"Nightmares, huh? Then tonight, you should soak in the hot springs to unwind," Lucas said with a gentle smile, his voice warm with concern. He waved a hand toward the dining hall's bustling servants. "Let's eat! Fill up on some delicious food, then go back and catch up on sleep."
"Mm-hmm!" Ayesha nodded quickly, her violet eyes flickering with a mix of gratitude and unease. She couldn't pinpoint why, but the thought of returning to sleep filled her with a quiet dread, the echoes of her nightmares still lingering.
"Nicole, what's for breakfast today?" Annie called out, her eyes darting around the room in search of food. Her fox tail swished eagerly, betraying her impatience.
"Today, we're having rice rolls," Nicole replied, holding up a finger with a proud grin. "It's a new breakfast dish I've learned to make. I've already tested it—it's absolutely delicious."
"Rice rolls? What's that?" Annie's eyes widened with curiosity, her fox ears twitching. "Such a weird name. Rolls… like intestines or something?"
"Intestines?" Freya's eyes lit up, her wolf ears perking as she leaned forward, hands gripping the table's edge. "Are we having grilled pig intestines? I want extra garlic this time!" Her tongue darted across her lips, recalling the smoky, savory pig intestines from their last barbecue, a dish that had won her heart.
Lucas chuckled, amused by the wolf-eared girl's enthusiasm. "Grilled intestines for breakfast?" He teased, picturing Freya's gleeful expression from a few days ago when she'd devoured a plate of them.
"What? Barbecue in the morning?" Helen asked, her delicate voice tinged with surprise, her rabbit ears twitching in disbelief.
"No, no, you're all getting ahead of yourselves," Nicole said, rolling her eyes with a playful smirk. She waved a hand dismissively. "These rice rolls aren't made from pig intestines. They're a kind of noodle dish. You'll see once I bring them out."
With that, Nicole turned and left the dining hall, leaving behind a group of slightly disappointed beast-eared girls. They exchanged glances, silently agreeing that a morning barbecue wouldn't have been a bad idea after all.
Soon, the sound of footsteps echoed through the hall—tap, tap, tap—as Nicole returned, accompanied by several servants. They carried a large round pot, a wooden bucket, and trays laden with ingredients: fresh eggs, crisp green vegetables, minced meat with fragrant shiitake mushrooms, and a small bowl of specially crafted sauce that glistened with promise.
"So much food?" Lucas said with a light laugh, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. Rice rolls were one of his favorite breakfasts, a comforting memory from his past. He hadn't expected Nicole to master the dish so perfectly.
"The more ingredients, the tastier it is," Nicole replied, already busy setting up. She placed the custom-made round pot on a small stove, poured in water, and covered it, letting the water heat to a boil.
"What are you doing?" Helen asked, her curiosity piqued as she leaned closer, her rabbit ears twitching. She pulled out a small notebook, jotting down Nicole's every move with meticulous care.
"Rice rolls are steamed," Nicole explained, stirring a bucket of creamy rice slurry with a wooden spoon. "You grind fine rice into a slurry, then steam it until it's cooked."
Annie tilted her head, her fox tail swaying. "Then why call it rice rolls? Wouldn't 'rice slurry noodles' make more sense?" She scrunched her nose, puzzled by the name.
"You'll understand soon enough," Nicole said with a mysterious smile. When she'd first learned the recipe from Lucas, she'd also found the name odd. But once she'd tasted the finished dish, the name seemed perfectly fitting.
"The water's boiling!" Annie announced, her voice bright with excitement.
"Don't rush it. It'll be ready soon," Nicole reassured her. She took a large, shallow iron tray, ladled a scoop of rice slurry onto it, and spread it evenly with a gentle shake. Next, she cracked an egg into a bowl, mixed in minced meat and shiitake mushrooms, and poured the mixture over the slurry. A handful of fresh greens followed, scattered across the tray like an artist's flourish.
Lifting the pot's lid, Nicole placed a steaming rack inside, set the tray on it, and covered it again, letting the heat work its magic. Without pausing, she grabbed another tray and repeated the process—slurry, egg, meat, mushrooms, and greens—her movements swift and practiced.
"It's almost done," Nicole said, checking the time. She wrapped her hand in a cloth, carefully lifted the first tray from the pot, and set it on the table. The steamed rice roll glistened, its surface smooth and translucent.
"Wow, it looks like a pastry!" Mina exclaimed, her blue eyes sparkling as she stared at the tray.
"Everyone will get some soon," Nicole said, sliding the second tray into the pot. She picked up a flat iron scraper and deftly sliced the steamed rice roll into long, noodle-like strips, each piece curling slightly at the edges.
"Oh, so that's why it's called rice rolls!" Annie said, her fox ears perking as realization dawned. "Still, the name's kinda weird."
"First batch is ready," Nicole announced, drizzling the special sauce over the strips and placing the plate in front of Lucas. "Master, give it a try. How is it?"
Lucas picked up his chopsticks, lifting a sauce-coated strip to his mouth. He chewed slowly, savoring the delicate texture and the burst of flavors—savory, slightly sweet, with a hint of umami from the sauce. Swallowing, he gave Nicole a thumbs-up. "Delicious," He said, his voice warm with approval. "It's exactly like I remember."
Nicole's eyes curved on like crescent moons, her flaxen hair swaying as she beamed with pride. "I'm so glad!" She said, diving back into her work with renewed enthusiasm, preparing more trays of rice rolls.
"It really is good," Lucas said, taking another bite. He glanced up, only to find the beast-eared girls staring at him, their eyes wide with hunger. He laughed, feeling a bit self-conscious under their intense gazes. "Here, try some," He said, popping a piece into Amelia's mouth—she'd been staring the hardest—and sliding the plate to the center of the table.
Swish, swish, swish!
Chopsticks darted toward the plate like a flock of birds. Freya and Mina, the wolf- and cat-eared girls, were the fastest, snagging pieces before the others could react. The elf and rabbit-eared girls followed, while Annie, hindered by her shorter reach, stretched desperately across the table.
"Princess, here, open up," Freya teased, holding a piece of rice roll toward Annie as if feeding a child.
Annie's lips twitched, her fox tail bristling. She raised a hand, palm out, glaring at Freya. "I can feed myself," She huffed. "And I'm not a kid anymore!"
"But, Princess, back when we were—" Freya started, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Freya, shut it!" Annie snapped, her face flushing red, her tail puffing up like a bottlebrush. "Don't bring up the past! I can eat on my own now, no one needs to feed me!"
A stunned silence fell over the table. Everyone stared at Annie, their minds conjuring an adorable image: a tiny fox-eared Annie nestled in the arms of a young wolf-eared Freya, being spoon-fed with care. The mental picture of the two little beast-eared girls was almost too charming to bear.
Annie's eye twitched, her cheeks burning as she sensed their thoughts. She slumped back into her chair, arms crossed, and grudgingly bit into the rice roll Freya offered. "It's good," She mumbled, her voice tinged with defeat. "Really good…"
'Ugh, another embarrassing moment exposed,' Annie thought, mortified. 'I'm not some pampered kid who needs to be fed! It was just… I was reading, yeah, my hands were busy with books, so I needed help. That's all!' Her internal justification did little to ease her embarrassment.
Helen chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Hazel, open up," She said, feeding a piece to the deer-eared girl. "Is it good?"
"So good!" Hazel mumbled through a mouthful, her eyes squinting with delight. "I… I wanna learn to cook too!"
"We'll have Nicole teach you," Helen said soothingly, patting Hazel's head.
"Ayesha, why aren't you eating?" Lucas asked, his brow furrowing as he noticed the horned girl sitting quietly, her hands still. Normally, she'd be the first to dive into the food.
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