Chapter 443: I Can't Look My Mother-in-Law in the Eyes Anymore! (4)

Sui's face tensed as Erina noticed his strange expression. "Sui, what's wrong with you?" she asked, a hint of confusion in her voice.

"Ahem, it's nothing," Sui quickly replied, coughing lightly to clear his throat. He turned to Erina and added, "So, what did your aunt say?"

"Oh, nothing much," Erina responded casually. "She just asked us to come over for dinner later. Also, can we send some of those peaches from last time to Aunt and the others? They were a hit!"

The peaches she referred to were no ordinary fruit; their sweetness was off the charts—dozens of times sweeter than regular peaches. Erina, ever the culinary genius, had cleverly transformed the overly sweet fruit into a variety of dishes: from French red wine-stewed peaches to grilled peach desserts and even peach-infused toast with cheese. She had even brewed a delightful peach wine.

"Sure," Sui replied, letting out a quiet sigh of relief.

That evening, when they gathered for dinner, Sui couldn't shake his nervousness around Leonora. His eyes kept darting toward her, fearing she might have discovered something from earlier.

"What's up with Alice?" Erina asked, noticing her cousin Alice's sulky demeanor. Alice sat quietly, poking at her food without uttering a word.

Leonora's expression darkened at the mention of her daughter. She lightly tapped Alice's head and muttered in broken Japanese, "Don't even get me started. This child made a complete mess of my room this afternoon. She's been so naughty lately!"

Erina couldn't help but smirk, turning to her cousin with a look of mock sympathy. "Really?"

"Yes!" Leonora continued, clearly frustrated. "If she behaves like this after she gets married, her in-laws will surely dislike her."

She then turned to Alice, scolding her, "You should take a page from your sister's book. I heard Erina-chan has even learned how to do laundry! She's going to be such a virtuous wife one day."

Erina nodded, clearly proud of herself. She had been diligently working to become the perfect homemaker.

Alice, on the other hand, seemed less than impressed. She continued to eat her meal, stealing a glance at Sui with a pout. She had been scolded by her mother all afternoon and even had a stern call from her father about her behavior. The whole ordeal had left her feeling humiliated.

Watching Alice's sullen face, Sui couldn't help but stifle a laugh. She's always so mischievous. Dragging me into her mother's room like that... I wanted to leave so many times, he thought. Thank goodness Leonora doesn't know the whole truth, or she'd be furious.

Across the table, Leonora was happily enjoying one of the dishes—pork chops with onion and peach, made by Sui himself. The crispy pork, perfectly cooked and mixed with the sweet fragrance of peaches, had her delighted.

"This is delicious," she complimented, smiling warmly. She then picked up a large piece and placed it in Sui's bowl. "Sui-kun, you're so thoughtful, always bringing me delicious ingredients. I only hope Alice can find someone as considerate as you one day—someone who can put up with her."

Sui felt a pang of guilt as she said that, knowing full well he had been part of the earlier mischief. But as he glanced at Leonora, memories of Alice wearing her mother's clothes—her pajamas, panties, and even mimicking her voice—flooded back, causing his face to flush slightly.

"Sui-kun? Is something wrong?" Leonora asked, her head tilted in curiosity, a sweet expression on her face.

"Ahem, nothing," Sui stammered, coughing to hide his embarrassment. His gaze shifted to Alice, silently blaming her for the predicament. After all, it was because of her antics that he could no longer look his mother-in-law in the eye without feeling awkward.

Alice, seeing his discomfort, stuck out her tongue playfully, her expression smug. You're not getting away with this alone, her mischievous eyes seemed to say.

"Come on, Sui-kun, eat more," Leonora urged, piling more food onto his plate.

"Y-yeah, sure," Sui replied, focusing on his meal, just like Alice—both of them suddenly quieter than usual.

Leonora and Erina exchanged puzzled looks, clearly sensing something strange between the two.

---

The next day, Sui fulfilled his promise and handed over the Butterspice to Ryoko and Yoshino as agreed.

"Thank you, Sui!" Yoshino exclaimed happily, clutching her Butterspice like a prized treasure.

Ryoko, however, hesitated. She had jokingly said earlier that if Sui gave her the Butterspice, it would mean she had to become his girlfriend. Now, holding it in her hands, her face flushed red with uncertainty.

"What's wrong, Ryoko? Don't you want it?" Yoshino asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Well... It feels a bit too valuable," Ryoko replied shyly.

"Oh, I get it!" Yoshino said with a wink, teasing her. "If you accept it, that means you're Sui's girlfriend, right?"

Ryoko's face turned an even deeper shade of red.

"Hey! Yoshino, stop saying weird stuff!" Sui interjected, lightly flicking her forehead in exasperation.

"Ow!" Yoshino rubbed her head with a pout. "But Ryoko has such a hot body, and you're not interested?"

Ryoko finally accepted the charm, smiling softly. "Thank you for the gift, Sui."

"No problem," Sui responded with a light chuckle.

With three Butterspices now in Polar Star Dormitory, Sōma couldn't resist making a joke. "Looks like we'll be making use of some special spices around here now!"

The girls of the dormitory, especially those in the same class, looked on with envy. Erina and Alice had also received butterflies known for producing rare spices, making them the talk of the school.

Who wouldn't want such a beautiful pet that could create something so valuable? Some students had even offered to buy the butterflies at high prices, but the offers had been swiftly rejected.

Later that afternoon, more good news arrived. Jun Shiomi had finished analyzing the properties of the spice-producing butterflies.

As expected, the fragrance was soft yet elegant, strong but not overpowering. It paired well with a variety of ingredients, especially soups, and had the remarkable ability to enhance the natural flavors of dishes.

Even though Sui had anticipated the results, seeing it in the report still brought a smile to his face. The butterflies were like a treasure trove of culinary potential—more precious than gold.