It was around noon when they started cooking. Obviously, it was dinner they made.
"It is only enough for tomorrow morning."A
It was deliberate. Only the minimum amount of food was rewarded. Fortunately, there were a variety of food products, including everyday essentials such as milk, tea and coffee powder, cheese, etc., so there was no problem of a lack of nutrients in the diet.
"We can only make pasta with these." Amelia commented while setting all the ingredients in their right places along with the helping Anthony.
The only thing that could be made for dinner was pasta. It was because they only found the proper ingredients for pasta.
"I like pasta." Anthony confessed. "I would love to eat pasta made by your hands."
"Yes yes." She laughed cutely at his obvious flirting but enjoyed it at the same time. It made her feel special.
It took some time to do the stocking of ingredients and further check all the facilities in the kitchen. After that, both started to cook in earnest. Well, most of the cooking was done by Amelia. Anthony only lends a helping hand here and there. Amelia was even dumbfounded when she came to know that he hadn't even picked a knife in his life.
It made her even more motivated to teach him to cook. The result was... two finger cuts.
"I told you I can't cook. Look what happened."
"What are you saying right now?! Bandage it immediately! Ah, the blood is flowing too quickly."
Amelia panicked seeing the blood from the knife cuts and, without any delay or hesitation, put his two fingers inside her mouth and wet them with her saliva.
"...?"
What was she doing? Anthony stood dumbfounded as he saw Amelia sucking on his fingers. Her slimy tongue licked at his wounds, and the saliva coating his fingers brought some warmth with it. He silently looked at the flustered Amelia, and strange feelings welled up inside him.
"What are you doing?"
He asked coolly after Amelia was done sucking on his finger. A thin string of saliva connected his two fingers and her mouth, which inadvertently snapped a moment later.
"Don't you know? Saliva is very effective on small wounds."
"Is that so..." He said while looking at his saliva-coated fingers. "But the bleeding doesn't stop."
"Bandage it—what are you doing?!" Amelia nearly yelled as she saw Anthony licking his fingers with his tongue.
"Hm? Didn't you say saliva is best for cuts like these?" He replied as a matter of fact, but he didn't stop sucking on his fingers, which were already drenched with Amelia's spit. The taste of her saliva interested him the most.
'Sweet. Just like her.'
"... You are teasing me. Hmph, I will go and fetch a bandage."
She strode out of the kitchen acting quite angrily, but the blush adorning her face betrayed her forceful actions. It made him smile in mischievousness.
'It is fun to tease her.'
*****
The dinner went well. There was some minor delay and some unforeseen drama, but the pasta made by Amelia was truly delicious. Arthur sincerely praised her cooking.
"Your food is really delicious. I have not eaten such food since ages."
"What does that mean?" Amelia asked, cocking her head in confusion.
"I mean that I have not eaten food filled with so much love for such a long time. I am really thankful."
Was he flirting with her again? This question popped up inside her mind, but the seriousness in his voice did not give that impression.
"You are talking strangely. You sound like you have no..."
"Well, let's wrap it up and go to sleep. It was a tiring day in more than one way."
"..."
Her mood fell suddenly after him cutting her off so abruptly. She saw the darkness that hung over his face for a moment and vaguely grasped his situation. It hurt her, and she held out to him.
"Are you okay?"
The question, which had been directed towards Amelia until now, was now directed towards him by none other than her. It seemed so ridiculous to him that he smiled unconsciously at her.
"What? Why will I not be okay after eating such a delicious feast?"
"... You are not being honest."
"What?"
"If you want, I can share in your burdens. You can rely on me, just like how you helped me so far."
There was clear agitation and worry in her tone. Her eyes reflected in Anthony's eyes were pure and, frankly, foolish. She genuinely wanted to help him, but the method was hasty.
"I am thankful for your concerns, but it isn't something I want to talk about now. Maybe when we are a bit closer to comfortably confess our own secrets to each other? Until then, let's enjoy ourselves and cultivate our feelings."
"Ah..." Realization hit her, and she rebuked herself for showing such a foolish side of her despite being the oldest. "You are right. I am sorry for being so selfish."
"It's nothing much. Come on, let's hurry and prepare to go to sleep. You must be tired."
"Right, I am tired after all that you have done to me."
"Hoh." He marvelled at her ability to retort and being sarcastic. It seemed he might not be the only one doing the teasing.
Thankfully, her mood didn't worsen but improved knowing that she could also be helpful to him in the near future. Maybe she couldn't be of much help to him, but at the very least, she wanted to repay him for instilling a sense of courage and self in her.
'I want to be his strength, just like he is trying to be mine.'
Suddenly, her head tilted, and a question popped up inside her mind.
'How does he know that I have problems in my life?'
He did not say it explicitly, but the way he said they should confess their secrets only after deepening their relationship a bit more sounded as if he knew her problems well, or at least he had some idea.
'Maybe he has already seen right through my pathetic self.'
She cut off her thoughts at that. She didn't want to doubt him or anything, but the idea of him seeing right through her or her past frightened her. She was not prepared for it, just like he said.
'I am really stupid and clueless. I have to be more responsible for him to rely on me.'
With such thoughts in mind, they both drifted to sleep.