...
"W-washing me?" Rice Shower blinked in confusion.
Was it a cultural difference? Where she came from, helping with cooking didn't require washing oneself. Just like how one didn't need to slap themselves when going downstairs.
"That's right, washing the rice," Lucian affirmed with a nod.
But how could he not detect the puzzlement in Rice Shower's voice? Of course, he was teasing her on purpose.
"Wash now...? But, but I already took a bath before coming here today..."
Respecting customs, Rice Shower wouldn't refuse if washing was really necessary. But there wasn't even a bathroom here.
"You've already washed?" Lucian had just scooped a measured amount of rice into a basin of clean water. He looked up at Rice Shower, amused. "I meant rinsing the rice. Which 'rice' were you talking about?"
Rice Shower's breath hitched, and she wished she could burrow into the ground in embarrassment. She thought Lucian was asking her to wash herself.
She recalled Urara's past complaint—Trainers could be quite mischievous sometimes.
Seeing Rice Shower's shy expression, her crimson cheeks practically dripping with fluster, Lucian decided not to tease her further.
"Rice Shower, go help me rinse the rice. I'll make fried rice for you all."
Rice Shower exhaled softly, carrying the basin aside to cool down. "O-okay..."
...
Scallop egg white fried rice—the "scallop" here referring to dried scallops.
Before cooking, the dried scallops needed to be soaked in water to rehydrate, then shredded into thin strips for later use. This usually took one to two hours.
Lucian had prepared this step when he first arrived at the restaurant, so the timing was just right now.
"Rice Shower, no need to be too meticulous. Rinse it two or three times, then come over and watch."
"Okay." Rice Shower pulled her hands out of the cold water, carefully poured out the water from the basin, and then returned to Lucian's side.
"This dish isn't actually difficult. First, you need to understand that no matter what seasonings you add, they're all meant to give the rice a unique flavor. The focus is on the rice—don't let the extras steal the spotlight."
As he spoke, Lucian demonstrated his skilled knife work.
The unceasing clack-clack-clack of the knife soon turned the bok choy into uniformly thin slices.
Rice Shower watched intently, her heart in her throat, feeling as if the sharp blade was about to slice Lucian's fingers at any moment. She was ready to grab a band-aid at the slightest mishap.
Though her worry was unnecessary, it came from a good place.
"Next, prepare the crab meat and egg whites... Actually, I'll just use the whole egg. No point wasting the yolk."
"Looking at the ingredients delivered, there's also some ham, though not much... Rice Shower, do you want some?"
Rice Shower seemed to have already imagined the delicious finished product, swallowing repeatedly. "C-can I, Onii-sama...?"
"I'm the one asking you."
"W-want... I want to eat it..."
"Then it's all for Rice Shower."
...
Soon, the rice was cooked and ready to be stir-fried.
To achieve perfection and ensure the fried rice was thoroughly infused with flavor, Lucian stir-fried every two portions separately, making sure each grain stood distinct.
He loved these high-powered gas stoves—they allowed the rice to be stir-fried efficiently and thoroughly.
The metal spatula and wok played a symphony, while Lucian's endless chatter served as annotations to the music's exquisite nuances.
However, his apprentice wasn't as focused as he was. Though her mind hadn't wandered, her gaze had shifted from the fried rice to the person frying it.
Rice Shower stared at Lucian's profile as he deftly tossed the wok, momentarily entranced.
It wasn't that Rice Shower was being lovesick—it was just that boys who were serious about something had an inexplicable charm.
Even if another horse girl were here, their attention would be on Lucian right now. Urara would be no exception.
A sudden flare of fire from the wok snapped Rice Shower out of her scattered thoughts.
She averted her gaze but couldn't resist stealing another glance at Lucian's profile. Unlike the striking handsomeness of their first meeting, she felt that this version of Lucian was truly dashing.
Just then, Lucian set down the spatula and looked at her. "Rice Shower, did you understand everything I just explained?"
"Huh?" Rice Shower hadn't expected him to finish while she was spacing out. "N-no, I didn't, Onii-chan... Could you explain it again?"
"Absolutely okay!" That single "Onii-chan" instantly made someone's sore arms feel better. He scooped out two bowls of freshly cooked rice and said gently, "There are three more bowls left. I'll explain slowly, and you listen carefully."
"Mm!"
Time passed amidst the fragrant steam of the rice.
Since childhood, Rice Shower had pursued shiny, dazzling things relentlessly. Right now, she was deeply fascinated by Lucian's almost magical cooking skills.
But shiny things weren't always objects.
Just like how she later admired an outstanding horse girl like Mihono Bourbon sometimes, the most dazzling things could be exceptional people.
...
While Lucian was stir-frying, the three horse girls on cleaning duty finished their tasks smoothly.
The trio had energetically scrubbed every corner of the restaurant and were now exhausted, resting on their chairs.
Their eyes were fixed on the kitchen like three hungry fledglings waiting for their parents to return with food.
"The fried rice is here~" Lucian carried out a large tray with five bowls of scallop egg white fried rice. To add a sense of ceremony, he had even covered them with lids.
Behind him, Rice Shower mimicked, "T-tofu pudding is here~"
Doto, Taiki Shuttle, and Ines Fujin swallowed in unison.
Were they about to lose their composure again? But for such delicious food, they wouldn't mind losing it a few more times.
"Let's eat!"
...
Tea and full stomach.
The afternoon's feast would leave the four horse girls savoring the memory for a long time.
After the meal, Taiki Shuttle and Rice Shower had matters to attend to and left first. Ines Fujin and Doto voluntarily stayed behind to help Lucian clean up the mess.
Lucian happened to glance at Ines Fujin washing the dishes and noticed how swift and practiced her movements were—a stark contrast to Doto's slower pace beside her.
"Fujin, can I call you that?" Lucian walked over to Ines Fujin, curiosity piqued.
On closer inspection, he realized her hands weren't as delicate and fair as other horse girls'.
"Of course, Mr. Lucian... Did I remember your name right?"
"Call me 'boss' if you want," Lucian joked, pulling up a stool to sit beside her. "You look pretty experienced at this."
"Yeah, because I've worked part-time at a restaurant before. There were way more dishes and utensils there—if you didn't wash fast, you'd have to go home very late," Ines Fujin answered honestly.
Lucian suddenly remembered—Doto had mentioned earlier that this girl was the only one who gave up the festival to come work part-time.
But since they'd only met this afternoon, it wasn't appropriate to ask about personal matters.