Garlic, onions, then some rosemary and butter. Next, wrap the lamb chops in foil...
Ding—!!
"Mu En, someone's looking for you on Privet Drive," Lucifer reminded him.
Mu En nodded, set the lamb chops on the fireplace rack, told Lucifer to mind the heat, then headed to the front door.
He first glanced at Harry, who was working outside. Who knew what the boy had thought of, but he was smiling to himself. One look and it was obvious he was slacking off.
Bang!
Harry stared blankly at the door that had suddenly shut in front of him.
Huh?!
Of course, Mu En did not care what Harry thought. He twisted the doorknob, redirected the exit to Privet Drive, and opened the door.
A thin, stern-faced woman stood outside, holding the chubby boy from earlier by the hand. There were scratches on the boy's face, which was flushed red, and his eyes were brimming with tears. He had clearly cried hard.
The moment Petunia saw the man who opened the door, she was drawn in by his face. Then, beneath those utterly emotionless eyes, every line she had prepared vanished from her mind.
"Hello. What can I do for you?" Mu En asked.
Petunia took a deep breath and hurriedly said, "Sorry, I noticed earlier that you brought a child into your home. He's my nephew. I need to speak with him."
After Dudley had been chased home by cats and dogs for no apparent reason, she had immediately sensed that it might have something to do with that thing.
That thing she was unwilling to mention. That thing her family loathed to the bone.
She knew of only one person who possessed that kind of power.
So, consumed by anger, she had come knocking at once, intending to take Harry back and punish him properly.
Whenever she thought of that little bastard ruining her precious Dudley's handsome face like this, fury rose in her chest.
"Oh, so you're Harry's guardian. Nice to meet you," Mu En said with a nod. His words were polite enough, but he had no intention of shaking hands or inviting either of them inside.
He continued, "I was just about to come find you. I'm sorry to inform you that your nephew destroyed a plant I cultivated with great care. We should discuss compensation first."
"W-what?"
"Yes, the flower I planted there. The neighbors should all have seen it. It was extremely valuable, a rare variety from Tasker Country in Africa and the national flower there. Transplanting it here cost me at least ten thousand Pounds Sterling," Mu En explained.
"So, I'd like to discuss compensation with you or the man of your household." Mu En looked down at her, his words carrying an unquestionable force.
"Tasker Country's... national flower?" Petunia repeated in disbelief.
"Yes. Exporting that flower has already been banned locally. It may be the only one in all of Britain, and there will never be another.
"The preliminary estimate puts the damage at around ten thousand Pounds Sterling. If you don't believe me, we can settle this through legal channels."
"What? That's impossible! You expect our family to pay for that bastard's mistake? More than ten thousand Pounds Sterling?!" Petunia suddenly screamed.
"Sir, we refuse to provide any compensation. To be honest, he only lives in our house. We aren't his parents!"
Mu En frowned, clearly displeased by such hysterics.
After a long while, he finally said helplessly, "All right, all right! Madam, let's change the form of compensation."
Petunia stared straight at Mu En, her face red, waiting for him to continue. She looked ready to unleash a siren-like shriek of protest the moment he proposed terms she could not accept.
"You know, I just moved in. Perhaps I need a handyman to run errands and do odd jobs for me. He can work off the debt. How about that?" Mu En said helplessly.
Through Mu En's broad shoulders, Petunia could vaguely see the cluttered interior of the house.
"That... that's certainly possible!" After thinking for a moment, she nodded decisively. "That boy is excellent at odd jobs. When it comes to housework, he's far better than most people."
"For at least the next year," Mu En added flatly.
Petunia hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Of course."
After all, in London in the nineties, a handyman's monthly wage would never reach a thousand pounds.
"I believe children should bear responsibility for their own mistakes. This will be the most valuable lesson of his life." Petunia's expression changed swiftly, and she spoke with a pleased look on her face.
"All right." Mu En nodded calmly, then said, "But I need to add something. A little brat would not jump into my flower bed and crush my things for no reason. Honestly, if he hadn't been a child, I would have shot him dead already."
This was London in the nineties, when private gun ownership had not yet been banned. Residents had absolute authority over their own property. Shooting an intruder dead was no joke.
Mu En narrowed his eyes and looked at the chubby Dudley. "Whether it was bullying or a joke, I hope some people understand that outside isn't home. There are still rules to follow."
Dudley had been feeling resentful while also secretly pleased by Harry's misfortune. But when Mu En's gaze suddenly fell on him, he felt as though a savage beast were watching him.
He hurriedly lowered his head. His smile was gone, and not trembling took every ounce of courage he had.
"All right, that's it." Mu En shut the door after speaking, leaving only his leisurely voice drifting through the air.
"At night, your nephew will go back on his own."
Once the front door closed, Petunia looked at her precious son. She assumed Dudley had lowered his head because he was upset and dissatisfied, so she hugged him and comforted him. "Oh, sweetheart. Don't be angry. Harry's mistakes aren't yours to bear. He has to work as a handyman for an entire year."
She could vaguely guess what had happened, but she had no intention of criticizing her precious son. He had suffered enough today.
Besides, so what if it had been bullying?
Was she supposed to scold her own son for the sake of a parasite?
Mu En did not care what sort of people the Dursleys were. Compared to that, he cared far more about whether Lucifer had overcooked the lamb chops.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. 'He's excellent at odd jobs.' From that one sentence, I already know what kind of life that skinny kid lived in that house."
Lucifer stretched out his little flaming hands and turned the lamb chops on the iron rack. Sweet meat juices flowed through the gaps in the foil, and he caught them with his mouth as he lamented everything he had just heard.
Mu En was not surprised by Harry's treatment at the Dursley Residence. On one hand, it was because of vague memories from long ago. On the other hand—
"You can tell just by looking at what Harry wears."
As he spoke, Mu En opened the door to the wilderness again. Harry was standing outside. Seeing the door open, he breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly said, "Sir, I've transplanted the Moonpetal Flower."
Mu En took a look, confirmed that nothing was wrong, then nodded and let Harry inside.
"Go get two sets of tableware from the cupboard." He gave the order without ceremony.
"Okay." Harry nodded as well.
Strange. Why don't I resent this at all?
The thought suddenly rose in his little head.
Mu En sat back down on his exclusive red leather sofa and said, "Your aunt came looking for me just now."
Harry froze at once, then asked in a low voice, "What did she say?"
"I asked her for compensation because you damaged a flower I brought from Tasker Country in Africa, one that was unique in all of England." A faint smile curled across Mu En's face, as though he were extremely pleased with his casual fabrication.
Of course, his words had been very "sincere," so Mrs. Dursley had believed him. She had not even considered legal action.
"So..." Harry trailed off.
Oh no. Harry did not even dare imagine what punishment awaited him after he went back.
"Of course she refused," Mu En said.
"Yes... th-that's only natural." Harry's voice was very quiet, and he seemed dejected.
"So I suggested another form of payment. And your aunt agreed." Mu En looked at the plate Harry held out with both hands. "Do you expect me to eat while holding my plate? Put it on the table."
"Really?" Harry's voice immediately brightened. He hurriedly set the plates on the table, cleared away some clutter, and even brought over chairs, working with great initiative.
"So, sir, what was the other arrangement you mentioned?" Harry asked eagerly.
"Work as my handyman for a year."
Mu En stood up. He did not care much how Harry would react to the decision. If Harry refused, he would not mind letting him out to live as a wild child.
He casually reached into the flames, took out the lamb chops, and placed them on an iron platter. Then he went to the dining room and brought out the fried eggs, bacon, and sausages he had prepared earlier. There was also a large serving of vegetable salad.
After dividing up the food, he looked at Harry. "What are you standing around for?"
Harry took a moment to react, then pointed at himself. "Th-this is for me?"
Mu En nodded and explained, "The castle is large, but I'm the only one living here."
Harry hurriedly sat down and looked at the sizzling roast lamb chops on his plate, along with the still-warm fried eggs and sausages.
"Eat. Don't worry about manners," Mu En said, seeing that Harry did not dare touch his knife and fork.
As soon as he finished speaking, Harry eagerly speared a sausage and stuffed it into his mouth.
"Mmm... it's so good... thank you..."
Harry had never eaten such delicious sausage before. It was springy and tender, full of juice, with a rich meat flavor he had never tasted. It was far better than anything he had eaten before.
"Since I was born, this is definitely the most delicious thing I've ever eaten. I swear!" Harry said hurriedly, beaming.
"The flavored sausages stuffed with that thing really are good." Mu En nodded approvingly.
Hearing that, Harry asked curiously, "What thing?"
"A monster. You wouldn't want to know too much about it," Mu En explained casually. Then he remembered that he had not introduced himself to Harry yet.
"My name is Mu En Jones. You can call me sir or uncle." Mu En spoke as he leisurely cut his lamb chop.
"Eat more. You'll need strength to work, and you have a lot to do," Mu En said.
Yes, that was obvious. As Harry stuffed food into his mouth, he looked around at the messy surroundings.
More than ten minutes later, Harry had finally eaten his fill. Holding a lamb chop in one hand, his mouth oily, he asked apologetically, "So, Uncle Mu En, was that flower really unique in Britain?"
"Of course not. I made up the part about it being Africa's national flower."
Hearing that, Harry breathed a sigh of relief, and the guilt in his heart eased somewhat.
"The Moonpetal Flower is unique in the entire world."
"Ah?"
Mu En ignored him and instead asked, "It seems you don't mind coming here to work as my handyman."
At that, Harry lowered his head again, and his voice became much quieter. "Yes."
"Do you hate them? Or rather, if I gave you powerful magic right now, what would you want to do?"
"Leave that place!"
Harry's quick, resolute reply caught even Mu En off guard.
"It seems you don't hate them," Mu En said with a nod.
Harry shook his head, then nodded again. He was silent for a long time.
Mu En simply watched him quietly and said only, "Remember to eat some vegetables."
Only then did Harry finally speak hesitantly.
"I don't know how to say it... When Dudley bullied me in front of everyone at school, I hated him. When Uncle Vernon locked me in the cupboard, I hated him too... Anyway, there were countless times when I hated them completely.
"But overall, I don't hate them either. Without them, I wouldn't even have food to eat, let alone go to school... I'm not their son, and they aren't my mum and dad..."
Harry's voice grew softer and softer. In the end, his eyes filled with tears. He merely lowered his head and crammed food into his mouth, doing his best not to let out any pathetic sobs.
Mu En leaned back in his chair without saying a word.
He had no intention of comforting a crying child. Harry was mature and stubborn, and he did not want others to see his weakness.
So Mu En felt that... he should respect that stubbornness.
Who knew how much time passed? Mu En only knew that after reconstructing the advanced Human Transmutation Array exposed in the scattered copy of Democritus's Alchemical Notes on the floor thirty-two times, Harry finally composed himself and raised his head.
Other than his slightly red eyes and nose, nothing seemed unusual.
"All right, get to work, kid." Mu En stood and stretched lazily. "Your task today is to clean the entire living room."
"Doesn't seem too difficult." Harry stood up, full of energy. The living room that had previously seemed completely chaotic to him had already been accurately divided into several sections, with a cleaning order planned out.
Mu En glanced at the confident Harry, the corners of his lips lifting. "I hope so. If you finish the task and still have time, I wouldn't mind letting you try some magic."
Hearing that, Harry became even more motivated. He hurriedly began clearing the tableware, then looked at the unfinished food.
"Throw it all into the fire." Mu En waved a hand.
Harry nodded, gathered the leftovers, and walked to the fireplace. He looked at the food again.
"It feels a little wasteful..." Harry said regretfully.
Suddenly, the fire in the fireplace flared up, and a terrifying, grotesque face appeared within the flames. At the same time, two slender little hands that did not match it at all emerged.
"What do you mean, wasteful?! Does that mean I don't even get leftovers?!" Lucifer roared furiously. The entire castle answered with a whooshing burst of steam.
Harry was so frightened that he fell back onto the floor, staring at Lucifer in terror before looking at Mu En.
A strange smile appeared on Mu En's face, but he spoke in a regretful tone. "Oh, damn, sorry. I forgot to introduce you. Although I live alone, there are other living beings here.
"This is Lucifer, a demon and the guardian of this castle. If there's anything you don't know while working, you can ask him."
So that's how it is...
Harry looked at Lucifer, waved nervously, and greeted him.
This place is so interesting!
Before you continue