Chapter 30: Did you hear that? I don’t need you

Arriving at the countertop, Darlian immediately noticed a large plate placed nearby, filled with Small Wheat Noodles.

These noodles must be what Finihiya had requested to buy.

Casting a faint glance at the pile of noodles, she turned her gaze back to Finihiya.

At that moment, Finihiya was washing a gleaming knife with clean water.

“What kind of dish are you making?”

Although Darlian knew Finihiya’s dish involved noodles, there were countless ways to prepare noodles—easily over a hundred different dishes related to noodles alone.

“Soup noodles.”

“Oh, really…”

Upon hearing Finihiya’s answer, Darlian was momentarily taken aback, then a bitter smile tugged at the corner of her lips from a vantage point where Finihiya couldn’t see.

Soup noodles, huh? She had eaten something like that a very long time ago.

It had been in a remote mountain village far from here, where the villagers used fruit to make the soup base before boiling the noodles in it.

The flavor was so strange that her tongue and mind sent out a strong warning signal.

Hmm…

Could it be that Miss Saintess is going to make some bizarre dark dish like that?

Thinking this with some unease, she carefully examined the countertop.

Fortunately, within her line of sight, she saw no trace of any fruit, which brought her some small comfort.

Having finished cleaning the knife, Finihiya began chopping coriander on the cutting board.

Just as Darlian was about to step forward and ask if Finihiya needed any help, a male voice suddenly rang in her ear.

“Darlian-sama, Lady Finihiya.”

Following the voice, she looked over.

A Dark Elf chef, wearing a clean apron and a tall white hat, was standing there respectfully.

“Darlian-sama, I am your loyal servant, Garde Winters,” the Dark Elf said with a bow. “Currently serving here as the head chef.”

“I see. What do you need?”

“I just wanted to ask if Lady Finihiya requires my assistance.”

“Oh.” Darlian lightly nodded, “It’s fine. I’m here, so if Miss Saintess needs help, I will assist her.”

“But I believe kitchen assistance is better left to a professional like me.”

Hearing the Dark Elf head chef’s words, an inexplicable sense of frustration welled up inside Darlian.

Though she knew he meant no harm, his words made her feel useless.

At that moment, Finihiya conveniently took over the conversation.

“Thank you, Mr. Garde. For this simple dish, we don’t need your help right now. With Darlian-sama here, that will be enough.”

“I see, then…”

Before the Dark Elf could finish his sentence, Darlian interrupted.

“Did you hear that? Miss Saintess doesn’t need your help, so please go.”

Like swatting away an annoying fly, Darlian’s face turned cold as she raised her right hand to make a dismissive gesture.

“If you need help later, please don’t hesitate to let me know.”

Having said that, the Dark Elf head chef bowed respectfully and then turned to leave.

Watching his figure gradually fade away, Darlian’s frustration instantly vanished.

She then withdrew her gaze and looked back at the petite, adorable Saintess beside her, a faint amused smile lingering from her previous words.

“Miss Saintess, is there anything you need me to help with?”

“Thank you, but there’s nothing for now.”

“Really nothing?” She intensified her tone, urging Finihiya, “Miss Saintess, think carefully—there surely must be something you need me to do.”

Seeming a bit helpless with Darlian’s persistence, Finihiya fell silent for a moment, then casually picked a trivial task to appease her.

“Then… could you please help add some firewood? The fire isn’t hot enough.”

Firewood?

Darlian shifted her gaze to the fire beneath the countertop, which occasionally crackled.

Rolling up her skirt to avoid dirtying it on the floor, Darlian slowly crouched down and took two dry sticks from the nearby pile, tossing them into the fire.

At the same time, she turned the already burning wood to expose the other side so it could catch fire fully.

Crackle………

The burning woodpile continued to emit heat.

The already sweltering weather combined with the blazing heat caused fine beads of sweat to break out on Darlian’s forehead in no time.

Seeing this, Darlian raised her right hand to wipe the sweat away.

Her hand, smeared with coal dust from turning the wood, left a dark mark on her cheek.

Finihiya, who had just finished washing some lettuce, noticed this unintentionally.

Staring at Darlian’s coal-dusted cheek, which looked like a little gray kitten’s face, she was momentarily stunned, then pressed the back of her hand against her lips and chuckled softly.

Darlian immediately noticed Finihiya’s unusual expression and furrowed her long, beautiful brows in confusion.

“What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing…” Finihiya slowly suppressed her smile and then, in a gentle tone, said, “Darlian-sama, your face is dirty.”

“Dirty?”

Upon hearing this, Darlian used ice magic to conjure a small mirror.

Through its reflection, she saw the dark streak smudged across her cheek.

Trying to wipe it off with a clean hand only spread the coal dust more evenly.

Just as she was about to get up and find something to clean it properly, Finihiya smiled and crouched down beside her, then lifted her fair little hand and gently wiped Darlian’s cheek with a damp handkerchief.

After a moment, the smudge was completely gone.

“There, it’s all cleaned off.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Finihiya smiled faintly.

Her smile was as soft as summer grass, prompting Darlian to look at her a little longer.

Now that she thought about it, this seemed to be the first time Finihiya had shown a genuinely happy and pleasant expression in her presence.

Previously, even when she smiled, it had always been a stiff, perfunctory, and polite facade.

Once the water in the pot boiled, Finihiya took out two portions of noodles from the large plate and placed them into the boiling water.

She then sequentially added eggs, lettuce, animal fat, salt, and coriander as seasonings.

Watching from the side, Darlian couldn’t help but furrow her brows slightly because the seasonings were unlike anything she was used to.

No wonder the servants couldn’t cook.

This was the first time she had seen such a novel dish.

The noodle dishes she had eaten before were always seasoned with olive oil, butter, tomato sauce, or salad dressing.

But…

She just didn’t know if this novel soup noodle dish would taste good.

After waiting only a short while, the strange noodle soup was ready.