She was teasing me again, right? She had to be.

The outer layer was entirely burnt, with occasional flecks falling off. If I didn't know what monster it was before, I'd never be able to guess. If someone handed me this without explanation, I'd have assumed it was charcoal for art!

“Umm…” I hesitated, searching for a nice way to ask if she knew how to cook. She seemed used to traveling alone, so surely this was some kind of fluke, right? Or maybe a prank. She hadn't shied away from teasing me so far, so perhaps she had the real food hidden?

When I glanced at her, still trying to find the right words, her smile faltered, and she tipped her head. “What's wrong?”

Her tone wasn't teasing or mischievous…which meant she was serious.

Was she so used to overcooking things that this was what she thought food was supposed to look like?! I swallowed hard and forced a smile. “It seems a bit…overcooked?”

It came out more like a question than I intended, but she nodded, her smile returning. “I used to heal dozens of people from food poisoning because they didn't cook their meat long enough. That won't be a problem here.”

No, it definitely wouldn't. She looked so proud of it though... I couldn't tell her this was potentially just as inedible. Looking back at what used to be a Rock Snake, I braced myself. Maybe it was only burnt on the outside?

Years of experience cooking–and suffering through my siblings’ attempts at it–told me that was definitely not the case. But Clover looked so…excited.

Her eyes were warm with anticipation, her frame leaned forward, and it was so painfully similar to Daedra that a knife twisted through my chest.

It didn't matter how burnt the Rock Snake was, I was going to eat it. Crushing that excitement was not an option. Ignoring the sharp scent clogging my nose, I lifted the meat closer and bit into it.

And immediately regretted it.

It was burnt nearly all the way through, and the pungent taste of charcoal overrode the bland flavor I'd begun to grow accustomed to.

I'd never complain about bland food again after this. It sat on my tongue, seeping in as if branding the awful flavor into my memory. Only her expectant gaze kept me from spitting it out like my body desperately wanted to.

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Her eyes were wide, reminiscent of Daedra's when I first started teaching her how to cook. It would hurt her feelings if I spat it out…

Better her feelings than your stomach, fool!

My stomach churned uneasily, a warning of what would come if I swallowed my mouthful. After another look at Clover’s face, I ignored the voice of reason and my stomach’s protest.

I'd survived worse than a failed attempt at cooking. I couldn't remember what exactly was worse than this flavor, but there had to be something. I would swallow this bite and then politely offer to cook dinner from now on.

With that in mind, I shoved aside every instinct to spit it out and swallowed the bite with difficulty. It was painfully dry and nearly got stuck in my throat, but once I finally managed to get it down, I breathed a sigh of relief.

There, that wasn't so bad. It was over, I hadn't hurt Clover’s feelings, and I didn't have to taste it anymore. It was a win-win.

My stomach twisted in disagreement, but Clover leaned in, her smile inching wider. “So, how was it?”

It was worth it for that smile alone, and I went to tell her it was fine–the lie on the tip of my tongue–but a lance of pain twisted into my stomach. Another, decidedly more ill, noise rumbled from my stomach, and I clutched it with a grimace. That wasn't good.

Sure enough, the feeling branched out, dousing my appetite. I carefully set the meat aside to focus on breathing. My stomach soured and rolled, threatening to regurgitate the one bite I'd eaten. Only force of will kept me from doing just that.

Clover's hand settled on my back, and her voice broke through the new waves of pain. “I made sure it was safe to eat. How did it poison you?! Fuck, it even damaged your Hit Points!”

Ah, so that's why I felt so awful. She'd accidentally poisoned me. I'd laugh if it wouldn't result in spraying vomit. Spirits above and below, even Daedra could cook better than this…

I'd heard passing adventurers mention taking damage from poisoned food before, but I never thought it was possible by accident! And it was an accident, no doubt about it.

Clover’s smile was long gone, replaced with pinched worry as she hovered over me. Just like earlier, genuine concern painted her features, and I tried to smile. If the grimace she offered back was any indication, I'd failed miserably.

A wave of warmth spread outward from her hand as it rubbed along the length of my back. It was almost enough of a distraction to negate the nausea tearing through me.

Almost.

The sharp pain continued and she cursed again. “Your Hit Points are still dropping.”

Considering it felt like my stomach was turning inside out, that wasn't surprising. After a minute, she muttered a healing spell and the pain ebbed. My stomach didn't settle though; the sick twisting stubbornly refused to abate. That would probably linger until tomorrow, unfortunately.

From the corner of my eye, Clover picked up the meat I'd discarded with her free hand and bit into it. I braced to comfort her and gently offer to teach her how to cook, only she didn't react negatively.

Her face didn't twist in disgust or disappointment as I'd expected. Instead, she chewed thoughtfully before swallowing with a shrug. “Doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it.”

She squinted, analyzing the meat. With her focus on it, I didn't have to worry about her spotting the horrified look most likely decorating my features.

She…was a monster.