My Restaurant in Honkai Chapter 25

Aphrodite.

It reaped lives not through its sharpness, but by captivating all with its beauty, much like its namesake, the legendary goddess of beauty, Aphrodite, who was said to be born from the blood of others.

Zhao Bai didn't know these things. He only used it when harvesting leeks.

He frowned, and with a few strokes of ketchup, outlined the spirit of the rose flower at the connection point between Aphrodite's hilt and blade.

"Please, forgive my poor hospitality!"

Zhao Bai carried the omelet rice adorned with a rose to Rita and solemnly invited her to sit.

Rita smiled indulgently, pulling at her chopsticks. "You changed your mind in just one day. Is this what they call employee meals? No wonder Lord Fu Hua was so eager to work at your restaurant. I completely understand now."

"That's just her obsessive-compulsive disorder acting up," Zhao Bai said helplessly. "Try it. This is the pinnacle of my culinary and artistic skills. Many people have tried to uncover my secrets, but after tasting my food, they all shed tears of joy and became my friends."

"Is that so?" Rita's smile remained indulgent. "Then I truly must try it."

Setting down her chopsticks, Rita picked up the special utensil used in the restaurant for eating omelet rice. To maximize the preservation of the food's original flavor, the spoons in the restaurant were ground from mother-of-pearl, with the raw materials sourced from some unfortunate bivalve Honkai Beast.

Rita instantly felt the warm, smooth touch of the shell.

It was strange. This restaurant looked like any other you'd find in a busy street, and the owner wasn't a Michelin-starred chef with exceptional skills. Yet, everything about it was perfectly balanced.

The spoon cut through the omelet, slicing through the rose formed by ketchup and mayonnaise. The steaming rice flowed across the plate. Chicken, onions, potatoes – all the trapped aromas were released at once, like a grand fireworks display.

Besides the egg, did you also use breadcrumbs for a crispy layer?

Rita, being an excellent cook herself, immediately understood Zhao Bai's intention. A single layer of omelet wouldn't be enough to contain all the aromas; he must have used other methods. The fact that such care was put into a simple omelet rice showed he was truly an exploratory chef.

"White onion, carrot..."

"The rice is stir-fried, with a faint aroma of char that complements the sweetness of the curry. The texture is delicate, and the mayonnaise is very fresh. Your culinary skills are indeed impeccable."

Just critique? Cry already!

Zhao Bai was destined to be disappointed this time. Rita didn't shed tears of joy as he had expected. Instead, as a fellow culinary enthusiast, she offered sincere praise for his cooking.

Delicate texture, complementary, impeccable.

That's it?

Although it was praise, it wasn't what Zhao Bai had been waiting for.

It was clear that Rita genuinely enjoyed the omelet rice Zhao Bai made. Furthermore, since Zhao Bai prioritized flavor over portion size, Rita, holding the mother-of-pearl spoon between two fingers, finished the entire plate in no time.

"Thank you, Boss." She fully identified herself as an employee of the restaurant. "Thank you for the meal. It allowed Rita to experience the employee meal in advance. If I could eat like this while working, it would truly be a beautiful enjoyment."

"So, when can I start working?"

"..."

Completely different from what he had imagined, Zhao Bai was a little flustered. He noticed a small box by the door containing various household cleaning supplies. Rita rested her hands below her cheeks, looking up at him with a hint of an unfathomable smile playing on her lips.