"I oppose domestic violence," Renz said, rubbing his head. Though it didn't hurt, he still needed to express his stance and attitude.
With the newspaper thoroughly battered, Erina panted, sitting on the sofa with her arms crossed, turning her head away from Renz—a classic angry face. At that moment, a room door opened.
"Papa, good morning!" Haruki yawned as he walked out. "Okasan, I'm hungry. Make food."
Erina Nakiri was still fuming. She didn't want to make breakfast. Moreover, Haruki's way of addressing her still bothered her a bit; he used a more colloquial and affectionate term for Renz but a polite, distant one for her.
"No. Go ask your dad," Erina said, feeling annoyed. Her son and daughter clung to their dad—they were so distant from their own mom! Besides, she was upset right now and not in the mood to cook.
"Then, your old man here will show you a special skill," Renz declared with a wave of his hand. "Breakfast will be fried eggs."
That was his only special skill for breakfast. He was incredibly proficient. Though they looked bad, they were definitely edible!
"Huh?!" Haruki turned to Alice Nakiri. "Aunt Alice, good morning. Can you please make two breakfasts for Haruki?"
"You don't trust your old man's cooking that much?!" Renz was teary-eyed. After picking up and dropping off his son and daughter at school these past few days, he had completely embraced this identity.
"If Papa's breakfast is delicious, I'll eat it every day," Haruki said with an open mouth, his words sincere.
"Haruki has such a big appetite—wants two servings?" Alice said with a smile.
"No, one is for Rina," Haruki replied.
"Then what about Papa and Mama's portions?" Renz asked curiously, wanting to see how Haruki would answer this question.
"Mama will make Papa's breakfast," Haruki said seriously. "Mama only said she wouldn't make breakfast for me—not that she wouldn't make it for you."
"Okay, Auntie will make you breakfast right away," Alice nodded, thinking how well little Haruki had been educated.
Just as Alice was about to get up, a figure blocked her.
"What do you want to do now?" Alice asked, looking at Erina.
"Kitchen is off-limits. No idlers allowed," Erina said coolly. "I'll personally make breakfast for my children. They won't be used to yours."
Such a tsundere! You truly are the ultimate tsundere! Alice and Renz both complained internally.
Watching Erina walk towards the kitchen, Renz turned to Alice. "By the way, Alice, what did you mean by Erina making a comeback? I didn't quite catch that earlier."
"Didn't Erina tell you?" Alice pondered. "It's not a big deal, really. Erina married you seven years ago, and after that, she retired from the culinary world."
"Isn't there a 'Food Soul' cooking competition this year? Erina is going to be a judge. It's pretty much a comeback—and it's also a gimmick for this competition, right?"
Renz had heard before that Erina was a judge and realized her status in the culinary world wasn't low, but he had never imagined her status was that high. To be important enough to be the gimmick for a major cooking competition... she must be at the level of a culinary god to receive such treatment, right?
Mainly, Renz didn't understand the culinary world, but judging by this, she had to be at least a queen-level figure in it. One word: fierce! No wonder her cooking was so delicious. If her skill was like this ten years ago, what would it be like ten years later?
"We'll all be going then. I heard many talented chefs are coming for this competition!" Alice narrowed her eyes. "As an examiner, I'm quite looking forward to it."
"But, brother in law, you need to be careful," Alice added playfully. "There are a lot of people who admire Erina. Erina's charm is the kind that captures both men and women."
"Hisako said that once they get there, they'll try to steal your wife."
At that moment, Renz calmly placed his hand on Haruki's waist, lifted him up, and said, "See this? This is Erina's and my son."
"Those people—if one comes, I'll crush one," Renz said nonchalantly. This was the confidence of a professional gamer; anyone who faced him in a lane was already destined to be thoroughly defeated. He put Haruki down.
Just as Renz and Alice were chatting, a cheerful patter of footsteps echoed in the room. Rina had also woken up.
"Papa, I want a hug too!" Rina pouted, seeing Haruki being hugged.
"Having children is still quite troublesome, isn't it?" Alice was actually quite envious internally, but she had to find a reason to express that she wasn't envious at all.
"Troublesome? A mischievous child is troublesome, but a well-behaved one isn't," Renz thought for a moment. "Haruki is the especially well-behaved type."
"Then am I not well-behaved?" Rina crossed her arms, her angry face a perfect replica of Erina's.
"You're just like your mom," Renz didn't answer directly.
"So you mean I'm not well-behaved?" Rina's voice got higher, sounding angry—but her voice was too childish, so it came across more like she was pouting.
"Breakfast is ready," Erina said as she brought plates out from the kitchen. On each were exquisitely made rice balls. "Not enough ingredients, so someone might have to make do."
"Understood. I'm not worthy," Renz said with a troubled expression. Counting all that happened this morning, it was quite normal for Erina to have an opinion of him. From now on, he'd only speak well of Erina—and never ill. Her ears were really sharp.
"Alice, go buy your own breakfast," Erina said with a brief glance at Renz. Although Renz often said headache-inducing things, compared to Alice—who deliberately sought trouble and caused problems—Erina chose to inconvenience Alice. Besides, her son and daughter were here. Priority was to project an outward image.
"You have a husband, so you don't need your sister anymore?" Alice feigned a "heart-wrenching" tragic look. "We're blood relatives!"
Eh... It seems a cousin can't be considered an outsider either.
"If you won't give it to me, you won't give it to me, nah nah nah! I'll go find any random restaurant, and it'll be better than yours! Who cares about you!" Alice stuck out her tongue. Despite her age, she still acted like a "childish ghost."
"I care!" How could Renz miss this opportunity to show his loyalty? If he didn't show it now, would he still get to eat Erina's cooking later? When it was time to praise, he had to praise. Renz grabbed a rice ball and took a big bite. "Hey, Alice, this rice ball..."
"It's so good!"
You dog! Take this! Alice roared internally, seeing Renz eat with such an enraptured expression of "deliciousness." Alice thought this guy was truly a dog! So much a dog!
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With Erina's official "comeback" into the culinary world, and the ongoing comedic tension between Renz, Erina, and Alice, how will these dynamics evolve as they navigate both public and private life—especially with the added challenge of their children?
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