Date- 30 Mar 2321

Time- 21:25

Location- Sky Blossom City, F-rank Common Grade Horned Hare Heaven Gate Dungeon

"Susan, you are here. What took you so long?" I asked, seeing the figure of Susan and Corey return to the campfire with bundles of dry wood.

"Corey had to go to the washroom." Susan gave a reason, nearing the campfire.

"Hey!" Corey yelled in protest and looked at Susan with an expression of being wronged.

"...." Speaking of female toiletries, they were a conversation stopper for most men. Therefore I turned to Anna. She was busy skinning, gutting, and chopping up the hare carca.s.ses to adequate size for bbq. And asked, " You seemed skilled at this. Let me guess you have a cooking occupation card?"

"No, you jerk. I learned how to grill, roast, and bbq, back when I would raid an entire dungeon alone. I would spend days, weeks, even months in the dungeon, cut off from the outside world. I would hunt, cook and sleep in the dungeon all by myself. Back then, I wasn"t this strong, so things were a lot more interesting. I miss those days." Anna did not like the fact that her crush looked at her with stereotypes of the rich. She had to struggle a lot harder than others because everyone accepted the descendant of the unparalleled to be the Strongest in their generation. But only Anna knew that even the world"s sharpest sword had to go through vigorous honing to achieve its sharpness.

"My bad, I am sorry, and I am looking forward to the magic in your hands." I apologized to Anna, as I was indeed a jerk. Anna was being sweet and preparing bbq for me while I enunciated stupid stereotypes without minding her feelings. Or it sounded as such, but for real, I was worried about getting food poisoned.

"Does it matter? Whether you are cooking with the help of cards or not, you are the one who is cooking. After all, it is the thought that counts." Said Corey, as she had prepared a variety of cooking occupation cards to dazzle Susan with during their dungeon riad. But she was greedy and couldn"t let go of Susan"s offer to cook monster hare meat bbq for her.

"Shut the fock up!" Snapped Anna, glaring at Corey. Anna did not believe cooking with cards was the same as cooking with her own hands. All the royal cooks in the royal palace cooked with high-level cooking occupation cards. Though the food they prepared was delicious, they did not compare to her mother"s hand-cooked meals. For her, who grew up surrounded by wealth and power, many people tried to express their thoughts through wealth. Therefore, Anna had developed a bias that actions speak more than thoughts.

"What? Did my words offend you? Deal with it." Corey really did not care for the realm gap between her and Anna. She even dared to gaze back at Anna"s glare.

"Continue, and your parents will not get a single leave for the next decade." Anna knew precisely when to use her realm and authority. And right now, it was time for a little show of her authority.

"I swear, when I get stronger, I will…." Before Corey could make another brazen statement, Susan hurriedly interrupted her by literally stuffing her figures in Corey"s mouth.

"Corey, shut up. Your highness, I beg you forgiveness. Corey is ignorant, and she did not mean what she said." Susan once again stepped in to apologize on Corey"s behalf.

Earlier, when Anna snapped at Corey"s comment. Susan did not understand why the humble Southern emperor suddenly snapped at Corey"s comment. Susan grew up eating hand-cooked meals. Even if her family went to restaurants, they could not afford to go fancy once with card apprentices with cooking cards. Even as she worked at the a.s.sociation guild mall, she would rarely eat at the mall"s mess despite tempting employee discounts. Therefore, Susan agreed with Corey"s comment earlier and did not understand why it offended the Southern emperor. This confusion delayed response, and she could not stop Corey from boldly challenging her highness"s authority.

"This is her second offense against me, and this is your second time taking responsibility for her. So, which one of you should I punish, her, my offender, or you, her voucher." Announced Anna.

*Gulp* Susan swallowed her alive, realizing that the Southern emperor was being serious.

"Anna, stop messing with them." I did not want to come to Corey"s rescue, but Susan was jammed up along with her.

"Wyatt, don"t involve yourself in this. It is my policy not to forgive second-time offenders. I have already decided on punishment but not on the culprit. Since one of you offended me, I will only punish one of you. You two decide among yourself who it will be." Anna sounded very serious, scaring the heck out of Susan. Corey struggled free from her grasp, and pointing at Anna, she was about to yell but was interpreted again.

"Corey, behave. Anna, I have to involve myself. These two are my employees and friends. Just let it go this once." Once I had stuck out my neck, there was no going back but all in.

"I don"t know, Wyatt. That"s a big ask. For me to go against my policy? It will cost you." Anna"s eyes twinkled as she negotiated with me.

"Fine, I will take you out for breakfast. Just the two of use." Now I know why Anna made such a big deal out of nothing.

"A breakfast? Where"s the fun in that?" Asked Anna as she neared me.

"I don"t trust you enough to go out for dinner, just the two of us." Dinner dates have been like the ritual grounds where the interested people meet and decide whether they will be mating tonight. There is something about having supper under the night sky that turns things romantic, and I really did not trust myself to withstand Anna"s seduction surrounded by such circ.u.mstances. Therefore, I chose breakfast.

…

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