"Ow, that's hot!" Malone had barely taken the clay pot from Teron Gorefiend when he yelped in pain.
But Malone couldn't just drop the pot on the ground, so he had no choice but to endure the intense pain in his hands and quickly set it down in front of Tiffany.
"Pfft!" Seeing Malone put down the pot and frantically blow on his hands, looking utterly miserable, Tiffany couldn't help laughing.
"Uh..." Malone awkwardly tugged at the corners of his mouth, but he was still rather happy inside.
Of course, it wasn't because he'd been burned—Malone wasn't a masochist. He was just glad to see Tiffany smile.
Malone knew war could deal people a devastating blow, especially the pain of losing loved ones. Many people might never escape that shadow for the rest of their lives.
"That's strange, Maicomarlon. How come you got burned?" Teron Gorefiend grabbed Malone's wrist and examined it closely.
"Why wouldn't I? That thing had just come out of the fire!" Malone pulled his hand away from Teron Gorefiend, wincing. Several blisters had already appeared on his palm.
"But I carried it all the way here just like this." Teron Gorefiend held out his hand for Malone to see.
There was clearly a round burn mark on Teron Gorefiend's palm, a white patch against his blue-black skin.
"Doesn't it hurt?" Malone asked in confusion.
"Hurt?" Teron Gorefiend looked even more confused. "How could a Death Knight feel pain?"
"What?" Malone realized Teron Gorefiend had just raised a serious question. If he was a Death Knight, why had he been burned?
But Malone didn't have much time to think about it, because Tiffany suddenly spoke to him.
"Mr. Malone? What are you talking about?" the human girl asked curiously. "This gentleman... is he your companion?"
Though Teron Gorefiend looked frightening, Tiffany still mustered her courage. Even this ugly gentleman was her savior, after all!
"Oh, nothing..." Malone smoothly switched to Common and put his bodily concerns out of his mind.
"Mr. Malone, I..." Tiffany said hesitantly. Even though she'd made up her mind, apologizing to someone still made her feel a little embarrassed and guilty.
"What?" Malone answered distractedly, stirring the contents of the pot with a large wooden spoon.
What even was all this...? Malone felt a little dissatisfied. There were some grains he couldn't identify, some rotten meat, and some chopped-up bones, all floating in a layer of greasy broth. That was everything in the pot.
Was this stuff even meant for people to eat? Malone grumbled inwardly.
Still, Malone knew the Orcs relied on plunder to supply their army, and their brutal way of life probably meant they weren't capable of making anything particularly tasty.
Remembering how the Orcs had fought over food earlier, Malone knew Teron Gorefiend might not have had an easy time getting this pot, and he understood. He wouldn't complain.
"Mr. Malone, I'm truly sorry about earlier," Tiffany said softly. Seeing him silently stir the pot, she thought her earlier behavior had angered her savior, and felt even worse.
"I shouldn't have said those things. I believe you, Mr. Malone. I know you must have had no choice but to stay among the Orcs. What I said before was nonsense. I'm truly sorry."
Tiffany sincerely admitted her mistake.
"Oh, it's all right, it's all right..." Malone quickly stopped stirring and waved his hand. "Miss Tiffany, you don't have to do that. I..."
"Gurgle!"
A quiet rumble interrupted Malone. He stared blankly at Tiffany until her face and neck turned bright red.
"Haha..." Malone couldn't help laughing.
"Please don't laugh at me, Mr. Malone..." Tiffany's voice was as faint as a mosquito's. "I... I haven't had a proper meal in days!"
Tiffany felt she'd behaved terribly. How could a lady's stomach possibly growl with hunger?
"It's all right, it's all right..." Malone tested the pot's temperature with his hand. It had cooled enough, so he nudged it closer to Tiffany.
"Go ahead, Miss Tiffany. Don't be shy," Malone said with a smile. "The Orcs' food may not be as good as what you're used to, but at least it'll fill you up."
"How could it..." The human girl still hadn't recovered from the embarrassment of her stomach growling. With her head lowered, she edged forward and spoke softly.
"Go on," Malone said, holding out the large wooden spoon.
"Mm..." Tiffany nodded slightly and reached for the spoon in Malone's hand.
Without thinking, Malone and Tiffany's hands lightly brushed against each other.
Malone quickly let go of the spoon's handle. Though the brief touch had been soft and intimate, he still cursed himself inwardly for being so useless.
It was only a touch of the hand. What was he getting so worked up about? Malone scolded himself.
Tiffany, by contrast, was much more composed.
Though her face flushed slightly when she touched Malone's hand, she didn't react strongly. She merely leaned forward a little, using one hand to tuck back the golden hair that had fallen over her shoulder, while scooping up a spoonful of broth with the other. She brought it to her lips, blew on it gently, then sipped it in small mouthfuls.
Heavens... she was beautiful.
Malone praised her silently.
Back on Earth, Malone had dated before, but even with all the effects of beauty apps, none of his ex-girlfriends could compare to Tiffany's charm—not even by a fraction.
Malone didn't consider himself a lovesick fool, but he truly hadn't expected a girl to retain such grace and beauty in a filthy, chaotic place like this.
Tiffany had probably gone a long time without eating. Though she still kept to her usual table manners, the large spoon was going in and out of the pot far too quickly for a lady.
Tiffany knew she was making a bit of a mess of herself, but she really was too hungry. The porridge-like food in the pot didn't taste very good; she would have bet it had no salt in it.
But at least it warmed her from the inside, and it had been cooked through. Tiffany still remembered the two horses Richard and the others had killed.
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