novelhk Page 18
Page 18
Wait, why did he say again?
"Don't go!" With all her might, Mino grabbed Fim's little hand.
"Hmm?" Fim turned his head and looked at Mino with a puzzled expression.
"Your half-hearted actions disappoint me greatly." Mino's stern gaze swept over Fim and Kletina, then he said sternly, "Don't forget who you are! What are you? Demons, symbols of evil, enemies of humanity!"
"You should be doing what you can to defeat humanity at all costs, not changing your beliefs because of a little setback."
Mino looked up, her voice filled with deep disappointment: "You...you've disappointed me so much..."
"Hey!"
At that moment, Artotai, who was listening nearby, was stunned: "My lord, what's with this air of someone who's been there all along? You're possessed by a demon, aren't you? That must be it! Why are you teaching a demon how to do things?!"
Fim pursed his lips and turned to look at Kletina by the door.
Kleidina felt a surge of admiration. She finally understood why Mino was so powerful: he was never satisfied with his own strength, nor did he care about the difficulty of dealing with his enemies.
"Fim, begin the torture."
After a moment's thought, Kleinina spoke.
Fim nodded, turned and walked to the cart, revealing a light-colored casserole on the stove. Next to it, a small bag of clear, translucent rice and some vegetables were placed on the ingredient shelf.
Altotai chuckled: "Rice again? It seems you only have a few tricks up your sleeve. How so? You're underestimating our lord a bit."
After Mino successfully withstood one interrogation, Altottai's confidence in Mino increased greatly. It turned to look at Mino, only to find that the latter was staring intently at the casserole, and quietly... swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
"My lord?"
Fim put on her furry gloves and carefully approached the casserole, gently lifting the lid off the stove.
A gentle steam rose softly, and a rich, mellow aroma of rice wafted out along with the bubbling sound of boiling. Only then did Altottai see the food in the casserole and exclaim in surprise:
"I'm making porridge?!"
Fim nodded and patiently explained, "Not much rice."
"So, Fim, often, cooks porridge."
Altotai felt a slight numbness in his sword, sensing something was very wrong. For someone who was sick in bed, warm and delicate white porridge was a delicious medicine that was no less than the healing magic of a goddess!
Mino sat on the hospital bed, her eyes seemingly unfocused:
"Auntie, may I ask what kind of information you want...?"
"My Lord!!!"
“No intelligence whatsoever!” Mino snapped out of her daze, shook her head vigorously, and said firmly.
"Don't forget, I am the strongest warrior of mankind, an iron-willed hero who has endured countless bloody battles and trials. A mere bowl of plain porridge... heh..." Mino's back straightened quietly as he spoke, and he smirked:
"Isn't that a bit too little?"
Altotai quipped, "Was your last sentence a prediction?"
"Hehe, Altottai, you underestimate me too much." Mino regained some of his composure and spoke eloquently:
"Although your master eats rye bread every day, I have never missed a single issue of the renowned 'Kur Kingdom Food Weekly'."
"I'm very picky about food!" Mino wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth and pointed to the porridge in the casserole.
"This porridge is clearly not cooked enough. The lid was lifted so early. You know, the perfect state of porridge is when the rice grains have bloomed and the porridge is thick and creamy... To impress me, it has to be that kind of porridge!"
Mino clenched his fists, revealing the unwavering will of a hero.
"Why expose our weaknesses to the enemy at this crucial moment?!"
Unexpectedly, at this moment, Fim waved his hand and explained:
"Not yet, it's not finished."
She then took out several fresh shrimp and clams from a water bag.
"These are...seafood? Could it be—"
Swah——
Several flashes of light swept through the air, and the freshly pulled shrimp, shell and vein intact, were easily pried open, revealing tender shrimp meat lined up on the cutting board; the clams gradually became clear under the flowing water, and their soft meat was picked out one by one like eating sunflower seeds.
Next, the freshest and most tender parts of the two seafood dishes were poured into the white porridge in the casserole and stirred evenly and thoroughly.
After covering the pot with the lid and simmering for three minutes, when Fim lifted the lid again, the shrimp meat was a mouthwatering bright red.
"Oh, I see?!" Mino's eyes widened at that moment.
"What you're making isn't ordinary white porridge, but a seafood porridge that blends umami and sweetness! So it's not that you didn't control the heat well, but rather that you need to fully integrate the flavors of the ingredients before the rice boils!"
Mino felt the rich aroma rushing into her nose at that moment.
But Fim's actions weren't over yet.
She took out the seasonings, drizzled a few drops of sesame oil on the freshly boiled seafood porridge, and then sprinkled some chopped green onions on top.
Mino swallowed hard, looking at the adorably stiff Fim under the rising steam.
At that moment, Mino knew she absolutely had to hire this maid.
Chapter 24 The Princess is on Fire!
The tender seafood porridge, like white jade, exuded a strong allure. Combined with the demon Fim's ability to amplify the senses, Mino felt a craving for soft, sweet, and fragrant liquid food all over her body.
Gudong——!
He swallowed hard.
Cold sweat trickled down the back of the Altotai sword. Sensing something was wrong, it cried out repeatedly:
"My lord, hold on! You are an indomitable human hero. Think of your country, your family, and the people behind you!"
“Family…” Mino hesitated for a moment, her eyes slightly lost in memories, her smile tinged with nostalgia.
Tears, uncontrollably, streamed down my face.
"Speaking of which, when I was sick before, my mother often cooked porridge for me..."
I go!
Altotai just wanted to slap himself hard, but it had the opposite effect?!
“Don’t worry, Altottai.” But soon, Mino wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth, “Although my sense of taste has recovered somewhat, I’m not so easily swayed by cravings as to succumb to torture…”
As a brave and resourceful man, he understood the key to dealing with this interrogation.
The key to his wavering will at this moment, besides the white porridge and the demon's power, lies in the mental state affected by the illness... However, once he recovers, everything will no longer be a problem!
As her vision cleared, Mino heard a pleasant ding sound in her ear!
Ten minutes have passed; he's made it through the first phase of the mission!
[The first phase of the interrogation mission is complete. Reward: A crucial "healing" ability. Use it immediately?]
Here comes, finally here!
Mino's eyes lit up, and without hesitation, she chose to activate "Heal"!
……
Inside the royal palace in the capital city.
"Princess Kalia, this is freshly cooked seafood porridge. Would you like some?"
The head maid looked at the princess in the mirror with heartache. Although she had put on exquisite makeup, she could not hide the paleness and sickness on her face.
She was genuinely afraid that the frail Princess Kalia would collapse during her speech, and pleaded with a touch of heartache.
Kalia shivered and covered herself with her hands, but still shook her head firmly: "Fasting before the ceremony is a fixed procedure and custom. As royalty, I should set an example. I cannot face my people, hungry and cold, with full stomachs; that would be a disgrace to the ceremony..."
“But if this continues, you might collapse first,” said Ruth, the head maid, with some anxiety.
The public was already worried to see Princess Kalia in such a state, and if she were to collapse midway through her speech, it would cause even greater panic.
This will be a heavy blow to both the royal family and the people.
“Believe me, Ruth, I won’t let that happen.” Kalia gave a sweet smile, her pale face seeming to show a kind of resignation: “Even if it costs me my life—”
Kalia struggled to sit up, a slight blush rising to her cheeks, while tears welled in the head maid's eyes.
Your Highness, you're risking your life to deliver this speech! This near-death experience is proof of it. Just by standing up, you've already rekindled your life, which was like a candle flickering in the wind.
Kalia walked slowly, her face flushed, trying to suppress her pale, sickly appearance.
The head maid broke down in tears, while the princess was still burning with emotion...
Kalia lifted her skirt and ran lightly, a healthy glow spreading across her face.
The head maid covered her mouth, trying her best to suppress her sobs.
The next moment, Kalia started running, moving with incredible speed!
The head maid was shocked.
The princess is on fire?!
"It's incredible..." Kalia lifted her skirt, her expression filled with indescribable joy. "Ruth, look! My illness seems to be cured. I feel great now!"
The head maid walked forward in disbelief and examined her carefully. She found that Princess Kalia was not only not recovered, but was also radiant with health, much better than usual.
It was as if I had experienced a "healing" blessing from a goddess!
"That's wonderful, that's wonderful..." The head maid was so excited that she was almost incoherent. At such a crucial moment, Princess Kalia's body was healed.
"This is simply a miracle blessed by the goddess!" she couldn't help but pray and express her gratitude.
"Do not."
Kalia clutched her chest, where a simple, white ivory necklace lay, and a slight smile played on her lips.
This was a gift Mino gave himself when he was sick. He had told himself never to give in to the pain of illness, and that hope would always come.
Now, hope has truly arrived...
"This must be because of Mino taking care of me..."
……