[Beast Nation.]
[Same Day.]
[Castle.]
Sunny stepped into the sprawling kitchen, his eyes immediately drawn to Josephine. Clad in an apron, she was deeply engrossed in cooking, her every movement and expression radiating intense concentration. He shifted his gaze to the five cooks standing a few feet away. As he looked their way, the three beast women and two men swiftly bowed, remaining silent.
'She must have warned them to stay quiet,' Sunny mused, giving them a quick nod before turning his attention back to Josephine.
A warm smile touched his lips as he approached her, gently taking a napkin and dabbing the sweat from her forehead.
"I thought I told you guys not to dist—" Josephine began, turning towards the person who had interrupted her, only to freeze in shock. "Love? Why… why are you in the kitchen?" she stammered, her voice laced with surprise.
"Why are you cooking?" Sunny countered, a playful glint in his eyes.
"Well…" Josephine trailed off, her gaze returning to the bubbling soup in the pot. A faint blush dusted her cheeks as she added, "I wanted to make something for you."
"So thoughtful of you," Sunny said, genuinely touched. "I didn't know you could cook."
'Oh no… The King is amazed, what will happen when he finds out the Queen can't cook?' an old cook thought, her internal monologue audible to Sunny. Hearing her thoughts, Sunny glanced at the elderly woman, who was clearly the most senior among the culinary staff.
'She can't cook?' Sunny was stunned. He peered into the pot, his eyes widening in disbelief. 'HUH???'
The oil and ingredients lay separated, an unappetizing mess. Even the meat seemed raw.
'What the hell?!' he thought again, a wave of confusion washing over him.
"Done!!" Josephine announced triumphantly, a bright smile lighting up her face.
'Done?!! Did she just say 'done'?!' Sunny screamed inwardly.
He looked into the pot again, but before he could truly process the sight, Josephine slammed the lid shut.
"Go. Go. Go! You should get ready for dinner!" she urged, clearly brimming with happiness.
Sunny chuckled nervously, utterly at a loss for how to gently break the news to her. He wasn't even given a chance, as Josephine playfully but firmly pushed him out of the kitchen.
"What just happened?!" he muttered to himself, still reeling from the unexpected culinary encounter.
WHOOSH!
The golden lion, materialized beside him, settling gracefully onto his shoulder.
"{It seems Master has a battle ahead,}" the system purred.
"You!" Sunny paused, then nodded decisively. "Yes!! Star will help!!" he declared, a plan beginning to form in his mind.
______
[Dining Table.]
Sunny sat at the lavishly set dining table, his gaze fixed on the array of dishes before them. Star perched on his left, while the beaming Josephine sat to his right, radiating enthusiasm.
"What do we have for dinner today?" Star chirped, opening the soup tureen and inhaling the aroma. "Wow… Good!" She turned to Josephine. "Who made this, sister-in-law?"
"She did!" Sunny quickly interjected, perhaps a little too eagerly.
"Oh… Sister-in-law can cook?" Star's eyes widened in surprise. She turned to Sunny, only to see him discreetly picking up a slice of bread.
"Huh? Why are you eating bread, Brother?" she asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"No… I want to use this to clear my throat," Sunny replied, offering a strained smile.
"Come on, love! I want you to taste my cooking!" Josephine pleaded, her voice laced with anticipation.
"Yes! Sister-in-law cooked this for you, you should have a taste first," Star nodded, unknowingly sealing Sunny's fate.
'Is she throwing me into the lion's maw?' Sunny thought, a slight frown creasing his brow. But seeing the expectant looks on both their faces, he sighed, steeling himself for the inevitable culinary ordeal.
The two ladies watched intently as he picked up his spoon, taking a cautious half-spoonful of the soup and bringing it towards his mouth. Everyone, including the Lion (system), watched as he slowly brought it closer.
'It is only a half-spoon, and perhaps it isn't bad… The aroma is good, so it must be good!' he desperately reassured himself inwardly, then, with a gulp, he put the spoon into his mouth.
Sunny instantly grimaced, the overwhelming bitterness of the soup assaulting his taste buds. 'Holy!! Did she use the whole salt in the kitchen?!!' he screamed inwardly, his eyes watering.
"How was it?!" Josephine asked, her voice full of hopeful expectation.
All Sunny could manage was a thumbs-up, as he valiantly struggled to swallow the concoction. He finally succeeded, a look of profound relief washing over his face.
"You should have yours too," he managed to say to Star, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Of course, I won't miss this!!" Star declared, taking a generous, full spoonful and placing it all inside her mouth.
"...?!!!"
Her eyes widened in shock and surprise, mirroring Sunny's earlier reaction. With a forced swallow, she managed to get it down, then glared pointedly at Sunny.
'That serves you right!' Sunny thought with a triumphant smirk.
"Ahem!!" Star coughed, grabbing a glass of water and gulping it down in one go. She then turned to Josephine.
"How was it?" Josephine asked, oblivious.
"Hmm… Sister-in-law, how many salt do you put in here?" Star inquired, her voice deceptively calm.
"Well… Don't know, actually. I think the whole jar," Josephine answered innocently.
'THE WHOLE JAR???!!!'
Both Sunny and Star were horrified, their internal screams echoing each other.
'If it isn't for the affection rating! I would say you want to kill me!!' Sunny thought, barely keeping his composure.
'Gosh! Sister-in-law really doesn't know how to cook!!' Star thought, a realization dawning on her.
"Sister-in-law, I think you should have a taste," Star suggested, a wicked glint in her eyes.
"Ok." Josephine obligingly took a full spoon of soup, put it in her mouth, and instantly froze. Her eyes slowly rose to meet theirs, while her face remained downcast. And then, right before their eyes, she spat it all out onto her plate.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"
The two burst into a fit of unrestrained laughter. Even the usually stoic Star couldn't hold back, erupting into loud peals of mirth.
Josephine stared at the two with a deep frown, her silence more potent than any words. "You! You two are mean! You should have said something!" she finally yelled, her voice a mix of exasperation and hurt.
"Hahaha! Say something?! And you would escape from this!" Sunny retorted, still laughing heartily.
"I… I haven't cooked before, and my Mum is so busy and didn't have time to teach me… I… I thought watching the cooks would make me know how," she confessed in a low voice, her shoulders slumping.
Sunny and Star exchanged a look, their laughter immediately subsiding.
"When did you start learning from the Cooks?" Star asked, her voice softening.
"Two weeks ago. As the Queen, I have a lot of things to do, so I only watch them when I have time."
Star and Sunny exchanged warm smiles.
"Okay, love, if you really want to learn, I can teach you," Sunny offered, his voice gentle and sincere.
"....?!!"
"Huh??"
The two women turned to him in surprise, their faces a picture of mild shock.
"You can cook?" they asked in unison, their voices filled with disbelief.
'Yep!! Living alone all your life, you will surely learn how to cook!! Buying takeaways will only drain your money,' he thought, a sense of quiet pride swelling within him as he nodded at the two girls.