Chapter 247: Lucifer Wants a Doctor, Just Like Jinx
Just as Kasugano Sora and Lucifer were beginning to grow more comfortable with one another, a rich, intoxicating aroma suddenly swept through the room. It didn't just drift in; it commanded the air, a wave of scent so potent it instantly stunned Lucifer, halting her mid-sentence.
Some things, you recognize by scent alone, even if you've never tasted them. And Lucifer knew, with absolute certainty, the name of what she was smelling: cheese. Ren was preparing a dish that featured it prominently.
It was no wonder Kasugano Sora had mentioned feeling revitalized after eating his food. Cheese possessed just such a power. The old saying, "cheese is power," wasn't just an empty phrase; the stuff truly could make one feel energized. It was a delicious truth that anyone on a diet learned to fear.
While the captivating fragrance still hung in the air, Ren slowly wheeled a dining cart into the room. Upon it sat a dish with a silver cloche covering it, along with two small, pristine white porcelain bowls, their contents a mystery.
But the aroma alone told a story, painting a picture with words one could almost taste: warmth, nourishment, richness, and pure, unadulterated deliciousness.
Ren stopped the cart before Kasugano Sora and gently placed the back of his hand against her forehead. He nodded, a soft smile on his face. "Looks like you don't have a fever. In that case, I don't need to nag you, do I?"
Gazing at the three dishes arranged before her, Kasugano Sora took a deep, deliberate breath of the fragrant air. "Ren-gege, you didn't add any olives, did you?"
"No. It's fine if you're a picky eater with this one. The nutrition in these three dishes is more than sufficient. Just remember..."
"Finish all the rice, drink all the soup, and I can skip the dessert," Sora recited, her voice a practiced monotone. "Ren-gege, you say that every single time."
A hint of amusement flickered in Ren's eyes. "And you always end up staring at the dessert until you've eaten every last bite. Why don't you mention that part?"
Kasugano Sora's delicate features stiffened, a faint pout forming on her lips. She mumbled under her breath, "It's all because Ren-gege is too cunning. He can even make something like yam taste so good... Fine, fine! I'll eat!"
From long experience, Sora knew not to start with the main covered dish. The best way to begin a meal like this was always with the soup.
It was hard to say if Ren did it on purpose, but he had deviously prepared a cream soup. The dish was almost outrageously comforting. You called it soup, yet it felt as luxurious as drinking warm, savory milk. Who could possibly resist that?
Though it was called cream soup, it wasn't made directly from cream. The "cream" in its name was more of a concept. The first character, nai, referred to milk and cream, but the second, you, didn't mean butter. It referred to a roux—a carefully browned mixture of butter and flour that formed the heart of the dish.
To put it simply, the soup could be described in a single word: fragrant. It was rich, mellow, and aromatic, a scent that stirred the soul and promised deep satisfaction.
When adding ingredients to a cream soup, vegetables were an excellent choice. But if one were to add meat, chicken was supreme—specifically, the thigh meat, the most tender and flavorful part of the bird.
Diced into small, bite-sized pieces, the chicken thigh swam in the smooth, fragrant broth. To eat it was to experience the pinnacle of culinary comfort. The feeling was so deeply satisfying that one could easily drink the soup until they were full, forgetting all else.
The recipe for cream soup was deceptively simple, requiring only a few ingredients. Its true magic, however, lay not in its milky flavor, but in the secret ingredient never mentioned in its name: a Western-style clear chicken broth.
This crystal-clear consommé, infused with its own deep savoriness, acted as the foundation. It carried all the rich aromas of the other ingredients and then forcefully added a layer of deep, umami freshness. It was the supporting actor that elevated the entire production, enhancing the texture, aroma, and flavor of the soup into something extraordinary.
Even with just vegetables, a single spoonful was enough to prove its excellence. The richness of the milk, the overflowing aroma, the velvety texture, and the clean, fresh saltiness of the broth—it was a burst of pure comfort.
The flavor was one of deep innocence. It was pure white and luminous, warm and rich, with a mellow sweetness that coated the tongue. It was the taste of gentle beginnings, of uncomplicated beauty—clean, pristine, and utterly captivating.
Kasugano Sora had long ago learned this lesson. For her, no matter how sweet the dessert was or how spectacular the main course might be, nothing was as comforting as this simple, warm, and mellow soup. It was, after all, the very first dish Ren had ever made for her.
Watching her eat in small, delicate bites, even finishing the broccoli without a hint of her usual pickiness, Ren nodded in satisfaction. Here, in this place, he had his ways of making sure Sora ate even the ingredients she disliked the most, and with gusto.
"Ren. Ren!"
"Hm? What is it, Lucifer?"
Just as Ren was contentedly supervising Sora's meal, he heard Lucifer call his name. He turned, surprised. This was the first time she had ever actively sought him out.
"Ren, I believe we could... What are your thoughts?" she began, gesturing vaguely between them.
Ren considered her for a moment, then glanced at Sora, who was still focused on her soup. "That's fine," he said gently. "But let's talk after Sora finishes her meal. Otherwise, she might get distracted and not eat anything."
Lucifer nodded in understanding, then let out a soft sigh. "I've noticed that most of the children who arrive here aren't in the best of health. I find myself wondering if a doctor from another world might one day appear—someone who can cure any ailment."
"Eh? If someone like that showed up, it would be amazing," Ren replied. "But Lucifer, can't you cure anything?"
Lucifer waved a dismissive hand. "These are merely poor physical constitutions, not grave illnesses. If it were something like an incurable disease, the rules of Hell demand a price be paid. Typically, a wish of that magnitude would cost decades of the recipient's lifespan."
Ren's eyes widened. "Decades? So, even if they were cured, they wouldn't live much longer?"
"Precisely," Lucifer confirmed with a nod. "So, for minor things like improving one's constitution or curing small sicknesses, a simple cup of coffee can suffice as a bargaining chip. No matter how you look at it, a truly powerful doctor is what we need."
Ren thought for a moment, then nodded. A memory surfaced, and a smile touched his lips. "If I remember correctly, Jinx mentioned that there's a lot of magic where she comes from. Perhaps a being like that exists on her world."
"Oh?" Lucifer's interest was piqued. "That is certainly something to look forward to—magic from another world. But this Jinx... I've only heard you speak of her; I have yet to meet her. Is she an easy-going girl?"
"Very easy-going," Ren assured her. "Cerberus and Jinx are good friends. Also, Jinx is a lot like you, Lucifer."
Lucifer arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "Oh? And how are we alike? Are we both equally majestic? Or perhaps equally beautiful?"
"You're both very tsundere."
"I am not tsundere!"
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