A Mage's Treasure

Unconsciously, Lily breathed in the savory fragrance and felt her hunger could not take it anymore.

Using her white, gold-designed spoon, she scooped up a piece of Siren's Melody Poached Egg into her rosy pink lips.

The poached egg passed through her tender lips and into her throat. The slight viscosity of the runny egg yolk added a luxurious, silky texture that glided down her throat and left her mouth coated in a savory taste.

The Netherbane Chives added a crispy texture with a hint of spiciness to the otherwise liquid dish.

Her taste buds were dancing in joy, and to her surprise, she even felt her Mana increase. 

The more she chewed, the more she felt a warm, comforting sensation spread through her body. It was as though she took a sip of hot chocolate on a below-freezing day.

She could not help but let out a cute, contented sigh.

Although the increase in her Mana was negligible, like a tiny droplet being added to a vast ocean, the increase in her Mana would have otherwise taken her a day of absorbing Mana. 

For a Meridian Tempering Mage like her to have a small increase in her Mana levels would require the same amount of Mana a Tendon Tempering Mage required to ascend to the Bone Tempering Realm.

Just that alone justified the price of the Siren's Melody Poached Egg.

Furthermore, she discovered the Mana she obtained from the Siren's Melody Poached Egg did not contain even an ounce of impurities. 

Treasure!

The Siren's Melody Poached Egg was an absolute treasure!

For any Mage, the owner's dish was an invaluable resource.

Forget about five Low-Grade Mana Stones, she would even pay twenty or even more Low-Grade Mana Stones.

'No wonder big brother ate here and even brought his friends over.'

When she thought about her big brother's antics this morning and the Siren's Melody Poached Egg, she puffed up her cheeks in annoyance.

'Humph, instead of bringing Lily here, Big Brother would rather bring his friends. Humph! Humph!'

Although Lily was mad at her Big Brother for not bringing her here, she decided to complain to him later. For now, the poached egg in front of her required her utmost attention.

She took another bite, and her charming eyes unconsciously closed as the exquisite flavors exploded in her mouth.

Her voice was filled with genuine amazement as she murmured:

"This is… incredible!"

As she continued eating, Lucian watched her with satisfaction. From her expressions, it was obvious she was thoroughly enjoying his dish, causing him to feel a sense of pride.

To a chef seeing his customers eating with happiness was the greatest joy… second only to acquiring money.

Lucian was not like those stuck-up chefs who did not like their customers making even an ounce of sound.

In fact, he wanted to hear their praise and satisfaction from eating his food. The rumbling of their stomachs, burps, and the occasional moans were music to his ears.

… Of course, only moans produced by beautiful women were music to his ears.

The moans produced by men were no different from fingernails scratching a blackboard. 

Furthermore, the fact that his cooking had such an effect on someone's Mana was not simply due to the rare, Mana-rich ingredients, but also because of the Celestial Mana Control Technique. Celestial Energy, when carefully controlled, could even turn ordinary ingredients into Graded ingredients.

Moreover, he did not use ordinary ingredients for the Siren's Melody Poached Egg, but rare ingredients that could not be acquired. 

Each ingredient was infused with Celestial Energy. 

Normally, Celestial Energy was too powerful and dense to be absorbed. But because of the Celestial Mana Control Technique, he could both absorb it himself and allow others to absorb it.

Soon, Lily finished the last piece of Siren's Melody Poached Egg, causing her to frown in disappointment. The quantity was too small. Yet, she could not help but admit the quality of the Siren's Melody Poached Egg dish made up for lack of quantity!

After licking her lips, Lily looked up at the owner and flashed a cute smile. In a cute voice, she gratefully said:

"Thank you big brother for this delicious meal. Lily will definitely be back tomorrow."

Then, she paused, as she remembered something. With shining eyes, she added:

"Big brother, you should quickly create more dishes. One Siren's Melody Poached Egg dish is not enough. Lily is still not full."

She cutely pouted while rubbing her empty tummy.

Lucian gave a genuine smile at her words and antics. The woman who called herself Lily was quite cute.

Recalling the dish that he was about to receive after Lily paid for the Siren's Melody Poached Egg, he smiled even brighter while answering:

"Don't worry, the next time you visit, I am sure you will leave with a satisfied stomach. I plan to add a sous vide filet mignon dish to the menu."

Lily's big, round eyes immediately sparkled with excitement.

"Really!? Lily can't wait to try your new dish." She said with excitement evident in her cute, melodic voice. Summoning five Low-Grade Mana Stones from her Spatial Ring, she extended them to the owner and said:

"Big brother, this is five Low-Grade Mana Stones. Lily will be back tomorrow."

Lucian accepted them with a nod, placing them in his inventory before he remembered. Apologetically, he spoke:

"Sorry, but tomorrow I will be closed… maybe for the next day as well. I am leaving Thunderfall City to pick up some ingredients from Harmony City."

When Lily heard the owner's words, her excitement dampened, and then changed to sourness when she heard he was going to Harmony City.

Lily depressedly sighed. She struggled for a few seconds before she managed a weak-sounding, "Okay."

With her head drooped, Lily placed her back mask and bamboo hat back on and headed toward the entrance.

But just as her right foot stepped outside the door, she turned her head behind her shoulders and quietly said:

"If the brown-skinned Orc named Garrett comes back here, please don't tell him I was here."

Lucian nodded and then watched the woman leave. He wondered what caused her demeanor to change.