(AN-Let's cook)
Chapter 101: Dropping the Act Entirely
"Whatever. So, is there anything you want to eat? Come and see for yourself."
Otonashi Chiya swung the refrigerator door wide open, letting Reze make her own selection.
"Let me see~" Reze leaned down in front of the fridge, moving very close to Chiya. He could catch a faint, lingering scent from her, but his heart remained as calm as still water. Knowing full well how skilled her acting was, he simply ignored this subtle attempt at seduction.
"This, this, and this one~" Reze quickly picked out the ingredients she wanted.
Chiya immediately got to work. He only kept ingredients he liked in the fridge anyway, so he didn't need to choose; the items Reze picked were all things he enjoyed as well. They split the labor: Reze handled washing, chopping, and making the soup, while Chiya took charge of the rice and the main dishes.
While Soviets typically didn't eat plain white rice, Chiya found it hard to accept a meal without it. If there was no rice, there at least had to be noodles, so he didn't compromise on the staple food to suit Reze's preferences. During the process, he kept a sharp eye out to see if Reze would slip anything strange into the soup; any slight movement wouldn't escape the perception of his Mangekyo Sharingan.
To his surprise, Reze didn't do anything suspicious. She was actually focused on making the soup properly.
"By the way, Master, did your eyes turn out like that because of a devil contract?" Reze suddenly asked.
"Something like that," Chiya replied casually.
"Oh..." Reze went quiet for a moment. "Why does it feel like Master has become a bit colder than before? Did I do something to upset you?" She had clearly noticed the shift in his attitude; he was no longer as compliant as he had been earlier, and his tone was noticeably different.
"Cold? Not really. I'm just a bit tired," Chiya said flatly.
"Well, as long as Master isn't angry." Reze put on a look of relief.
Internally, however, she felt the situation was deteriorating. She had expected to wrap Chiya around her finger with ease, but his attitude toward her had only grown colder. This was definitely not right; logically, a normal teenage boy should have been head-over-heels for her by now.
Has he sensed something? she wondered.
While she appeared cheerful while helping with dinner, she was deep in thought. She sensed that "Plan A" might not succeed, but she decided to stick with it for a while longer. The moment it was confirmed a failure, she would switch to "Plan B"—assassinating Otonashi Chiya directly.
Though this boy was quite gentle and kind, she couldn't disobey the missions assigned by the military high command.
For now... I'll keep pushing Plan A while trying to figure out the nature of his devil powers... Reze thought. She wouldn't strike recklessly until she understood his abilities; when the time came, it would have to be a sneak attack when he was completely off-guard.
Chiya had no idea exactly what was going through her mind, but he didn't need to care. He knew her capabilities and methods inside out; he would never give her an opening for a sneak attack. Reze believed she had perfect intel on Chiya, but in reality, it was Chiya who had the complete file on her.
Dinner was ready. Aside from the white rice, the table was covered in various meats, and even the soup was a fish broth. Reze's choices definitely catered to Soviet tastes.
"This is delicious! Master, your cooking is amazing!" Reze was full of praise once they started eating.
Even knowing it was an act, Chiya was pleased to have his cooking complimented. Praising his culinary skills was far more effective than any of her attempts at seduction. After eating her fill, Reze rubbed her slightly protruding belly with a satisfied look. Suddenly, a system notification rang in Chiya's mind.
[Ding! Host has activated the achievement 'Reze's Sense of Closeness (Lv. 1)'. Attribute Points gained: 2!]
Oh? So it's not entirely an act? Chiya was a bit surprised. It seemed his cooking truly had satisfied her. But "Lv. 1" didn't mean much; the final stage was "Lv. 5." Lv. 1 just meant she had a slight spark of genuine liking for him, which wouldn't stop her from trying to kill him later.
After resting for a while, Reze suddenly leaned in close to Chiya. She traced circles in his left palm with her finger and said meaningfully, "Now that we're full and satisfied, shouldn't we do something else 'interesting'?"
Chiya understood the implication perfectly; the hint was as subtle as a sledgehammer.
"Interesting? I don't think so," Chiya said coldly. If he accepted and things went that far, he would either be toyed with by her or end up with a Bomb Hybrid blowing up in his face. Neither scenario qualified as "interesting."
"Ehh~~? Does Master not like naughty things? Most people would be very interested in this sort of thing." This time, Reze was even more direct. Chiya's reaction had caught her off guard. She was indeed just teasing and testing him—she didn't intend to go that far so soon. If he had accepted, she would have stopped and mocked him at the last second, but she hadn't expected him to show zero interest.
"..." Chiya didn't bother to answer.
Seeing his lack of reaction, Reze's eyes changed slightly, and a look of hurt and disappointment appeared on her face. "To be honest, I fell in love with Master at first sight. I'm being so proactive... doesn't it make your heart flutter even a little?"
This was likely her final test.
"Ah... no. My heart didn't flutter at all," Chiya said, dropping the act entirely with an expressionless face and a calm voice.
AN-
Thank you,O Great Prince of the Saiyans
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