Going all in on every temptation

The store is quite impressive for this street, occupying a considerable area. The windows are decorated with green plants, which is pleasing to the eye and gives it a homey feel. Overall, the first impression is not bad.

Galan stepped forward, gently pushed open the quaint shop door, and led Lia inside.

The store was relatively empty, perhaps because the two of them had arrived quite early.

He looked around and saw that all the doors in the store were closed. He didn't see any waiters or the manager either, so he and Lia sat down at a table by the window.

A thick menu sat on his seat. He picked it up and flipped through a few pages. He found that the menu was quite extensive, and many of the delicious dishes he had eaten at Rogley before were listed. This made him feel more favorably toward the restaurant.

Is there anything you'd like to eat?

After quickly glancing at the menu and deciding what he wanted to order, he placed it on the table and pushed it towards Lia to order.

Wow... so many dishes!

When Lia opened the menu, her eyes lit up.

Could this be her first time eating out?

Seeing her expression gradually become more conflicted as she turned the pages, Galan knew that this guy wanted to have sex again.

In the future, whenever she had to make a choice, she would pester Galan to buy and eat everything she wanted, completely unable to resist "bad temptations." However, because she was not yet familiar with herself, and because her personality was very different now compared to later, she naturally wouldn't make such a request.

Seemingly finally realizing that customers had arrived, the kitchen door clicked open, and a young man stepped out.

The man wore a tall chef's hat, was tall and handsome, with a rugged face that still held a touch of youthful innocence.

He walked up to their table, smiling as he looked at them. He was holding an exaggeratedly shaped kitchen knife, which Galan had been watching from a distance, making Garan's body tremble.

Damn... can that even be considered a kitchen knife?

The massive blade was inlaid with gilded patterns, and the handle was so thick that an average adult male's hand could barely grip it. The silvery-white blade gleamed with a cold light and was incredibly sharp, clearly freshly sharpened.

If this were in any other comic or anime, it would probably be considered a powerful weapon.

"Is that... a kitchen knife?"

Galan's heart skipped a beat, and he asked somewhat uncertainly.

The chef can only hold a kitchen knife, right?

Is that right?

"My question is quite strange, sir."

The man seemed stumped by Galan's question. After all these years in business, this was probably the first time he'd ever been asked something like that.

"The knife a chef uses is, of course, a kitchen knife. This kitchen knife is a family heirloom, and only with this knife can I prepare delicious food with peace of mind."

As he spoke, he stroked the kitchen knife in his hand.

It seems they really cherish this family heirloom.

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Lake, and I am the most talented chef of this century. As the first guests to arrive this afternoon, I will do my best to serve you the most delicious meal tonight."

A confident smile spread across Lake's face, revealing a set of clean, even teeth.

His shiny hair cascaded down like waves, partially obscuring his face. If this were in the modern world, he would be considered a pure and innocent young man. That youthful energy made Galan feel instantly much older.

How can this be allowed to continue!

That's incredibly arrogant!

He's just a chef!

How can it exude such a strong aura of adolescent angst and passion?

Claiming to be "the most talented chef of this century"? Interesting. Let me, the "most talented gourmet of this century," give you a good lesson.

The bread we had earlier, while quite tasty, wasn't enough to truly showcase a chef's skill when we were starving. We needed to serve a few more substantial dishes to really demonstrate a chef's expertise.

"Galan... I want to eat this dessert."

At this moment, Lia peeked out from behind the upright menu, pointed to a dish on the menu, and stared intently at Galan with expectant eyes.

After much struggle, she finally decided to choose only one dessert.

Despite having only spent a day with Galan, Lia was still unable to be as relaxed as she was in the future.

"Is this Mercury Pudding? Yes, of course! You can order anything else you want too, no need to be so formal." "Really?" Lia's voice revealed a hint of surprise.

"Of course, I'm still quite wealthy; it's just a matter of having a meal."

Regaining his composure, Galan noticed the inner turmoil in Lia's heart and found it amusing.

He said it with great generosity and boldness.

If this were in the future, this girl would probably have ordered everything she wanted to eat by now; she wouldn't be showing such a reserved side at all.

The only time she showed any restraint was on the first day they met when she didn't rip herself off while buying clothes.

Later on, his true nature was revealed. Not only did he always cause trouble under the guise of "helping" when making medicine, but he also always drained his wallet when he went shopping, forcing him to reduce his trips to the city and choose to stay at home.

To be honest, she's usually fine, but the problem is that when she starts acting cute and affectionate with me, she can completely control me... There's really nothing I can do about it.

Fortunately, Lia hasn't developed this skill yet, otherwise her wallet would have been emptied long ago.

Galan touched his bulging fanny pack and involuntarily straightened his back.

It feels so good to be rich.

"I want this, this, and this!"

Lake walked over to Lia and wrote down the dishes she had pointed out on the list one by one.

... This... um, and this too."

Wait a minute, why are there so many "this" characters?

Galan was already prepared to order a few fancy dishes to test his younger brother, but after sitting in his seat for almost two minutes and Lia still hadn't finished listing the dishes, he finally panicked, realizing that his wallet, which had been bulging just moments before, now seemed to have emptied by more than half.

That's terrifying!

So, this devilish skill of "burning money" had already shown signs of awakening decades ago?

Girl, where's your modesty?

What's your bottom line?

Don't say "all in" to bad temptations!

No, it seems we'll have to be a little more frugal from now on. Let her learn what it means for children from poor families to mature early... no, even if we have money, we have to be careful with it!

But now that I've spoken up, there's no escaping this ordeal no matter what.

"I should go find Frog and give him a good thrashing. I can't let my brother suffer too," Galan thought to himself.