NOVPUBVillain Ch 1031. The Devil’s Diner
Allen chuckled as he returned to his seat next to Azura. "Alright, alright, no need to beg," he said in a playful tone, waving his hand dismissively. "Just try it, Azura. See if it meets your high standards."
Azura hesitated for a moment, then took a bite of the omelet. Her eyes widened slightly as she chewed. It was indeed delicious. Nothing too fancy, but it was perfectlyoked—light and fluffy with just the right amount of seasoning. The veggies were crisp and fresh, adding a nicentrast to the softness of the eggs. She didn’t say anything, but her expression was enough to show that she liked it.
’This is tasty,’ she thought, savoring the flavor. ’Almost like the chef’soking.’ Well, maybe she was exaggerating a bit since it was Allen’soking. The chef’s dishes were on another level, but for a guy who had lived alone for so long, Allen knew his way around the kitchen.
"I’m surprised you canok this well," Azura said, still chewing, a hint of surprise in her voice.
Emma raised an eyebrow, looking slightly offended. "Didn’t you see it yesterday?" she said with a frown. "He wasoking up a storm, and you were right there, peeking in like some curious cat."
Azura turned to Emma, a bit defensively. "Yes, I saw it, but… I thought the taste wouldn’t be as good as this," she replied. "I mean, this omelet is better than your last fried fries," she added with a teasing grin.
Emma shot her a flat stare. "Sorry for not being able took as well as my brother," she said in a mock-offended tone, leaning over to snatch Azura’s plate and steal a bite of the omelet.
"Hey, that’s mine!" Azura protested, reaching to take it back, but Emma quickly stuffed the forkful into her mouth, grinning cheekily.
"Mmm, not bad," Emma said after swallowing, ignoring Azura’s glare. "You might just have a future as a chef if this whole gaming thing doesn’t work out."
Allen rolled his eyes, smiling. "Gee, thanks for the vote ofnfidence, Emma," he replied sarcastically. "Nice to know you’ve got a backup plan for me."
Vivian laughed, nudging Allen playfully. "You know, youuld totally open a café or something," she suggested. "Call it ’Allen’s Eats’ or ’The Devil’s Diner.’"
Shea snorted. "More like ’The underworld’s Kitchen,’" she joked. "With Allen in the back, whipping up his sinful specials."
Azura, rvering her plate from Emma, took another bite of the omelet, savoring the taste. She was genuinely surprised by how good it was. "I’m still surprised you canok this well, Allen," she said, a hint of admiration in her voice. "Did your mom teach you?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt a shift in the room. The light, playful atmosphere from earlier seemed tool suddenly. The girls exchanged glances, and she realized too late that she had touched on a sensitive topic. Allen’s relationship with his mother wasn’t exactly a happy one, and she had inadvertently brought it up.
Allen’s expression hardened just a fraction, but he quicklyvered it with a casual shrug. "No," he said, his tone flat. "It was my grandma who taught me, not my mom."
Azura’s eyes widened slightly, and she cursed herself silently for bringing it up. "Oh, I see," she said awkwardly, trying to steer thenversation away from any potential landmines. "Well, she really taught you well, Allen. And you’ve clearly practiced a lot. I bet your grandma loves youroking."
Allen’s face softened slightly at the mention of his grandmother. He gave a small smile, but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. "I onlyoked for her about three times before she left," he admitted. "She usually made the food herself, and we wouldok together sometimes. It was… nice."
There was a pause.
Azura nodded, offering him a small, understanding smile. "That sounds lovely," she said softly. "Cooking together with family… Those are the best kinds of memories."
Allen nodded, his smile turning wistful. "Yeah, they are."
Vivian turned to Allen with a curious frown. "Wait, if it wasn’t your mom or grandma who made you practice so much… Who was it?" she asked, already suspecting the answer.
Allen hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "My ex," he said, his tone almost casual. "She was pretty picky about her food. I guess that’s why I kept trying to improve myoking skills. To keep her happy, you know?"
There was a slight tension in the room again, but this time it wasn’t awkwardness—it was curiosity mixed with something else, something more personal.
Vivian’s frown deepened. "Sophia?" she repeated, a hint of surprise and disgust in her voice.
Allen nodded, not seeming particularly fazed. "Yeah. She was always very particular about her meals, and wanted everything just right. It was annoying at first, but… I got used to it. Ended up learning a lot more aboutoking than I ever thought I would."
Jane raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "And that’s why you’re so good now? Because of her?" 𝓷ℴ𝓋𝓅𝓊𝒷.𝒸𝓸𝓶
Allen shrugged again, leaning back in his chair. "I guess youuld say that. It’s funny how things work out. I mean, I never thought I’d enjoyoking as much as I do now, but… here we are."
Azura, sensing an opportunity to steer thenversation back to safer ground, offered a small smile. "Well, whatever the reason, it’s a good thing you did learn. This omelet is amazing," she said, taking another bite for emphasis, hoping to lighten the mood again.
But the girls weren’t so quick to let it go. They exchanged glances, their expressions darkening slightly. It wasn’t overt, but there was an unmistakable tension. It was as if they were all holding a grudge against Sophia.
Shea was the first to speak, her voice tight with barelyntained irritation. "I can’t believe she made you feel like you had to keep improving just to please her," she said, shaking her head. "That’s so… selfish."
