Chapter 89: She Looked Disappointed That I Was Alive.

"Have you... died before?"

Hope asked in her usual flat tone as if she were asking whether it was going to rain today or not.

"Uh... yeah." I answered without missing a beat. "I am actually a centuries-old ghost wandering the world as a vengeful spirit to haunt innocent people in my free time."

Hope’s expression froze and for the first time, a faint glimmer of hope appeared in her golden eyes.

"...Is that really true?"

She asked quietly as I couldn’t help but smile.

"No." A small chuckle escaped my lips. "I mean, what kind of question is that? If I am standing here talking to you with a healthy body, then why would I even be dead."

"And why would you even ask something so random?"

A faint look of disappointment crossed Hope’s face as I let out a quiet sigh.

"I was just joking."

Hope answered with the same perfectly serious expression but as if anyone would buy that reasoning with an expression like that.

...Not that I bothered calling her out on it because I could understand why she had asked that.

So, I deliberately changed the subject.

"I didn’t take you for someone who would be interested in cooking."

Hope looked back at me.

"Why?"

She tilted her head ever so slightly.

"I mean, you are the princess of an empire and you probably have an army of chefs cooking every meal for you back at your home. So why bother learning something like this?"

Hope fell silent.

Her brows knitted together ever so slightly as if she were searching for an answer buried somewhere deep within her memories.

I waited for a few seconds, genuinely curious to hear what kind of answer she was about to give after thinking so seriously.

But instead...

"I don’t know."

That was her entire answer.

Hope has always been a complete mystery to me.

Even in our previous life, despite being happily married, I never truly understood her mind.

I didn’t know why she had chosen me. I didn’t know when she had fallen in love with me. Hell, I didn’t even know why she had married someone the world constantly mocked as weak and incompetent.

Not to mention, I was already married to Seles back then.

Because of that, a rather infamous rumor had spread throughout the Empire. People claimed I was some sort of gigolo who lived off powerful women.

After all, despite having nothing to my name, one extraordinary woman after another had somehow chosen to marry me.

"What about you? Don’t all the reasons you listed for me apply to you as well? Then why are you taking the cooking elective?"

Her golden eyes narrowed ever so slightly, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Well, as I told the professor, I am genuinely interested in learning how to cook."

I answered quietly before turning my attention back to the front of the classroom as the professor was still going on and on about his introduction.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could still feel Hope’s gaze lingering on me.

She clearly wasn’t convinced.

...But I didn’t bother explaining myself any further and instead, I focused on the class.

***

"I believe everyone now has a good understanding of what this class is about." The professor smiled warmly. "My name is Derek Stone and I will be the one teaching you the art of cooking for this year."

Derek continued as I finally turned my full attention toward the lesson.

There weren’t many students in the classroom but every single one of them seemed genuinely interested.

Hell, I could even spot a few overachievers hurriedly taking notes before the lecture had properly begun. I honestly had no idea what they found worthy of writing down from an introductory speech.

"Cooking is an art that has been passed down since the dawn of civilization. Long before people learned to wield mana, they already knew how to prepare food."

"Because food is what sustains life."

He continued in the same warm and patient tone.

"In the beginning, cooking was limited to naturally occurring plants, herbs and animals. But as time passed, researchers discovered that monsters from dungeons and towers could also be used as ingredients."

He adjusted his spectacles before continuing.

"According to research conducted a few years ago, monster meat not only possesses mana-nourishing properties, it can also promote healing and strengthening of mana core and body depending on the variant."

"However, the benefits depend entirely on how the food is prepared."

His expression grew slightly more serious.

"An exceptionally skilled chef can bring out nearly one hundred percent of those effects but in the hands of a novice, the results can be disastrous."

"In some cases, poor preparation can even reverse those benefits, turning an otherwise nourishing meal into something more dangerous than poison."

A smile returned to Derek’s face.

"But don’t worry because that’s exactly what I am here to teach you. I have been recognized as one of the Top Ten Chefs in Veloria and I am also an alumnus of the Arcanum, having graduated with the highest grade in Monster Cuisine."

"So rest assured..."

"You all are in good hands."

A few chuckles spread throughout the classroom.

"Since this is still the introductory phase and I don’t yet know how many of you will continue with this elective, we will be keeping things simple today."

"Please form groups of two."

"You will be working with the same partner for the rest of the year, so choose wisely."

I looked around the classroom.

Most of the students had already paired up and not a single one of them even looked in my direction.

Because by now, I had already earned quite the reputation as the guy who had supposedly used underhanded tricks to beat up a senior in their sacred spot.

It wasn’t exactly the kind of reputation that encouraged people to partner with me but thankfully there was one other student who was also left completely alone just like me.

But unlike me, people weren’t avoiding her out of fear or suspicion, instead, they simply didn’t think they were worthy of approaching her because to them, she was an untouchable light that shouldn’t be tainted by the presence of ordinary people.

Who else could it have been aside from the only other high noble in the class.

Hope Aeth Crownforge.

Our eyes met as she gave me a small nod.

"Let’s team up."

I nodded back.

"Sure."

But honestly, I already had a bad feeling about this because she had never mentioned being part of this damned elective in my previous life.