Lynn saying Bethel had already prepared the meal at home was no empty talk. During their time in the Trunsoest Empire, Bethel was indeed responsible for cooking for their "family of three."
It wasn't that they couldn't afford a servant. In fact, none of the three were short of money. The false identities crafted for them by the Evernight Goddess Amanises came with a mansion and accompanying servants.
The reason Bethel personally cooked despite this was primarily due to Lynn's suggestion. He proposed that Bethel develop some personal hobbies and suggested that cooking for the family was part of experiencing life. While he didn't have to cook every meal, doing it occasionally added a homely feel.
Although the true reason was well understood by all, Lynn's dubious logic still managed to convince Mr. Door. So, Bethel had been learning various cooking techniques during this period, although his progress was concerning.
"Tsk tsk, even though this isn't the first time, no matter how many times I see it, I still think you have a natural talent for 'cuisine', Bethel!" Lynn exclaimed exaggeratedly, sitting at the dining table and looking at the purple soup emitting an unknown odor, the fish head staring out from what seemed like a pizza but also a cake, and the evenly cut but burnt fries.
He was in a hurry to get back just to admire Bethel's creations. Yes, although Bethel was responsible for cooking for their "family of three," they hardly ever ate his food.
"Even though we agreed not to use any Beyonder abilities while cooking, you're still a King of Angels. How can you make it look like this..." Lynn said, resting his chin on one hand and looking at the slightly embarrassed Mr. Door, his tone full of wonder.
"I see you mix potions and draw various symbols so deftly. You don't seem clumsy. Does your hand have its own ideas when it comes to cooking?"
"I'm just not very good at this..." Bethel said after a long pause, unable to hide his embarrassment.
Mr. Door himself had not expected to be so inept at cooking or to have such a unique talent for "cuisine".
He could replicate simple tasks perfectly after seeing once, yet whenever Bethel tried to do them himself, something unexpected always happened, resulting in the dishes that appeared before them.
For Bethel, who had always been successful in everything and a top student, this was a novel experience.
At this moment, Azik, also seated at the table, remained silent. Although he couldn't understand why Mr. Door made such dishes, he evidently didn't dare to mock him as Lynn did.
"I understand!" Lynn nodded deeply, seeing Bethel's embarrassed and slightly depressed expression. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "In this regard, you do share a trait with the future Lord of Mysteries."
Bethel was stunned for a moment and asked in surprise, "He can't cook either?"
As for Lynn knowing what the future Lord of Mysteries was like, Bethel was naturally not surprised since he had long known that Lynn could foresee the future.
Azik perked up his ears at this moment. During this period, he had heard many things from Lynn, including the little cat he was destined to meet, which seemed related to the future Lord of Mysteries.
"He can cook, actually. His cooking is quite good..." Lynn said, rubbing his chin as he remembered Mr. Fool's handicraft skills that were inferior to a three-year-old child's, his smile becoming more peculiar. "He's just not very good at handicrafts. He can't even cut paper figures better than a three-year-old and can barely make something that looks human."
Hearing this, Bethel's expression also became subtle. He thought for a moment and said, "Seer Pathway?"
"Exactly!" Lynn nodded, not hiding anything.
Bethel's expression became even more subtle.
As a King of Angels of the Door pathway, Bethel naturally understood the abilities of the adjacent Seer pathway, so he knew how important paper figures were to Seers. They could be used throughout the middle sequences and were still useful at high sequences. In this context, a future Lord of Mysteries being unable to cut paper figures properly could only mean... he was indeed bad at handicrafts.
Oddly, Bethel felt a sense of comfort, and the frustration and depression from being unable to cook well eased significantly.
It seemed that everyone had something they weren't good at. He just happened to be bad at cooking.
With this thought, Bethel decided not to give up and planned to practice even more, determined to make food that was edible.
"Good luck!" Lynn immediately encouraged, seeing that Mr. Door was contemplating.
Although he believed Bethel's continued practice would most likely lead him further down the path of "cuisine", his spirit was commendable.
Moreover, Lynn felt a sense of relief seeing Bethel, who had been engrossed in cooking and fighting his "cuisine" talent, showing signs of improved mood despite the occasional frustration.
Bethel had been deeply troubled upon learning about his corruption, even if he appeared fine. His current distraction clearly improved his state of mind.
—Though Lynn's actions were often mischievous, they weren't purely for tormenting.
"So, how did your visit to the flower parade go today? Did Trunsoest see through your disguises?" Bethel asked, changing the topic to business after Lynn's encouragement.
The two "kids" liked to join in the fun and hadn't seen Night Emperor Trunsoest before, so they went to watch the flower parade. Mr. Door, being an "old acquaintance" of Trunsoest, naturally didn't join them.
"Whether he saw through our disguises or not isn't clear, but Trunsoest should have guessed who I am..." Lynn replied, propping his chin up with one hand, speaking slowly.
"So I plan to meet him. If I remember correctly, tonight there should be a banquet in the palace celebrating the Night Emperor and Empress's wedding anniversary. With our disguised identities, we can just about qualify to join the fun."
Azik remained silent, lowering his head. He had come to understand Lynn's nature, knowing that if Lynn decided to watch this spectacle, not even Mr. Door could dissuade him.
Bethel frowned slightly, not worried about Lynn's safety but suddenly concerned for the people at the banquet.
'Also...' Bethel seemed to think of something and said, "I inquired about the banquet. For such an event, it's customary for some of the Six Gods to attend. The Eternal Blazing Sun, in particular, loves such banquets and is likely to show up."
"Wow!" Lynn raised his eyebrows, smiling. "Even better. It saves us the trouble of tracking him down. We can lure him out for a fight at the banquet."
Hearing this, Bethel sighed. He wasn't worried about Lynn's safety but rather the safety of the other attendees.
He decided to practice cooking even harder.
(End of Chapter)
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