Upstairs, the table was laden with Mondstadt's finest cuisine—Mondstadt Hash Browns, Cold Cut Platters, Pinecone Baklava, and Klee's beloved Mondstadt Grilled Fish. You name it; it was all there.
By the stove, Razor was fiddling with something, the aroma of potatoes wafting from the pot. Paimon curiously fluttered around the stove; she had never imagined potato dishes could smell so wonderful. If Razor weren't so intimidatingly aloof, she would have asked him for the recipe.
"Little Paimon, you're in for a treat today. Razor rarely makes his claw-shaped potato cakes even for me, his student. For you to enjoy them on your first meeting—how enviable~"
Lisa wrapped her arms around Jean's slender waist, lazily resting her chin on Jean's shoulder. Those enormous breasts pressing against Jean's back made the Acting Grand Master blush. But remembering she needed Lisa's help with administrative affairs in the coming days, Jean chose not to pull away.
Lisa's lips curled into an attractive smile. Jean's dandelion scent was as lovely as ever. Perhaps she could help with more documents in exchange for a few perks like this. If it worked out, sacrificing some nap time wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.
"Oh my, if it isn't the witch Lisa~ A few days apart and you've already found a new flame~ Have you abandoned your old love so soon~"
They say opposites attract, but Yae Miko was utterly fascinated by Lisa—a witch whose personality was just as mischievous as her own. Perhaps driven by competitive spirit, Yae Miko always wanted to see Lisa lose face.
Lisa's expression stiffened slightly. A few days ago, when she encountered Noelle, her playful nature had gotten the better of her, and she'd teased the girl a bit. Then Yae Miko had pulled a "hero saves beauty" routine, turning the innocent Noelle into her devoted little fan.
Since it happened on the street and Lisa couldn't resort to violence, she could only watch helplessly as Noelle walked away chatting happily with that pink-furred fox. It infuriated Lisa—she had been there first! How did that pink fox steal her prize?! The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, and she decided to vent her rage.
That very day, the Knights of Favonius were reminded of the terror Lisa could unleash. After the librarian left Mondstadt, patrolling knights faintly heard strange sounds coming from monster camps—almost like the beasts were screaming.
Curious about the monsters' activities, they went to investigate and witnessed a truly horrifying scene.
In the sky, Electro energy had dyed the heavens purple. Lightning bolt after lightning bolt rained down, striking monsters that either convulsed violently or turned to charcoal. Bathed in lightning, Lisa walked among them like the Electro Archon incarnate, traversing the mortal realm. Never having witnessed such a spectacle, the knights' legs trembled so badly they could barely walk.
Jean blushed furiously at Yae Miko's words. She gently pulled free from Lisa's embrace. "New flame," "old love"—how embarrassing!
The remaining few exchanged awkward glances. None of them dared offend these women; better to pretend they hadn't heard anything.
Paimon, patiently waiting for Razor's claw-shaped potato cakes, scratched her head in confusion. "New flame," "old love"—what were they talking about? Whatever, she'd focus on waiting for the potato cakes. They smelled incredible!
(A/N: The claw-shaped potato cakes are shaped like wolf paws—quite adorable.)
"Seeing little Paimon so eager, since we have all the ingredients, let big sister make you some Magic Meat Sauce Noodles."
Lisa, having been released from Jean's embrace, wasn't upset. Spotting the pile of ingredients in the corner, she decided to change the subject. As expected, everyone perked up at the mention of Lisa cooking. Even Jean curiously looked toward the stove—in all her years knowing Lisa, she'd never seen her prepare a meal.
"Hehe. At your age, being called 'auntie' suits you better than playing young."
Yae Miko covered her mouth with a smirk. Kaeya's heart sank—this was Lisa's forbidden word. The last time Klee called her "auntie," Kaeya, merely passing by as Cavalry Captain, got thoroughly disciplined by Lisa. Recalling that tingling, numbing sensation, he involuntarily shuddered.
Though inwardly furious, Lisa maintained her smiling facade. She gathered some ingredients and shot a provocative glance at Yae Miko, thrusting out her chest. Yae Miko wasn't bothered. Instead of cooking herself, she pushed the bystander Su Bai toward the stove.
"Go on, Little Bai. Didn't you learn cooking from that Kamisato clan retainer? And isn't one of Liyue's most famous chefs your friend? Today's your chance to show off."
"I'm very much looking forward to your cooking, Little Bai~"
Su Bai stared blankly at the pots and pans before him. Good grief—did Sister Miko not understand that learning something and actually mastering it were two different things?
Making Teyvat Fried Eggs or Fisherman's Toast? Sure, maybe. But preparing proper, delicious dishes? That was truly pushing it. His signature dish was "Alluring Mushrooms," completely unsuitable for an occasion like this. Without adeptal or youkai energy, consuming them would cause hallucinations.
Years ago, inspired by a whim, he had nurtured some mushrooms with adeptal energy. When they matured, he planned to make a cold salad. Before he could taste them, Itto devoured them all. Minutes later, Itto was crying and screaming, demanding to challenge the Raiden Shogun to sumo wrestling. If Su Bai and Ayato hadn't desperately held him back, Itto would have been history.
"Well, Sister Miko, I really..."
"Alright, alright. Just make the dish that left the deepest impression on you. No need to overthink it."
Yae Miko gave him no chance to explain. Su Bai rubbed his temples—the deepest impression that he could actually make? He had an idea.
Su Bai grabbed several Jueyun Chilis and prepared a spicy hot pot base. Everyone initially thought he was making spicy soup. The sheer quantity of chilis made spice-averse folks like Kaeya instinctively recoil. But Lumine was different—having traversed many worlds, she was naturally familiar with hot pot.
Only, in her memory, hot pot didn't usually involve cake. Was this some Teyvat specialty? Eating cake before hot pot? Or did people need cake to soothe their stomachs from the extreme spiciness?
While everyone puzzled over this, Su Bai directly tossed the cake into the boiling, crimson, explosively spicy broth. Yes—he threw a cream-covered cake into the pot!
Lumine stared dumbfounded. What in the world was this?! She'd encountered many types of hot pot across different worlds, but none involved dropping cake into the pot!
"What's with those looks?? This is the dish I remember most vividly from the Kamisato estate! Apparently, when Thoma ate it, he savored the flavor for three whole days."