𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐨;; 𝐑𝐞𝐱 𝐋𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐬

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐞𝐧

For whatever reason, Innamorati was distracted.

The Abyss prince had visited him with a request, but the request was simple: he could worry about that later. He hadn't even seen the blonde's sister, so he had some time before he had to fulfill it. But even with such a serious matter didn't hold his attention for long. As he chopped the carrots aggressively in preparation for dinner, a familiar voice whispered into his ear, "Innamorati? What are you doing?"

Innamorati turned around quickly, but he was alone.

Hallucinations. He was hallucinating that stupid man's voice, that stupid golden-eyed adeptus, and he wanted to kill himself for it every single time. Still, he continued to angrily chop the carrots. Once he cut them down to size, he thew them into the pot of cooking bisi bele huliyanna.

Behind him, the door opened, and he turned around with a kitchen knife in his hand before realizing that it was just Xue and Li Ting. The two young boys were spending a lot of time together, running around Qingce Village and the surrounding areas, though Innamorati couldn't even to begin to imagine what they were doing. However, over the last few days, they had built up a routine: Xue would eat breakfast, and Li Ting would pick him up from the house. Innamorati would pack lunch for the two, and they'd spend the entire day playing outside. Then the two would return home, and Innamorati would provide dinner for the both of them, because apparently Li Ting's grandfather couldn't cook a meal without making it suspicious in some way.

Once Li Ting took a seat at the dinner table, he inhaled deeply and exclaimed, "Hey, old man! That smells pretty good! What is it?"

"Mind your manners, brat," Innamorati huffed before adding, "It's bisi bele huliyanna."

"Eh? What's that? Don't make things up."

Gritting his teeth, the Harbinger informed, "I'm not. It's a dish from Sumeru."

"Sumeru!" Li Ting gasped out loud, standing up in his chair to sneak a glance at the food in the pot. As Xue grabbed the plates, Innamorati sprinkled the last few ingredients into the rice-based potage and stirred them in. "What is it called, again? Busy Belly Hilichurl?"

"Bisi bele huliyanna," Innamorati repeated. Grabbing a ladel, he served the dish in the plates set on the table, ignoring Li Ting and Xue's wide eyes. "You can't eat this with chopsticks, however."

"Watch me!" Li Ting announced. Xue watched exasperatedly as he tried - and failed - to pick up the mushy rice with the spare pair of chopsticks in the house, which had practically become his. "Oh... I can't. What do we eat this with, then?"

"A spoon." Innamorati passed both him and Xue the object each before taking his own seat at the table. "Or your hands, if you're so inclined."

"Ewww," Li Ting shuddered. "Don't worry, my manners are better than that."

Innamorati's plate remained empty; he'd eat once Li Ting and Xue left for bed. "Child, where did you go today?" he questioned, his voice softening imperceptibly as he addressed Xue. In comparison to Li Ting, Xue was much shyer, and would clam up immediately at even the slightest of harshness.