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It seemed that if Erina didn't live with Renz, the position of head chef would be impossible for her. And if Renz lived with Mashiro Shiina, then cooking duties would definitely fall to Renz. This was an unsolvable dilemma. They couldn't possibly eat out every day, and besides, her cooking was delicious, so why eat out?
Erina quickly connected the dots. If Renz and Mashiro Shiina went out to eat together, given their similar age, they would very likely be mistaken for a couple. After all, Mashiro really needed someone else to actively take care of her. It was normal for Renz, as her brother-in-law, to look after Mashiro Shiina, but outsiders wouldn't know their relationship. If they were truly mistaken for a couple, Erina would feel like banging her head against a wall.
"Speaking of which, it's been a while since I've had your cooking," Renz said, oblivious to Erina's rapidly changing expressions. "Unfortunately, there aren't many good ingredients at home." Top-tier ingredients definitely enhance taste. For ordinary ingredients, freshness is key; if the meat is fresh enough and the chef's skills are good, excellent flavors can still be achieved.
Erina rummaged through the refrigerator. "These are enough."
"Then you cook," Renz said, sitting down on the sofa and watching TV with Mashiro Shiina. When it came to cooking, one person was enough. Since Erina said she wanted to be the head chef, Renz fully entrusted it to her. Erina watched Renz's actions, but said nothing, smiling as she picked up a kitchen knife, took the frozen meat from the freezer, and prepared to thaw it. She wasn't the jealous type. Nor would she get angry at every little thing.
A few seconds later, the more Erina thought about it, the angrier she became.
"Aren't you going to help me?" Erina couldn't hold it in for long before speaking from the kitchen. Renz was also puzzled. With Erina's skills, she shouldn't need anyone to assist her, right? Nevertheless, Renz got up and walked towards the kitchen. He pulled the glass kitchen door shut. Erina was already wearing her kitchen apron. She spoke earnestly, "Have your knife skills improved?"
"You handle this piece of meat," Erina gestured, laying the frozen meat on the cutting board.
Renz nodded.
"I'm truly sorry for troubling you with Mashiro recently. After I sort things out with my grandfather, I'll find a way to have Hisako take care of Mashiro," Erina thought of an excellent solution. Although she had considered this approach long ago, she hadn't expected to have to advance her plans so much. Renz placed the frozen meat in water.
"Are you jealous?" Renz almost perfectly stepped on a landmine, hitting Erina's weak spot the moment he opened his mouth.
"Of course not!" Erina flatly denied it. "Impossible! You, you... you've been with me for so many years!"
This reaction... Renz roughly understood. How could I not understand your true nature? Your reaction when your thoughts are exposed has never changed.
"How could I possibly be jealous of her?" Renz and Erina said almost in unison. Double negatives expressing strong convictionāa common phrase the Great Tsundere often used when provoked. Renz knew it by heart.
Erina heard this and was about to burst out with her displeasure when Renz continued, "I know, Mashiro doesn't understand anything right now. You wouldn't be jealous of her. Who would nitpick with a child?"
"Exactly!" Erina nodded. Then, Erina realized that everything she wanted to say had already been uttered by Renz.
"So, Erina is a sensible person who wouldn't get angry over such small matters, right?" Renz continued, slowly leading her on. Erina was about to nod, but her expression immediately shifted to one of caution.
"Are you trying to butter me up again? What do you want to say?" Erina maintained a businesslike tone. This was Renz's classic tactic against her, with a success rate of virtually 100%. Always effective. However, this time, Erina was incredibly "jealous" of Mashiro Shiina's treatment. Even if Renz praised her to the heavens, Erina wouldn't fall for it easily!
Yes! She wouldn't fall for it easily!
Renz hadn't expected that a woman's "jealousy" could even boost Erina's magic resistance. Thinking about it, Erina was a woman who could even be jealous of her own daughter. He hesitated to speak what he wanted to say. But if he kept it hidden and didn't say anything, the problem would only become more troublesome when it inevitably surfaced.
"There's something I want to tell you," Renz's voice softened slightly. "It's like this, Mashiro has been drawing manga recently, right?"
"Mhm," Erina adopted a serious listening posture.
"After you hear it, don't get excited right away. We can talk about it calmly," Renz gave a warning beforehand. "Her editor thinks Mashiro's drawing skills are excellent, but her story plots are hollow, lacking realism and immersion."
"And aren't romance manga very popular recently?"
"Mashiro's editor recommended that Mashiro try falling in love or something. She might have heard from Mashiro that she has a brother-in-law."
"So, she recommended that Mashiro experience the feeling of being a couple with me, meaning she suggested I try to be Mashiro's boyfriend so Mashiro can gain some immersive experience and draw better manga."
As his words fell, Erina's expression remained normal, not overly emotional. She was slowly processing the information.
"What this editor did is clearly wrong," Renz offered his opinion. "From an artistic and career perspective, her understanding might be correct."
"However, I think this approach has major problems," Renz said very earnestly. "Fortunately, Mashiro met me and not someone else."
"If she had been entrusted to a stranger to experience this feeling of love, given Mashiro's personality, she would definitely be deceived and suffer greatly. And if she met an unreliable brother-in-law, even more complicated situations could arise."
Erina patiently waited for Renz to finish what he wanted to say.
"And recently, Mashiro might have been influenced by her manga editor and developed some blurry misconception about love," Renz's gaze was sharp. "Hmm, my idea is to have a proper talk with Mashiro's editor offline, but after all, Mashiro is your cousin. Although I am her brother-in-law, I don't need to overstep my bounds, so I came to ask for your opinion."
"You don't need to ask for my opinion; do what you want to do," Erina said, word for word. "I remember I told you that before, didn't I?"
"My stance, standing with you, has never changed." A hint of warmth flashed in Erina's heart. In fact, Renz didn't need to report any of this to her; by telling her, he clearly didn't want her to misunderstand.
"But what if I'm wrong?" Renz suddenly said.
"Will you make a mistake?" Erina retorted.
"I'm not a saint, you know," Renz teased.
"Then let's make mistakes together. After it's over, just remember to kneel and apologize to me," Erina said with a slightly harsher tone. However, the latter part was almost impossible to achieve; Erina was a professional with a sharp tongue and a soft heart.
"You, you always protect me like this," Renz said with a "disgusted" tone. The frozen meat in the water was almost thawed. Renz had received Erina's opinion. He decided to meet Mashiro's manga editor.
As he picked up the chef's knife, he remembered something else. "Oh, right, I also need to record a cooking video."
"Erina, help me out!" His cooking videos in his home country were getting more and more views. Interestingly, his first solo cooking video had very low views, but the second one, where Mashiro Shiina helped him with a few things and said a few words on camera, caused the video's views to skyrocket. Renz still hadn't figured out why.
Although the first cooking video didn't get many views, it still surpassed the views of his professional highlight reel. Renz decided to expand his video content as a video creator. If he didn't marry into the Nakiri family, he'd have to earn money to buy a house himself. If these videos really took off, earning money as a side hustle would be a very good source of income.
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