"…That's not a virtue, Marian. That's a culinary red flag."
Cedric, who had until this point remained stone-silent on the matter of food, tilted his head very slightly. "Do you… actively prefer dry crust and under-seasoned filling?"
"I don't like surprises in my food," she said, tone far too solemn. "The seasoning blends in the mage-tier dishes? There's a texture to that sauce that feels sentient. I don't trust anything that looks like it could form opinions."
Selphine let out a small, strangled sound. "It's truffle oil, not a mind-flayer."
Marian just kept walking, hands tucked behind her head. "We all have our lines."
Aurelian, baffled, muttered under his breath, "Yours just happens to be flavor."
