When Lava chased her to the kitchen, what she saw was a scene that left her somewhat stunned. She had originally thought that the unattended kitchen would once again be turned upside down and left in a mess by Ceobe, and that she would probably have to pay for the damages herself in the end. But in fact, it seemed that wasn't the case at all.
There was no messy, overturned stove as she imagined, no shattered dishes on the floor, no open refrigerator, and no sauces or food scraps splattered everywhere. At this moment, Ceobe was neatly seated at the dining table, eating gracefully. ...Of course, that was provided one ignored the clothes stained with soup and sauce, and the honeycomb cakes piled up like a small mountain beside her.
(Wait... honeycomb cakes?)
"Wow! It's Lava! Lava!"
Ceobe, looking up from her food, saw Lava. Her first reaction was to joyfully wave the half-eaten honeycomb cake in her hand. Showing off food seemed to be a social custom understood only by this Perro girl herself , and Lava, long accustomed to this method, merely shook her head.
"Honestly... didn't I say, if you're hungry, just come find me or Vulcan? Don't run to the kitchen alone—"
Walking from the doorway into the kitchen, Lava originally intended to lecture Ceobe at length , but seeing the girl eating so happily, she couldn't help but sigh.
"Don't always trouble Mr. Horn—he's also... wait."
It was at this moment that Lava finally noticed Revy. "May I ask, was her food prepared by you, sir?"
Lava didn't recognize Revy, but she did recognize the Elite Operator uniform he wore. Although part of it was covered by a chef's apron due to cooking, this didn't prevent Lava from realizing that the person before her was one of Rhodes Island's most uniquely distinguished operators. Therefore, her question naturally carried a hint of respect.
"Hmm... I originally snuck in to cook a small meal for my girlfriend, but then Miss Ceobe discovered me halfway through. Following the principle of 'those who see, get a share,' I just made something for her to eat as well".
(A little? Is that what you call a little? That's a ton...)
Lava glanced at the mountain of honeycomb cakes piled beside Ceobe, then noticed Eyjafjalla eating beside Ceobe. Eyjafjalla also seemed to sense the gaze on her. She looked up, met Lava's eyes, then narrowed her eyes and waved with a smile.
"...My apologies, you must be Mr. Reguluss Harvey, right? Ceobe has been under your care," Upon seeing the little sheep and connecting it with Revy's earlier statement, the clever Lava easily guessed his identity. After all, although Eyjafjalla herself didn't speak of it, the story of her, who rarely left home, leaving Rhodes Island to conduct volcano research had already spread throughout Rhodes Island. And the hottest topic among these was precisely the legendary Calamity Messenger, Reguluss Harvey, and his nearly week-long story of being alone with Eyjafjalla.
"It's alright, I'm quite happy watching others enjoy my cooking so much," Revy said. He spooned some soup from the porcelain bowl in front of him, gently blew away the steam, first tested the temperature with his tongue to confirm it was fine, and then swallowed it in one gulp. Being so careful wasn't typically Revy's habit , but eating now wasn't just to satisfy his taste buds; it was also a way to share the delicious meal with Theresa through synesthesia. Of course, Lava didn't understand any of this.
"May I presume to ask again, has Ceobe not caused you any trouble?"
"Trouble? Not trouble, no," Revy shook his head and said, "Actually, I feel this child is quite interested in food. She asked this and that while I was cooking. Unfortunately, she seemed to quickly tire of digging deep, so I don't know how much of what I said she actually took in".
Lava gave a wry smile. "She's not really interested in cooking... she just simply loves to eat, and basically eats everything".
"Because I was afraid the soup wouldn't suit her taste, and she looked very hungry, so I asked her what she liked to eat so I could make it for her... and then she told me, she liked honeycomb cakes, lots and lots of honeycomb cakes".
(And then you really made her lots and lots of honeycomb cakes...)
Lava suddenly remembered what Horn had mentioned about honeycomb cakes. Honeycomb cakes came in many varieties, besides the Sargon-style honeycomb cakes Ceobe liked, there were also Yan-style honeycomb cakes and so on. The specific flavor that little Ceobe favored was actually the most complex to make , which was why Ceobe would only eat honeycomb cakes made by herself, Horn, and Vulcan. Because others simply couldn't make that flavor of honeycomb cake, and little Ceobe wasn't stupid; she could tell if something tasted good or not. But the honeycomb cakes this person made... could actually make little Ceobe... Even she herself had only managed to make honeycomb cakes that little Ceobe rated as "delicious" after Horn taught her several times , and this man didn't look like a professional chef at all...
Lava glanced sideways and saw a few honeycomb cakes still left in the baking pan that hadn't been taken out. "...Excuse me, Mr. Reguluss, may I try this honeycomb cake?"
"You may? And please, just call me Revy. I'm not very used to formal addresses," Revy said, gesturing with his hand. To be honest, engaged in conversation with Theresa, he didn't pay much attention to Lava standing by.
"...Then I won't be polite," Lava picked up a honeycomb cake from the baking pan. She carefully brought a corner of the cake to her mouth, then gently took a bite.
"...!!"
"Ceobe! Not again! Ugh..." Lava chased her to the kitchen, bracing herself. She expected the usual chaos: overturned stoves, shattered dishes, an open refrigerator spilling its guts, sauces splattered like abstract art. But what she saw instead left her utterly stunned.
Ceobe sat neatly at the dining table, eating with surprising grace. Her clothes, true, were a casualty of soup and sauce, and beside her, honeycomb cakes rose like a small, golden mountain.
Honeycomb cakes?
"Wow! It's Lava! Lava!" Ceobe looked up, a joyful wave of her half-eaten cake her customary greeting. Showing off food was a social custom unique to this Perro girl, a quirk Lava had long grown accustomed to. She simply shook her head.
"Honestly... didn't I say, if you're hungry, just come find me or Vulcan? Don't run to the kitchen alone—" Lava walked deeper into the kitchen, her lecture prepared. But the sight of Ceobe's pure joy deflated her. She sighed. "Don't always trouble Mr. Horn—he's also... wait."
It was then that Lava noticed him. A man in an Elite Operator uniform, partly obscured by a chef's apron. This wasn't just anyone; this was one of Rhodes Island's most uniquely distinguished operators. "May I ask, was her food prepared by you, sir?" Her question held a respectful deferral.
"Hmm... I originally snuck in to cook a small meal for my girlfriend," he replied, a casual shrug of his shoulders. "But then Miss Ceobe discovered me halfway through. Following the principle of 'those who see, get a share,' I just made something for her to eat as well."
A little? Is that what you call a little? That's a ton…
Lava's gaze flickered to the towering pile of honeycomb cakes beside Ceobe, then to Eyjafjalla, who sat eating next to the Perro girl. Eyjafjalla, sensing the stare, looked up. Their eyes met. The little sheep narrowed her eyes, then waved, a warm smile gracing her lips.
"...My apologies, you must be Mr. Reguluss Harvey, right? Ceobe has been under your care." The little sheep, coupled with the man's earlier comment, clicked into place for the clever Lava. Though Eyjafjalla rarely spoke of it, her journey to conduct volcano research, particularly with the legendary Calamity Messenger, Reguluss Harvey, had become a hushed, captivating tale throughout Rhodes Island. Their nearly week-long solitude, a whispered rumor.
"It's alright, I'm quite happy watching others enjoy my cooking so much," the man, Revy, said. He spooned soup from a porcelain bowl, gently blowing away the steam before testing the temperature with his tongue. Only then did he swallow it in a single gulp. Such meticulousness wasn't typical of Revy, but this meal was more than just flavor; it was a silent communion, a shared experience with Theresa through synesthesia. Of course, Lava knew none of this.
"May I presume to ask again, has Ceobe not caused you any trouble?"
"Trouble? Not trouble, no," Revy shook his head. "Actually, I feel this child is quite interested in food. She asked this and that while I was cooking. Unfortunately, she seemed to quickly tire of digging deep, so I don't know how much of what I said she actually took in."
Lava offered a wry smile. "She's not really interested in cooking... she just simply loves to eat, and basically eats everything."
"Because I was afraid the soup wouldn't suit her taste, and she looked very hungry, so I asked her what she liked to eat so I could make it for her... and then she told me, she liked honeycomb cakes, lots and lots of honeycomb cakes."
And then you really made her lots and lots of honeycomb cakes...
A memory surfaced for Lava, a conversation with Horn about honeycomb cakes. There were countless varieties: Sargon-style, Yan-style, and more. Ceobe's preferred flavor, however, was the most intricate to prepare. That's why she only ate honeycomb cakes made by herself, Horn, or Vulcan. Others simply couldn't replicate the taste. Ceobe wasn't foolish; she knew good from bad. But these honeycomb cakes... they had captivated the little Perro. Even Lava, after multiple lessons from Horn, had only managed to earn a "delicious" rating from Ceobe. And this man, Revy, didn't look like a professional chef at all...
Lava glanced sideways. A few honeycomb cakes remained in the baking pan, still cooling. "...Excuse me, Mr. Reguluss, may I try this honeycomb cake?"
"You may? And please, just call me Revy. I'm not very used to formal addresses," Revy said, gesturing with his hand. Engaged in his silent conversation with Theresa, he paid little attention to Lava.
"...Then I won't be polite." Lava picked up a honeycomb cake. She carefully brought a corner to her mouth, then took a gentle bite.
"...!!"