangely, making her feel uncomfortable. Thinking about it, she didn't stay here long and prepared to go to Hisako to ask about the specific situation of the student exam, after all, that was originally her job, and now, the assessment results were probably almost out.

"Lunch is in the microwave, you can take it out and eat it yourself later. In any case, remember to study well. I'll test you next time we meet," Erina says as she leaves, carrying the keys to the pastry shop and walking down the stairs. As she walks, she quietly rubs the swollen red patch on her forehead, out of Ichiyo's sight. Tears glisten in her eyes, sparkling like crystal.

"Ow~"

Ichiyo was taken aback by her last words before she left, and combined with her behavior the previous night, he couldn't help but feel that this girl was actually pretty good beneath her haughty exterior. She was very strong-willed, but she also had a strong wifely aura. If he spent more time with her, he would realize that she was kind and gentle as well.

Unfortunately, although she was amazing, she didn't have the same impact as his fiancée's white hair.

White hair and red eyes, this special attribute were really hard for someone like Ichiyo to control himself around. After all, although Ichiyo's body belonged to this country, his soul was still that of a florist from his past life.

Most people from the florist community have this feeling.

Gold is beautiful, but a little vulgar.

The silver-white hair shimmers in the light, looking pure and holy. Ichiyo can't help but think about how thrilling it would be to taint that purity with his own color.. This is a thought that many lecherous old men have when faced with beauty, even if they are not consciously aware of it. Ichiyo is no saint - if he meets a girl he likes, he will do whatever it takes to win her over.