Subsequently,
Ignoring Erina's obstruction,
Alice, surprisingly, walked right in.
Upon entering the villa living room, she was immediately captivated by its spaciousness.
At its core, a prominent feature was a comfortable sofa set made of high-grade genuine leather, deep in color and rich in texture.
Exquisite paintings hung on the walls, and the floor was covered with carefully selected luxurious carpets, soft and comfortable!
Evidently, the entire living room's furnishings and decor were exceptionally elegant and artistic.
And Alice, who had just entered, immediately spotted a manga book on the soft sofa, and couldn't help but be stunned!
"Ah!"
Erina, who was behind her,
suddenly shrieked and rushed over to grab the manga book.
She tried her best to appear calm, but her flickering eyes and flushed, pretty face revealed her current feeling of shame and indignation!
Seeing Erina's strong reaction, Alice's expression turned to one of surprise.
...
"Erina."
"Isn't Sosuke's Restaurant handsome?"
Just as the atmosphere became a bit chilly, Alice could only sit on the sofa and ask.
"Him?"
"He should be quite handsome, right?"
Sosuke's handsome face appeared in her mind, and then she thought of his Reincarnation Spring Roll and Rising Dragon Dumplings.
That mountain-like figure, that sun-like smile—every time she thought of him, it made her, Erina, feel her heart flutter!
"Oh!"
"Then how is his cooking?"
Seeing Erina's demeanor, Alice was stunned again.
She secretly wondered: Could what Grandpa said last night all be true?
"Cooking?"
"Definitely above mine!"
Erina replied without hesitation.
Afterward, her slow reflexes made her eyes widen.
She looked at Alice in disbelief: "You... didn't you just return to Totsuki Academy last night? How do you know about Sosuke?"
"In this family,"
"you're not the only granddaughter, Erina."
"Last night, after arriving at Totsuki, I went to Grandpa's place."
"Then, during our conversation, I learned about the Izakaya, but since it was late, I didn't want to disturb Grandpa's rest, so I didn't ask for more details."
Alice explained truthfully.
...
"It's truly unbelievable."
"The Shopkeeper of an Izakaya, actually surpasses you, Erina?"
She remembered when she was very young, she painstakingly made a dessert, only for Erina to rate it as "extremely unpalatable."
This incident, Erina has probably long forgotten by now.
But for Alice, it was a painful memory that could never be erased in this lifetime.
From then on, her relationship with Erina began to worsen, and she gradually developed a goal: to one day create a delicious dish that would make her lose convincingly!
Therefore, upon learning that Sosuke's Restaurant, the Shopkeeper of that Izakaya, was a mysterious figure who could surpass Erina, Alice felt a bit shocked.
"Boring!"
"So you came to see me,"
"just to see my pathetic state of admitting defeat to someone else?"
"If you have that free time, you might as well focus on your own cooking skills and strive to pass tomorrow's entrance exam!"
Looking at Alice, Erina crossed her arms and said grumpily.
"Entrance exam?"
"Don't you know I'm a special enrollment student?"
Alice Nakiri said nonchalantly.
Totsuki Academy's annual enrollment scope is actually very broad.
It's not limited to students like Tadokoro Megumi who directly advance from junior high, but also includes many people involved in the catering industry, provided their age meets the enrollment requirements.
For example:
Yukihira Soma, who runs Yukihira Restaurant.
Takumi, the heir to the Aldini restaurant.
This led to ordinary people whose family strength was weak and who hadn't been involved in the catering industry from a young age, generally being eliminated during the entrance exam.
Of course, besides choosing to apply for Totsuki on their own,
one could also enroll in Totsuki Academy through a letter of recommendation!
Like Alice Nakiri, she directly enrolled in Totsuki through a letter of recommendation from her mother, Leonora Nakiri, without even needing to take the entrance exam.
...
"Whatever."
"Anyway, if you're interested in the Izakaya, just go there yourself."
"I believe, compared to you wanting to challenge my current position,"
"Sosuke's cooking might be what's truly worth your study and challenge."
Erina did not show much surprise about Alice Nakiri being a special enrollment student.
She just hoped that this cousin would leave quickly, otherwise, when Hisako, who went out to buy manga, returned, the situation would be difficult to manage.
"Hmm!"
"Go, I definitely will."
"It's just that I don't know the location of that Izakaya yet, so..."
"What do you mean?"
"Are you asking me to take you to that Izakaya?"
Hearing Alice's words, Erina paused slightly.
She really wanted to refuse, and was even too lazy to bother with Alice. But she was truly afraid that if she didn't agree to her request, she might just stay there indefinitely.
Therefore, out of helplessness, Erina could only sigh deeply and nod, signifying her agreement.
...
Evening.
Around 6 PM, the sky hadn't completely darkened yet.
The faint starlight still illuminated the mysterious night as usual.
At this moment, the Izakaya certainly hadn't started business yet.
And Sosuke, as the Shopkeeper, usually ate dinner at this time.
But he was seen carrying out a jar of Shaoxing wine wrapped in lotus leaves. This jar, however, did not contain Shaoxing wine, but a delicious dish: Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.
Then, he directly reached out to lift the lotus leaf from the jar.
Instantly, an extremely rich aroma, like a bomb suddenly exploding, wafted throughout the entire Izakaya with an overwhelming momentum.
Finally, even the adjacent Chun Guo Ting Restaurant, which had just closed, was affected.
"Hmm?"
"What is this aroma?"
"Mmm, it smells so good, it seems to be coming from the Izakaya..."
The Shopkeeper, Sonoka, couldn't help but lightly sniff the rich aroma in the air, and quickly discovered that it was emanating from the Izakaya next door.
As a chef, she knew that for a dish to have such a rich aroma, it required very high skill.
And theoretically speaking, the more fragrant a dish, the more delicious it would taste.
"Is Sosuke developing a new dish again?"
Thinking of this,
Sonoka's stomach rumbled, betraying her hunger!
After much hesitation, she still mustered her courage and headed towards the Izakaya next door.
----------------------------------
I've already uploaded over 40 new chapters on Patreon!
If you're enjoying the story and want to read ahead, feel free to check it out.
Your support truly means a lot to me!
patreon.com/Kazenova223
Thank you so much for being here!
And if you enjoy the story, don't forget to give me a Power Stone. Your support really motivates me to continue translating!