These were just two ordinary fried eggs

"Woof... whimper..."

Peppy let out a despairing whine.

It took back its earlier thought. This guy was definitely a bad guy! A bad guy!

This was where its human cooked its meals!

Now, not only had he taken over the place, he wouldn't even let it have a taste.

Wasn't this a kind of NTR, too?

Smiling, Jiang Yao savored his masterpiece.

Under the lights, the two fried eggs arranged into a smiley face seemed to sparkle.

The crisp egg whites surrounded the yolks, and just the steaming aroma of oil and eggs was enough to make anyone's mouth water.

Not only that, the perfectly controlled heat had left the fried eggs delightfully springy.

The moment he took a bite, he could taste their exquisite flavor and texture.

The Snowfield Bear Oil used to fry them blended beautifully with the natural flavors of the Melodi-Dove Egg and Teyvat Bird Egg.

Rich but not greasy, they filled his mouth with fragrance.

What was more, the premium oil had locked in both its own aroma and the eggs' flavor during frying, releasing them in his mouth only after he bit through.

That burst of fragrance was pure bliss.

The two sauces used for plating weren't just decoration. Even condiments shouldn't go to waste.

After savoring the original flavor, Jiang Yao dipped his eggs in ketchup and barbecue sauce in turn for a change of pace.

That took the flavor to another level.

Peppy was practically crying with craving.

It stared pleadingly at Jiang Yao, panting heavily.

If one listened closely, one could even hear it swallowing its drool.

Sometimes, having too keen a nose wasn't such a good thing~

While Peppy continued to whine,

Tap, tap, tap...

Another set of footsteps approached.

Quickly, very quickly.

Asta appeared beside the man and dog.

"Oh, it's you! You're awake?"

Asta stared at Jiang Yao in bewilderment.

She had met Jiang Yao once before.

Back then, Jiang Yao had been unconscious on a stretcher, carried in by Welt and Dan Heng!

Jiang Yao blinked and swallowed the food in his mouth.

"You must be the famous Lead Researcher Asta! Sorry, I just woke up and was a little hungry. I didn't know where to get food, so I made some myself."

Jiang Yao smiled as he explained to Asta.

Considering that this was Asta's turf, Jiang Yao offered a little flattery.

Flattery would get you anywhere.

Even with the power of an Aeon, Jiang Yao still maintained basic courtesy and manners.

He wasn't that brainless ancient beast Oroboros.

Wasn't it nice to happily share food and drinks?

"No need to be so formal. The Astral Express will always be our friend. Are you having trouble contacting your companions? Do you need help?"

Asta helpfully waved her interstellar phone.

Since Jiang Yao had been brought in by the Astral Express Crew, Asta, who looked sweet and innocent but was anything but on the inside, hadn't questioned his identity.

"That would be great. Thanks~"

Jiang Yao nodded.

He was quite eager to board the Astral Express.

Not because he could follow the Astral Express Crew to different galaxies across the cosmos and taste all the different local delicacies.

It was because the Trailblaze was super cool, okay!

Yep, that had to be it~

It definitely wasn't because he was bad with directions and thought wandering around aimlessly was an inefficient way to find delicious food~

Asta sent Himeko a brief message with their coordinates attached.

Only then did she notice the fried eggs on Jiang Yao's table and Peppy's unusual behavior.

Earlier, Asta hadn't smelled the fried eggs at all because she had been too far away.

But after spending a little longer in the room, she caught the soaring aroma of eggs.

Her little mouth unconsciously parted, and her rosy tongue instinctively licked her soft lips.

She looked both cute and adorably dazed, without a trace of a lead researcher's authority.

"Ahem..."

Asta cleared her throat and pointed at the fried eggs on the plate.

"You made these?"

Asta exerted tremendous willpower to keep her voice steady.

She was the daughter of an Interastral Peace Corporation board member.

A little princess who even treated planet-destroying battleships as toys.

What delicacy hadn't she tasted?

How could she let two perfectly ordinary fried eggs embarrass her?

But they smell so good!

I really want a little taste!

Just a tiny bit...

"Mm..."

Jiang Yao was a little puzzled.

Asta's expression and tone made it obvious that she wanted some, too.

But...

Seriously?

This is just an ordinary plate of fried eggs I made!

You're loaded. Surely you've eaten something better?

And you still want to fight me for these?

Are you all that hungry?

No way, no way. Does Herta Space Station work people so hard that even its lead researcher takes the lead in starving herself?

Well, this was simply Jiang Yao having no accurate understanding of his own cooking skills.

Fine, fine. It is your turf, after all~

Besides, sharing good food really does make me happy~

"Would you like a serving?"

Jiang Yao asked considerately.

"Really?!"

Asta's eyes lit up at once.

Peppy seemed to understand Jiang Yao, too. It instantly perked up and stared straight at him.

A moment later, Asta added somewhat sheepishly:

"Ahem... I mean, would it be too much trouble? You just woke up. You need your nutrients."

Asta nearly dug a three-bedroom apartment into the floor with her toes from sheer embarrassment.

She didn't know what had come over her, either.

The aroma had made her lose control of herself.

She had almost forgotten that Jiang Yao wasn't in good health and had only just woken up.

This was precisely when he needed to replenish his energy.

And he only had one and a half fried eggs left.

Yet she had butted in, wanting to steal his food.

That was a little out of line...

After all, what delicious food couldn't she get if she wanted it?

Could these little fried eggs possibly be better than what she ate at home?

Surely she had just eaten too many lavish delicacies and wanted a change of pace...

Asta, you're being awful~

Asta quietly felt guilty.

Jiang Yao, however, shrugged it off. "No trouble at all. Just give me a moment."

The reason he had chosen fried eggs for his first meal

was that they were quick to make!

Wasn't it just two more mouths to feed?

Watch this~

Jiang Yao repeated the process of frying the eggs.

Asta nodded slightly as she watched.

She couldn't discern any special techniques.

But she could smell the aroma.

She didn't understand. The quality of the ingredients and everything else was the same.

Why couldn't she produce such a wonderful aroma when she cooked for Peppy?

In no time at all,

Jiang Yao had made four more fried eggs.

One serving each for Asta and Peppy.

"They smell amazing! Thank you. You're such a good cook!"

Asta still hadn't realized what she was getting herself into.

The properties of Snowfield Bear Oil, combined with the way the eggs were fried, kept the aromas of both the oil and eggs firmly locked inside.

The fragrance escaping into the air was only a tiny fraction of it!

"Heh, go ahead."

Jiang Yao nodded, signaling that Asta and Peppy could start eating.

Who knew whether Peppy was some kind of mutant? Its intelligence was absurdly high. It hadn't even sneaked a bite early.

Once Jiang Yao gave the signal, Asta and Peppy both dug in.

Peppy looked as though it had been possessed by Jiang Yao, the Aeon of Voracity.

It sank its teeth straight into a golden, crispy fried egg.

Then came a second bite!

A third!

Finally, without caring about the heat, it swallowed the rest whole!

Table manners?

I'm a dog. What do I need table manners for?

Asta was a little more dignified.

She gazed at the carefully plated fried eggs.

She couldn't help silently swallowing.

This aroma was downright unfair.

Then she took a delicate bite.

In that instant,

the fragrance of Snowfield Bear Oil and eggs inside her mouth

exploded!