Chapter 343 -: 342 Rosalina’s cooking.

Rosalina walked into the kitchen and looked around. It was small, barely large enough to be called a proper kitchen, but it would do. She had even created a chimney, which was arguably the most important part of the entire arrangement, so at the very least, the smoke wouldn’t fill the entire tree whenever she cooked. It wasn’t exactly luxurious, but after everything they had been through, Rosalina wasn’t in a position to complain about a little lack of space. With a small sigh, she turned her attention toward the fireplace and picked up several pieces of dry firewood. Cooking had never exactly been one of her greatest talents. Most of what she knew had been taught to her during her childhood training, where even seemingly mundane skills had been treated as matters of survival. Knowing how to prepare food, identifying what could safely be eaten, recognizing poisonous plants, and properly handling meat could mean the difference between surviving another day and dying somewhere in the wilderness. So, although Rosalina couldn’t exactly call herself a good cook, she at least knew the basics. And after spending so much time watching Julius cook, she was confident that she could imitate enough of what he did to prepare a few decent dishes. Taking a slow breath, Rosalina placed the dry firewood inside the fireplace. She then raised one finger and gently flicked it. A small flame appeared. It caught onto the wood almost instantly, spreading across the surface before settling into a steady burn. The fire didn’t grow any larger, nor did it threaten to extinguish itself. It simply remained at the exact intensity Rosalina wanted, almost as though an invisible hand was continuously controlling it. Rosalina smiled in satisfaction. "Perfect." She had no intention of letting an ordinary fire run wild inside their temporary home. With that taken care of, she moved on to the ingredients. She had collected quite a large amount of meat earlier. In fact, there was enough that even if all four of them ate properly for two entire days, there would still be plenty left afterward. Rosalina had made sure of that, since she had no idea how long they would remain here. Her gaze eventually settled on a large bundle covered with leaves. She walked over and carefully uncovered it. The meat inside was distinctly red, much deeper in color than the ordinary meat she had gathered. A faint smile appeared on Rosalina’s lips. "This one is for him." She had specifically harvested this particular meat because of its effects. It had certain benefits for men, and considering Julius’s current condition, she had thought it would be useful once he recovered. Of course, there was another reason she had saved it. Rosalina hummed quietly to herself as she carried the meat over and began washing it thoroughly. Once it was clean, she summoned a small knife into her hand and began cutting it into smaller pieces. She was making meat soup for Julius. He couldn’t chew properly in his current condition, so soup would be much easier for him to consume. Once he woke up, however, his body would probably recover quite quickly, especially after everything they had endured. And with the effects of this particular meat... Rosalina’s cheeks gradually became warmer. Hopefully, once he regained his strength, he would have plenty of vigor. And hopefully, he would use all that vigor on her. Her thoughts wandered for a moment. Rosalina’s cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red as her imagination ran slightly too far ahead. "..." She blinked. Then shook her head. "No, no." She needed to finish cooking first. Her daydream would have to wait. By then, she had already finished chopping the meat, so she moved the larger portion of ordinary meat aside and selected three large slices. After washing them thoroughly, she placed them near the fire and began seasoning them. She had watched Julius do this countless times, so she carefully copied what she remembered. A little of this, a little of that and perhaps a little more. Rosalina narrowed her eyes at the meat with the seriousness of someone conducting an important experiment. Eventually, she decided it was enough and placed the three slices over the fire. The smell slowly began spreading through the small kitchen. Rosalina nodded. "Not bad." At least, she hoped it wasn’t bad. Once the meat was cooking properly, she turned her attention toward the soup. She stared at the fire for a few seconds. Then she quietly murmured, "Rose Petal Eyes." Her onyx eyes slowly turned crimson. The world around her seemed to distort ever so slightly as the power of her illusion manifested. It wasn’t merely an illusion in the ordinary sense anymore. Rosalina’s ability allowed her to impose the illusion upon reality itself, making what should have been impossible become temporarily tangible. A faint ripple appeared above the fire. Then, slowly, a round bowl materialized. Rosalina immediately began adding the ingredients. Meat, water, her carefully prepared seasonings. Everything went into the bowl in rapid succession. She controlled the heat precisely, accelerating the cooking process without burning anything. The smell of meat and herbs quickly filled the small kitchen, and before long, the soup was ready. Rosalina smiled. "Done." She extinguished the excess flames and reached for the meat. The effort had taken more from her than she expected. Maintaining her illusion as reality, even for something as simple as creating a bowl and preparing the soup, still consumed a considerable amount of her strength. She felt slightly drained. It wasn’t anything serious, but she could definitely feel the fatigue beginning to settle into her body. Rosalina took one of the cooked meat slices for herself and carefully covered the remaining two so they would stay clean. For the soup, she picked up the makeshift spoon she had created earlier. It had originally been a dagger, but she had bent it into shape and softened the metal with fire until it became suitable enough for the purpose. Looking at it, Rosalina couldn’t help but feel a little proud. She had made a spoon out of a dagger. Julius would probably laugh if he saw it. Taking the dishes in both hands, Rosalina walked back toward her room. Before entering, however, she glanced toward Leon’s room. The door was closed, there was complete silence behind it. Rosalina’s eyebrows lifted slightly, she became curious. Was he sleeping with Sylviana? Or perhaps... Rosalina’s expression became slightly suspicious. She immediately shook her head. "No." That would be inappropriate. Whatever they were doing was none of her business. She turned away from the door and raised her voice slightly. "Leon, there’s food for you two in the kitchen." For a few seconds, there was nothing but silence. Then came a simple response. "Alright." Rosalina smiled faintly. Satisfied that they wouldn’t go hungry, she finally entered her own room. Julius was still sleeping peacefully. His breathing was steady, his face calm, and for a moment, Rosalina simply stood there looking at him. Despite everything that had happened, seeing him sleeping like that made her heart feel strangely warm. She carefully placed the dishes beside the bed before sitting down. First, she set her own meat slice aside. Julius came first. Rosalina picked up the bowl and carefully blew across the surface of the soup, using her breath to cool it down. She waited until it was at a suitable temperature before scooping up the first spoonful. "Come on." She gently lifted his head and brought the spoon to his lips. "Open." Julius remained unconscious, but his body instinctively swallowed when the soup entered his mouth. Rosalina smiled. "Good." She continued slowly. She made sure he swallowed properly before giving him the next one, patiently feeding him until the entire bowl was empty. It took some time, but eventually there was nothing left. Rosalina carefully lowered his head back onto the pillow and looked at his face. A tiny smear of soup had remained near the corner of his mouth. She chuckled softly. "You’re such a mess." Using the hem of her dress, she gently wiped his face clean. Once she was satisfied, Rosalina finally picked up her own meat and began eating. The food wasn’t perfect, it certainly wasn’t Julius’s cooking, but it was edible. And considering she had made it herself, Rosalina was rather pleased. After finishing her dinner, she felt the fatigue that had been building throughout the day finally catch up with her. She quietly placed the dishes to one side, making sure everything was out of the way. Then she looked toward Julius. She didn’t hesitate. Rosalina shifted closer to him and wrapped her arms around his warm body, pulling herself against him. One of her legs slipped around his while she rested her head comfortably against his chest. His warmth immediately surrounded her. For a moment, Rosalina simply listened to his steady breathing. The day had been exhausting. Everything seemed to arrive at once now that she had finally stopped moving. Rosalina slowly closed her eyes. "Today was a long day..." .