Flamme stood before the stove with a plain white apron covering her red dress, one hand holding a ladle like she was holding her swords, and the other hand stretching out to open the pot lid.

A plume of steam rose up from the boiling pot filled with various kinds of vegetables, brushing off her rosy cheeks under the illumination of the magic chandelier hanging above. Her nose twitched, tingling from the pleasant aroma it carried, and she gave a small, satisfied nod.

On the other side of the room, sumptuous dishes were laid out on top of a glossy wooden table. With golden roasted chicken, soft and fluffy yellowish garlic breads, a colorful vegetable stir-fry with shrimp, and several other dishes, a rainbow of colors was served at the table—a delightful feast for the eyes. A mouth-watering fragrance pervaded the entire room.

This scene was proven to be highly stimulating, especially for the pink-haired catkin girl, whose eyes sparkled with anticipation, moving from one dish to another, undecided as to whether she should try the glistening chicken meat first or grab a spoonful of that creamy mutton stew or maybe that tantalizing hot and sour grilled fish fillet.

But whenever she made up her mind to forward her small hand toward the luckily chosen dish, a slender hand seemed to always be there, smacking her hand from advancing.

"Claudia! I'm so hungry! I really want to eat it, nyaa!" Caila wailed, tears dwelling in her eyes. "Just let me have a bite! I'll just take a small bite and try the taste, nyaa!"

Claudia sighed, flicking Caila’s forehead lightly. "What should I do about you, really, you greedy cat.” Despite her exasperated look, her hand grabbed something from behind and brought it forward, revealing a plate of anchovies and a few chicken wings. "Hey~ It may not be as good as those dishes, but it’s enough to satisfy your craving, I guess. You don’t want to be scolded by Captain, don’t you?"

“Thank you, Claudia! You’re the best, nyaa~!” That small action from Claudia moved Caila to tears.

Caila pecked her on the cheek, took the plate, and hurried to the corner of the kitchen, squatting there and throwing a handful of fish into her mouth. After a few chomps, her beautiful emerald eyes squinted in delight.

Flamme, who was cooking, also witnessed this event unfurl, the corners of her mouth slightly arching like a crescent moon.

*

In the spacious and well-furnished dining room, four girls and one middle-aged man had already been seated in their respective chairs. A set of silver dinnerware sat neatly in front of each of them, and on the side, a beautiful glass was filled half-full of vibrant red wine inside it. A line of flickering candles in the middle of a delicately ornate dining table added a sense of luxury.

A moment later, another three girls enter the room, each holding a copper tray with various dishes laid out on it and placing it neatly in the middle of the table.

Raia and Mia stared agape upon seeing the variety of luxurious dishes served for their dinners; their eyes glimmered in amazement.

Satisfied by their reaction, Aurora’s lips tugged slightly upward, revealing a hearty smile. For an ordinary mercenary who was usually satisfied with just a loaf of bread and a bowl of hot soup, a sumptuous dinner like this surely left a good impression on them. This was exactly what Aurora was planning to achieve—showing them that Glory Mercenary was the best place they could be.

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Compared to the excited Mia and Raia, Janette seemed a little bit too quiet. Of course, as a noblewoman herself, Janette won’t be particularly impressed by this little bit of hospitality. However, judging from how tightly her brows furred, Aurora could tell that she was still brooding over her previous words. But it couldn’t be helped, Aurora could only give her the time she needed to solve the knot in her heart.

Putting it aside, Aurora stopped paying attention to Janette and decided to start their delightful dinner.

"Okay, now that everyone is here... to celebrate our new members…" Aurora raised her glass, "Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

Seeing that the petite cat girl also sneakily picked up the wine glass, Aurora snatched the glass from her hand and replaced it with another glass filled with milk. “Children is not allowed to drink.”

"Master! I'm not a child, nyaa~!" Caila protested, trying to snatch the wine glass back but getting her small hand slapped instead. "I'm already old! I'm old enough to drink!"

"The time you spent inside the sword isn’t counted." Aurora ruffled her smooth pink hair. "Be obedient. I’ll give you the fish meat if you drink the milk.”

"Really?!" Caila's eyes lit up; her gaze fixed at the fried fish that was crispy on the outside but tender on the inside on Aurora's plate, and she hurriedly chugged the glassful of milk in her hand in one gulp. Her previous indignation disappeared instantly as soon as she put the fish meat in her mouth with her fork.

Blair took a bite of the chicken and chewed it, and he took a few sips of wine from the wine bottle. Looking at the lively dining table, his eyes showed a hint of melancholy. How many years has it been since I saw such a scene? He let out a satisfied sigh, content with the heartwarming feeling he hadn’t experienced for quite a long time.

"Boom boom boom! Boom boom boom!"

Just as everyone was enjoying the delicious food, there was a sudden knock on the door. Claudia was about to get up, but Aurora stopped her. "Let me go and have a look."

When Aurora opened the door, she saw Tix standing there with anxious expression on his face. Seeing that he was full of sweat and breath ragged, he must have rushed over all the way here.

"Come in and sit down, Mr. Tix, what happened?"

"No, I don’t have the time for that! Lady Aurora, something serious happened." Tix wiped the sweat off his forehead with one hand, and his tone was grave.

"Um?"

Aurora frowned, and she was a little confused about the nervous Tix.

"Just now, the Raging Tempest Mercenary Group is ready to fight you to the death!"

“Why so suddenly? Could it be…” A figure flashed in Aurora’s mind. “That guy is ready to make a move?”

“Yes! Their leader, Foster, has decided to make a move.”

“Aren’t they being reckless here? I’m sure that we’ve already destroyed all kinds of evidence that led to our involvement. They shouldn’t be able to do anything in such a short period of time.”

Aurora was sure that no one except Henrick would be able to find out about this.

“Unless... they still proceed without regard to the evidence...”

“Yes. I’ve got the news that it was Bruce, the vice-leader of their mercenary group, who issued the statement.”

Aurora frowned. She had heard about the man named Bruce before. He was the strategist for Raging Tempest, a typical cunning and calculating person who worked behind the scenes. This unreasonable scheme must have been concocted by that sly bastard. It seemed that she had to find a chance to kill him as soon as possible.

“So, Lady Aurora, what are you going to do? Even our leader is apprehensive of their leader, Foster. We are more worried that they will retaliate fiercely against you next time.”

Aurora waved her hands lightly, still looked calm and composed. “Although it’ll be a little bit troublesome, it didn’t deviate too much from what I expected. Even if they want revenge, they won’t do it so openly. Though it’s just in a title, I’m still a noble of this country. You don’t need to worry about it, Mr. Tix. I’ll handle this matter properly.”

Seeing her unfazed attitude, Tix breathed a relief sigh. “If there is anything, our Moon Wolf Mercenary Group will try our best to help you!”

"Well, thank you."

After relaying the information to Aurora, Tix declined the invitation to join the dinner and hurriedly left the mansion.

Watching Tix’s disappearing back, Aurora’s eyes gradually turned solemn.