Chapter 174: Special Quest: A Home-Cooked Meal II

The grand open kitchen of the Sky-Palace fell into a momentary, stunned silence.

For a second, the only sound in the penthouse was the soft hum of the climate control array and the quiet bubbling of the thermal spring upstairs.

While Amber broke into a knowing, radiant smile, Calista’s jaw dropped slightly in disbelief. In the ancient, rigid hierarchy of House Vesper, patriarchs and high-ranking lords never stepped foot in a kitchen unless it was to berate the domestic staff.

"You’re... going to cook?" Calista asked in a mixture of awe and bewilderment. "Chairman Evren, you just bought an entire eighty-story skyscraper in cash. Shouldn’t you have a brigade of private chefs attending to you?"

Beside her, Zephyra tilted her head, her violet eyes wide with unconcealed fascination.

Even though she had lived with them for a while, their meals had always been prepared by the manor’s elite culinary team or delivered through high-end catering.

"I have never witnessed an S-Rank awakener prepare a domestic meal," Zephyra admitted softly, tucking a loose silver strand behind her ear. "Is this a common custom among sovereign guild masters?"

Amber let out a warm, musical laugh, crossing her arms as she leaned back against the sectional sofa. "Close your mouths, girls, you’re looking at a master chef. Trust me, the five-star culinary staff downstairs has nothing on him."

"Before I had a single dollar to my name, I spent years surviving on strict budgets and learning how to make every scrap taste good," Evren said with an easy grin, opening a cabinet and retrieving a clean slate-gray apron. "A man who can’t feed his family has no business commanding a conglomerate."

He looped the strap over his neck and tied the strings behind his waist with ease, rolling his sleeves higher up his forearms. Turning toward the living area, his gaze settled on Calista sitting near the kitchen threshold in her magitech chair.

"Don’t sit all the way over there, Calista," Evren said, an affectionate spark in his eyes. "Come over here and be my sous-chef."

Before Calista could ask how she was supposed to help, Evren crossed the short distance and effortlessly scooped her up into his arms. Calista let out a soft, startled gasp, her cheeks instantly flaming crimson as her slender arms instinctively wrapped around his neck.

Her light lavender silk robe rustled against his chest, smelling faintly of the soothing spring water and wild jasmine.

Evren carried her over to the wide, polished marble kitchen island and gently lifted her onto the smooth counter right beside the prep station. With her upper spine fully restored, Calista balanced herself effortlessly with her hands, her slender legs draping softly over the edge of the dark wood cabinetry.

"There," Evren smiled, brushing a loose silver-blue curl away from her flushed forehead. "Now you have the best seat in the house."

"Evren... I’m on the counter," Calista whispered, her blue eyes wide with a mixture of flustered embarrassment and pure delight. "Isn’t this improper?"

"This is our home, little alchemist," Evren chuckled, tapping the tip of her nose. "Proper is whatever we say it is."

Amber and Zephyra strolled over from the sofa, leaning casually against the marble island on either side of Calista. The warmth of the kitchen was already drawing them together like a cozy hearth.

Turning to the prep counter, Evren reached into his spatial storage ring.

With a soft glow of spatial magic, he pulled out the fresh ingredients from the fortune wheel. A woven cedar basket full of bright vegetables appeared on the counter, along with several thick, vacuum-sealed cuts of prime marbled beef.

As soon as the ingredients appeared, a fresh, rich scent filled the kitchen. The beef was beautifully marbled with streaks of fat that glowed with life energy, while the basket held crisp greens, fragrant garlic, and golden potatoes.

"Now that is some serious meat," Amber murmured, her eyes lighting up as she inspected the marbling. "Where did you get that from? The Hunter Association’s reserve cellars?"

"Trade secret," Evren said smoothly, selecting a heavy chef’s knife from the magnetic rack. "Just watch the master at work."

Evren’s hands moved in a blur. The blade tapped against the wooden board in a quick, smooth rhythm, chopping the fragrant star-garlic into thin slices and cutting the sweet potatoes into neat cubes. There was no wasted movement in his fingers; the same natural skill he used to fight monsters now guided the knife.

Calista watched his hands with parted lips, completely captivated by his dexterity. "Your precision is incredible. It looks like you’re performing high-tier elixir extraction."

"It’s basically the same principle," Evren said with an amused wink. "Balance the heat, control the ingredients, and don’t burn the house down."

Amber rested her chin on her palm, glancing sideways at Zephyra with a teasing smirk. "You know, Calista, speaking of precision, Z over here still sleeps with two combat daggers under her silk pillows even in this penthouse suite. I checked her room yesterday."

Zephyra didn’t flinch, countering without missing a single beat: "And Amber talks in her sleep. Last night you were shouting at an imaginary sparring referee."

Amber gasped in mock offense, her hand flying to her chest. "I was not! Evren, tell her I don’t talk in my sleep!"

"I’m staying entirely neutral," Evren said, chuckling as he kept his eyes on the cutting board. "I value my life far too much to get caught between a Valkyrie and a Shadow Empress."

Calista let out a sudden, melodic giggle, burying her face into the sleeve of her robe before looking up at them with bright eyes. "At the Vesper estate, dinners were like silent court trials where dropping a fork earned you a ten-minute glare."

Zephyra’s expression softened, her violet eyes resting warmly on Calista. "That sounds miserable."

"It was," Calista admitted softly, leaning her side against the marble counter as her smile deepened. "This... this actually feels like a real family."

Amber reached over and affectionately ruffled Calista’s soft silver-blue hair. "That’s because we are one, little genius."

At the stove, Evren set a cast-iron skillet onto the induction range. He drizzled a swirl of cold-pressed oil into the heated pan, tossing in the crushed garlic, sliced ginger, and jade scallions.

An explosive, fragrant sizzle erupted from the metal, filling the entire penthouse with a mouthwatering, savory aroma.

In a separate porcelain pot, he set the herbal beef stock to simmer, dropping in the diced tubers and mountain roots to make a broth. The combination of simmering broth and sizzling aromatics made the air thick with warmth.

Finally, Evren placed the thick slabs of marbled beef onto the hot skillet. The meat sizzled loudly as the outside turned a deep, rich brown. Juices bubbled over the pan, filling the air with the amazing smell of cooked meat and mountain spices.

Amber groaned, pressing both hands against her stomach as an audible rumble betrayed her hunger. "Evren, I swear, if you make me wait another minute, I’m going to grab that spatula and eat it straight from the pan."

Evren laughed, using a pair of tongs to slice a small, succulent part from the edge of the first steak. He let it rest for a couple of seconds on a porcelain tasting dish, glazing it in a light spoonful of the savory reduction.

Picking up the tender, steaming morsel with his chopsticks, Evren turned toward Amber with a mischievous smirk. "Alright, Vice-Chairman. Open up for a quality check."

Amber stepped closer, her eyes flashing with a sultry, playful glint as she tilted her head. "Not from the chopsticks, Evren. Kiss-feed me... or don’t I get chef’s privileges?"

Evren’s eyebrows raised in amusement, but he didn’t hesitate for a fraction of a second.

Setting the chopsticks down, he took the warm, glazed beef between his own lips and stepped forward. Wrapping his arm firmly around Amber’s waist, he pulled her against his chest and leaned down.

Their lips met in a slow, deep, intoxicating kiss. Amber let out a soft, breathless moan of pleasure as the tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef passed between them, bursting with rich savory glaze and searing warmth.

She pressed her hands flat against Evren’s chest, kissing him with unhurried hunger before reluctantly breaking the seal with a slow, breathless sigh.

"Mmm," Amber whispered, her cheeks flushed with rosy heat and her lips glistening. "A-plus and five stars. It’s easily the best thing you’ve ever made."

Beside them on the island, Calista’s hands flew to her burning cheeks, her blue eyes wide as saucers as her heart fluttered wildly in her chest.

Next to her, Zephyra froze, her violet eyes wide and her ears glowing a deep shade of pink. The sheer intimacy of the gesture was enough to make both of their heads spin.

Amber looked over her shoulder at the two flustered women, giving them a wicked, triumphant wink. "Perks of the household, girls. Don’t be shy."

"Amber!" Calista squeaked, burying her face into her hands while giggling with embarrassment.

Zephyra quickly cleared her throat, shifting her gaze toward the ceiling as if examining the recessed LED light strips. "The... the marbling does indeed appear well-rendered."

Evren chuckled, thoroughly amused by his household’s dynamics.

Turning back to the stove, he quickly finished searing the remaining cuts of prime beef, slicing them into neat, tender pieces that glistened with savory glaze. He ladled the rich, steaming golden herbal broth into four deep porcelain bowls and arranged the bowls of fluffy steamed rice on a large serving tray.

Within minutes, the marble island was lined with an exquisite, steaming feast that looked worthy of a banquet. The rich aromas swirled through the warm air.

Evren untied the slate-gray apron, pulled the strap over his head, and tossed it casually onto the far edge of the counter. Rolling down his cuffs, he turned around with a broad, confident grin, his gaze sweeping over Amber, Zephyra, and the blushing alchemist perched on his island.

"Food is ready. Now who’s hungry?"