"Is Master Dylan really asleep? He couldn't be faking it, could he...?"
Unlike Alice Nakiri's ambition, Erina Nakiri was incredibly nervous at this moment, due to being just ten centimeters away from Dylan.
Her small, pink fists, clenched beneath the covers, were already sweating.
Even though he was breathing evenly, she still suspected Dylan was faking sleep,
After all, who could fall asleep that fast?!
Didn't he see she was so nervous she didn't even dare to close her eyes?!
Turning her back to Dylan, she worried he might suddenly roll over and 'act out' on her.
Facing Dylan, she was too embarrassed to look at his face.
Lying flat on her back, the warm breath from Dylan's mouth blew onto her neck, causing a tingling sensation to spread through her entire body,
just like now...
Her legs under the covers couldn't stop intertwining, her body stiff and straight. Her jade-like feet, which Dylan had just touched,
now radiated surprising heat.
She didn't know why she was feeling this way, but she just felt utterly uncomfortable, her face
flushed crimson, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.
"How strange!"
Erina Nakiri couldn't help but inwardly scream and rage, then, as if making a sudden decision, she abruptly turned over,
and fixed her gaze on Dylan.
He was handsome.
Especially with his eyes closed, the young man's sleeping face was serene.
Long eyebrows, a high nose, and lip lines that were both graceful and natural, like an elegant musical note,
making one unable to resist wanting to kiss him.
"No, that's wrong, how could I have such a thought? Could it be that Alice Nakiri was right, and my feelings
for Master Dylan aren't pure...?!".
As such thoughts surfaced in her mind, Erina Nakiri's body grew even hotter, and the blush on her face
was exceptionally noticeable, as if she were drunk.
She loved reading shojo manga, and in shojo manga, when a boy and girl's feelings reached a certain stage,
they would spontaneously kiss.
"But doesn't kissing lead to pregnancy? In a way, it also signifies a confirmed relationship, meaning
it's an invitation to spend a lifetime together!" Looking at Dylan's face, which captivated countless young girls, Erina Nakiri's mind raced with chaotic thoughts.
Her pounding heartbeat was exceptionally loud in the silent darkness, catching the attention of Alice Nakiri beside her.
"So that's it..."
Turning over and looking at Erina Nakiri, a thoughtful expression appeared on Alice Nakiri's face,
followed by a mischievous, impish smile.
"Take this~"
Icy fingers slipped into the warm covers, then further beneath her clothes, sliding down the young girl's jade-white back, along her spine.
This action made Erina Nakiri instinctively thrust her body forward, causing her upper body to directly bump against Dylan's arm.
This also caused the thigh-width gap that was originally between them to disappear, and now, under Alice Nakiri's instigation, they were pressed directly together.
Dylan, in his sleep, seemed to sense something. He very naturally rolled over, placed his hand on Erina Nakiri's shoulder,
and his foot also settled on her hip.
Everything happened so naturally that Erina Nakiri didn't even react. By the time she came to her senses,
she was already completely unable to move.
In this situation, Dylan had clearly taken Erina Nakiri for a large body pillow doll.
"Master Dylan! Wake up..."
Her entire body was restrained, and behind her was the mischievous Alice Nakiri. Erina Nakiri spoke softly, wanting Dylan to wake up and release her, but also afraid to face the situation.
If Master Dylan woke up and found her in his arms, what kind of expression would he show?
Fortunately, Alice Nakiri, seeing that this situation had formed, made no further moves,
She only let out soft giggles.
"There isn't a single good person here!" Hearing Alice Nakiri's voice, this thought surfaced in Erina Nakiri's mind, and then she closed her eyes,
not daring to look at Dylan's face again.
Originally, things would have ended there.
But Erina Nakiri forgot one thing.
Alice Nakiri had just reminded her: Dylan, when asleep, was very restless.
The next morning,
at the Nakiri family banquet.
Erina Nakiri sat beside Senzaemon Nakiri, facing Dylan, looking at his face.
Last night, she had been about to fall asleep, but Dylan was restless in his sleep, his hand seemed to have a mind of its own...
constantly moving towards her...
And that also caused her to not sleep a wink all night, her hands entirely used to block Dylan's 'advances', to prevent that guy from doing anything more outrageous.
Remembering what had happened last night, Erina Nakiri took a deep breath, trying her best to calm her emotions.
She then retracted her gaze, looking at the woman walking towards her.
"Long time no see, Erina Nakiri, I'll toast to you."
The speaker was a young woman with long, wavy red hair, wearing black stockings, high heels, and a hip-hugging short dress,
her figure, like Erina Nakiri's, was astonishingly good.
However, compared to Erina Nakiri, the red-haired, wavy-haired young woman possessed a mature allure that she did not.
This kind of allure was most attractive to men.
"Hici Nakiri, the eldest daughter of my paternal uncle's family, 25 years old, possesses the strength of a Special Grade One-Star chef. Her presence
now is likely just for appearances."
Her mind quickly spun into action. Looking at the woman in front of her, Erina Nakiri smiled and raised her wine glass:
"It really has been a long time, Elder Sister Hici."
"May I sit beside you?"
"Of course, please do."
Then came another round of pleasantries. Erina Nakiri's face wore a fake smile, every movement displaying the grace of a noble family,
perfectly showcasing the etiquette of a prominent household.
Dylan sat beside Alice Nakiri, watching it all with a hint of amusement, but he said nothing.
He was probably the only one at the banquet truly focused on eating.
Everyone else was feigning warmth and engaging in superficial pleasantries; there were a few who were genuinely getting along well and chatting happily,
but those were a minority in the Nakiri family.
And this atmosphere even spread to their section.
Alice Nakiri was also toasted by relatives she didn't know; being underage, she responded with juice, her expression unchanged throughout.
During this process, Alice Nakiri saw her father, Soe Nakiri, who was currently drinking and chatting with several men his age.
Leonora Nakiri sat properly beside them, listening to their conversation. She tried to interject a few times, but no one paid her any mind.
In the end, she could only drink sake by herself.
Today she wore a wine-red evening gown, looking radiant and confident. She should have been the center of attention,
if only someone had been willing to cast more than a passing glance her way.
Dylan looked for a moment then retracted his gaze, preparing to continue eating the banquet. When he came to his senses, he found his hand
tightly held by Alice Nakiri.
So he lowered his head and met her gaze.
Clearly, the other party also saw this scene, but was powerless, only able to tightly clasp Dylan's hand, looking at him with a complex expression.
"Don't worry, we won't become like this."
No sound was made, only lip movements.
Seeing this scene, Dylan also felt a bit uncomfortable. Although he had already clearly seen over the years
that this couple had long been united in appearance but estranged in spirit.
Similar to Alice Nakiri, Leonora Nakiri had been a presence in his life for many years and shared a deep bond with him.
If she was unhappy, how could his own mood be good?
"I believe you."
Having said this in a muffled voice, Alice Nakiri nestled into Dylan's embrace, nuzzling her head against his chest, unable to help
but sigh softly.
"Mom..."
Looking in Leonora Nakiri's direction, Alice Nakiri softly murmured, the complexity in her eyes almost overflowing.
"Alice Nakiri."
"Huh?"
Just as Alice Nakiri was lost in thought, she suddenly heard someone call her name, so she looked up
and saw Senzaemon Nakiri striding towards her.
"For this hall demonstration, our side will entrust it to you. Show us your full strength!"
Seeing Alice Nakiri look over, Senzaemon Nakiri assigned the task. The shocking display two nights ago
had made him fully understand the young girl's true strength.
This girl is a genuine Special Grade powerhouse!
Although he found it incredible, it would truly be a pity not to make good use of such a genius.
"I can, but..."
Lazily lying in Dylan's embrace, Alice Nakiri stretched out her hand and, with a rather money-grubbing gesture, rubbed her fingers together.
The meaning was very clear.
"The Nakiri family plans to increase the investment in your mother's laboratory by 100 million yen next year."
Senzaemon Nakiri naturally knew Alice Nakiri's thoughts; she was merely asking him for her service fee,
So he generously stated.
When asking someone to do something, one must certainly pay them enough.
"You should have said so earlier."
Hearing Senzaemon Nakiri's words, Alice Nakiri's face broke into a smile, and she then stood up from Dylan's embrace,
and took two steps forward.
"Allow me to make a humble presentation for everyone."
On the other side, seeing a white-haired girl stand up in front of Senzaemon Nakiri, a boy from the Second Faction also stood up.
By his appearance, he shouldn't have been very old; Dylan estimated he was even two years younger than him. Yet, on his clothes hung the exclusive sleeve patch of a First Class Chef. He was a Nakiri family genius.
"The one demonstrating this time is actually Alice Nakiri? Wasn't it Erina Nakiri every year?"
As the two stood up, the scene immediately erupted into whispers and discussions.
Everyone was surprised that Senzaemon Nakiri didn't send Erina Nakiri to perform, but instead sent Alice Nakiri, who had always had little presence.
"I don't know, but I heard Alice Nakiri gained quite a few honors abroad these past few years. Maybe her strength
is very strong and has already surpassed Erina Nakiri!" "How is that possible? That's the God's Tongue, a top-tier culinary talent!"
Hearing someone's guess, the person next to him immediately spoke, with a hint of doubt in his voice. This is the God's Tongue, a talent as famous as China's Super Sense of Taste!
"Let's just wait and see, maybe Alice Nakiri can bring us a surprise."
"No matter what, this is the old man's decision. He naturally has his reasons for doing this,
All we need to do is obey."
Seeing Alice Nakiri step forward, people from the First Faction immediately began to loudly mock and discuss, clearly
they had little confidence in this newly returned girl.
After all, for the past few years, Alice Nakiri had been an unknown figure, sitting in a corner, barely noticed by anyone throughout an entire banquet.
Erina Nakiri, on the other hand, was the prominent figure of the Nakiri family, the future hope of the Japanese culinary world.
The difference between the two was evident.
Now, Senzaemon Nakiri actually let Alice Nakiri compete; they couldn't understand!
"The Second Faction sent Shota Nakiri. I heard he took the Special Grade Chef exam last year and almost passed. This year, he's probably improved even more."
"What 'almost passed'? That was just because there were no formidable figures last year.
And even so, he only got fourth place, still far from passing the Special Grade Chef exam."
Someone who knew the inside story immediately began to scoff, their words full of contempt for him.
"Silence. Begin your performance."
Listening to the chaotic sounds around him, Senzaemon Nakiri sat in the main seat, raised a hand and slapped the table
to quiet the scene.
Then, he looked calmly at Alice Nakiri and Shota Nakiri in the center of the banquet hall, his mind
wondering what he was thinking.
And at the center of the banquet, two attendants wheeled in ingredient carts from the entrance. Alice Nakiri and Shota Nakiri, seeing this, stepped forward to meet them.
"Since you're going to demonstrate noodle dishes, and show off your prowess in front of so many people, then just make something
highly difficult, and do it quickly."
A super impressive noodle dish that Master Dylan once taught!
Since it's a performance at a family banquet, it's natural to show some skill, and now that it's at this gathering,
their cooking speed also needs to be fast.
"Today, I will make a traditional Chinese noodle dish for everyone: Dragon Head Pastry. This was taught to me by my master,
Dylan, two years ago."
"What a coincidence, I'm also making a noodle dish."
As Alice Nakiri's words fell, Shota Nakiri also spoke from the side, then placed his flour
on the counter in front of him.
"Then let's see whose noodle dish is more impressive."
Hearing Shota Nakiri's words, Alice Nakiri was amused.
As the saying goes, 'no comparison, no harm,' and a fresh flower still needs green leaves to set it off.
Shota Nakiri's willingness to make a noodle dish was exactly what she wanted.
"Dragon Head Pastry? She's actually going to make that? That's a dish even many Special Grade Chefs struggle with.
It brings great honor if successful, but if not proficient, the chance of failure is very high.
Making such a dish in such an important setting is not a wise choice. However,
it's precisely because you dare to do it that you can be called my disciple, Dylan."
Hearing Erina Nakiri's words, Dylan immediately understood her thoughts.
Although making a dish one is not proficient in at such an important occasion is very challenging, only a chef with such
courage can charge towards the peak.
He recalled that back then, he too relied on a surge of passion, challenging others everywhere, finally winning the title of "Hundred Victories General"
and carved out a formidable reputation for himself in the Dark Cooking Society.
When young, one should not fear the consequences of failure.
"Master, just watch. I've already made achievements in the White Luo Snake Turning Chain! I definitely won't disgrace
you!"
Alice Nakiri thought this to herself, then placed the flour on the cooking counter, making a small pit in the middle to pour water.
And in her hand, at some unknown point, appeared a wooden stick as tall as a person.
"What is she going to do?"
The people present were confused. Where did this little girl conjure such a long wooden stick from, and what was she planning to do with
it? So they all cast curious gazes.
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