Chapter 181 | Kissing…

Chapter 181: 181 | Kissing...

Dexter was halfway through the second batch when he felt a presence behind him.

He turned around and suddenly saw Lyra was standing at the kitchen door.

Her dark eyes were fixed on the gas cooker with thirst.

The food smelled amazing.

She looked at Dexter as she formed a pout of such devastating proportions that it could have ended wars.

Dexter scratched the back of his head.

"Sorry, Lyra. I haven’t made your food yet. I’m still cooking for the customers. Just give me about thirty minutes and I’ll be done."

Lyra’s pout deepened and her eyes grew wider as she looked so cute and pitiful.

Her shoulders dropped as she turned around saddened and began walking back to the living room.

Dexter watched her go and couldn’t help but sigh.

Suddenly, he flipped his hand and two bags of Sminley Chips materialized in his palm.

Then three Celestial Pastries also appeared beside it making everything smell like a bakery in heaven.

Lyra had already turned the corner when the smell traveled directly into her nose.

She immediately froze mid-step as her nose flared and she unconsciously inhaled deeply.

She suddenly turned her as her body rotated like a compass needle finding north and she was back in the kitchen doorway in less than two seconds.

Her eyes locked onto the chips and pastries in Dexter’s hand and the pout vanished as her lips curled up into an expectatant smile.

"Whoosh!"

She flash stepped across the kitchen with a speed that stunned even Dexter himself.

That speed actually rival Flame Burst step!

Her hands shot out and snatched the entire haul from Dexter’s palm like a pickpocket who had been doing this since birth.

She clutched the chips and pastries against her chest. Her arms wrapped around them protectively as her dark eyes looked up at him.

And she smiled.

It was, without exaggeration, the most brilliant smile Dexter had ever seen on Lyra’s face.

Then, before Dexter could react, she leaned forward.

She was almost his height so she didn’t need to tiptoe as she tilted her head to the side and suddenly, pressed her lips against his cheek.

A warm soft sensation touched against Dexter’s cheeks. If lasted for half a second as she then pulled back.

Her eyes widened.

The smile froze on her face as the realization of what she had just done crashed into her consciousness with the force of a freight train.

Her face instantly went red, climbing for her neck, consuming her cheeks, her ears, her forehead, and the back of her head.

She spun around, clutching her chips and pastries against her chest like a dragon guarding its hoard, and fled the kitchen.

Her bare feet slapped against the hallway floor. Her bedroom door slammed shut a moment later.

Dexter stood alone in the kitchen, a spatula in one hand, his other hand still extended in the air where the snacks had been.

He stared at the empty doorway.

His cheek tingled where her lips had touched.

The faint irritation he had been carrying since the diary incident, the lingering frustration from Lyra’s cold behavior the previous afternoon, the confusion about the voice that was almost hers but not quite.

All of it vanished.

Melted like snow in sunlight.

Something warm bloomed in his chest. Not the heat of his Flame Demon Bloodline. Not the mana warmth of his Abyssal Flame. Something quieter. Softer. Something that spread through his ribs like warm honey and settled there with a gentle, persistent glow.

The tips of his ears turned red.

His eyes blinked rapidly. Twice. Three times.

He inhaled sharply through his nose and held the breath for a long moment.

Then he exhaled slowly.

And smiled.

"These women," he muttered to himself, shaking his head as he turned back to the stove. "All of them. Every single one. They’re going to be the death of me."

He continued cooking.

---

By 7:15 AM, the fifty portions were done.

He had actually made fifty-five. Five extra, just in case. Each container was packed, sealed, and stacked neatly in his spatial storage. Fifty-five portions of Grade One Enchanted Meal. Comfort Chicken Rice with vegetables. Nothing fancy. Nothing that would attract heavenly tribulations. Just good, affordable food that would give ordinary people a genuine boost in their daily lives.

Then he turned his attention to the girls’ breakfast.

This was different. This was not for customers. This was for his wives.

He pulled out the good ingredients. Diamond Rice. Fresh vegetables. Premium chicken breast. A thin slice of Millennium Blood Ginseng. A single drop of Star Essence Serum.

His Arcane Nutrition Insight worked overtime, mapping combinations and calculating effects as he moved through the kitchen with the focused intensity of a man performing surgery.

The Type-II Spirit Cooking Pot came out. The heavenly flame ignited. His Great Grandmaster Foodsmith techniques activated fully, every movement precise and deliberate, every ingredient placed with the care of a master painter applying brushstrokes to canvas.

The kitchen filled with an aroma so rich and complex that even the walls seemed to lean closer.

[Ding! Congratulations! You have successfully created Celestial Dawn Nectar Bowl (Grade 5)]

’’[Effect: Permanently strengthens physical constitution. Accelerates meridian repair by 35%. Boosts mana regeneration for 6 hours. Induces deep cellular healing. Removes accumulated fatigue toxins.]’’

Grade Five.

Dexter stared at the notification. He hadn’t intentionally aimed for Grade Five. It had simply happened. The combination of premium ingredients, his upgraded cooking skills, and the Arcane Nutrition Insight had pushed the meal a grade higher than he thought would come out.

Also, there was no dark clouds gathered outside nor was there any heavenly thunder rumbling in the skies.

The meal’s energy was dense but was contained within the food rather than radiating outward.

The Grade Five threshold for atmospheric disturbance was higher than Grade Four, and this dish sat comfortably below it.

He plated four bowls. Each one glowed faintly with a warm, golden luminescence. Thin wisps of steam rose in lazy spirals, carrying a scent that was simultaneously savory, sweet, and deeply comforting.

He carried them to the dining table.