"Eh, only pretty good? Are you sure we ate the same food?" Asked Michelle skeptically as she glanced at Alexander, yet before he could respond, a certain chef walked right past the table they were sitting at.

Nodding, I was about to respond, but before I could, one of the chefs happened to walk by our table, only to suddenly freeze as he mechanically turned and eyed me like a robot; it was a little weird if I was being honest.

"What did you say, young man?" Asked the Chef as he dropped the tray he was carrying, which had a few plates of food, onto the ground before walking forward and leaning on the table while intently eyeing Alexander.

"U-Um, I-I said the food was good, not great?" Replied Alexander lightly with an uncertain tone while slightly confused as he leaned back a little, glancing at the older-looking Chef

My response didn't seem to please him, as he glanced at the empty bowls on our table before looking back at me, his gaze hardening.

"Lean Pou Noodles; who prepared your dish?" Asked the CChef sternly as he intensely glared at Alexander, slightly freaking him out.

"Chef Lamick." Said Alexander as he observed the Chef, whose frown only intensified.

"Chef Lamick is one of my best Chefs and prepared Lean Pou Noodles second only to me." Remarked the Chef with furrowed brows as he looked at Alexander before glancing at the empty bowls, constantly switching his gaze between the two.

"Um, excuse me, sir or Chef, but who are you?" Asked Michelle lightly as she tapped Chef's shoulder, causing him to straighten his appearance while introducing himself with a pose.

"I'm Chef Pou, owner of Mimosa Restaurant and the creator of the Lean Pou Noodles." Declared Pou with a proud expression, his words slightly shocking the two.

"You're the creator of Lean Pou Noodles? Well, I'd like to formally thank you for creating such a tasty dish, Sir Pou; one of the best, if not the very best, dish I've ever had." Stated Michelle respectfully with a smile as she shook hands with Pou, who reciprocated with a faint smile.

"My pleasure, as a Chef, it's always a welcome sight to see customers enjoying my dishes; however, it seems you're partner doesn't think the same." Said Pou with a nod as he shook hands with Michelle before frowning and glaring at Alexander, who wryly smiled in response.

"I never said that, Chef Pou; the dish was good; it just wasn't as good as it could be." Declared Alexander lightly with an awkward smile, though his words didn't please Pou one bit; if anything, it only angered him further.

"Hmph, if that's how you truly think; wait right here, I'll personally cook a bowl of Lean Pou Noodles." Stated Pou with a stern expression as he glared at Alexander before walking away, completely ignoring the mess he had made earlier.

I was going to stop him, as I saw no need to do that, but I eventually didn't; not only was he walking away rather fast, but as a Chef myself, I knew I had just challenged his dignity as a chef, and it would be rude not to allow him the opportunity to prove himself.

'Haa, that's thirty silver down the drain; fuck my life.' Thought Alexander with a frown as he sighed to himself while resting his head on his hands, which were propped up on the table.

'Language, Master.' Said Trina seriously as she placed her hands on her hips while staring at the sky, her childish voice slightly amusing Alexander.

"If we get banned from this restaurant because of you, I'll spread those pictures across Hyphen, Alexander." Stated Michelle seriously as she glared at Alexander, who just rolled his eyes, not even bothering to respond.

Ignoring Michelle's fake threat, the two of us quietly waited for about another twenty or so minutes, and during that time, someone did happen to finally come and clean up that mess, which kind of made me annoyed with Chef Pou since so much food was just wasted.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

'If Talis were here, she'd gladly eat that; hell, I wouldn't even put it past Yuki to do that; she's really like a vacuum. Actually, now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever seen her get full.' Mused Alexander with a thoughtful expression while looking at the ceiling, only for his nose to twitch at the scent of something delicious.

Looking to my right, I saw Chef Pou walk towards our table while holding a small bowl of steaming hot Lean Pou Noodles, and just from the scent alone, I knew I was dealing with a truly experienced Chef.

"One serving of Lean Pou Noodles, made personally by Chef Pou himself. Enjoy." Stated Chef Pou pridefully as he placed the bowl on the table, causing Michelle to lick her lips hungrily.

"I was just full, but I think I've made a little more room in my stomach." Muttered Michelle with a small smile as she grabbed her fork, dipping it in the bowl and twisting it, only to remove the utensil, which was covered in hot noodles.

Both Chef Pou and I watched as Michelle blew on her fork a few times before placing it in her mouth, only for her eyes to widen while she released a soft, pleasurable moan.

"Ahh, so delicious; this is even better than the previous bowl. This is definitely the tastiest dish I've ever tasted!" Declared Michelle with an immensely satisfied smile, causing Chef Pou to smile before turning and eyeing Alexander, his friendly expression instantly vanishing.

Seeing Chef Pou look at me, I grabbed my fork and did the same; taking a bite of the Lean Pou Noodles, I let it savor in my mouth for a few seconds before actually chewing. I didn't immediately say anything and just continued to eat while Michelle took a few more bites before eventually stopping since she was actually full. Once I took the last bite of noodles, I drank the broth before wiping my face with my napkin as I looked up at Chef Puo, giving him my honest thoughts.

"Your Lean Pou Noodles is great, much better than the one Chef Lamick made." Said Alexander solemnly with a nod as he glanced between the three bowls, his praise causing Pou to raise his head proudly.

"However, unlike Chef Lamick, who simply needed to improve his technique, there is something missing in your dish." Added Alexander, his words causing Pou to frown, yet instead of getting angry, he just curiously looked at Alexander.

"You say there is something missing from my dish? Please, do tell me what could possibly be missing from my dish." Asked Pou with furrowed brows as he eyed Alexander, slightly skeptical about his claim, though he gave him a chance to explain.

"Hmm, what is the word I'm looking for; it's too bland? There isn't anything unique about it? Ahh, I got it; your dish hasn't enough personality." Replied Alexander with a slight frown and a thoughtful expression before snapping his fingers and pointing at Pou while nodding.

"Personality? What do you mean by that? Please enlighten me." Questioned Pou with a pondering expression before shaking his head and looking at Alexander.

"It's kind of hard to explain from the taste alone. If you don't mind, could I watch how you prepare Lean Pou Noodles? I can promise, on my pride as a Chef, I won't steal or disclose any secretive information regarding Lean Pou Noodles." Alexander stated lightly as he rubbed his chin before glancing at Pou with a solemn expression, even raising his hand like he was uttering an oath.

"Chef? You're a Chef as well?" Asked Pou with a raised eyebrow in slight surprise as he gave Alexander once over.

"Yes, well, self-proclaimed Chef; however, I started seriously cooking when I was 11, so for about six years now. Not nearly as long as you, but I've got my fair share of experience." Replied Alexander with a nod as he stood up, towering over Pou before extending his hand toward him, which he took, his tone sounding much more friendly than before.

"I see; that explains why you called me Chef Pou. What's your name, Chef?" Asked Pou with a nod as he looked up at Alexander, who reached into his space pouch only to grab and wear his personal apron.

"Alexander Vestalis." Said Alexander, uttering his last name with pride while both Michelle and Pou looked at his apron with raised eyebrows.

"Well then, right this way, Chef Vestalis." Declared Pou with a nod as he turned and walked towards the door in the distance while Alexander followed behind him.

"U-Um, c-can I come too?" Asked Michelle lightly, her words prompting Pou and Alexander to turn and glance at her, the two of them completely forgetting about her, though the former nodded in agreement.

With Pou allowing Michelle to tag along, the two of us followed behind him as we walked through a door, entering the busy kitchen, which, I will say, was, without a doubt, the most impressive kitchen I've ever laid eyes on.

'Now, this is a kitchen.' Mused Alexander with a nod as he glanced at all the chefs, even spotting Lamick in the back multitasking.

Walking towards an empty spot in the large kitchen, Pou grabbed numerous ingredients, some of which I didn't even know existed, while others were common, like onions and garlic.

"One order of Lean Pou Noodles coming up." Said Pou with a serious expression as he grabbed a knife and started cooking while Alexander and Michelle watched from the sides.