CHAPTER 80 – HELL’S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES PART TWO

KATE ZEPHYRUS

DAY THREE

Given Charlotte's initial nitpicking dissatisfaction with the food, we decided to entrust her with managing the kitchen for the day. Hoping that her discerning taste would result in something above our current standards, we eagerly anticipated the outcome.

Curiosity and a touch of concern led me to sneak a peek into the kitchen where Charlotte was at work. She adorned herself with mittens, primarily utilizing the oven for her culinary creations.

"Hey, do you even know how to cook?" I asked, a tinge of worry in my voice.

"Ohoho! There's nothing a duchess like me can't do. And that involves cooking!" Charlotte sassily laughed.

"O-Okay,"

I sighed, returning to the dining table where the rest of the squad awaited.

"So? How is Charlotte?" Hiraya inquired. "Since she's always acting like a rich girl, I'm quite worried about her."

"S-She's fine, right?" Gaeun interjected, her crimson eyes fixed on me.

"She knows what she's doing," I reassured with a smile, quickly transforming it back into a frown. "I think..."

"I've got a bad feeling about this..." Hiraya, Lysander, and Gaeun muttered, coincidentally echoing my thoughts.

After a while, Charlotte made her grand entrance, carrying a large box wrapped in transparent packaging. "Breakfast is ready!"

"Wow, that looks great!" Hiraya cheered upon seeing the cheesy pastry inside the box. "What is it?"

"This is House Margaret's secret recipe to lure out suitors—the Blue Cheese Quiche, with extravagant herbs and spices!"

"Just looking at it makes my mouth water," I said. "What are we waiting for? Let's eat! Thanks for the—"

As soon as Charlotte lifted the transparent box's lid, a putrid, rotten smell exploded like a grenade.

"Ugh, what is that smell?" I exclaimed, immediately covering my nose.

"Is this even edible?" Hiraya cried.

"Um, somebody, open the windows!" Gaeun screamed.

"Trailblaze Accel!" Lysander invoked his overpowered speed spell to swiftly open all the windows of the airship, allowing the air to circulate freely. Fortunately, there was no turbulence in the airspace, and we were traveling at slow speeds; otherwise, the pressure difference might have posed a danger.

"L-Let's try to eat it then," Hiraya nervously suggested, taking a piece of the quiche and biting into it. "Hmm... It smells bad, but the taste is fine."

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"R-Really?" I asked skeptically.

Lysander was the next to taste the quiche and shared his honest opinion. "I-It tastes great, but the smell..."

Gaeun mumbled as she chewed the quiche, "The smell is now trapped in my mouth."

I nearly attempted a taste but recoiled at the overpowering smell of blue cheese and various herbs and spices that Charlotte had mixed in. "Ugh... I'm not hungry anymore."

Gaeun then cried while gulping, "The smell... won't go away."

And so, the day concluded with the lingering aftermath of bad breath for all of us.

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DAY FOUR

It was Gaeun's turn to take charge of the kitchen. Considering the rumor that Gaeun had a boyfriend in Stonehill City who likely received many lunchboxes from her, we thought she might be a proficient cook. Thus, we eagerly awaited her culinary creations.

Seated at the dining table, Gaeun arrived with a serving cart, presenting dishes we had never seen before. The spread showcased a healthy balance of meat and vegetables, devoid of the off-putting smell that accompanied the quiche from the previous day.

"Um, these are my cooking. Please don't have high expectations," Gaeun humbly stated.

"Wow, this looks high-class!" Hiraya praised. Meanwhile, Lysander, Charlotte, and I gazed at the food with hopeful anticipation.

"Thanks for the food!" I cheered as I dove into the first bite.

We began munching on the food, but suddenly, all chewing came to a halt. Hiraya whispered, "Hey, doesn't this taste funny?"

"Now that you mention it, yeah," I agreed. "This dish, whatever it is, tastes sour and bitter… and somewhat sweet."

"Um..." Gaeun nervously inquired, "Is there something wrong with Experiment Number 48?"

"Wait, what did you call the dish again?" Charlotte's jaw dropped, her eyes widening.

"Experiment Number 48," Gaeun confirmed. "I'm not confident about the taste, but I'm sure I included all the nutrients in that experiment. If you don't like it, you can try Experiment Number 23-A," Gaeun suggested, introducing another chaotic mix of fruits, vegetables, meat, and even cakes.

"So you're not even calling them dishes! You're just experimenting, and we are all just your guinea pigs!" I exclaimed.

"Um, how did you make these 'experiments'?" Hiraya asked politely, forcing a smile.

"There were several food waste for the past few days, so I used all the vegetables, the bacons, and the quiche, and mixed it all up. Also, I added bitterfruit extract to balance out the saltiness, and I sprayed air freshener to remove the smell." Gaeun explained.

"You are not supposed to mix all those things, Gaeun," Charlotte lamented. "I'm wondering how your boyfriend hasn't dumped you yet for all this cooking."

"Um, my boyfriend cooks for me," Gaeun responded. "I'm sorry if my cooking upsets you."

Meanwhile, Lysander raised his hand and gave a forced smile with a grim pale face. "Excuse me. I need to go to the toilet."

And so, the rest of the day was spent in line for the toilet due to the aftermath of Gaeun's experiments.

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DAY FIVE

It was my turn to take charge of the kitchen. After finishing the preparation of the dishes, I discreetly peeked through the kitchen window, attempting to eavesdrop on what my squadmates were saying about me.

"Ugh. It's Kate's turn. I bet she never cooked in her life before," Charlotte grumbled with her face dipped into the table. "Is it too late to go back to the Empire's Sanctuary? We should hire a five-star chef next time."

"Does Kate even know how to beat eggs?" Lysander inquired.

"In what, hand-to-hand combat?" Gaeun responded with a serious question.

Hiraya immediately stood up, appearing in a state of panic. "Get Kate out of the kitchen! Now!"

"Breakfast is ready!" I announced, pushing the service cart and presenting them with a completely normal meal: Fruit and nut granola, Greek yogurt, breakfast burritos, and chocolate oats.

"Eh?" Charlotte muttered.

"Aren't these..." Hiraya stuttered.

I sighed and then placed my hands on my hips. "Aren't you all idiots? There are ready-made meals in the pantry, and you all ignored them! Some of them only need reheating or hot water!"

"W-Whaaat?" All of them shouted in shock.

"Oh yeah! If you can't cook, you can just use those ready-made meals!" Charlotte gasped.

"W-Why didn't we think of that!?" Lysander held his aching head.

"We... were dumber than Kate!" Hiraya cried.

"Waaaah! We were dumber than Kate! I want to kill myself!" Gaeun hollered.

"W-What!? I give you completely normal food, and this is how you treat me!?" I roared out loud.

And so, our food crisis was finally averted.

Good ending.