The golden, crispy milk block, like a small piece of gold, was rolled around in the dish of sugar.
The fine grains stuck together, becoming slightly larger crystals.
These white, sparkling sugar crystals wrapped around the surface of the milk block like tiny diamonds decorating a gold nugget.
Under the warm yellow light of the small restaurant, the golden block, still giving off heat, looked even brighter and more golden.
What followed was an immense appetite.
Remilia held the milk block with her chopsticks and blew on it for quite a while before opening her mouth again.
This made Yuto feel puzzled. 'Could it be that vampires are actually creatures afraid of heat?' he wondered.
'Ah.'
Thinking of all the stories in various myths and legends about vampires being afraid of the sun, some strange new knowledge entered his mind for a moment.
At last, it reached a temperature she could accept, and Remilia gently bit into the milk block.
When that crispy outer layer was bitten through, the true charm of fried milk revealed itself.
Wrapped inside the crispy, golden breadcrumbs was liquid!
That was what the previously frozen milk mixture had become after melting. In the oil just now, the scorching heat had caused the milk block to melt.
But because of the protection of the breadcrumb layer outside, the temperature of the melted milk was not overwhelmingly high, instead, it carried a warm yet slightly cool sensation.
This wonderful contrast between heat and coolness was the brilliant part of Yuto's fried milk.
This was fried milk that could only be made by a top expert who had mastered heat control. Soft, smooth, and glutinous milk paired with a crispy, refreshing outer shell.
One hard and one soft, one dynamic and one still. It seemed simple, but in reality, it contained many subtle changes.
Remilia's expression instantly became one of surprise and excitement.
No excessive words were needed, just that expression alone was already enough.
As for a certain maid beside her, she was no longer bleeding from the nose. After seeing the change in Remilia's expression, her own expression became astonished, and her gaze turned toward the plate of fried milk in front of her.
She put away the original indifference in her heart, replacing it with a trace of seriousness.
As a maid filled with loyalty, anything her young lady liked had to be treated seriously.
Sakuya Izayoi also ate a piece of fried milk.
Her expression changed again and again in an instant, and then a sense of defeat appeared on her face.
Her cooking could not compare to Yuto's!
Yuto did not ask whether it tasted good. He had already seen the expressions of the two of them, so there was no need to ask.
A small sense of pride rose in his heart. Even a vampire liked his cooking.
This kind of recognition that crossed species was worthy of joy.
"Mm, not bad. This dish is worthy of my praise," Remilia declared.
Perhaps because the fried milk was too delicious, she had forgotten what had happened earlier.
Just as she put on that air of full dignity, her heart instantly sensed a chill.
This made her entire body collapse in spirit. Her little face took on a soft and weak expression.
Yuto shook his head with a helpless light laugh.
Perhaps because he had received Yuuka's youkai energy essence twice, not only was his own aura gradually leaning toward hers, but sometimes he could also sense a tiny trace of her presence.
He glanced at Yuuka, and she also happened to notice his gaze.
However, their eyes merely brushed past each other, and the moment passed without anything else.
Yuuka's brows and eyes lowered slightly, and Remilia inexplicably let out a breath of relief.
The dangerous warning she had felt in her heart just now had finally disappeared. Only, she no longer dared to act dignified in front of Yuto.
After all, this was already the second time she had been warned.
"I wonder whether this flavor suits Miss Remilia's taste?" Yuto spoke gently to her.
Originally, he had not intended to ask, but he had noticed the change in Remilia's expression just now.
If he did not find a topic to speak about, things would become awkward.
Sure enough, once Yuto spoke, Remilia's expression improved greatly, and a smile once again appeared on her adorable little face.
"Mm. It really is a wonderful dish!" She stopped pretending to be dignified, finding it better to act normally.
"That's good," Yuto smiled and nodded.
Sakuya, who was beside her, raised her head and looked toward him.
Noticing the maid's gaze, Yuto met her eyes. "What is it?"
"Boss, may I ask you to teach me this dish?" Sakuya's sudden words made Yuto freeze slightly, and her words also left Remilia stunned.
After noticing her young lady's expression, Sakuya respectfully explained herself.
As a maid who valued her master even more than herself, a dish that her master liked was a dish she absolutely had to learn.
After Sakuya loyally expressed the thoughts in her heart, the corner of Remilia's mouth lifted into an arrogant smile.
"Very good. Since you have such loyal devotion, Sakuya, I shall permit you to seek instruction from the Boss."
Although she did not dare act dignified in front of Yuto, in front of her own maid, she absolutely had to be full of dignity!
From her attitude to her wording, everything had to be particular.
Remilia was like some kind of arrogant ruler. Her words were light and satisfied, and her small hand waved casually through the air.
This posture suddenly gave Yuto a strong sense of déjà vu.
Back when Ainz pretended to be a boss, he had the same posture and feeling.
However, Ainz had become much better than before.
By "better," he meant the other party's technique for acting impressive. It had already become more natural, making it difficult to detect any deliberate feeling.
Yuto had sighed more than once while thinking, 'Ainz really should have studied acting!'
After receiving Remilia's permission, Sakuya turned her head toward Yuto once again.
Her slightly grayish-black eyes held seriousness and determination.
Yuto nodded lightly.
Naturally, he disdained keeping his skills to himself, otherwise, he would not have taught Asuna back then.
The more closed off something was, the more backward it became. Yuto still understood that principle.
After receiving Yuto's agreement, a faint, subtle, yet moving smile appeared on Sakuya's face.
This made Yuto feel emotional as he discovered something: every girl from Gensokyo was a rare beauty in this world.
Up until now, every girl from Gensokyo who had come to the restaurant had been beautiful.
Thinking of this, Yuto could not help feeling puzzled.
'Are all the girls in Gensokyo this beautiful?'
...
After learning Sakuya's name, Yuto refused her request to learn from him immediately.
During the first half of the night, the small restaurant was at its peak period for customers.
It was not like the latter half of the night, when things were more relaxed. For now, it was better to keep the kitchen quiet.
The time he had promised last night to teach Tohru cooking was also scheduled during the latter half of the night.
After hearing Yuto's explanation, Sakuya expressed her agreement.
As a maid, her etiquette in all aspects was naturally proper, and she certainly would not force Yuto to do anything.
While waiting for Yuuka's flower cakes to finish, Yuto chatted with everyone in the front of the restaurant.
When he heard Reimu say that Remilia was almost five hundred years old, he could not help feeling emotional.
'As expected of a vampire. She has lived for such a long time.'
Watching Yuto's reaction, Yukari's eyes revealed a trace of amusement.
"Boss, your current lifespan can no longer be calculated by the standards of an ordinary person either, you know."
Her words made Yuto's expression become thoughtful.
He had received two gifts of Yuuka's youkai energy essence and had also received the blessing of Hestia, a bonafide goddess.
If someone like him were still defined as an ordinary human, that would be excessive.
"Just one portion of Yuuka's youkai energy essence alone would be enough to increase the Boss's lifespan by several hundred years. Since you received Yuuka's youkai energy essence twice, Boss, your current lifespan should at the very least be close to one thousand years," Yukari said with a smile.
Her words did not make Yuto feel surprised.
Instead, they left Aya, Remilia, and the others in shock.
After all, they had not previously known about Yuuka giving Yuto her youkai energy essence. Now that they had heard it, their shock was only natural.
In addition, Kaguya and her maid, who had remained silent at the side all this time, could not help being startled as well.
What shocked them was Yuto's lifespan!
People naturally feared death.
'How enviable a lifespan of a thousand years was...'
---------
Read 30 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator