Chapter 272: Chapter 272: Yae Miko: “The Little Fox Is Still Waiting for Your Interrogation.”

"Miko..."

"Don’t call my name. I don’t want to see you!"

At this moment, Yae Miko was completely despairing over Raiden Ei.

If there truly existed someone in this world who could never learn how to cook—

That person would undoubtedly be Raiden Ei.

After all this time,

Her culinary skills had not improved in the slightest.

Not even a little.

It was inhuman.

Over this period, Yae Miko had suffered the most.

She even began questioning why she was still alive.

"Then try the flatbread I just made. I think I improved a lot this time. It shouldn’t be inedible."

A small Raiden Ei held up a plate, looking at her with hopeful eyes.

She had lost count of how many attempts this was.

But this time—

She felt unusually confident.

She had controlled the heat perfectly.

This time would definitely succeed!

...Although she had thought the same thing last time.

"You really never learn, do you? Don’t you have even the slightest awareness of your own cooking skills?"

"But just like practicing swordsmanship, as long as you train day after day, you will improve. Cooking is the same!"

Ei firmly believed she had controlled the heat properly this time.

The food must be edible.

Wasn’t Miko still alive after eating for so long?

Sure, she wasn’t as lively as usual.

But she was still alive.

Which was already remarkable.

"Do you really want to see me die before you’re satisfied?"

Yae Miko had never experienced such suffering.

She even felt she might not survive long enough to see Kitsune Saiguu return to Inazuma.

"Su Ran can bring people back. He can even revive the dead."

"Oh, please. It’s been so many days. Has he come back to check on us? He was probably lured away by some little vixen that popped out of nowhere."

How much had she suffered these past few days?

Had Su Ran returned?

Of course not.

Combined with Ei’s cooking torment—

Her mood had sunk to rock bottom.

If not for the hope of a departed friend’s return soon,

She might have already given up on life and left Inazuma entirely.

"What little vixen?"

Ei suddenly felt herself lifted into the air.

Turning back—

She saw Su Ran holding her from behind.

"Ahem. Isn’t the little vixen right here?"

Yae Miko immediately adjusted her posture, adopting a pitifully charming expression, fully displaying her fox-spirit allure.

"Such a tempting little vixen. You must have done quite a few bad things, hm? Send her to my room tonight—I’ll personally interrogate her."

Su Ran lifted Miko’s chin.

Seeing the exhaustion on her face from Ei’s torment these past days—

It made her already delicate beauty even more pitiable.

"Of course~ The little fox will confess everything~"

Miko responded with flirtatious eyes.

The tender atmosphere between them—

Was abruptly ruined by the plate Ei suddenly raised between them.

Especially since the thing on that plate now sat squarely between their faces.

Both Su Ran and Miko simultaneously revealed expressions of disgust.

It had to be said—

Raiden Ei’s cooking had reached an indescribable level.

The only reason Miko hadn’t died was likely due to her cultivated Hakushin bloodline.

An ordinary person would have long since been hospitalized for food poisoning.

Possibly even dead.

Seeing Ei’s handiwork,

Su Ran now fully understood Miko’s haggard state.

Anyone else would’ve perished.

"Since you’re back, Su Ran, you should try it too."

Though her dishes had never tasted good,

Ei had developed a small interest in cooking.

She genuinely wanted to improve.

She even suspected that perhaps Miko couldn’t taste the improvement—

Because her taste buds had been damaged by previous dishes.

Ei would rather admit her past cooking was terrible Than accept she hadn’t improved at all.

"...."

Su Ran picked up a piece of what looked like charcoal from the plate.

He studied it carefully.

And still couldn’t identify what it was.

He couldn’t help but ask:

"What is this supposed to be? Dark chocolate?"

Calling it charcoal directly would’ve been too cruel.

"It’s flatbread! Miko’s dinner tonight."

Su Ran swallowed.

Not because he was hungry—

But because he was afraid.

Even someone like him, who didn’t enjoy cooking,

Could at least make something edible.

Maybe not delicious.

But not nausea-inducing.

Unless the eater’s taste buds were abnormal.

"You think this is edible?"

He turned to Miko.

What kind of torment has she endured these days?

"I don’t think so."

Miko shook her head vigorously.

If it were edible, She wouldn’t look like this.

"Then have you eaten it?"

"...."

Her silence answered everything.

If she hadn’t eaten it,

She wouldn’t look so drained.

This was Yae Miko—

The ultimate trickster.

The person most likely in Teyvat to step onto a Path.

And even she looked like this.

Didn’t that say enough?

"Ei, have you tasted your own cooking?"

Still in Su Ran’s arms,

Raiden Ei shook her head.

She had never sampled her own dishes.

Su Ran fell silent again.

What kind of people were these?

Ei was ruthless.

She didn’t even taste her own food—

Yet made Miko eat it?

"Here. Try it."

Without warning, Su Ran shoved a piece into Ei’s mouth.

"Mm?"

She instinctively chewed twice—

Then her expression twisted bitterly.

"Pfft—!"

She spat everything out immediately.

"So? Is it good?"

Su Ran looked at her expectantly.

Miko quickly chimed in:

"Yes, yes~ Didn’t you say you improved this time? It must be decent, right?"

Faced with their curious gazes,

Ei lowered her head slightly.

Then she wriggled free from Su Ran’s embrace.

"I think... it still needs improvement."

After saying that,

She immediately dashed toward the Grand Narukami Shrine’s kitchen. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

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