Chapter 35: Lucifer's Kitten
Clow Reed finally paid the bill and left with Natsume, leaving only a cryptic message that he would bring "someone in need" again soon, hoping the owner's cooking skills would still be as exquisite.
Cerberus watched the departing magician, her ears twitching atop her head like radar dishes. She sniffed the air where he had stood.
Then she looked up at Ren blankly and said, "Master! Master! Master! I think I just sensed the aura of a door! A magic door!"
"A door?"
Cerberus nodded vigorously. She tried to describe it to Ren for a long time, using hand gestures and sound effects like whoosh and sparkle, before finally explaining it clearly.
Ren patted Cerberus's head and said exasperatedly, "Why didn't you just say 'portal' or 'spatial magic'?"
"Oh! Oh! Oh! Right! As expected of Master! You know everything!"
Ren smiled and shook his head. "You~ Are you hungry again?"
"Hungry!"
"Wait a moment. I'll get you something to eat. Let's have a proper breakfast after Lucifer wakes up. No need to wake her up early; she gets grumpy~"
Cerberus was about to run up and pull Lucifer out of bed by the ankles when she heard this. She stopped mid-step, then sat back down on the chair obediently, waiting patiently like a good guard dog.
Ren went into the kitchen. When he came back over, he was holding a plate piled high with dark, reddish-brown strips of meat.
He saw Cerberus sprawled on the table like a salted fish, her chin resting on the wood, staring at the kitchen door.
"Cerberus~ What's wrong? Bored?"
"Ah? Master, you're back~ What is this? Why isn't it steaming?"
Ren placed the plate in front of Cerberus.
"This is a snack called Spiced Beef Jerky (Niu Rou Gan). It's dried and preserved. You can have some of this first to chew on while we wait for the Queen."
"Okay!"
Cerberus stared at the dried meat in front of her. It looked enticingly shiny, coated in a glaze of soy sauce, sugar, and spices, and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.
She tentatively poked it with her finger. It was firm.
She suddenly looked up and said, "Master! Master! Master! This is hard! Did you burn it?"
Ren smiled. "Of course it's hard. Because it has to be dried to concentrate the flavor. Try it. It should taste pretty good, and it's good for your teeth."
Cerberus picked up a piece of dried meat. "Everything Master makes is delicious! Even rocks!"
After saying that, she took a big bite.
Gnaw.
Then she froze. She looked at Ren with wide, blinking eyes.
Then she chewed.
Chew. Chew.
It was a little fragrant at first. She chewed again, and the spices released their oils—star anise, fennel, chili. It became even more fragrant. The meat juices, condensed by the drying process, exploded in her mouth.
Then she couldn't stop. It was addictive, like chewing gum that actually tasted good.
"Mmm mmm mmm mmm!"
"Hmm? Cerberus, what's wrong? Too spicy?"
Cerberus's eyes sparkled. She wagged her tail so hard the chair shook.
"Master! Master! Master! This thing is so chewy! And so fragrant! The more I chew, the more fragrant it gets! It doesn't disappear instantly like the other meat! You definitely made it yourself, didn't you!"
Ren was surprised and asked, "Yes, I did. But Cerberus, how did you know I made it? It's not much different from the dried meat sold in high-end shops~"
Cerberus shook her head violently. "No! No! No! Master's cooking is the most special! It has... energy! You can tell it's different with just one bite! It tastes like home!"
Ren was stunned.
Cerberus handed him a piece from the plate. "Master! Master! Master! You try it! This is really delicious! It's definitely different from what they sell outside! Eat!"
Ren smiled, taking the piece. "Giving me the food I made and telling me it's delicious feels a bit strange~ But thank you."
He ate it. It was good. Perfect texture.
Cerberus chuckled, then started eating by herself, her little feet dangling under the table. Ren continued to quietly read his book on the side, enjoying the company.
Cerberus ate her dried meat while occasionally glancing at her Master. She felt this was the best feeling in the world—better than biting sinners.
Cerberus didn't eat the jerky quickly; instead, she chewed each piece for a long time, savoring it.
Unconsciously, a ray of sunlight rose from the horizon, illuminating the shop.
Ren stood up, stretched, closed his book, and said softly, "Hmm? Not finished yet? You usually inhale food."
Cerberus scratched her head and said, "Because it's too delicious, I have to savor it slowly! And Lucifer isn't up yet, so I have to save some for her~ She gets jealous if I eat everything."
Ren was startled, then smiled warmly. "There's as much of this as you want in the jar. Just eat freely. But don't eat it as a meal; too much of this will make your jaw tired. As for getting fat... Cerberus, you guys don't have that concept, do you?"
Cerberus was stunned, then quickly shook her head. "No! No! No! Because everything we eat is eventually converted into magic and physical strength! We absolutely won't get fat! Demons are efficient!"
Ren said thoughtfully, "In that case, it really is a power that all human girls would kill for. Hmm? Lucifer is a bit late rising today. Did she stay up late gaming?"
Cerberus scratched her head. "Is she? Isn't Lucifer always...."
"Cough!"
A sharp cough interrupted them.
"Hmm...." Cerberus shut her mouth.
Just as Cerberus was about to speak about Lucifer's sleeping habits, she heard the warning. She immediately stopped what she was going to say and sat quietly on the side, looking innocent.
Then they saw Lucifer.
She was walking down the stairs, yawning. She was wearing only a red dress shirt—unbuttoned at the top—and her black western trousers. Her white hair was slightly messy.
Ren was startled. He asked suspiciously, "Hmm? You don't sleep in formal wear, do you~? That shirt looks wrinkled."
Lucifer's mouth twitched. She glared at him, crossing her arms to hide the wrinkles.
"Why would you think that! Of course I changed my clothes! I have pajamas!"
Ren just nodded faintly, but his eyes clearly still held full disbelief. "Sure."
Lucifer blushed and shouted, "Really! I really changed! I wore the ones you bought!"
Cerberus nodded eagerly. "Master! Master! Master! She really changed! I can testify! I secretly peeked this morning through the keyhole and saw a kitten on her..."
"Cerberus!" Lucifer screeched.
"Oh! Oh! Oh! .... Master! No kitten! I saw nothing!"
"You.... Ah!!!" Lucifer buried her face in her hands.
Ren smiled, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Why didn't you say so earlier~ That evidence is enough. So you wore the Kitten Print Pajamas? But I remember you preferred the little white rabbit pattern at the store, didn't you?"
"I.... Hmm...."
Lucifer felt too ashamed to face anyone. It was too embarrassing. The Queen of Hell, wearing kitten pajamas.
But she had to admit one thing to herself: she really did prefer the little white rabbit ones, but the kitten ones were softer.
Cerberus said weakly, trying to change the subject, "Um.... Lucifer.... Master gave me dried meat.... It's delicious... Do you want to try some? It's chewy!"
Ren looked at the Queen of Hell, who was already shy to the point of self-isolation, with a slight smile. He softly said, "Try it. Cerberus specifically saved it for you. It's beef."
Lucifer looked at the half-eaten pile of jerky in front of Cerberus. She said nothing, quietly sat down next to the dog-girl, and picked up a piece.
She took a bite.
Chew.
Her eyes widened.
Then, the dignified Queen of Hell fell in love with another common delicacy.
Ren found it amusing to watch the two big figures from Hell eat a common piece of jerky as if it were a rare dragon steak. Lucifer, while eating with puffed cheeks, looked very cute.
Seemingly sensing Ren's gaze, Lucifer slightly reined herself in. She swallowed, her face red as she said, "What are you looking at? Is it that good to look at? Have you never seen a demon eat?"
"I personally think watching a beautiful woman eat happily should not be an unpleasant sight~" Ren countered smoothly.
"You… Hmph~ Flatterer."
Lucifer continued eating as she spoke, trying to hide her smile.
Just as Lucifer was about to ask Ren if he wanted to eat breakfast with them, she saw the door open.
Ding-a-ling.
A young girl walked in. She had short brown hair and lively eyes. She looked around, confused.
"Eh? Is this a Restaurant? It looks amazing! Like a hidden base!"
Ren smiled and said, "That's right. Is there anything you'd like to eat? You should be today's last customer for the breakfast service~"
The girl nodded, then smiled brightly. "As for what to eat… Owner, where's the menu? I don't see one."
"There's no menu, because I can make anything you want to eat here~"
"Eh?! So amazing! Like magic!" The girl clapped her hands. "In that case… I'll have a plate of Pan-Fried Dumplings (Gyoza), a glass of fruit juice, and a simple green salad!"
"Mm~ Not a bad combination. What fruit would you like for the juice?"
"Strawberries… oranges? Uh… I can't decide."
"How about a Mixed Fruit Juice then? It's healthier and tastier."
"Okay! That sounds perfect!"
"What filling would you like for the pan-fried dumplings? Pork? Chicken? Shrimp?"
"Hmm… I'll have both pork and beef… Can they be mixed?"
"Of course. Please wait a moment."
The girl sat in a chair near the counter. Her eyes lit up as she watched Lucifer and Cerberus eating jerky together like sisters.
She softly said, admiring Lucifer's sharp outfit and aura, "What a cool girl… She looks like a rock star."
Lucifer's lips curled when she heard this.
Cool.
Finally, someone praised her for being cool! It was so rare! It was much better than Hell! No one in Hell listened to her without trembling, let alone praised her style~ Ren also praised her, but his words were too girlish ("cute"). Indeed, 'cool' was more fitting for a Queen.
Thinking this, Lucifer couldn't help but feel a little puffed up, straightening her posture. She completely forgot her embarrassing moment just now.
Ren leaned over the counter as he prepped the dumplings.
He softly whispered to her, "Lucifer. I forgot to say... 'Little Kitten' also suits you very well~"
Lucifer immediately broke character.
Her face turned crimson instantly. She clenched her small fists on the table, almost crying from embarrassment.
This man!
This wasn't fair; her cool mood had just been lifted, and he crushed it with cuteness!
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