Chapter 80. Kitchen Nemesis
"Hot…"
This word slipped from Erika’s small mouth…
Her pale lips were tightly pressed together, and beneath her slightly trembling eyelashes, her eyes remained closed. Her expression was uneasy, and her fair skin—still tinged with a baby-pink hue—was soaked in sweat.
"Ugh…"
Her small hands clutched tightly at the blanket, gripping with effort, wrinkling the once-flat bed.
"Haa… haa…"
In the next second, Erika’s eyes abruptly snapped open. She woke up in a shock, panting heavily, already drenched in sweat.
It wasn’t just her forehead—her chest and back were also soaked, even dampening her camisole sleepwear.
After the initial tension faded, she gently pressed her small hand to her forehead and instinctively glanced toward the clock on the wall.
The hands pointed to… 05:05.
That time again…Awoken once more by the same terrifying nightmare—but she still couldn’t remember what it was.
After taking several deep breaths, Erika lightly massaged her temples.
She didn’t know why, but her sleep quality had been terrible these past few days. She had nightmares almost every night, and every time she woke—it was exactly 05:05.
Was it just a coincidence?
Shaking her head a bit, Erika turned to see Gladys still asleep beside her. Today, she was sleeping soundly. Her ink-black hair lay messily over her stunning face—just like a sleeping beauty.
Moving carefully so as not to wake her, Erika got up quietly.
She tiptoed to the kitchen and tied on an oversized apron.
Scanning the kitchen’s contents, Erika revealed her two little tiger teeth in a bright smile.
That’s right—today, she was going to make breakfast for Gladys.
Gladys had always taken care of her. She woke her up every day, bought her beautiful dresses and delicious food…So this time, Erika wanted to give her a surprise.
Her small hands began rummaging through the kitchen, and she found a basket of eggs.
Let’s start by frying a couple of eggs.
Blinking, Erika wiped her hands on the apron, tiptoed to the stove, and heated the oil in a pan.
As the oil began to sizzle, she grabbed an egg.
Crack.
However, before she could even crack it open, she accidentally crushed it in her hand…
Let’s try again…
Shaking the egg white off her hand and wiping it on her apron, Erika grabbed another.
This time, she tried tapping it against the counter to open a crack.
Crack.
It shattered again…
Try again!
Another egg—but instead of the yolk and white, what she dumped into the oil were the shells…
Retry—!
Rubbing her nose with her eggy fingers, Erika was determined. No way she was going to fail at something as simple as frying an egg!
Finally, after using up the whole basket of eggs, she managed to fry one… incomplete egg.
It was passable…
Nodding slightly in satisfaction, Erika continued her search through the kitchen.
At last, she found something that looked like steak.
“Wow—!”
Like discovering a new world, Erika quickly pulled out several pieces.
“Hmph, so Gladys was hiding all these goodies!”
Muttering, Erika hurried to heat the pan again.
But this time, she was smart enough to realize she probably wasn’t very good at cooking.
So, to avoid burning the meat, she kept flipping the steak constantly, almost every few seconds, and didn’t mind the hassle.
Eventually, she finished cooking five steaks—though how well-done they were, even she wasn’t sure.
Looking at the plate full of steak and eggs, Erika’s mouth nearly watered.
What a feast!
Wiping her mouth with the back of her soft white hand, she held herself back. Thinking it needed some carbs too, she decided to make porridge for a more hearty meal.
Porridge was great for health—and there was an art to cooking it.
Although Erika only half-understood what she was doing.
Going by memory, she boiled water, then added rice once it started boiling.
Since the rice’s inner and outer temperatures differed, cracks began forming when it hit the hot water—it dissolved easily into the soup…
“Okay, now we simmer it slowly…”
Grinning again, Erika nodded with satisfaction.
The porridge simmering took a while—and it was boring.
Her gaze drifted to the steaks she had just cooked.
Right!
The porridge would take so long to cook—the steaks might get cold!
She’d messed up the order!
Feeling regretful, Erika wiped her apron and decided to wake up Gladys to eat the steaks while they were still warm.
But halfway there, she stopped…
Wait, did steaks need seasoning? She hadn’t added anything.
Oh well, better to just add something and taste-test!
Turning back to grab some seasonings, she sprinkled them over the steaks.
Blinking, Erika picked up a piece and took a bite.
“Hmm… tastes kind of bland.”
She added a bit more seasoning and took another bite.
“Hmm? Is it too strong now?”
Another bite…
“Nope, I think it’s still too bland…”
“Ugh, maybe it is too strong now…”
And so, Erika unknowingly became absorbed in the taste of the steak—unable to stop.
Until… the smell of something burning hit her nose!
“Oh no! My porridge—!”
Panicking, Erika dashed toward the stove.
But in her rush, her heel slipped on some egg white she’d spilled earlier.
Thud!
With a loud crash, Erika’s small body tumbled forward. Her flailing hands accidentally knocked over the bowl she had prepared for the porridge.
Clatter!
A clear, ringing sound—shattered pieces of the bowl scattered across the floor.
She had just scrambled up angrily when her head bumped into the bottom of the cupboard.
Clatter-clatter-clatter…
In an instant, dishes and cutlery rained down across the kitchen…
Now, the kitchen was in utter chaos. Broken dishes everywhere on the floor, splattered egg whites and eggshells, and from the pot—an increasingly strong smell of burnt porridge…
Such a commotion naturally woke up Gladys.
She sat up groggily, her gaze still a bit dazed.
But the moment she stepped into the kitchen—Gladys froze.
She scratched her dark hair with a jade-like hand, then rubbed her eyes.
After confirming she wasn’t dreaming, she crossed her arms, one brow arching.
“Erika? Are you sabotaging the kitchen?”
“Ah… ha… hehehe…”
Scratching her silver-gray hair, Erika gave an extremely awkward smile. Her little face was far from clean—still smeared with egg white and a bit of soot.
“Gladys… breakfast’s ready.”
“Breakfast… where exactly?”
“Stea—”
Just as she was about to say “steak,” Erika realized—She had eaten all the steak while “tasting” it…
Swallowing her words, Erika shrank a bit. Her red eyes blinked cutely.
“F-fried egg…”
At that, Gladys’s blue pupils scanned the chaotic scene around her. On the table, aside from the fried egg, there were a few oily empty plates. Then she noticed the oil stains around Erika’s lips…
Sighing, Gladys walked over and scooped Erika up into her arms without minding the mess.
“Hiss~”
A chill went through Erika’s spine as her ears were gently teased. Her mischievous little tail popped out, and her body shivered like it had been zapped.
Then she slumped into Gladys’s soft arms, completely drained.
“Gladys… y-you’re doing it again…”
“Well, someone didn’t behave. Naughty girl.”
Gladys’s soft voice tickled Erika’s ears.
Her red lips pressed against Erika’s ear, cheeks close, while her hand gently stroked Erika’s silvery hair.
“Those steaks were for you, you know. But now look at the mess. Don’t you think it was a waste?”
“I… I…”
“Alright, sweetheart. From now on, leave these things to me. Right now, I need to wash your messy little body, and then clean this kitchen.”
“…Okay…”