The suite felt different once the door slid shut behind them.

The lights had been dimmed to a soft amber glow. Alexandra moved quietly, setting two mugs on the low table before guiding Alice toward the couch piled high with spare blankets. Outside, the mountain winds whispered against reinforced walls, but in here, there was only warmth, steam, and the faint scent of cocoa slowly blooming through the air.

Alice climbed onto the couch without ceremony, pulling her legs up and hugging them to her chest as if the cushions themselves were a safe haven. She accepted the mug with both hands, careful despite her strength, and took a small sip.

Her reaction was immediate.

Her face twisted, lips puckering as if she'd bitten into something profoundly offensive. "So sour…" she muttered, staring accusingly into the cup.

"What? That can't be!" Alexandra yelped. Panic flashed across her face. "I added a lot of sugar to yours, and it's already made of milk chocolate despite the recipe calling for dark chocolate…"

One look at Alice's expression, still looking as if she'd bitten into raw lemon, sent Alexandra scrambling. How could she not? The girl trusted her enough to drink what she gave her, and by the looks of it, she gave something truly terrible!

The blonde maid practically bolted toward the kitchenette, rummaging frantically until she found more sugar packets, nearly dropping them in her haste as she hurried back.

Alice had taken matters into her own hands. She tore open packet after packet and dumped spoonfuls of sugar into the mug with solemn focus, stirring with care. Alexandra watched with widening eyes as the surface of the cocoa grew visibly thicker, granules barely dissolving before Alice lifted the cup again and took another sip.

This time, Alice melted.

Her shoulders relaxed with her eyes fluttering half-closed as a small, blissed-out hum escaped her. "Perfection."

Alexandra just stared. "How are you so thin with this diet?" she blurted out before she could stop herself.

"I burn a lot of calories," Alice murmured vaguely, clearly content now.

"Ah. Right."

For a brief moment, Alexandra had forgotten. Forgotten that the girl curled up on the couch, thin-armed and wrapped in blankets, was a superhuman from a world that barely followed the rules as they used to make sense.

Despite that delicate frame, Alice could snap her spine in half without effort if she ever wished to. The thought sent a faint chill down Alexandra's back, quickly chased away by the absurdity of worrying about such a thing here, now.

She swallowed and forced a smile. "Is it tasty now? Would you like anything else? Maybe… some snacks?"

Alice's eyes sparkled instantly, lighting up as though she'd just been offered treasure. "Can you make waffles?!"

Alexandra's expression darkened a little, regret creeping in. "I-I can't do that by hand," she admitted softly. "This place doesn't have a waffle maker. Maybe we could borrow one from the main kitchen, but I don't think Talia or Tessa would've brought something like that…"

After all, this was a temporary guild hall meant to house awakened combatants and staff for the duration of the monster slaying opportunity. Cooking waffles wasn't high on the list of priorities in either guild leader's head.

Then, something plopped into Alice's waiting hands.

Alexandra froze.

It was unmistakable.

"…Is that a waffle maker?" the blonde maid squeaked.

Alice hummed in response and expectantly shoved it into Alexandra's hands, eagerly awaiting her waffles.

"You-you just used the awakened marketplace to buy a waffle maker?!" Alexandra nearly screamed as she accepted the item. "You can't buy conventional things from there! That means it's an artifact made by an awakened smith!"

Her face drained of color as the implications hit that she might just be holding something far too expensive to be trusted to a woman like her. She swallowed hard, fingers tightening around the handle as she asked in a thin voice, "H-How much was it…?"

Alice tilted her head while looking for the requested information, as she had not checked when buying. "A hundred."

Alexandra let out a long, relieved sigh, and her shoulders sagged as tension drained out of her. "Oh. That's… that's not too bad," she said, forcing a small laugh. "A hundred dollars for instant delivery to this remote and dangerous location sounds like a steal!"

Alice looked at her oddly. "Hundred Chronos."

The silence that followed was profound.

Alexandra blinked once. Then again. Slowly, like her brain was trying to reject reality before it could settle in. "Chronos," she repeated faintly.

Alice nodded. "So what kind of waffle can you make-"

"That's ten thousand dollars!" Alexandra shrieked. The sound tore out of her as she recoiled like the device had suddenly turned radioactive in her hands. Not long ago, she would've done anything for that amount of money. Anything. And this girl, this terrifyingly casual, blanket-wrapped teenager, had just spent it on a waffle maker without blinking.

Alexandra stared at the artifact as if it might leap out of her hands and demand interest payments. "C-Can it at least do something extra?" she asked weakly, desperation bleeding into her voice. "Like… I don't know… Can it detect intruders? Sound an alarm? Hide its owner from scrying eyes? Please tell me it at least shoots lasers or summons guardian spirits or something."

Alice frowned slightly and went back again to the store page, reading the description given to the item. "It says it can heat up without electricity or fire."

Alexandra's eye twitched.

"…That's it?" she whispered.

Alice shrugged.

"This is just a portable waffle maker!" Alexandra cried. "For ten thousand dollars?!"

Another shrug. Shorter this time. "I don't really know much about cookware," Alice admitted calmly, already pulling her blanket tighter around herself. "But it said 'even heat distribution,' and the reviews are decent."

Alexandra swayed on her feet in response, feeling the room tilting just a little as she clutched the nearest furniture for balance. For a terrifying second, she thought she might actually faint right there with a ten-thousand-dollar waffle maker in her hands. Somehow, sheer stubbornness kept her upright.

She inhaled slowly. Then exhaled.

"…R-Right," she muttered, forcing herself to straighten. "High-tier awakened really do live on a completely different scale from commoners like me."

There was no bitterness in her voice this time. Just quiet acceptance.

"I'll… I'll make them quickly," she said, gathering herself. "Can you wait here? It shouldn't take more than fifteen minutes if this machine is good for at least cooking waffles..."

Alice's eyes lit up immediately. "Can I come and watch?" she asked, leaning forward with sudden interest. "I want to learn how to make waffles!"

Alexandra blinked, genuinely caught off guard. Of all the answers she'd expected, that hadn't been one of them.

This girl didn't need cooking skills. She could hire an entire brigade of professional chefs with pocket change if she wanted.

And yet…

"You… want to learn?" Alexandra asked softly.

At Alice's eager nod, she smiled, warmth blooming in her chest. "I'd be honored," she said honestly. "Though… I should warn you, I'm not exactly a master cook. I have no culinary education, I didn't even work as a dishwasher or anything like that. Heck, I'm not even a hired maid. I just one day decided to become the Grey family's maid and no one objected."

Alice shook her head without hesitation. "That's fine." She hugged her blanket tighter and said, very matter-of-factly, "Kaiden once told me that the tastiest food isn't made by master chefs but by people who put all their love and dedication into it."

Alexandra froze.

For a moment, she couldn't speak.

Love. Dedication.

Her vision blurred slightly as her throat tightened. She turned away under the excuse of gathering her thoughts, blinking rapidly.

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