Chapter 495: New Ingredients (6)

After a short while, Sui had prepared several dishes using the Tongdellion and Potato Pork Cutlet. Not only was he eager for everyone to try them, but he was also curious to test the properties of these two unique ingredients.

The dish prepared by Leonora was Braised Cabbage with Milk. She put the cabbage into a pot, added milk, a suitable amount of broth, and some salt. After simmering on low heat for 30 minutes, she topped it with breadcrumbs fried in butter. The result was soft cabbage, infused with a rich milky flavor, highlighting the almond-like texture and sweetness of the cabbage itself. Paired with the crispy, buttery breadcrumbs, it was simply delicious.

"Wow, it's amazing! I didn't expect Lady Leonora's cooking to be this good!" exclaimed Megumi, Ryoko, and the others, who couldn't stop praising the dish.

"Sui, come and try some too," Leonora smiled as she placed a large portion of the braised cabbage into Sui's bowl.

"Thank you, Auntie," Sui responded quickly. He took a bite, his eyes lighting up immediately. "It's delicious! So creamy, sweet, and flavorful. Auntie's cooking skills are just as incredible as always."

Leonora laughed softly. "Oh, this child knows how to flatter," she said with a playful smile, patting Sui's shoulder gently, almost bashfully.

Looking at this girlish display from his mother-in-law, Sui was left speechless.

"Hey, what kind of dish is this?" Leonora asked, her eyes drawn to the two dishes Sui had brought with him. One featured small pieces of meat on wooden skewers.

She picked up a skewer and tasted it—then suddenly froze.

"Oh no, Mom's about to have another food revelation," Alice said, her tone knowing.

"W-What do you mean by a revelation?!" Ryoko and the others were caught off guard, blushing immediately. Megumi covered her eyes, embarrassed.

Leonora began speaking in a rapturous tone, "After being grilled at high heat, the meat juices are sealed inside, making each bite as tender as a sponge yet deliciously chewy. A simple sprinkling of pepper enhances the flavor, while a hint of lemon juice adds a refreshing touch." Her face seemed to glow with a holy light as she spoke, as if delivering a hymn, in unexpectedly fluent Japanese.

Megumi and the others, witnessing Leonora's food-induced speech for the first time, stared in amazement.

"She suddenly became fluent in Japanese," Yoshino remarked, astonished.

"That's just how Mom is," Alice explained with a shrug. "Whenever she tastes something amazing, she bursts into a monologue."

Erina flushed with embarrassment as she watched her aunt's antics.

"What kind of meat is this? It's incredible," Leonora asked Sui after regaining her composure.

"Oh, it's beef tongue," Sui replied with a smile. "This is a Japanese-style grilled beef tongue, simply grilled with pepper and lemon juice."

Leonora's eyes widened. "Beef tongue? No wonder it's so chewy and tender," she said, savoring the skewer in one hand while holding a glass of peach wine, brewed by Erina, in the other. "Ah, this grilled beef tongue with Sakeyashi Fruit Sake—it's divine!"

"Really? Let me try it too," Alice said eagerly, grabbing a skewer, while even Erina helped herself to one.

After tasting it, everyone was surprised by how delicious it was.

"This is way better than regular beef tongue," Erina said in disbelief, taking another bite.

"Indeed," Sui agreed, also finding it much tastier than typical beef tongue.

"And what about this dish?" Leonora pointed to the fried potato chips Sui had prepared with a curious expression.

"These are special potatoes that taste like pork chops," Sui explained, "so I sliced them, fried them, and added a little pepper."

Leonora carefully picked up a piece, blew on it, and took a bite. The texture was even better than the most tender pork chops—crispy on the outside, soft and juicy on the inside.

"It's delicious!" Leonora exclaimed, her cheeks flushed with pleasure. Once again, her face began to glow with an ethereal light.

This time, everyone was mentally prepared for her "burst" and wasn't surprised.

"Are these really potatoes?" Yoshino asked in awe, blowing on a hot piece. "They taste just like pork chops, but even better."

"If these are potatoes, we can eat as many pork chops as we want without worrying about gaining weight!" Ryoko joked, grinning as an idea struck her.

The other girls looked intrigued. 

"That's fantastic! I was worried about gaining weight, but now I can eat as many of these as I like," Leonora said, patting her flat stomach.

"Auntie, you're so slim. There's no need to worry about weight gain," Sui remarked, smiling. He couldn't help but think that his mother-in-law's figure was perfect, perhaps even better than Alice's.

Leonora giggled. "Oh, you're such a sweet talker!" she said, laughing as she touched her cheek. "But honestly, I think I've put on some weight since arriving here. Feel for yourself." She suddenly grabbed Sui's hand and placed it on her abdomen.

Her waist was flat and slender, without a trace of fat.

"There's no way you're fat. Erina's stomach is the one that's big enough to hold a bun," Sui teased, earning a flustered glare from Erina, who immediately pinched him under the table.

"But Auntie does have an incredible figure," Erina muttered enviously, sneaking a glance. It was maddening to think that her aunt might have a better figure than hers!

The other girls, too, couldn't help but glance at their own waists, feeling a pang of jealousy.

"Mom! How could you let a boy touch your waist so casually?" Alice puffed her cheeks, jealousy clear in her voice.

"Sui is family, not an outsider. It's perfectly fine," Leonora calmly corrected her daughter.