Chapter 592: Pearls and Milk Tea, Pandora Who Shames Hell
As Ren and Ichihara Yuko waited for their meal to be served, the distinct sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the space. They did not need to guess; guests were arriving.
Yuko leaned her chin on her hand, a playful glint in her eyes. "Our little establishment rarely sees this much foot traffic."
"If we actually had a full house, you would be the one washing the dishes," Ren replied calmly.
"I absolutely refuse! Even Riven can wash vegetables, so why should I be relegated to scrubbing plates?!"
Ren cast a sidelong glance at the indignant witch and waved a hand dismissively. "Because Riven is far more obedient than you are. Care to deny it?"
Yuko's mouth tightened into a thin line. She genuinely could not argue against that logic. Riven possessed a naturally compliant disposition, or to put it bluntly, she was quite naive the vast majority of the time. Yet, when paired with her fiercely serious demeanor, that gullibility actually came across as rather endearing.
The most amusing part was that Riven constantly insisted she was merely trusting, not naive, and that she possessed a sharp tactical mind. Unsurprisingly, absolutely no one believed her.
Meanwhile, at the temporary resting pavilion erected near the construction site, Lucifer reclined in her chair. She slowly swirled a glass of rich red wine, her crimson eyes watching the Executive Officers toiling away in the distance. She let out a long, dramatic sigh. "Pandora, can you not just follow the crowd for once?"
Pandemonica, who was quietly sipping from a cup of milk tea, blinked at the CEO of Hell in mild confusion. Nearby, Courage and the other inspectors were all holding their own glasses of vintage red wine, staring at the tired demon secretary with exasperated expressions.
Pandemonica adjusted her glasses and spoke with matter-of-fact precision. "Cerberus still drinks pure milk..."
Lucifer rolled her eyes, groaning. "Are you seriously comparing yourself to Cerberus right now?! What is the difference between her and an actual toddler? Wait... I just realized something. Are you genuinely the only person in this entire company who strictly drinks coffee?"
Pandemonica paused to consider the roster. Justice was an absolute party animal who could drink anyone under the table. Lucifer was a seasoned connoisseur of fine wines. Modeus indulged in alcohol frequently. Cerberus was the obvious exception. Malina, naturally, consumed cheap vodka as if it were tap water. And Zdrada... she was not only a chain smoker but a notoriously heavy drinker.
A quiet realization dawned on Pandemonica. She truly was the sole caffeine purist. She quickly recovered her composure and murmured, "Boss, there are others who abstain from alcohol."
"Oh? Who else is bringing shame to Hell?"
Pandemonica's brow twitched slightly before she whispered, "Lady Judgement. And Azazel..."
Suddenly, Cerberus threw a hand into the air, her three bodies bouncing in unison. "Me, me, me! I can drink alcohol! But milk just tastes so much better!"
Lucifer pinched the bridge of her nose. "Lady Judgement does not drink because you have simply never seen her off-duty. Azazel abstains because she is desperately trying to finish her research thesis! Stop making excuses, Pandora! Just drink this!"
Staring at the elegant wine glass Lucifer shoved into her hands, Pandemonica let out a soft sigh. "Boss... I am perfectly capable of drinking alcohol. My reasoning is exactly the same as Cerberus's."
"I do not care if your reasons match the dog's. Just drink it and be done with it."
"Very well..."
Lucifer nodded in smug satisfaction, then turned her gaze toward Courage and the other inspectors. "I win. Remember to hand over your betting money when we get back!"
Pandemonica's eye twitched behind her lenses. What on earth? Bets? She felt a distinct wave of betrayal wash over her, but the aroma of the red wine was actually quite inviting. She poured herself a proper measure. Instead of downing it in one go, she brought the rim to her lips and savored the vintage drop by drop.
Pandemonica naturally exuded an aura of intellectual refinement. Combined with her inherently quiet demeanor, her sharp professional attire, and the graceful way she held the crystal stemware, the sight made everyone in the pavilion pause. She looked incredibly elegant.
Lucifer leaned back, a lazy smile spreading across her face. "Now this is much better. Honestly, Pandora, I fully expected you to be asleep at home right now."
"I am not tired," Pandemonica whispered.
"What?!" eight different voices shouted in unison.
Did they just hear Pandemonica say she was not tired?! The world had to be ending. Hell was surely freezing over. The perpetually exhausted secretary actually claimed to be wide awake?!
Pandemonica lowered her glass and murmured, "I have simply been drinking far too much coffee recently..."
A collective groan echoed through the pavilion. Everyone shot her looks of utter disdain.
Courage blinked, leaning forward in confusion. "Wait, then what exactly are you drinking right now? Is that not coffee?"
"No... It is bubble milk tea."
Hearing this, the entire group silently gave her a collective thumbs-up of sheer disbelief. She was drinking bubble milk tea out of a ceramic coffee mug?! That completely ruined the tactile experience of sucking the tapioca pearls through a wide straw! She was just drinking liquid loneliness!
Sensing their silent judgment, Pandemonica offered a quiet defense. "I... ate all the pearls."
"I ate them while I was brewing it."
"Uh... That is no longer bubble milk tea. That is just pearls, and then milk tea."
Pandemonica did not see the distinction. It all ended up in the same stomach, and it tasted perfectly fine. She had originally planned to make coconut jelly milk tea, but she lost her appetite for coconut jelly halfway through the process and switched to tapioca pearls. Aside from the solid ingredients, she felt the liquid base was identical.
Lucifer chuckled, swirling her wine. "Pandora, with that dark color, I honestly thought you were drinking silk stocking milk tea."
Pandemonica coughed lightly, her expression remaining perfectly stoic. "Boss, that was merely an attempt at practicing my humor."
"I do not see you being particularly humorous right now."
"That is because I realized the comedic path does not suit my disposition. It is better for everyone if I remain entirely serious."
Lucifer found herself completely unable to refute that logic and settled for offering a silent thumbs-up. Pandemonica suffered from a mild case of social anxiety in her base state, but whenever her sadistic personality took over, those mental blocks vanished entirely. The most terrifying part was that her awakened state was exceptionally cunning.
Back at the restaurant, Ren and Ichihara Yuko were enjoying their meal. While the food was not quite on par with Ren's own masterful cooking, the flavors were undeniably excellent. For Yuko, who had survived strictly on cheap takeout for over a year, she recognized the truth immediately. The chef behind this meal was a culinary master.
Ren also acknowledged the high quality of the dishes, yet he felt a distinct lack of soul in the preparation. With a few adjustments, the flavors could have been elevated to a much higher tier.
Yuko noticed his analytical expression and tilted her head. "What is wrong?"
"If I were to rate everything on this table, do you know which item would receive the highest score?"
Ren casually clinked his wine glass against Yuko's. The dimensional witch smiled, a sultry edge to her voice. "If you wanted to share a drink with me, you only needed to ask... Wait. Are you implying that out of this entire lavish spread, this single glass of wine is the most valuable thing here?"
Ren smiled faintly and nodded.
Yuko blinked in genuine surprise. "Why? I thought everything tasted wonderful."
"What is red wine made from?"
"Grapes. Why?"
"Did you actually taste the grapes?"
"I did, though the profile is slightly inferior to a true Pinot Noir. What is your point?"
Ren shifted his gaze toward the side dish of mashed potato gratin baked with minced beef. He gestured toward it with his fork. "Tell me, what kind of meat is supposed to be in this dish?"
Yuko took a bite, chewing slowly as her eyes widened in realization. "Wait... why do I not feel the unique texture of beef? Especially minced beef. All I feel is a uniform softness."
"Exactly," Ren said softly.
"Ah? Let me try another bite... You are completely right! But it still tastes delicious."
"It is good that the recipe has been modified to be more appealing, but it still requires significant refinement to truly shine."
Yuko swallowed the bite and smiled warmly at him. "As expected of your sharp palate!"
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