Chapter 11 - 011: Beast meat
Rylan carried the beast over one shoulder while Anaria followed behind with the Crimson Heartleaf tucked safely against her chest. As her gaze lingered on the plump wild boar, her stomach let out a quiet, pitiful growl.
"A plate of smoky barbecue... maybe some grilled pork ribs..." Just thinking about the food she used to eat in her old world made her mouth water.
Before she could stop herself, she blurted, "I’ll give you guys a proper treat with it later."
Rylan’s footsteps slowed. He glanced back at her, his expression unreadable. "You... cook?"
"I do," Anaria replied confidently.
A low chuckle escaped him.
She stared at him in disbelief before narrowing her eyes. "Okay... that was rude."
Rylan offered no explanation. He simply adjusted the beast on his shoulder and continued toward the shelter as though nothing had happened.
Anaria pulled an exaggerated face at his back before quickening her pace to catch up. "Laugh all you want," she muttered under her breath. "You’ll be thanking me later."
The shelter came into view a few moments later.
Kai was still lying where they had left him, his breathing steady but shallow. Relief flickered across Anaria’s face before the familiar translucent panel appeared before her eyes.
[Required treatment material acquired.]
[Commencing secondary stabilization procedure.]
Following the system’s instructions, Anaria knelt beside Kai and carefully crushed the Crimson Heartleaf against a smooth stone until the crimson leaves dissolved into a thick paste threaded with shimmering silver veins. Another panel appeared, guiding each step with precise instructions.
She spread the medicine gently around the wound near his heart-core before replacing the clean bandages exactly as directed. The paste disappeared into the injury almost immediately, and the tightness in Kai’s breathing eased little by little.
[Secondary stabilization successful.]
[Heart-core deterioration temporarily suppressed.]
Anaria released a long breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. "Good. At least you’re not trying to die anymore."
No sooner had the words left her mouth than Kai’s body suddenly went rigid.
His eyes snapped open.
A violent wave of pressure burst through the shelter as dragon instinct overwhelmed. Before Anaria could react, Rylan stepped in front of her without hesitation, one arm shielding her while the other instinctively reached for the weapon at his side.
Kai’s unfocused crimson eyes swept across the cave with unmistakable hostility. Every muscle in his body remained tense, as though he were still trapped in the middle of the battle that had nearly killed him.
"Easy," Anaria said quickly, ignoring the ache in her bruised throat as she stepped around Rylan just enough for Kai to see her. "You’re safe. Nobody here is trying to hurt you."
Kai’s gaze locked onto her.
The hostility in Kai’s eyes slowly faded, replaced by confusion as his breathing steadied. He studied Anaria in silence, taking in her plain features, the bruises around her throat, and the exhaustion she could no longer hide.
"You saved me?" he asked quietly before a faint frown creased his brow. "I have to admit... you weren’t what I expected."
Anaria blinked.
Kai held her gaze for another second before adding with complete sincerity, "You’re... quite ugly."
The shelter fell silent.
For the briefest moment, something flickered across Anaria’s face. It was so small that anyone else might have missed it, but Rylan saw it. Those words had found an old wound before she smothered the hurt beneath a calm smile.
"Fortunately," Anaria replied lightly, "I wasn’t hoping to impress you."
Kai’s expression stiffened.
Only then did he remember the herbs, the fresh bandages around his chest, the lingering scent of medicine, and the bruises circling her throat.
This woman whom he had insulted less than a minute after waking had saved his life.
He opened his mouth as though to say something, but no words came.
Instead, he lowered his eyes and quietly looked away.
The cave fell into an uncomfortable silence.
Anaria, on the other hand, had already moved on.
She walked over to the wild boar Rylan had brought back and rubbed her hands together. "Right. Since everyone’s awake and nobody’s trying to strangle me anymore, let’s eat."
The system appeared immediately.
[Cooking Mode Activated.]
[Beginner Cooking Guidance Available.]
Anaria stared at the panel "Since when do you do cooking too?"
[The Beauty System supports hosts in maintaining an elegant lifestyle.]
"...That’s the most shameless thing you’ve said today."
Following the system’s instructions, Anaria cleaned the meat, gathered dry branches, and, with Rylan’s reluctant help, managed to start a fire. Everything went surprisingly well until another panel appeared.
[Turn the meat.]
Anaria frowned. "How?"
[Use the roasting stick.]
Anaria looked around the cave in confusion before finally spotting the long branch leaning against a rock. "...There was a stick?"
A brief silence followed.
Rylan glanced at the branch, then back at her with an unreadable expression. Kai simply watched her, clearly puzzled by the question. Neither of them said anything, but Anaria still felt oddly embarrassed.
Several awkward minutes later, the meat was finally cooked. It wasn’t beautifully roasted, nor was it burnt beyond recognition. It simply looked... edible.
"Well," Anaria declared as she cut off a piece, "if nobody collapses after eating it, I’ll call this a success."
She handed a portion to Rylan before carrying another to Kai.
Kai looked at the meat, then at her. "For me?"
Anaria raised an eyebrow. "Unless there’s another dragon hiding in this cave, yes."
After a brief hesitation, Kai accepted it with a quiet, "Thank you."
The three of them ate in relative silence. Between bites, Anaria finally looked toward Kai and asked, "So... what happened to you?"
Kai swallowed before answering. "My name is Kai."
Anaria nodded for him to continue.
"I’m the Second Prince of the Drakhar Kingdom. I left the capital alone a few days ago, but someone ambushed me before I reached the eastern border. I remember fighting..." His brows slowly drew together. "After that... nothing."
His expression darkened with frustration. "My memory ends there."
Anaria exchanged a brief glance with Rylan. Someone had managed to ambush a dragon prince powerful enough to leave half the forest in ruins.
That was... concerning.
Kai eventually looked back at her. "What about you?"
Before Anaria could answer, she noticed Rylan’s attention shift toward her as well. He remained silent, but it was obvious he was listening.
She shrugged lightly "I’m Anaria. Former princess of the Fox Clan." Her voice stayed calm, almost detached. "I was born ugly, so everyone decided I was cursed. I spent most of my life locked away until they finally exiled me."
She finished speaking as though she had merely described the weather.
An uneasy silence settled over the cave. Kai lowered his eyes, and Rylan’s hand tightened ever so slightly around the roasted meat as he silently absorbed her words.
A familiar chime echoed inside Anaria’s mind.
[Husband Candidate #1 Affection Increased.]
[Current Affection: 15%]
She blinked. "...Seriously?"
Before she could think any further, the system chimed again.
[Husband Candidate #2 Affection Increased.]
[Current Affection: 5%]
Anaria nearly dropped the meat in her hand "Wait, since when did he have an affection bar?"
The translucent panel answered without the slightest trace of sympathy
[Husband Candidate #2 successfully registered.]
"You couldn’t have mentioned that sooner?"
The system offered no reply.
Kai finally broke the silence by looking toward Rylan. "And you?"
Rylan simply said, "I left my clan." Then he returned his attention to the meat in his hand, making it clear he had no intention of saying anything more. Kai waited for him to continue, but the silence stretched on.
He glanced at Anaria, then back at Rylan before quietly asking, "That’s... all?" Rylan nodded once. Anaria opened her mouth, closed it again, and finally muttered, "I don’t know why I expected anything different."
Dinner ended not long afterward.
Rylan rose to his feet, picked up his weapon, and walked toward the cave entrance. "I’ll keep watch."
Kai leaned back against the stone wall, his injuries and lingering exhaustion quickly catching up to him. Within minutes, his breathing had evened out once more.
Anaria stretched until her sore muscles protested, then let out a long, exhausted sigh as she looked at the cave ceiling.
"Please..." she muttered. "No more missions today."
For once, the system remained mercifully silent.