Lina's Family Dishes

The three of them then chatted for a long time in Ye Weian's room, from childhood anecdotes to the local customs and culture of Susar.

Before I knew it, the sunset outside the window had already painted half the sky red.

Lina stood up and suggested enthusiastically, "We've been so busy talking that time flies! It's almost dinner time. Young Master, I haven't neglected my culinary studies these past four years. Now that you're back, I must personally cook a dish to welcome you back! Trust me, you'll love it this time."

"No! Please don't!"

The Fire Mage, who had been unmoved even by the berserker Grumman, suddenly sprang up from his chair as if he had been subjected to a powerful "fear spell".

"Sister Lina, really, there's no need! You're the head maid now, you're practically a leader, let the cooks handle this, don't trouble yourself!"

Ellen's reaction was the complete opposite of Ye Weian's; the girl even swallowed expectantly.

"Young Master, why are you still like this?" Lina stopped and pouted, looking aggrieved. "Why have you never liked my cooking since you were little? It's all my most carefully prepared dishes. Look at Ellen, she always eats them with such relish."

Ellen nodded vigorously beside her.

Looking into Lina's expectant eyes, Ye Wei'an couldn't help but recall the "delicacies" in the original owner's memories, filled with horseradish, pickled fish, and some kind of unknown fermented substance, and his stomach felt a faint physiological spasm.

"No...it's not about the taste." Ye Wei'an avoided her gaze, racking his brains to make up a lie. "It's mainly my problem. I got used to the bland mage food in Susar, and my stomach has long since deteriorated. I'm afraid my stomach can't handle the kind of...the kind of wild cuisine in Leatherman, really."

Lina sighed in disappointment and didn't insist any further.

She muttered, "The soil and water of Susar really spoil people," and then rushed off to the kitchen to supervise the chefs.

Only after that gray figure disappeared at the end of the corridor did Ye Wei'an collapse back into his chair, utterly exhausted.

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said with lingering fear, "Phew... I almost, I almost died at home."

Eileen was just regretting not being able to taste Lina's cooking when she heard this, she said, "Young Master, you're exaggerating! Lina's dishes are absolutely amazing! The complex flavors created by the combination of various spices are a delightful surprise with every bite. I really love them!"

"Surprise? That's more like a shock." Ye Wei'an glared at her irritably. "A complex and conflicting flavor doesn't mean it's a good thing, it's a disaster! Not everyone has an appetite like yours that can digest steel."

Speaking of this, he immediately recalled certain scenes from the original owner's memories that caused extreme sanity loss:

"Do you remember that time a few years ago? We finally managed to get a batch of dried squid from the castle, and I got a few. This kind of seafood is delicious with just simple cooking. But what did Lina do? She put so many weird seasonings into the pot... licorice, horseradish, cinnamon, pepper... and stuffed in a huge pile of overcooked purple cabbage, and then she even had the sudden inspiration to add a big spoonful of sheep's eyeballs!"

As Ye Wei'an spoke, his body involuntarily trembled: "When she brought that dish to the table, the squid tentacles, dyed a deep purple, writhed like tentacles under the influence of the bubbles, surrounded by countless dead sheep's eyeballs floating around... That wasn't food at all; it was an evil god summoned by the old believers! Who in their right mind could eat that?"

"I can eat it all." Eileen said matter-of-factly, even licking her lips with relish. "That time, young master, you didn't touch a single bite, and I finished it all by myself. You have no idea, the feeling of my eyeballs popping out combined with the slight bitterness of the licorice was actually really invigorating..."

Ye Wei'an was utterly speechless. He looked at the little maid whose sense of taste had completely gone astray and sighed heavily.

"Alright, that's enough. I don't understand you 'Kejia cuisine' enthusiasts. Once I have my own territory, I'll build a 'dedicated kitchen' just for you, so you can stop creating pollution in the kitchen."

For the next period of time, Ye Wei'an sat quietly in his room reading.

It was the textbook he used at the War Mage Academy: "An Introduction to the Eight Major Schools of Spells (Beginner's Guide)"

In the original owner's memory, these densely packed arcane models and obscure spell syntax were like a book written in heaven.

But now, everything is different.

Because he mastered the power of cursed fire.

Cursed Fire is the most fundamental power of the Magic Network, and as a user of Cursed Fire, he has an extremely profound understanding of the essence of magic.

It's like someone who's used to reading source code suddenly reading a simplified script; the problems that originally troubled the original owner become crystal clear in their eyes.

Even though his profession is that of a sorcerer who casts spells by instinct, the comprehension he gains from the Cursed Fire still allows him to read these mage texts with ease.

Ellen, who was standing to the side, was not idle. She was practicing the fighting techniques of a martial monk by making "humming and hawing" gestures in the spacious living room.

"Young Master, do you think I can punch through the armor right now?" Ellen asked excitedly as she wiped her sweat.

"If you want to dirty my carpet, go ahead and try," Ye Wei'an said without looking up. "But before that, learn how to conceal your presence, so you don't get seen through like you did today."

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door.

"Young Master Ye Wei'an, dinner is ready. Madam invites you to come downstairs for dinner," a servant's voice sounded from outside the door.

"Okay, I'll go right away."

Ye Wei'an immediately put down the book and prepared to go downstairs.

As Eileen helped Ye Wei'an straighten his clothes, she complained in a low voice, "Young Master, are you really going to have dinner with people like that? Just thinking about facing that hypocritical face makes me feel nauseous. And that Lucas... he'll definitely be there too."

"After all, it's my first day back home from so far away, so I'll definitely have dinner with my 'family'," Ye Wei'an replied calmly.

When Ye Weian entered the restaurant, Mrs. Elena was already seated at one side of the long table under the dazzling gold chandelier.

Beside her sat her younger brother, Lucas, who was only twelve years old.

Although Lucas was still young, he had sharp features and was now jokingly reaching out to pull the hair of a maid who was carrying a tray.

The maid kept her head down, her body trembling, but she didn't even have the courage to dodge.

Upon seeing Ye Weian enter, his interest immediately shifted.

If the maid were granted a general amnesty, she would immediately flee.

Lucas blurted out:

"Hey, isn't this the 'honorable' mage brother? I heard that besides burning money, the only thing you learned in Susar was how to bully those farmers with hoes when you returned to your hometown? By Shinworth, if I were you, I would have slunk away in my room studying those moldy, tattered books instead of coming out and spoiling everyone's appetite."

Before Ye Wei'an could speak, Lady Elena reprimanded him, "Luke, mind your manners. He's still your brother, no matter what!"

Even if she knew nothing about Ye Weian at the beginning, an afternoon was enough for her to pry information out of Ye Weian's soldiers and find out what Ye Weian had done in Firefall Town.

Although she didn't know how powerful the other person's magic was, Serena was certain that this illegitimate child was completely different from the one four years ago.

He was decisive and ruthless when facing enemies, but he was also tactful and diplomatic in other situations.

Such a vicious person is definitely not someone her son, who is only good at bullying his own family, can handle.

She didn't want Lucas to provoke him.

Lucas was initially quite smug,

As soon as he heard his mother speak, he immediately shut his mouth.

Ye Wei'an could tell that the trembling silence was not out of awe, but rather a physiological reaction to being under high pressure for a long time.

"Sit down, Yevian." Mrs. Elena turned her head, her face once again displaying that flawless, hypocritical smile. "Lucos is still young, I've spoiled him, don't take it to heart. Thank goodness, our family can finally sit down and have a decent meal together."

"Madam, you flatter me. It's good for children to be lively, but we can tolerate it at home. However, it would be bad if they accidentally offended someone they can't afford to offend outside." Ye Wei'an slowly pulled out a chair and sat down.