Zach's voice startled Jade and she turned around to find him taking a seat close to her.

Placed on the countertop before Zach were six different plates of food Jade had prepared before the one she tasted just now.

"Why are you here?" Jade asked, as it was quite late and everyone else was asleep. She had assumed that Zach wanted to make fun of her cooking. However, his response surprised her.

"I'm hungry."

"Wait, what?" Jade was taken aback. However, she recalled what Luna said to her before heading to bed.

"You really haven't eaten? Luna said you didn't eat anything this morning as well. Is this true?"

Zach could sense the concern in her voice and he smiled while replying to her question.

"Yeah, something like that," Zach replied, pulling one of the foods Jade made closer to him before picking up a spoon and tasting the food.

"Ah, wait. Don't eat...." Jade tried to stop him but Zach had already taken the first bite.

"Woah, this is really good,"

"R-really?"

"Yeah,"

"You aren't just saying it just to make me happy?"

Zach shook his head in response, not opening his mouth to speak as he focused his attention on the food before him.

Within minutes, Zach emptied all six plates before him and Jade was left speechless, but watching Zach eat the food before him warmed her heart.

"Y-you didn't have to force yourself to finish them all."

Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

"Why would I need to do that?"

"Huh?"

"I finished them all because your cooking was really good and not because I forced myself," Hearing Zach say this brought a smile to Jade's face. She didn't really know how to react so she decided to look the other way.

"Liar," She said, trying her best to hide her smile.

However, she didn't expect the next words that came out of Zach's mouth.

"Why do you compare your cooking to others?"

"W-what?"

"You are a chef, are you not? and you love your job right?"

"Yes?"

"Then keep doing what you love. Just because everyone loves a particular chef's food, it doesn't mean that you have to make a replica of that same food."

Listening to Zach's words, Jade finally understood what he was trying to tell her, but a side of her was infuriated at the way Zach said those words.

He was talking as though he knew her like an open book.

It angered Jade even more because she knew Zach spent most of his time in his room so he had no right to speak to her that way.

At first, she wanted to give him a scathing reply, but she decided not to because deep down Jade knew she wanted someone who could not only give her advice but also a way to solve the problem she was currently keeping to herself.

Although she might not have the strength to say it out, Jade knew more than anyone else that she needed to seek advice and maybe help from those around her.

With this in mind, she clenched her fist and steeled her mind to tell Zach the truth.

It might not yield an immediate effect but she just wanted to get it off her chest.

"There's something you need to know," She muttered, loud enough for Zach to hear. She paused a bit as she clenched her hands tighter at the fear of carrying out what she was about to do.

She had never told this to anyone because she knew the moment she did, it would become her reality and she was afraid of facing the truth.

"In the next two days or so, I might not be a chef again."

Zach was surprised when he heard her confession. He knew Jade had taken a huge step towards changing her fate by speaking up for herself.

He didn't express it out in the open but he was impressed by what he was seeing because he knew Jade's character and personality more than anyone else.

Jade viewed herself as someone everyone around her depended on in terms of cooking and some other things, so she found it hard to confide in others when she faced troubles. She felt that if she did, the others wouldn't view her the same way.

Jade continued to inform Zach about the troubles she was currently facing with the culinary guild and how in a few days, she would lose her job as well.

Meanwhile, Jade was surprised to see that the more she revealed the truth to Zach, the more relieved she was.

It was strange but hugely satisfying.

It felt like a huge burden had been lifted off of her chest.

Zach listened attentively to everything Jade had to say and the moment she was done explaining herself, he opened his mouth to speak.

"Do you have your agent's contact?"

"Yes?" Jade replied with a curious look.

While Jade was explaining everything to him, Jade informed Zach about how her agent was the one the culinary guild sent to collect her debts.

Since most of the equipment she was using came from the guild, the guild offered her an agent to monitor her activities just like every other chef working as street food vendors.

"Can you please tell me the last time you called him?"

"I have never called him once. He's always busy so I never bothered to disturb him."

"Good, because that will have to change."

"What? You want me to call him? Why?"

"Judging by what you told me, it seems to me like you need to change your location."

"My location? You want me to call him to change my location?"

Zach nodded in response.

As previously mentioned, the culinary guild is responsible for not only granting chefs a place to build their restaurants but also spots or locations for chefs like Jade to sell their food.

However, food vendors could only change their location by informing their agents.

The agents will then request a permit from the guild to grant the chefs permission to change locations.

But some conditions had to be met.