Chapter 45: Siblings at the Shop Entrance
This meal was basically taken care of by Lucifer and Cerberus.
It wasn't that Ren had no appetite; he simply found it interesting to watch the two of them eat. There was a certain satisfaction that only a chef could understand in seeing empty plates stack up like towers of triumph.
The sunset outside was painting the interior of the restaurant in hues of deep orange and violet. Dust motes danced in the shafts of fading light, creating a tranquil atmosphere that contrasted sharply with the culinary battlefield that had just taken place on Table 1.
Lucifer, being in a significantly better mood after the earlier conversation about her fame, ate a little more than usual. Her elegance remained, but the speed at which dumplings vanished was nothing short of supernatural.
After the meal, Ren stood up and began clearing the table, the porcelain clicking softly. Cerberus was sprawled on her chair like a lazy, salted fish, her three consciousnesses seemingly merged into a single state of food coma. Her limbs hung loose, and a contented sigh escaped her lips every few seconds.
Lucifer, meanwhile, was looking down at her smartphone with intense focus, her silver eyebrows furrowed as she researched something. Her fingers tapped the screen with rapid precision.
"Huh?! There are so many dishes in this place called China?"
After the meal, Lucifer had immediately picked up her phone. Driven by the deliciousness of the dinner, she started searching for the origins and varieties of Chinese cuisine. She had expected a simple list. She was wrong.
"Ren, look at this!" Lucifer exclaimed, holding up the phone. "I initially found something called the 'Eight Great Cuisines' and thought there were only eight signature dishes. But after clicking into the link... Sichuan, Shandong, Guangdong, Jiangsu... and within those, there are hundreds of variations? And then there are sub-cuisines?"
She scrolled through images of Peking Duck, Dim Sum, Hot Pot, and intricate carvings made of melon.
"I suddenly feel that this is no longer something that can be described by mere quantity," Lucifer muttered, a rare look of reverence on her face. "This civilization spent five thousand years just figuring out how to eat? This country is too amazing!"
Ren chuckled as he wiped down the table with a clean cloth. "Food culture is deep, Lucifer. What you ate today is just a drop in the ocean. If you want to try everything, you might have to stay in the human world for a very long time."
"Hmph. I have an eternal lifespan. I accept the challenge," Lucifer declared haughtily, though her eyes betrayed her excitement.
Ren stretched his back, hearing a satisfying crack, and looked at the setting sun outside the window. He then glanced at Cerberus, who was humming a strange, broken melody while rubbing her round belly.
"Cerberus, what's wrong? You sound like a broken radio," Ren asked with a smile.
Cerberus shook her head, her ears flopping lazily. "Nothing, nothing, nothing! I just feel a bit too full... I feel like a stuffed turkey. I'll be fine in a bit... maybe in three to five business days."
Lucifer glanced at her subordinate and said irritably, "You are a demon of Hell. Can't you just digest it with magic? Convert the matter into energy or something?"
Cerberus quickly shook her head, her eyes wide with seriousness. "No, no, no! That would be disrespectful! Master's cooking must be eaten properly, and then you must slowly experience the digestion process! Feeling the warmth of the food spreading through the body is part of the meal!"
Lucifer rolled her eyes and sighed. "Experience the digestion process… What's there to experience about bloating? You're just making excuses for being a glutton. Forget it. Whatever you want."
Ren watched them bicker fondly. He thought for a moment, observing Cerberus's genuine discomfort, then turned and went back to the kitchen.
The sounds of a jar opening and a spoon stirring against glass drifted out. A moment later, Ren emerged carrying a glass filled with a vibrant, ruby-red liquid. Ice cubes clinked softly against the sides.
He placed it in front of Cerberus. "Drink this. It will make you feel better~"
Cerberus was stunned. She struggled to sit up, picked up the glass, and sniffed it cautiously like a bomb disposal expert. Her nose twitched.
"Master, Master, Master! What is this? It smells very sour... is it acid?"
Ren smiled and patted her head. "Your sense of smell is quite keen. Don't worry. It's nothing strange, just a special fruit juice. In the East, we use it to stimulate appetite and aid digestion. It cuts through the grease and settles the stomach. You'll feel better after drinking it. But you have to drink it slowly, understand?"
"Oh~ Understood!"
Cerberus trusted Ren implicitly. She closed her eyes and took a sip. Her face immediately scrunched up.
"Phew… Wow! Master! This has a very strange sour taste! It makes my jaw tingle! But... wait..." She smacked her lips. "It's also a bit sweet? And there's a nice aftertaste... delicious~ What kind of fruit is this?"
"It's Hawthorn," Ren explained, leaning against the counter. "Of course, I added some rock sugar and dried tangerine peel to balance it out. Otherwise, a glass of pure raw hawthorn juice would be too sour even for a demon. You drink it slowly for now. I'll go unlock the shop door for the evening service~"
After saying that, he turned to walk toward the entrance.
Cerberus glanced at the ruby juice in her hand, then continued to sip it slowly, her expression relaxing with every drop.
Lucifer watched from the side, her throat moving slightly as she swallowed. She suddenly felt that slowly digesting food with a fancy red drink wasn't bad either. The sour scent was wafting over to her, making her mouth water. She wouldn't admit that she actually wanted to drink it too, but her eyes kept drifting to Cerberus's glass.
Ren returned after flipping the sign to 'OPEN'. He checked on his patient.
"Still feeling full?"
"Mmm~" Cerberus nodded pitifully, though the glass was empty.
Ren sighed, a soft smile playing on his lips. He pulled a chair over and sat next to Cerberus. "Come closer~"
Cerberus was stunned but still did as told, scooping her chair over until her knees bumped his.
After moving closer, Cerberus looked at Ren with a puzzled expression. Then, to Cerberus's disbelief, Ren reached out and placed his warm, large hand directly on her stomach.
Cerberus froze. She was dumbfounded at that moment. Her brain short-circuited.
Lucifer, watching this, narrowed her eyes. "Hey! You're not really going to..."
"Don't look at me like that. I really don't know how you became the Queen of Hell if your mind is always in the gutter," Ren teased without looking back. "This is a traditional human method for aiding digestion. Rubbing the stomach in a clockwise motion can speed up peristalsis and relieve bloating."
"...Peristalsis?" Lucifer repeated, feeling foolish but still suspicious.
"Just watch."
Ren began to move his hand in slow, rhythmic circles over Cerberus's abdomen. He wasn't pressing hard, just applying a gentle, firm pressure.
Cerberus looked at Ren's hand, which was gently rubbing her stomach. Her cheeks flushed a light pink. She didn't know what she was thinking, but the warmth from his palm felt incredible. It was soothing, grounding, and surprisingly effective. The heavy stone in her belly seemed to be melting away.
"Mmm..." A small sound escaped her throat. Her eyes began to droop.
After a long while, Ren slowly stopped the motion and prepared to let go of her hand. Logically, after such a long time, and combined with the hawthorn juice, she should have digested enough to be comfortable.
But as soon as Ren's hand lifted a millimeter, Cerberus's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist.
Ren was stunned and asked, "What's wrong? Does it hurt?"
Cerberus lowered her head as if thinking about a complex philosophical problem. Her ears were drooping, and she looked like a puppy that had just been told playtime was over. After a long while, she looked up, her big eyes shimmering with tears (fake or real, it was hard to tell), looking at Ren pitifully.
"Master, Master, Master~ Still full! It hurts! I think I need more treatment!"
Ren was stunned, then he laughed. He saw right through her. "You just like the massage, don't you? Alright. But this kind of massage shouldn't be too long. I'll give you another five minutes. If you're still 'full' after that, you have to get up and walk around. No excuses."
Cerberus nodded repeatedly, her ponytail bobbing up and down. "Yes! Five minutes!"
Ren resumed rubbing Cerberus's stomach with one hand while taking out his phone with the other to check messages.
Exactly five minutes later, Ren withdrew his hand with military precision.
This time, Cerberus didn't stop him. Although there was some disappointment in her eyes, she quickly cheered up. She was a good dog who knew when not to push her luck.
She had actually been fine for a while; she just wanted Ren to pamper her a little longer. But Cerberus quickly let go of the thought because it wasn't the last meal. She could just eat a little more next time!
Next time, I'll eat three bowls of rice! Then Master will have to rub my tummy for ten minutes!
Thinking of this genius plan, Cerberus became happy again, her tail wagging invisibly behind her.
Lucifer looked at Cerberus, who was beaming with satisfaction, and a hint of curiosity flashed in her crimson eyes.
She was suddenly very curious about that massage. Is it really that comfortable? Or is the stupid dog just needy? But looking at Cerberus's relaxed expression... maybe she should "accidentally" overeat next time too. Just for scientific research, of course.
Just as Ren stood up and was about to grab a light novel from the counter, he noticed movement at the glass door.
Because the shop was situated on a corner, the bottom half of the door was glass. Ren saw a small shadow pressing against it.
Ren was stunned and walked over to take a look. He pushed the door open gently, only to find that a very cute little boy had arrived at some point.
The boy had short, messy greyish-brown hair and big, curious eyes. He was staring up at Ren with a mixture of awe and shyness.
Ren crouched down slightly to be at eye level and smiled gently. "What's wrong, little one~? Are you lost? Or do you want something to eat?"
The little boy shook his head. He didn't speak, but he looked past Ren, peeking into the restaurant with shining eyes, as if inspecting a castle. Then his gaze landed back on Ren, seemingly fascinated by the tall man in the chef's uniform.
Just as Ren was about to ask where his parents were, the sound of rapid footsteps approached.
"Souta! Souta! I told you to wait by the vending machine!"
A teenage girl with long, chestnut-brown hair ran over, looking flustered. She grabbed the boy's hand. She was wearing a beige blazer and a plaid skirt—a school uniform.
She pulled the boy back, panting slightly. "Really! Don't run around! You scared me to death! If Mom finds out I lost you, I'm dead!"
She looked up and finally noticed Ren standing in the doorway. Her eyes widened, and she quickly bowed. "I'm sorry! Eh? Are you the owner of this shop?"
Ren nodded, standing up to his full height. "Yes. Is he your brother? He's quite energetic."
The girl smiled, a bright and polite smile that seemed practiced. "Yes, he's a handful. You're really amazing, to have such a big shop at such a young age. I'm sorry again for disturbing your business! Shop owner~ We have to go now!"
After saying that, she pulled the little boy, who was still twisting his head to look at Ren.
"Bye-bye, mister!" the boy chirped.
The girl dragged him away down the street. Ren stood at the door for a moment, watching them go.
He only vaguely heard a very gentle female voice greeting them a few meters away. "Mmm? Found him? Really, Souta, you scared your sister to death just now~"
"Sorry, Mom," the boy's voice drifted back. "But there was a cool big brother!"
"I didn't watch him closely enough," the girl admitted. "Let's continue shopping~"
"Mmm. I heard there's a great beauty shop nearby."
"Eh? That's really good then… I need to buy some concealer…"
Ren heard the conversation, presumably between a mother and her two children, and smiled, shaking his head as he walked back inside.
"He's really a cute child~" Ren mused. "But that girl…"
Lucifer, who had been listening with her sharp hearing, looked up from her phone. "What's wrong? Have you fallen for another girl? You stare at every female who walks by."
Ren chuckled and poured himself a glass of water. "Lucifer~ Why do you think I'm that kind of person? My heart is pure."
"Aren't you? Your harem suggests otherwise."
"Although I'm a carnivore, I haven't reached that point of chasing high schoolers on the street. I just think that girl… she seems to be wearing a Katagiri High School uniform."
"Katagiri?" Lucifer tilted her head. "Is that famous?"
"It's a local school. It's just a bit strange," Ren tapped his chin. "She was wearing the full uniform on a weekend evening, but she was talking about buying makeup. Usually, students take the uniform off immediately. But she seemed… like she was in 'outside mode'. Just a passing observation."
Lucifer nodded, losing interest in the human fashion choices. She then looked at Ren with a sudden thought. "Eh? Ren, speaking of school and outside modes… I don't think I've ever seen you go out with friends during the day? Or hang out with anyone male? Could it be… you have no friends?"
Ren smiled, not offended in the least. "That's harsh. I actually have quite a few friends. But you have to understand the adult world, Lucifer. Most of them are busy during the day with work. And at night, they are either exhausted corporate slaves or studying. So it's usually quite peaceful. We mostly communicate through our phones~"
"Oh," Lucifer said, looking around the empty shop. "So you're a loner by circumstance."
"I prefer 'solitary professional'. Besides, I have you and Cerberus now, don't I? It's hardly quiet."
"That is true. You should be grateful for our presence."
Ren laughed. "I am, I am. This is the first time I've seen your entire process of opening a shop," Lucifer noted, changing the subject. "Will there be any repeat customers today? That muscle man? Or the blonde girl?"
"Probably. Regulars are the lifeblood of a restaurant," Ren said, adjusting his collar and checking the clock. The evening rush was approaching. "But new customers would be even better. I wonder what kind of customers we'll have today… Maybe someone from a world even stranger than yours."
Lucifer scoffed. "Impossible. Hell is the strangest place in existence."
"We'll see about that."
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