Chapter 74
Chapter 74
“Meian?”
‘Is her cooking really up to par?’
Even without hearing the rest, Meian could guess what they wanted to say.
But Meian had been living on her own for sixty years. That was not a period to be taken lightly anywhere.
Clearing her throat lightly, Meian continued speaking.
“I can at least make simple snacks…”
“No, simple isn’t enough to replace Erina.”
Mitzu cut her off bluntly. Beside him, Hael nodded in agreement.
Just how incredible is Erina’s cooking for them to react this way?!
Meian felt indignant at their dismissive attitude, but when she looked at Erina’s face, her expression softened.
Right, come to think of it, she probably wouldn’t want to eat snacks made by someone else if she were used to Erina’s. Even if she hadn’t tasted them yet.
“Well, in that case, how about we all finish our gathering before snack time?”
“Yes… huh?”
Dylan, seeing that Mitzu and Hael had returned, decided it was the perfect time to get rid of the noisy, distracting bunch—at least temporarily.
“Lord Dylan? I haven’t even had lunch yet, sir?!”
“Sir?!”
Mitzu and Hael protested strongly.
But they were up against Dylan.
He, more than anyone, knew that dragons could go days without food and be fine. Ignoring their whining, Dylan pressured them with a sharp look.
‘If I say go, you go. Why all the talking?’
Hael picked up on the unspoken message and sparked little currents around her in protest, but naturally, it had no effect. With no choice, the three were once again kicked into the forest, fueled only by their resolve to return before snack time.
Meanwhile, Dylan, having effortlessly swept away Mitzu, Hael, and even Meian, turned to Erina with a bright smile.
“Miss Erina, please relax and rest now.”
“Thank you. But… I think it might be better if I slowly start preparing the snacks. Everyone else is working hard for me, and it feels wrong to just rest by myself.”
Erina gestured toward the forest where she would have gone herself under normal circumstances.
Humans… such a complicated species, always feeling guilty, anxious, and awkward.
Dylan raised an eyebrow as he looked at Erina, who, even while injured, was anxious to move and help.
No, wait.
He shouldn’t lump Erina together with all the other humans he’d met. She had intrigued him from the very first encounter. She wasn’t like the rest.
In that short moment, Dylan completed his assessment: Once again, Erina was unlike any other human.
“Seeing Miss Erina work while unwell makes me feel uneasy, too.”
There was no room for rebuttal. Erina, looking at Dylan’s genuinely worried expression, closed her mouth tightly. Come to think of it, if Dylan were the one injured and still working, she would try to stop him too.
“Thank you so much for worrying about me. Then I’ll…”
She was about to say she’d rest quickly so she could work harder later—if Lia hadn’t suddenly butted in.
“Erina! Erina! I have a great idea!”
“Huh?”
Erina turned to Lia, who had grabbed her skirt. As Lia waved her small hand, Erina knelt down to bring her ear close.
She didn’t notice Dylan’s eyes narrowing in displeasure as the conversation suddenly shut him out. Lia, of course, did notice her uncle’s mood change.
But she deliberately rubbed her cheek against Erina’s palm and even stuck out her tongue at Dylan when their eyes met.
Hah.
Dylan let out a dry laugh. She was climbing to the top of his head, taking advantage of Erina’s presence.
It was time to seriously consider how to respond to his niece’s constant cheekiness. Not that Lia was done provoking him. She even pointed her finger directly at Dylan.
At least it wasn’t the third one, maybe he should be thankful for that?
Clicking his tongue at his niece’s increasingly outrageous behavior, Dylan muttered.
“Let’s make Dylan do it!”
“Uh?”
Erina tilted her head in confusion. Even as she gently lowered Lia’s hand. “No pointing at people,” she reminded.
Lia pouted, “But Dylan’s not a person,” but still obediently lowered her hand.
“Anyway, what do you mean by that, Lia?”
Erina asked while stroking Lia’s fluffy hair.
“Just what I said! We can ask Dylan to make the snacks!”
“D-Dylan?”
“Yep!!”
Lia beamed with confidence as if she had come up with a brilliant solution. She was adorable, but unfortunately, it didn’t seem like a viable one.
Dylan didn’t look like someone who’d ever cooked before.
Of course not. The head of a grand estate had no reason to cook himself. If someone had to do it, Meian would’ve been the more reasonable choice.
Even Dylan, who was suddenly singled out, had similar thoughts.
His entire culinary ‘career’ amounted to eating whatever he could find before reaching adulthood, or roasting beasts over a campfire on the battlefield. In short, he had either eaten raw or had others cook for him his whole life.
And now he’s supposed to make ‘macarons,’ ‘pudding,’ ‘Mont Blanc,’ and other cutely named desserts? That would be a sign of the apocalypse.
“What nonsense is this?”
Despite Dylan’s cold tone, Lia didn’t back down.
“I don’t even want to eat anything he makes!”
“You just said I should make them. Forgot already, shorty?”
“Ugh!! What I meant was….!!”
Lia stomped her feet in frustration. Each time she did, the soft earth sunk beneath her strength. She was absurdly strong.
The one who saved her was, of course, Resen.
“What Lia means is—like a puppet!”
“A… puppet?”
“Yeah! You just follow Erina’s instructions! Add flour when she says so, sprinkle sugar when told! Right, Lia?”
Lia nodded so hard her head nearly fell off.
“What? You’re saying I’m going to be Miss Erina’s summoned helper while she bakes?”
“Yup.”
“Yeah.”
The kids answered in unison, and veins popped on Dylan’s forehead from their impudence.
Summoned helper? Me?! And now they’re speaking more casually too?!
Just as Dylan was about to shut down the nonsense and insist they endure a few days of staff-made snacks, a voice chimed in.
“I-I’ll do it! The summoned helper! I’ll do it!”
“Poi?”
“Yeah! I’ll do it. Then I get to be with Mama while she makes snacks?”
Poi twisted his small body bashfully as he asked. He didn’t know what a summoned helper was, but if it meant he could stay by Erina, it sounded amazing.
Dylan quickly raised his hand, now fully alert.
“Poi, I’m sorry, but you’re too small to help with cooking. What if you get hurt? I’ll just have to do it instead. Right, Miss Erina?”
“No! Poi is big now!”
Poi shouted, flustered by Dylan’s words. But no matter how much he jumped, his head only reached Dylan’s thigh. There was no way to agree he was ‘all grown up.’
While Poi looked upset, Dylan’s face lit up as he realized he’d get to be alone with Erina.
“Then… may I ask you to help with the snacks?”
“Of course!”
Dylan answered loudly and looked down at his niece and nephews with one corner of his mouth raised.
A victor’s smile.
To be Erina’s summoned helper? That much, he could do better than anyone in the world.
The dragon’s pride had already vanished from his mind.
