His gaze swept over the preface. The opening was still normal reflection, but when he saw the line "With special guidance from a 'Food Consultant' who came from far away in Fontaine—a Melusine" in the preface, Yelan's finger flicking the dice suddenly stopped.
Melusine?
This familiar term instantly stirred ripples in his mind.
He immediately thought of that small blue figure he had observed for a long time and finally set aside due to "low risk"—Lovia.
That timid, shy Fontaine Melusine who spent most of her time hiding at home or in the sea, suspected of being stranded in Liyue.
That fellow's movements were secretive, and her luck was incredibly good, causing him to lose track of her several times.
He knew that little one was also writing something.
Yelan sat up straight, his lazy expression fading. His eyes became sharp, and all his nonchalance vanished in an instant. The dice he had been playing with was suddenly gripped tightly in his palm with a "snap."
He quickly flipped through the contents of "Part Two."
Cold Dressed Hydro Slime, Thinly Sliced Anemo Slime Sashimi, Electro Slime Condensate Mixed with Fungal Spores... these "recipes" that challenged the limits of human cognition made the corners of his mouth twitch slightly, but they also confirmed what the preface said: this was indeed a "different flavor" based on a Melusine's perspective.
A Melusine stranded in Liyue, an anonymous cookbook author... what connection could there be between the two?
Yelan's mind raced.
Lovia lived a secluded life with simple behavior patterns, doing nothing but shopping or staying at home. She did have a habit of buying paper and ink. Previously, Yelan had judged that she might be writing a diary or practicing calligraphy, but now it seemed that might not be the case.
Even if a Melusine held a clerical job in Fontaine, would her knowledge base and writing skills be enough to support a culinary monograph with a complete system and precise technical explanations like "Part One"?
Yelan was skeptical of this.
There are differences between the way Melusines and humans think, as can be seen from the recipes in "Part Two" full of "elemental feel" and "texture." This second book was clearly not written by a human.
But thinking in reverse, if "Housewife Cook" was a human author, how could she have met a hidden Melusine like Lovia and invited her as a "Food Consultant," and then written text that was clearly written by a Melusine? Given Lovia's easily frightened nature, the possibility was extremely low.
Yelan summarized his reasonable deductions in his mind.
Deduction one: This "Housewife Cook" might be Lovia herself. A Melusine, with her unique perspective and learning ability, wrote these two books.
Deduction two: "Housewife Cook" is a human author who met Lovia and invited her to serve as a consultant for "Part Two."
As soon as deduction one surfaced, Yelan dismissed it.
"No, that's too far-fetched." He gently rubbed the smooth dice. The depth of understanding of the human culinary system and the solid writing skills shown in "Part One" were definitely not something a different race could imitate in a short time. Moreover, this was Liyue cuisine, not Fontaine cuisine.
This required years of accumulation or the help of a human mentor.
And deduction two... this deduction seemed more in line with common sense. Also, an overlooked clue came to mind—the Old Woman at the snack stall where Lovia often went to help.
That was one of the few humans Lovia was confirmed to have stable interactions with in Liyue Harbor. That Old Woman had run a snack stall for many years and knew street food inside out, basically possessing the knowledge base required to write "Part One." Lovia might have provided the unique Melusine perspective, and they completed "Part Two" together.
A combination of a human chef and a Melusine consultant sounded very reasonable.
"But..." Yelan's fingertip lightly tapped the book cover.
Could a roadside stall owner write the precise techniques for banquet dishes like Shadow Beef Slices and Adeptus' Temptation Local Chicken Pot? This was even more unbelievable than Lovia writing the book alone.
Not only that, but that sentence in the preface also had a subtle sense of disharmony.
["With special guidance from a 'Food Consultant' who came from far away in Fontaine—a Melusine"]
If it were truly a close collaboration, why was the wording so detached and deliberate? "Came from far away in Fontaine" sounded as if emphasizing a guest met for the first time from a distant land, rather than a partner living together day and night.
It was more like a narrative barrier deliberately set up to protect someone.
At this moment, a bolder yet more reasonable guess gradually became clear in his mind.
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Greyhounds
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"