Yifia felt right at home handling the wok again, thanks to her prior cooking experience.

At most, her slight strength kept her from big wok-flipping moves—so she adapted on the fly. Thankfully, it didn’t affect the dish’s flavor one bit.

While stewing ribs in the wok, she prepped veggies and spices. The task felt dull, and Yifia couldn’t be bothered with the chef who looked down his nose at her. Time to call her dear System for a chat.

"System, I’ll finish the task today! Right? Aren’t I awesome~"

"Amelia’s so sweet to me, so caring. If Jesina knew Amelia mentioned her, she’d scream with joy—but I won’t tell her, hehe!"

"Ugh, why does that chef keep looking down on me? Showing off his big nostrils?"

Yifia muttered on, but the System stayed silent. She pouted slightly in frustration.

Same as always.

You can never wake someone pretending to sleep.

Just like the System—playing dumb unless tasks were involved, vanishing most of the time. What a half-hearted system.

Unseen by Yifia, the System stole a glance at demons nearly flooding the kitchen and stayed dead quiet, terrified of being caught.

Earlier in the parlor, demons had held back, wary of the Villainess Heiress.

Now that she was gone, they let loose.

Though they kept distance—thanks to Yifia’s small silver corruption sword—they crowded the stove, tiptoeing and craning necks with burning curiosity.

(Oh my, this human’s stewing pork? Disgusting!)

(Mutton’s stronger. Pork’s trash—ban it from tables! All that grease… humans taste better!)

(Humans *are* tastier… but wow, this smells sweet. I wanna taste it.)

(It’s for the Great Lord. You dare touch it?)

As demons bickered, Yifia ignored the silent System, finished prepping, and checked the stove—fire was perfect.

She lifted the lid.

A rich, meaty aroma burst forth.

Spices and carefully chosen pork fused into a bold fragrance that claimed the whole kitchen.

One whiff sent cravings spiraling.

Yifia nodded, pleased with the caramelized glaze on the sweet and sour pork ribs. Once this batch was done, just two more dishes to go.

Unlike the local bread staple, she’d hunted down rice!

Steamed ahead of time—no electricity, no rice cooker, just an old steamer. Lucky she’d watched tutorials and practiced; otherwise, she’d be clueless now.

(Wow, even better now! Even pork… I want a bite!)

(Don’t dream it. Sniff while you can. Once served, the Great Lord’s food-protective rage’ll knock your head off.)

(I’ll catch a cooking human someday!)

(Too much hassle. Just eat humans!)

Demons stared, drooling ravenously. Meanwhile, Chef Jeff—frozen like a statue—wore pure shock.

Eyes wide, locked on the ribs, face full of disbelief.

At first, seeing pork, he’d scoffed.

Compared to premium beef, pork was greasy, foul, utterly low-class. Only peasants ate it.

*Daring* to serve this to Lady Barron? This woman’s lost her mind!

…That was thirty minutes ago. Now Jeff wanted to slap his past self.

*This* smells incredible?!

Could this *really* be pork???

Beyond the bold scent, the pork gleamed vibrant in the pot—a living painting that made onlookers pause.

A masterpiece!!!

One dish of sweet and sour pork ribs won Jeff over completely. When he looked at Yifia again, his worshipful gaze felt eerily familiar… Yifia twitched her lips. *Another Jesina?*

"Miss, your skill is extraordinary! I’ve never seen talent like this!"

"You flatter me. These dishes come from a mysterious Eastern land—I learned them by chance. Unlike the Westis Empire’s simple staples, the East has rice, steamed buns, flatbreads…"

With Jeff now humble and earnest, Yifia chatted while cooking, killing time.

By the end, hearing her mention *tens of thousands* of Eastern dishes, Jeff nearly dropped to his knees to beg apprenticeship.

After a reluctant farewell to Jeff, Yifia carried the finished dishes to the dining room, heart fluttering.

Amelia was already waiting, chin propped on one hand, eyeing the three silver cloches with a curious raised brow.

*So mysterious.*

(Wahhh, Great Lord, this human’s food smells amazing!)

(Save us a bite! Or let us lick the plates!)

Demons drifted in on the scent but dared not approach Amelia. They whimpered nearby, drooling shamelessly—a disgrace to demonkind.

Even the silent System was stunned. *Who knew my clumsy host had this skill?!*

Maybe… win a woman’s heart by winning her stomach first?

"Amelia, I made these just for you~ First up: sweet and sour pork ribs! Sweet, tangy, super tasty!"

Yifia lifted the cloche herself. The aroma bloomed instantly—mouthwatering, irresistible.

Amelia picked up bamboo chopsticks with practiced ease, took a small bite under Yifia’s hopeful gaze, chewed slowly… and stayed silent.

Yifia’s anxiety spiked—*Was it good?!*—until Amelia calmly said, "Delicious."

Ever composed, elegant, unshakable… Yifia felt a tiny pang. *Didn’t move her.*

But no matter—more dishes awaited!

As she thought this, beneath the table, Amelia’s tail slipped out…

…swaying happily, betraying pure delight~