Fern had fantasized for a long time about having her own establishment, where she could experiment privately without having to adapt to her boss's creative filters. She and Reed possessed culinary skills that had been appreciated by everyone who had tasted their food.
The ingredients sang under their hands. Spices that others used carelessly became symphonies of flavor when Fern touched them. Reed could turn the simplest vegetables into something that made people close their eyes and sigh with contentment.
Yet despite their talents, despite their new status as doubles with a well-known Tier 3 beast like the Longevity Turtle...
The stigma was difficult to overcome.
They had been seen as citizens of the lowest class for so long that the idea of presenting themselves as inner city entrepreneurs felt unnatural. Almost as if they were pretending to be someone they weren't.
