Chapter 76: Family Dinner, Riven Shows Off His Amazing Cooking Skills

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Elisa and Daniela’s eyes sparkled with pure delight as the two girls almost drooled from hunger. The delicious smell that the food Riven had prepared released filled both the kitchen and the dining room with a warm, inviting aroma.

Because everyone was hungry, he had cooked something delicious yet easy and fast to prepare. He used some of the fresh ingredients from the monsters he had hunted, particularly the tender, rabbit-like meat of the Whispering Scream. He minced it carefully and combined it with onion, garlic, and seasoning before shaping the mixture into large, juicy patties that he grilled at high heat. The result was a set of delicious, tender, and perfectly cooked burgers.

He accompanied the burgers with the edible parts of the Myconid Monsters. After detoxing them completely with his abilities, he cut the mushrooms into big pieces and grilled them side by side with the meat. He also diced a portion into incredibly small cubes and cooked them slowly at low heat with butter and extra seasoning. At the end he added rice, creating a rich and creamy mushroom risotto full of deep flavor.

"Uwaah! This looks delicious!" Daniela said with sparkling eyes. "Nom! Hmmmm!" She took a big bite of the huge burger. "It’s so tender!"

"Oouugh?" Elisa made a funny, surprised noise as she took a spoonful that mixed some of the mushroom risotto with the burger. "T-This is...! So flavorful! Full of nutrients and mana...!" She swallowed after tasting everything carefully. Her palate, as a young lady from a rich family, was very delicate, yet Riven had never failed her when it came to making delicious meals she always looked forward to. "Gulp... Riven! How did you...? What are these ingredients?"

"Ah, I used the Whispering Scream’s tender, rabbit-like meat to make large patties," he explained. "Plus Myconid Mushrooms are about ten times more flavorful than even shiitake. They leave the risotto full of umami. The risotto also doubles as a perfect sauce for the burger. Eating them together is the best." He took a spoonful of his own to demonstrate.

"It’s made of that creepy boss?!" Daniela almost coughed and quickly drank a full cup of water. "I could have never guessed!"

"At the end it’s just a gigantic rabbit," Riven explained calmly. "It has very little fat, and its low defenses clearly show how tender its meat actually is. It’s packed with natural flavor too."

"..." Elisa, who was already used to eating monster meat because it was a staple for high-society families, still looked shocked. "So you just went out, hunted this, and brought it home for us to eat... Hahaha, almost as if we regressed to the stone age and you went out to hunt for your wife."

"Hahah, I guess you could put it that way. It’s always better to eat fresh ingredients," Riven said with a smile. "Now eat up before it gets colder."

Elisa nodded and continued eating, completely fascinated by the rich flavor of every bite.

Little Carlos sat quietly on the side and also ate with a happy, silent expression while drinking some chocolate milk.

"Is it good? Maybe it’s too much for you, Carlos. Let sister have a bit of that burger..." Daniela said, pointing her fork toward her little brother’s plate.

"!!!" Carlos’s sharp eyes had already expected her move. His fork blocked hers with surprising dexterity. "Big sis, this is mine... I won’t let you take it."

"Gah?!" Daniela gasped. "S-Since when has my little brother gotten this strong?!"

"Hohoh! The boy’s sharper than you think, Daniela," Elisa laughed lightly.

"Did Carlos help you out today?" Riven asked.

"Yeah, he helped me move around and more. I cooked him lunch," Elisa answered with a kind smile.

"It was a frozen dinner, but it was good," Carlos said honestly.

"I-It wasn’t..." Elisa averted her gaze, feeling a little embarrassed that she was still terrible at cooking. "Riven, it wasn’t...! I cooked that!"

"Yes, of course you did," Riven nodded while gently patting her head.

"D-Don’t pat my head!" she said angrily, frustrated that he was being condescending. Even so, she quickly went back to eating her food and did not stop until the plate was completely clean. "I thought Myconid was poisonous... but there was not even a hint of it."

"Only the main body is poisonous," he explained. "The area below the cap is edible. Not many people know that. But with my Skill I can simply drain all the poisonous toxins inside, so the whole thing becomes completely edible from the start."

"Wow..." she nodded in understanding.

"Anyway," Riven stood back up and walked over to the fridge. "It must be ready by now. Who wants dessert? Something sweet to end the day?"

He revealed four neat cups filled with creamy bavarois topped with mango, strawberry, and mixed berries. He added a small piece of chocolate on each one and shared the cups with everyone.

"Hmm? T-This is..." Elisa took a small spoonful. "Oh..."

Suddenly her mind recalled an old memory from long ago.

When she was just six years old she had wandered around her big house, calling for her mommy who was always busy all the time.

"Mommy? Mom?"

"Lady Elisa, what do you need?"

"Your mother is busy, please leave her alone. Let’s go outside to play."

"I can cook you anything you want. How about—"

"No! Leave me alone! I want mama!"

Her servants had always been very annoying, constantly trying to take her away from her mother because they claimed she "annoyed her."

But that was only a misconception.

She ran downstairs and finally found her mother alone inside the kitchen, carefully making a dessert.

"Mom? Why did you leave?"

Her mother looked back with mild surprise. She had cascading clear blue hair, gentle emerald eyes, and wore a simple white dress together with a white summer hat.

"Oh my baby, I’m sorry. Mommy got distracted and forgot about the dessert she prepared," she called softly. "Come here, come. This is something my own mother used to make as well..."

"Hmm?" Elisa walked closer to the dessert. "Fruit?"

"It isn’t just fruit. Taste it," her mother insisted with a warm smile.

The little girl took a small spoonful of the pink, gelatinous cream. The delicious creaminess combined with the fresh fruit flavor and juiciness... and the soft spongy cake underneath made her eyes go wide.

"Wow...! Hmm! So tasthy!"

"Right~? Heheh."

Her mother giggled and kissed her forehead before placing her on her lap so she could watch her adorable little princess enjoy the dessert.

As Elisa ate happily in the memory, she could still recall her big sister standing outside the kitchen doorway. Her sister had been carrying her school grades with a proud smile, only to see the two of them together. The smile slowly dropped from her face. She lowered her gaze and walked away once she realized her mother now had a new favorite.

"..."

Elisa stopped eating in the present and shed a single small tear, which immediately shocked Riven.

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