That evening, outside Nick's house, Monroe rang the doorbell with a large bouquet in his arms, dressed rather formally in a wool suit. Rosalie stood behind him holding a bottle of red wine, her expression still somewhat apprehensive.
"Welcome." The door opened, and Dahlia appeared in a white apron, smiling at them.
As she opened the door, the aroma from inside drifted out as well. It was the scent of boiled lamb, and it whetted their appetites almost instantly.
Monroe offered her the bouquet and gave her a light, polite hug, while the two women greeted each other more intimately, touching cheeks with two audible kisses.
Just then, a sizzle came from the kitchen, followed by the rich aroma of scallion oil. Rosalie changed into cotton slippers and looked toward the kitchen doubtfully, only then confirming that the person cooking inside really was Nick.
Seeing her peer in at him, Nick, dressed in a white chef's outfit, gave the fox lady a slight nod of greeting. His hands kept moving as he tipped tofu cut into triangles into the pan, slowly frying off the moisture.
"Your timing is perfect. Give me another ten minutes, and the last dish will be ready."
At Nick's words, Rosalie's expression turned slightly odd. She had imagined many terrifying scenes involving a Grimm's appearance, every one of them involving blood and corpses.
Yet what she was witnessing now was a Grimm cooking for her.
Ten minutes later, shrimp-braised cabbage, scallion-braised tofu, garlic chicken wings, Kung Pao Chicken, shredded potatoes stir-fried with vinegar, and a pot of lamb shank soup that looked
light and clear yet smelled wonderful were brought to the table one by one.
Nick had not gone to elaborate lengths for this meal. Everything he had made was home-style cooking, but every dish