Chapter: 315
As I emerged from the lab and made my way back to the mansion, the weight of despair pressed down heavily on Sylvia and me.
We were told that we couldn’t defeat the Witch of Gluttony like this, and while I believed we shouldn’t share this bleak reality with the others, it wasn’t easy to keep a straight face. Our hearts felt as heavy as a stone with the hopelessness we were facing.
“…Sigh, I don’t think we can do anything with this mood. I should eat something delicious to lighten my spirits. Would you like to join me, Miss Scarlet? I know you haven’t been eating well lately, but you do enjoy tasty food, right? It’ll definitely help cheer you up!”
For heroes, who always have to keep smiling to avoid instilling anxiety in the people, mental health management is crucial. That might be why Sylvia, upon arriving at the mansion, suggested we try to find a way to lift our spirits by eating something delicious.
Eating something nice is indeed a classic way to improve one’s mood, and I had used it often in the past. However, when Sylvia invited me to join her, I quietly grimaced internally.
Honestly, I wasn’t in the mood to eat anything right now. I felt like it would only make my already miserable feelings worse if I stuffed something in my mouth for no reason.
Just as I was about to decline, I caught a glimpse of Sylvia’s hopeful eyes staring at me.
She had noticed my gloomy demeanor and it was clear she genuinely wanted to cheer me up with her kindness.
Seeing her like that made me rethink my decision to refuse. In a situation where I could barely manage my own emotions, I didn’t want to brush off the heartfelt intentions of this wonderful girl.
So, I nodded and accepted her offer.
“Sure, let’s eat together after a long time!”
“Oh, really?!”
Just that simple agreement made Sylvia’s face light up.
Seeing that smile made me feel like I had made the right choice.
After all, who could complain about sharing a meal with a cute girl like Sylvia when you weren’t even thinking about food?
It was a hundred times better than being forced to attend some boring drinking party with middle-aged uncles just because I couldn’t drink!
Still, I didn’t have the confidence to eat much, so I decided to let Sylvia know beforehand.
“Um, I’m not that hungry, so I may only be able to eat a little. Is that okay?”
“That’s fine! I’m not a big eater either! Oh, by the way, are there any particular foods you’d like to have? Since we’re doing this, I thought I might ask the Head Chef to make something you want.”
When asked if there was something I wanted to eat, I paused for a moment before answering.
There wasn’t anything specific I craved, but if I had to choose…
“Well… anything is fine, but maybe something spicy? Something as stimulating as possible.”
“Eh? You like spicy food, Miss Scarlet? Or can you even handle it?”
Having grown up in a nation that adores spicy food to an absurd degree, while I don’t explicitly seek it out, I do know how to enjoy it quite well.
Instead of answering Sylvia’s curious question, I simply smiled casually.
In response, Sylvia seemed a bit embarrassed and said,
“Eheh… Actually, I can’t eat spicy food at all. I only like sweet things. I guess I have a child’s taste in food; it’s kind of embarrassing.”
“You can’t help what you can and can’t eat. And what’s wrong with liking sweet things? I like them too; there’s nothing embarrassing about it.”
Listen, that junior who teased me by saying, “Senpai, you surprisingly have a child’s taste. How cute!” when I was enjoying my first caramel frappuccino with some strange chip in it.
While I agree that being able to drink bitter coffee that tastes like who-knows-what makes one look mature and cool, it’s not fair to treat someone who enjoys sweets like a kid.
I should have told that junior directly, but it was unfortunate I couldn’t say anything at that moment since she had bought the coffee.
Anyway, as I reminisced while responding, it seemed my words made Sylvia happy, and she smiled at me.
“Hehe, that’s right. There’s no shame in liking sweet things! Anyway, Miss Scarlet, you’re really craving incredibly spicy food, huh? I’ll let the Head Chef know!”
After saying this, Sylvia quickly left for a moment to relay the request to the kitchen and soon returned, and not long after, we were told that our meal was ready, so we headed to the dining room together.
“Wow, this looks delicious!”
“Indeed. It’s a feast, isn’t it…?”
Just as Sylvia said, the dining table was filled with foods that looked delicious and smelled heavenly.
Except for one plate.
What is that…? That singularly conspicuous red item over there.
I pointed to the ominously bright red dish and asked Sylvia,
“Umm, Sylvia… what’s that?”
“Oh, that must be yours, Miss Scarlet. I asked the Head Chef to prepare the spiciest dish possible as you requested, and he suddenly became super enthusiastic about it! He said he was inspired by your flames and has created a new dish called ‘Witch’s Hellfire’. He seemed honored to be able to let you taste it… Though, regardless of everything else, it definitely looks incredibly spicy…”
As I heard Sylvia’s explanation, my head started spinning.
What? The name is Witch’s Hellfire? He created it inspired by my flames…?
Regardless, it was evident just by the name and appearance that it would be extraordinarily spicy.
Sylvia, who can’t handle spicy food at all, looked horrified just from the sight of it.
“…It really looks spicy, are you sure you’re okay, Miss Scarlet?”
“Eh… I think I’ll be fine. I can handle spicy food quite well, you know.”
Seeing Sylvia looking worriedly at me, I shrugged my shoulders and picked up my spoon.
It definitely looked spicy, but since I requested something as stimulating as possible, I couldn’t just let it go untouched.
Moreover, I had a good deal of confidence in myself.
After all, if I’m someone who can handle a dish like spicy chicken ramen that most foreigners can’t even eat, then how bad could the spiciness of a dish in this world be, right?
And so, without much thought, I shoved ‘Witch’s Hellfire’ into my mouth, and—
“─────?!!!”
“Gyaaaah! Owwww! This is so spicy…! Hwoooooaaah! Damn, this is so spicy!!!”
At once, a wave of intense spicy heat engulfed my mouth, and I stifled a silent scream.
It wasn’t just spicy; it hurt. Like, really, really hurt.
I felt like I had genuinely bitten into a fireball, thinking it was no joke.
The unimaginable spiciness sent a flurry of thoughts rushing through my mind.
Is that chef even sane…?
Is this even safe for humans to eat…?
I thought it would just be a little spicier than a regular dish, but this has gone too far…!
Oh no, damn it, it’s so spicy I feel like I’m going to lose my mind…!
I’ll tell everything…! Our secret base is to the east…! So please, stop…!
“Miss Scarlet? Are you okay…?”
Just as I was almost losing consciousness due to the insane spiciness, Sylvia’s voice rang out, jolting me back to reality.
Ah, I remember now; Sylvia was sitting right in front of me.
I nearly forgot and would have burst into tears, drenched in sweat, snot, and everything else.
To be fair, my face was kind of wet and I couldn’t tell if it was sweat, tears, or snot…
“It’s f-fine… It’s just, a little spicier than I thought…”
I nodded shakily at Sylvia’s worried question, trembling all over.
Of course, it was a lie, but after all was said and done, this was the dish I had requested.
I couldn’t just leave it untouched.
I was taught not to waste food, or I’d be punished later.
Plus, I didn’t want to ruin the precious meal I was sharing with Sylvia after such a long time.
So, I endured it and began moving the spoon again.
“Wow, you’re eating quite well.”
“I can… handle spicy food, you know…?”
I had to eat well.
Spicy food is also a type of burning hot food after all.
Being accustomed to the pain of burning, there was no reason I couldn’t withstand the heat of a spicy dish.
After all, as the Witch of Wrath, there’s no way I’d be defeated by ‘Witch’s Hellfire’!
I just wish it wasn’t so absurdly spicy!!!
Why does it have to be just spicy!!! Gyaaaah!!!
Thanks to me trying to hold it together and keep on eating, Sylvia finally seemed to relax and enjoy her meal too.
While we were eating together, Sylvia scooped a spoonful of her food and held it towards me.
“By the way, Miss Scarlet, you said you like sweet things, right? Here, open wide.”
“Ah, ahhh~”
Reflexively, I opened my mouth to accept the food she offered.
“…Ah.”
In a daze from the spiciness, I couldn’t help but grimace as I tasted the food.
“…Um, Miss Scarlet? Does it not suit your taste?”
Seeing my reaction, Sylvia looked quite flustered, so I hurriedly responded,
“Oh, no! It’s not that; it’s just that after eating something spicy, I can’t really taste anything…”
“Oh, I see… I thought maybe you were lying about liking sweet things to match my preferences.”
“Ha, why would I lie about that? Do you not remember the macarons I made for you? How could someone who hates sweets make those?”
“True… Hehe, I do miss those macarons you made.”
“Should I make them for you again later?”
“R-really? Th-that might be a bother to you…”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s not a bother at all. I’ll make them for you after we finish eating.”
“…Thank you, Miss Scarlet.”
Seeing Sylvia smile happily at the thought of receiving macarons made me smile too.
Half of my smile was because I was happy to see that Sylvia was delighted.
The other half was relief for not having exposed my gaffe.
After finishing our meal, I headed to the kitchen to make macarons for Sylvia as promised.
“Oh, Miss Scarlet!”
“Ah, Chef.”
When I entered the kitchen, the Head Chef I had seen a few times came to greet me with a highly animated expression.
“Could I get your thoughts on the ‘Witch’s Hellfire’ I made…? I’m very eager to know if it was to your liking.”
“…Yes, I had it, and honestly, it was a bit too spicy for me, haha… Could you make something a little less spicy next time?”
“Oh, I see…? I apologize. I must have gotten a bit carried away thinking you liked spicy food. To be honest, very few people in the spicy food lover’s club I belong to can actually finish it.”
I wondered what that was about; he seemed eager to hear remarks about the dish he had prepared.
Above all, I was shocked that there was anyone in this world who could actually consume it.
Wasn’t this meant to be a killer dish…?
Anyway, since my purpose in the kitchen was to make macarons, I asked for the chef’s understanding and borrowed the corner of the kitchen to make them.
It had been a while since I made macarons, and I worried a bit since I was rusty, but they ended up looking halfway decent thanks to my previous experience.
With that, I finished the macarons and, before handing them to Sylvia, wanted to confirm with the Head Chef once more.
“Umm, Chef. Could you taste this and let me know if it’s made well?”
“Macarons? Let’s see… Hmm, well done! You could even work here at the mansion if you’re looking for a job.”
“Haha, you’re too kind.”
With those praises, I cautiously took one of the macarons I had made and put it in my mouth.
After some chewing, I grimaced and hurried to the bathroom to spit it out.
They tasted terrible to me.
‘Tasted’ gives them too much credit; they were downright bad.
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