The Third Prince Of Darkness

Chapter 185  I’ll be back

When I entered, I noticed Limahlat clumsily trying to cook something and quietly moved to a corner.

"What are you doing?" I asked as I looked at them from behind.

Limahlat startled when she heard my voice and almost dropped the food. She quickly handed the spoon to Catherine and hurriedly moved away from the counter.

"Nothing! The little cute princess wanted to make you something before you left, and I was helping her," Limahlat said as she tried to escape with a clumsy excuse.

While watching Limahlat awkwardly try to flee, Catherine smiled faintly. The light in the princess's eyes shimmered with both a desire to succeed and gratitude. As she gently stirred the mixture in the pot with the spoon, she turned toward me.

"Ethan," she said, smiling shyly, "I wanted to make something special for you before you left. But I'm not very good in the kitchen, so I asked Limah for help... or at least, I tried... But Limahlat turned out to be more skilled than I thought!"

I couldn't help but smile as I watched Limahlat quietly muttering and trying to escape from the kitchen. It was impossible not to appreciate Catherine's kind and adorable effort. I still couldn't figure out what the mixture in the pot was, but what mattered was her intention.

"Did you just say Limahlat is skilled?" I asked teasingly. "I guess this is a secret I didn't know about."

Catherine's cheeks turned even redder, and she stopped stirring the spoon, bashfully wiping her hands on her apron. "Yes, actually, she helped me a lot," she said. "But I think her style is a bit... chaotic."

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"Chaotic?" I repeated, glancing at Limahlat. She was already leaning against the edge of the counter, arms crossed, looking at me innocently.

"What?!" Limahlat said, as if defending herself. "I just let the little princess express her creativity. She did most of the work."

Catherine giggled softly at these words. "I guess I'm a little clumsy. But I still tried," she said, though a pleasant smell of food reached my nose. Maybe Limahlat really was a wonderful cook? Even though it seemed odd for a demon princess to be a talented chef, it could still be true.

I immediately sat on an empty stool next to a nearby table and glanced at them.

"Alright," I said finally, with a slight smile. "What's the source of this lovely smell? Come on, admit it, Limahlat is secretly a master chef, isn't she?"

Catherine laughed a little nervously at my question and shook her head. "Actually, this came from me... adjusting the recipe a little. I mean, Limah added a few things, but mostly it came from trial and error."

"Trial and error?" I repeated, then looked at Limahlat. "Are you using the princess as a test subject?"

Limahlat crossed her arms and dramatically turned to me with a frown. "First of all, I'm not a master chef. But I believe I can make great things with the right ingredients. Secondly..." her voice softened a little, "I respect the little princess's effort in cooking. She was really sincere about it."

At these words, Catherine's cheeks turned red again. "I just wanted to make something nice for you before you left," she said shyly. "Maybe it was a bit too ambitious, but the important thing... is the intention."

This time, I really laughed. Catherine's cute effort and Limahlat's sarcastic yet supportive attitude had unexpectedly made my morning much better. "So, am I ready to test the taste of this intention?" I said, reaching for a plate beside the pot. Catherine eagerly moved and filled my plate with the food using a ladle.

The food looked even better than I expected. Thanks to Limahlat's touch, it seemed more harmonious. I took a spoonful and slowly brought it to my mouth as Catherine and Limahlat watched me eagerly.

The taste was surprisingly balanced from the first bite. The harmony of the spices blended well with the perfectly cooked ingredients. I stayed silent for a few seconds, while Catherine and Limahlat anxiously looked at my face.

"I must admit," I said finally, somewhat theatrically. "This... is really good."

Catherine's eyes sparkled with joy, and she took a deep breath. "Really?!" she asked, her eyes widening with excitement.

"Yes," I said, glancing at Limahlat as I dipped the spoon back into the plate. "If you ever consider stopping with the fighting, you could have a good future in the kitchen."

"No thanks, I'll pass... But if you want, I could make it for you occasionally when you come back," she said.

When she said that, I almost felt like she blushed, but I couldn't be sure due to her red skin. I wish her face would turn a different color when she embarrassed, like green or something?

"I'm going to wake the girls up. Limah and Ethan, you two prepare the table," Catherine said, leaving the room without looking back.

"Limah? You two seem to get along pretty well," I commented.

Limahlat raised an eyebrow and looked at me. "Why are you so surprised? Catherine is a really sweet person. Also, no one has ever been this kind to me," she said, for a moment showing unexpected honesty. Then she smiled and added, "But don't worry, I'm still a terrifying demon princess."

At that, I couldn't help but laugh. "A sweet princess and a battle-crazy demon princess? These two don't seem to match very well," I said teasingly.

As Limahlat placed the dishes on the table, she shrugged theatrically. "I do enjoy surprising humans."

Meanwhile, the two of us were quickly setting the table. We managed to fill the table with the other breakfast items in no time, and before long, all the girls started coming into the room, half-asleep.

The girls, still half-asleep, focused their eyes on the prepared breakfast. Evangeline, tossing her long pink hair back, yawned lightly. Looking at Catherine's freshly cooked meal with her blue eyes, she spoke.

"What's the source of this lovely smell? I think a miracle has been made in the kitchen."

Kayle, adjusting her golden hair, smiled at Limahlat, squinting her eyes. "Who would have known Limahlat was so skilled? Or did Catherine do everything?"

Limahlat dramatically raised her hand and sighed. "Yes, yes, you all always underestimate me. Maybe one day I'll teach each of you how to cook."

Ellera, her fox ears twitching and tail swaying slightly, approached the table. A few strands of her black hair fell over her silver eyes as she silently pulled out a chair and sat down.

Roxanne walked quietly to the table and sat down quietly, unlike her usual warm behaviour. The fact that I would be leaving still upset her, but I hoped the decision we made last night would make her feel better.

As the girls settled at the table, the atmosphere in the room instantly became livelier. Despite all eyes on her, Catherine happily began serving the food to the girls. I took my place and decided to eat with them.

The meal turned out much better than I had expected. As everyone sat down, a peaceful atmosphere formed between the girls, who were chatting and laughing. The harmony between Limahlat and Catherine had created an ambiance very different from the morning's stress. We didn't talk much during breakfast, simply enjoying the meal and finding comfort in each other's presence.

But when the time came, I raised my head and looked out of the window. "Girls, I think it's time to go," I said. My words instantly changed the cheerful atmosphere.

Immediately after, each of the girls stood up from the table with a sad expression.

"I'm not fond of goodbyes, but I promise each of you, I'll be back."

First, Roxanne jumped up and hugged me tightly. Her eyes were filled with tears again, but she seemed to be forcing herself to hold back. Then Ellera approached and hugged me from behind. Ellera didn't say anything. She just pressed her face to my back and hugged me tightly. I could barely hear her whisper, "Take care of yourself."

Right after that, Evangeline came and hugged me, moving to my right side. "No matter what, don't put yourself in danger. You're a prince, and you're the last person who should be in danger," she said.

I nodded to Evangeline as Catherine approached, smiling, and hugged me on my left side. Kayle, however, stood there with her arms crossed over her chest, wearing an irritated and fed up expression, waiting next to Limahlat. Even Limahlat came up to me, and using her height advantage, managed to push past all the girls and gave me a firm hug.

"You won't hear any silly goodbye words from me, but it'd be nice if you came back," she said.

After each of the girls hugged me for a while, I finally approached Kayle. She was still standing there with her arms crossed over her chest, avoiding my gaze. Without waiting for her permission, I pulled her toward me and hugged her tightly. Even though Kayle tried to push me away, I didn't let go. After a while, she stopped resisting the hug.

"I'll be back... In the meantime, take good care of the girls and keep them together... Alright? Can you do that for me?" I whispered into Kayle's ear.

Kayle bit her lip and nodded. Her eyes were teary, but she turned her face away, trying to hide her emotion from me. After I released her, I walked toward the door. When I glanced back one last time, I saw each of them with different expressions, but then I walked out with strong steps and headed toward the location of the teleportation portal.