READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 109.2
Sautéed Yam With Butter And Soy Sauce As Snacks
Stabbing their forks into the mound of yam, Lelei and Barloi quickly transferred portions onto their plates. The scene resembled a battle. Alarmed, Kurresh wove between the two to secure his share, determined not to miss out. Meanwhile, Archette waited until the chaos subsided and the area around the platter was peaceful before calmly taking her turn—ever the mature one.
Lelei and Barloi tossed the yam into their mouths with exaggerated, wide-open bites. Despite their differences in age and gender, their gestures were uncannily similar. Kurresh and Archette exchanged a glance, sighing softly at the realization that Lelei might very well become Barloi 2.0. Still, she wasn’t quite there yet—thankfully. Probably.
“This is delicious!”
“It’s so good!”
Their faces lit up with delight, their expressions almost identical. It was enough to make anyone worry about Lelei’s future. But the fact remained: the yam was undeniably tasty. Lightly sautéed, the butter-soy glaze brought out its soft, warm texture without losing its slight crunch. The savory aroma and flavor made each bite a small piece of happiness.
Setting aside their concerns about Lelei’s potential transformation, Kurresh and Archette tried some as well. Sharing smiles at the flavor, they turned to Yuuri with genuine thanks. In contrast, Lelei and Barloi barely paused their ravenous eating to mumble their appreciation before diving back in. Their seemingly bottomless stomachs were almost concerning. Having a metabolism that keeps you slim no matter how much you eat is truly enviable.
“Hey, Kurre, want some bread?”
“…Nah, I’m not that hungry.”
“Bread! I want some!”
“Me too!”
“…Sorry, Yuuri, can you get some for these two gluttons?”
“Got it~”
Before Kurresh could finish his refusal, Lelei’s enthusiastic demand cut him off, with Barloi chiming in right after. Barloi’s ears and tail wagged eagerly, while Lelei, lacking such features, still mirrored his excitement. Beastfolk, and those with their blood, seemed to have such expressive reactions. Though some were of the cooler, more stoic type, Yuuri only knew these two, so his impression defaulted to “emotionally transparent.”
Archette, ever the voice of reason, requested the bread as if she were the group’s manager. Her role as Barloi’s handler seemed to encompass these situations. Yuuri smiled as he returned to the kitchen, loading several rolls onto a large plate and bringing it back.
The moment the plate touched the table, Lelei and Barloi reached out, grabbing bread to pair with the buttery yam. Munching on both simultaneously, their delighted chewing and beaming smiles made for a heartwarming sight—if one ignored their ages, professions, and other such details.
“By the way, Yuuri, why’d you suddenly whip this up?”
“Huh? Didn’t you say you wanted something to eat when you got back?”
“Well, yeah, but—”
“You didn’t want it?”
“No, I do. Thanks.”
Yuuri tilted his head curiously, and Kurresh, caught off guard, offered a straightforward thanks. Despite a slight guilt for creating extra work for Yuuri, he appreciated the comfort of eating a homemade meal in their hideout. Yuuri’s warm smile in response made it all worth it.
“You really have a knack for this kind of thing…”
“Hmm?”
“Nothing. It’s great, and if you’re happy, that’s what matters.”
Nibbling on a piece of yam, Archette muttered under her breath. Her words didn’t fully reach Yuuri, who turned to her with a questioning look. She shook her head, dismissing it. After all, Yuuri had been this way since they met—there was no changing that now.
…Later, when Lelei and Barloi began complaining about the food running out, Archette’s perfectly-timed head smacks put an end to their antics.