As absurd as what Luna said sounded, it actually made sense.

When he thought back to the first time he had a proper conversation with Nyx, she wasn't exactly talking about flowers or diplomacy—she was talking, in disturbingly vivid detail, about the perfect way to snap his neck.

She had even described the exact angle she'd twist it, and how satisfying it would sound.

She has even threatened to shoot both his legs just to make sure he couldn't run, so she could take her sweet time torturing him later.

And when he brought up Julius back then, she didn't even try to hide her bloodlust.

She begged him, actually begged to let her handle Julius herself, claiming she wanted to be the one to end him, personally, slowly, and painfully.

So yes… as insane as it all sounded, Luna's words lined up perfectly.

Every sign pointed to Nyx being the kind of woman who didn't let her enemies die peacefully, the kind who found artistry in revenge.

A formidable opponent, ruthless to the core.

But just as Luca was feeling glad that he wasn't on her bad side, he noticed Luna's face slowly turning pale again as she kept picturing the horrible things her aunt might've done and was probably still doing with those poor chickens.

He could tell her imagination was spiraling down dark paths, so he decided to intervene before she fainted again.

"Alright, enough of that grim stuff."

He gave a light, reassuring laugh and gently placed his hand on her head, ruffling her hair.

"Let's not think about your aunt's...interesting hobbies."

Luna blinked up at him, still visibly pale but managing a faint smile.

"Y-Yeah...I think that would be for the best."

"Good." Luca said with a small smile. "Now that Nyx is...uh, busy expressing her inner serial killer, how about we start preparing the ingredients for our dish?"

At that, Luna's curiosity sparked again, as it always did when he mentioned something she didn't understand.

"Our dish?" She asked, tilting her head. "What dish are we going to prepare, exactly?"

She tugged lightly on his sleeve, eyes wide with intrigue.

"You know, I really don't know any proper 'dishes.' We elves don't usually cook the way you humans do. We just boil vegetables or fry them a little in a pan and fruits, well, we just cut them up and eat them raw." She gave a small shrug. "Cooking isn't really something we do much. We like to eat simple and natural."

Luca chuckled, shaking his head proudly.

"Oh, Luna...you're about to witness the glorious opposite of simple flavour."

"Huh?"

He smirked, looking dramatically toward the horizon.

"After today, you'll see that simplicity has its limits. Once everyone tastes what I'm about to make, they'll never go back to boiled vegetables again."

He spread his arms wide, his voice rising theatrically.

"They'll be begging me for recipes! They'll wake up every morning craving the divine smell of sizzling meat! And soon, this entire forest will be filled with the heavenly aroma of cooked chicken!"

Luna blinked a few times, taken aback by his sudden passion.

"…You sound like a priest giving a sermon."

He turned to her with a dazzling grin.

"Because I'm preaching the truth!"

Then, lowering his voice and leaning closer, he said with a mysterious smile.

"As for the first dish we're making, it's called...fried chicken."

"Fried chicken?" Luna repeated, tilting her head like a confused puppy. "What...exactly is that?"

That was all Luca needed. His eyes gleamed like a man about to unveil a sacred secret. He placed a hand over his chest dramatically.

"Fried chicken..." He began with reverence. "...is the golden miracle of the culinary world."

"It's meat wrapped in a crispy, crunchy shell of perfection, seasoned with the most heavenly blend of spices."

"When you bite into it, the outer layer shatters like delicate glass, revealing juicy, tender meat inside—hot, flavorful, bursting with bliss itself!"

He clasped his hands together, looking as if he was about to cry tears of joy.

"It's a dish so glorious that even angels would throw away their harps just to grab a bucket of it!"

Luna blinked rapidly. "Wait, why a bucket? Shouldn't it be served on a plate?"

He waved a hand dismissively. "No, a bucket is considered to be the holy container for fried chicken."

She still looked skeptical but amused as she asked,

"There's no way it can taste that good, right?"

"Oh, it absolutely is." Luca's expression turned dead serious. "Back in my world, even the most devout vegetarians, people who swore off meat for life turned to the light side after tasting fried chicken."

"It's that divine or rather..."

"...it's Finger Licking Good"

Her eyes widened slightly, curiosity flickering within them despite herself.

"Really…?"

"Really." He said, grinning. "And once you try it, you'll understand what I mean. You'll feel like your soul's ascending."

Even though Luna still looked uneasy about the idea of eating meat, her curiosity was beginning to outweigh her fear.

The thought of something that could taste that good had completely captivated her imagination.

"Alright then." She said hesitantly. "I...guess I'll trust you."

She then looked around before asking,

"Do we need some kind of rare ingredients that only grow in the most dangerous parts of the forest? Or some mysterious enchanted spice?"

Luca chuckled at her enthusiasm.

"Not at all. That's the beauty of cooking, Luna. You don't need anything complicated or magical to make something delicious. You just need the right ingredients and a bit of heart."

And while Luna was wondering if he was actually going to add chicken heart to the dish which was rather disgusting, Luca raised his hand casually and snapped his fingers.

A soft blue portal opened just above the ground, and within seconds, several items dropped out of it one after another—thump, thump, clatter, clink.

Luna jumped slightly, eyes wide as she stared at the pile forming on the grass: bowls of white flour, eggs, an assortment of colorful seasoning bottles, jars of sauces, and neatly packed herbs.

She blinked several times, her mouth slightly open in awe. "W-What is all this?"

"Ingredients." Luca said proudly. "Imported straight from my homeworld."

Luna immediately crouched down beside them, inspecting everything with the curiosity of a child exploring a new world.

She picked up a sack of flour and pressed her fingers into it.

"Oh my…" She whispered in wonder. "How can this be a flour? It's so fine and soft like powdered snow! The flour we use here is so rough and grainy."

"I've never seen anything like this before!"

Luca chuckled. "That's refined wheat flour. The secret to a perfect coating."

Luna gasped again and then noticed a small bottle.

"Oh! What's this?"

She asked, unscrewing the lid before Luca could warn her. She immediately sniffed it—and jerked back.

"Oh my! What is that smell?!"

"That...." Luca said with a grin. "...is soy sauce. Salty, savory, and absolutely delicious."

She wrinkled her nose, unsure whether she liked it or not. "It smells...strange." She said, before picking up another container filled with reddish-brown powder.

"And what about this one?"

"Paprika." He said. "Spicy, smoky, adds depth to the flavor."

Curious, she pinched a bit of it and placed it on her tongue—then immediately started fanning her mouth.

"Ah! It's so strong! It's burning!"

Luca laughed, holding out a water bottle.

"Careful! You're supposed to mix it into food, not eat it straight."

Luna coughed, gulped the water, then looked at the powders and bottles again with wide eyes.

"Everything smells so strange...and so new." She murmured. "I've never seen colors and scents like these before. It's like a treasure chest of flavor!"

"Exactly." Luca said with a proud grin. "And by the time we're done, you'll see why cooking is one of the best forms of magic there is."

Luna smiled up at him, eyes bright with innocent wonder.

"Alright, Luca." She said excitedly. "Teach me this magic."

"Gladly." He said warmly, feeling relieved that she wasn't so hesitant anymore.

He was a about to teach her the first steps, when a cheerful voice called out behind him.

"Hero!"

Both he and Luna turned their heads in unison,

Luca already opening his mouth to ask what Nyx wanted this time—only for his words to freeze in his throat.

Because standing before them...was Nyx, but not the same one they'd seen minutes ago.

Her entire face was splattered with red, her hands were dripping in it, and her clothes were streaked with dark stains. The knife she held also didn't help her, as it gleamed with with blood.

And right now, she looked less like an elf and more like a demon straight out of a nightmare, and the wide, bright smile she wore only made it worse.

Both Luca and Luna instinctively stepped back at the exact same time, their movements perfectly synchronized.

Luna even let out a small squeak and quickly hid behind Luca's back, gripping his shirt tightly.

"L-Luca...She looks like she's going to gut us next!"

"Don't worry I'll protect you from your cuckoo Aunt." Luca responded in a hurry.

And hearing this, Nyx blinked, tilting her head in confusion before glancing down at herself and realising why they looked so scared.

"Oh, this?" She said with a casual wave of her hand, as if they were overreacting. "Don't worry, you two. Some of the chickens moved around a little too much after I cut their heads off, and their blood splattered everywhere."

"But it's fine! I can wash it off. No big deal."

She beamed at them like she'd just spilled tea on her favorite dress.

Luca swallowed hard.

Luna whimpered softly behind him.

But Nyx didn't seem to notice as she went on to say,

"Anyway, good news! I've already skinned and cleaned all the chickens!"

Luca blinked in disbelief. "Wait—all of them?"

She pointed proudly to the side, where indeed, the ground was littered with white feathers and perfectly skinned chickens stacked neatly like trophies.

The place looked like a battlefield where the chickens had very clearly lost.

"I—uh, wow. That's...efficient." He said in wonder.

Then, impressed despite himself, he reached into his satchel and pulled out a large butcher's knife.

"Alright then. Next step is to cut them into medium-sized pieces."

"...Should I help you out with that?"

Nyx's eyes sparkled like a child on her birthday.

She reached for the knife, practically snatching it from his hands.

"No need, Hero. I can handle it. Not to mention, this knife is beautiful! It's heavy, sharp, and perfect for chopping through bones."

She let out a delighted hum.

"I want to play with it all by myself!"

Luna whimpered. "D-Don't say 'play'…"

Nyx, unfazed, plopped down near the wooden plank, placed a chicken on it, and with visible excitement, started chopping.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

The sound of steel hitting wood echoed through the clearing, accompanied by the faintest cheerful humming.

Luca decided to ignore the psychopath behind him and turned back to Luna, trying to bring some normalcy back into the air.

"Alright. While your aunt relieves her lifelong frustrations, let's focus on what we came here for."

He pulled out a folded sheet of paper and handed it to her.

"This..." He said. "...is my secret recipe for fried chicken. As long as you follow it exactly, you'll do fine."

Luna accepted it reverently, holding it like it was some sacred scroll. She laid it flat on the ground, smoothing it out with her fingers and reading it carefully.

Her eyes scanned the lines—then narrowed with confusion like what she was reading didn't make sense.

"…Wait." She said, frowning a little. "This is...really simple."

Luca raised an eyebrow. "Simple?"

"Yes." She said, her tone puzzled. "I thought this was going to be some complex, intricate cooking ritual that would take all night."

"But this just says—take the chicken, mix these weird things into flour, dip it in some kind of liquid, coat it again, and then drop it in boiling oil?"

She blinked at him incredulously.

"That's it?"

"Pretty much." Luca said with a grin. "Don't be fooled by the simplicity. Sometimes the simplest things are the most delicious."

She tilted her head doubtfully. "And you're sure this is going to be that good?"

"You'll find the answer when you take your first bite." He said confidently. "For now, I need to go grab the fryers to cook the chicken in."

"Think you can start coating the pieces while I'm gone?"

Luna's eyes widened. "Me?!"

"Yes, you." Luca said with a chuckle. "I trust you. Just follow the steps."

That was all it took to fire her up. She straightened her back and puffed her chest proudly.

"Y-Yes! You can count on me, Luca! I'll do my best!"

"That's the spirit."

Luca opened a small portal beside them as he said,

"I've labeled all the ingredients and added measuring spoons. So, use those to get the right proportions and don't try to eyeball them."

"Sure maybe in the future you can experiment. But right now the future of the village depends on the chicken we're about to make, so don't mess it up."

He gave her one last encouraging smile before stepping through the portal, disappearing with a shimmer leaving Luna standing amid bowls, spices, and bags of flour.

She took a deep breath.

Then another.

Then she gave herself a tiny, whispered pep talk:

"Okay, Luna. You can do this. Luca trusts you. Don't mess it up. Don't mess it up. Don't mess it up."

She squared her shoulders, picked up the recipe again, and began reading every single line with ferocious concentration.

She memorized the steps.

She double-checked them.

Then she reached for the large mixing bowl.

First step: the seasoned flour.

She carefully measured out the flour using the metal cup Luca had provided—leveling it off with the flat of a knife just like the instructions said.

She added the salt.

The black pepper.

The garlic powder.

The onion powder.

The smoked paprika.

The cayenne.

A pinch of dried herbs.

With every addition she paused, took a tiny taste on the tip of her finger, and made the most adorable faces.

The paprika made her eyes water happily.

The cayenne made her squeak and fan her tongue.

The garlic powder made her hum in delight.

"This is...so different." She whispered to herself. "Everything we eat is either super sweet from fruit...or green and earthy from vegetables."

"But this...this is warm. And sharp. And...exciting."

She finished mixing the flour blend, gave it one last stir, and set it aside with a proud little nod.

Next: the marinade.

She cracked eggs into a second bowl—giggling when one shell fragment fell in and she had to fish it out with her finger and completely forgetting that they were a part of the chicken with how much fun she was having.

And then she added the buttermilk.

A splash of hot sauce.

More seasonings.

She whisked it together, then hesitantly dipped her pinky in and tasted it.

And instantly, her eyes shimmered in disbelief and awe.

"Ohhh…" She breathed. "It's tangy. And spicy. And...creamy? But sharp? How can something be creamy and sharp at the same time?"

She licked her finger again.

And again.

And again.

Then she froze, realizing the bowl was noticeably lower.

Her cheeks went bright pink.

"Right. Right. Save some for the chicken." She muttered, embarrassed.

She turned the page for the next step—and froze.

Her cheerful expression vanished as her eyes locked onto the line that said:

"Add the chicken pieces and coat them fully in the marinade."

Just then, Nyx appeared beside her, wiping blood off her cheek with a cloth and carrying a basket of freshly cut chicken.

"Here's the first batch, Luna." She said brightly, setting it down. "You can work with this for now."

She was about to turn back toward the pile of half-butchered chickens when she paused mid-step.

Something about Luna's silence made her glance over again.

The elf girl stood there rigid, staring at the basket of meat as if it might come alive. Her hands were trembling, the tips of her fingers twitching above the edge of the bowl, and the color had drained from her face.

Nyx frowned.

"Luna? What's with that look?" She asked, wiping her knife on a rag. "You act like it's going to bite you."

Luna blinked rapidly, her mouth opening and closing without sound.

She finally managed a whisper, "I...I have to touch it."

Nyx raised an eyebrow, confused for a heartbeat—until her gaze slid toward the paper lying on the table. She bent over, read the next step of Luca's neat handwriting, and immediately understood.

"Ahh." She murmured, the realization dawning. "So that's what's got you shaking."

Luna had reached the step that required her to physically pick up the pieces—touch them, submerge them in the marinade, make sure every inch was coated.

And she was terrified.

The girl who had just bravely declared she would watch the butchering despite being sick to her stomach...was now completely paralyzed at the thought of touching what had once been a living chicken.

Seeing her niece struggle, there was a flicker of pity in Nyx's expression—genuine sympathy for her baby girl.

But then her lips curved into a sly, mischievous smile.

"Well now."

She whispered under her breath, tapping the edge of the knife against her shoulder thoughtfully.

"If she's too scared to touch it on her own..."

"...maybe I can encourage her with something rather enticing."

The corners of her mouth twitched upward until she was smiling from ear to ear, the kind of smile that promised trouble.

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