Chapter 152: A New Rival (ii)

Sora watched him disappear.

She had been about to ask another question, but Mark was already gone.

She looked down at the plump little pig.

It really was quite well-fed.

Sora’s eyes brightened.

This would make excellent roasted pork.

Especially crispy roasted pork belly.

Ace glanced disdainfully at the pig.

"Such a small pig."

Sora looked at him.

"If you want to eat a bigger one, you can catch one yourself."

Ace immediately lifted his chin.

"I can."

He looked toward the forest.

"I’ll catch a bigger and fatter one."

Lucas rolled his eyes.

"Why rush?"

He pointed at the pig.

"Why not eat the one that was given to us for free?"

Ace frowned.

"But—"

"Didn’t you hear Mark?" Lucas interrupted. "Nick Wilde sent it to thank Kaelira for teaching the fox Clan how to make milk tea."

Sora looked at the pig thoughtfully.

She had to admit, the fox Clan was rather polite.

They had learned how to make milk tea and had actually sent her a gift in return.

Sora didn’t think there was anything strange about it.

Her milk tea really was delicious.

And besides...

She had absolutely no reason to believe that Nick Wilde had sent the pig because he was interested in her.

Why would he?

From Sora’s perspective, she had always considered herself ordinary-looking.

She didn’t believe some handsome fourth-level beastman would suddenly fall for her.

She didn’t notice the subtle changes in the expressions around her.

Ace wanted to say something else.

But Xavier quietly pulled him back.

"Enough."

Ace looked at him.

Xavier crossed his arms.

"I think the pig is fine."

Sora immediately nodded.

"Exactly."

She pointed toward it.

"Let’s roast it tonight."

Then she assigned the difficult preparation work to the beastmen.

"Take it and remove the remaining hair."

She glanced at their sharp claws.

"Your claws are much more useful for this than mine."

The beastmen had no argument.

They picked up the pig and carried it away.

After breakfast, the others gradually left.

Lukan eventually went hunting with the tribe.

Xavier and Lucas followed.

Ace and Damien also left after helping carry the pig.

Ryan, however, hesitated.

He remained seated.

Sora noticed.

The kitchen suddenly felt much quieter.

She looked at him.

Ryan said nothing.

Sora wasn’t sure what to say either.

Their date was supposed to happen today.

But after last night’s unexpected accident, she had no idea what Ryan was thinking.

Maybe he wanted to talk.

Maybe he wanted to learn something.

Maybe he wanted to avoid discussing what had happened.

Sora decided not to force anything.

Let him decide what he wants to do.

A date wasn’t only her responsibility.

If Ryan wasn’t in a hurry, why should she be?

With that thought, Sora turned around and began washing the dishes.

Ryan remained quietly nearby.

Sora didn’t mind.

After all, she had another task to prepare for.

She was planning to roast the pig later.

And if she wanted crispy pork, she would need the bread oven.

She finished washing the dishes and walked over to inspect it.

When she lifted the wooden lid, a curious voice came from behind her.

"What is this called?"

Sora paused.

She turned around.

Ryan was standing behind her.

His aquamarine eyes were fixed on the oven.

"And how does it cook things?"

Sora’s eyes brightened.

There it was.

His curiosity.

This was exactly what she had been hoping for.

Ryan might not understand romance.

He might not understand relationships.

But technology?

That was something he genuinely cared about.

Sora immediately decided to use the opportunity.

Perhaps she could teach him something useful.

Maybe his attraction and affection values would rise again.

She pointed toward the oven.

"This is a bread oven."

Ryan moved closer.

Sora began explaining.

"The fire burns below."

She pointed to the lower section.

"The heat rises upward."

Then she pointed toward the interior.

"Because the hot air circulates inside, the temperature becomes high enough to cook food."

Ryan frowned thoughtfully.

"So if you put food directly above the fire..."

"It could burn."

Sora nodded.

"Exactly. That’s why the oven isn’t designed like an open fire."

She pointed toward the opening and chimney.

"There are places for air to enter and for smoke to escape."

Ryan leaned closer.

"Then how does the temperature remain stable?"

Sora pointed toward the ventilation opening.

"When wind comes in through here, the airflow helps control the fire. The smoke escapes through the upper outlet, while the heat remains inside long enough to cook the food."

Ryan listened carefully.

His eyes were filled with curiosity.

He leaned farther forward to examine the part Sora was pointing at.

Neither of them noticed how close they had become.

From a distance, they almost looked as though they were pressed together.

Not far away, several beastmen who had supposedly gone hunting had quietly returned to observe them.

Lucas was the first to speak.

"I told you."

His tone was relaxed.

"Ryan and Kaelira aren’t doing anything strange. You all made too much fuss."

He glanced at the others.

"You even carried the pig all the way to the deep pool and then came back just to check on them."

Xavier remained silent.

Ace’s expression was dark.

Damien looked suspicious.

Lucas continued,

"If Ryan were really interested in Kaelira, why didn’t he refuse yesterday?"

The question silenced everyone.

No one had a good answer.

Then—

Ryan accidentally brushed Sora’s face.

Sora turned.

Their faces were suddenly extremely close.

The beastmen watching from a distance froze.

Ace’s jaw tightened.

"Is this what you call doing nothing?"

Lucas stared.

Their faces were practically touching.

He swallowed.

"Well..."

His confidence disappeared.

"It seems we may have misunderstood Ryan."

Ryan himself hadn’t intended to do anything.

He had been completely focused on the oven.

But when he accidentally brushed against Sora’s face, his heart suddenly began beating faster.

The sensation immediately reminded him of the previous night.

The hot spring.

The accidental closeness.

The softness of Sora’s lips.

And the image of her standing beneath the moonlight.

His breathing became slightly uneven.

Ryan’s eyes darkened with confusion.

He quickly looked away.

Why am I thinking about that again?

He had always believed Sora was troublesome.

He had once found her appearance unpleasant.

Yet something had changed.

He couldn’t deny it anymore.

The more time he spent around her, the more difficult it became to ignore the strange attraction he felt.

And now, standing this close to her, Ryan suddenly realized that his supposed dislike of Sora might not have been as strong as he had believed.

Behind them, the other beastmen watched in complete silence.

The peaceful breakfast had already turned into another competition.

And this time, Ryan was no longer standing outside it.

He was slowly becoming one of Sora’s most dangerous rivals for his fellow beast husbands’ attention.