The owner of the Tulip Tavern, unexpectedly, was a beautiful woman who looked around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, definitely under thirty.

Her slightly wavy, reddish-brown long hair cascaded down casually, with a few strands highlighted in a strange fluorescent blue.

Her narrow, long eyes featured rare, amber-colored vertical pupils, and the corners of her eyes were adorned with tiny flecks of gold foil, making it seem as if stardust flickered when her gaze shifted.

Her full lips were painted with a pale purple gloss, and a languid smile played at the corners of her mouth.

She wore a dark red velvet dress that tightly hugged her curvaceous figure.

The deep V-neckline outlined a full, alluring curve, while her slender waist tapered down to meet a suddenly voluptuous hip line, creating a perfectly natural pear-shaped beauty that exuded mature charm.

Through the high slit of her skirt, her long, smooth legs appeared and disappeared with each step, radiating an irresistible, intoxicating allure as rich as fine wine...

"..." Upon hearing the waitress say that Ryohei Tanaka wanted to buy the dipping sauce recipe for the Roasted Flamingo, or exchange it for an improved recipe, Callista paused slightly. She looked sideways, sizing up Ryohei Tanaka.

She saw a man dressed in "strange clothes." He didn't look like a chef as the waitress had claimed; rather, he looked more like a wealthy young master.

The woman beside him was equally eye-catching. neither of them looked like locals of the Royal Capital; they must be outsiders...

Judging by the material of their clothes and their demeanor, they were clearly not ordinary people...

Callista subconsciously frowned. She didn't want to rashly offend the two people in front of her, but she was even less willing to hand over the recipe. The Roasted Flamingo was their tavern's signature dish; many people came specifically for it!

The dipping sauce recipe was the treasure of the shop, worth a fortune and of great significance. If she sold it, what difference would it make from killing the goose that lays the golden eggs? She wasn't willing to sell!

So, an apologetic expression appeared on her face, and she said tactfully, "I am very sorry, but that is a trade secret of our establishment..."

"If you two guests have a need, I can take the liberty of gifting you some of the sauce."

Rejected!

However, this was within Ryohei Tanaka's expectations. It would have been strange if she agreed; being rejected was normal. In fact, her attitude was surprisingly good.

This owner was clearly a sophisticated person who knew how to handle situations smoothly.

Ryohei Tanaka's principle was "if others respect me a foot, I respect them ten." His attitude immediately improved even further, and he said with a smile:

"I am not from your kingdom, nor do I have any intention of opening a shop here. Furthermore, I will not resell the recipe to anyone else..."

First, he clarified that they wouldn't be competitors, nor would he do anything to "aid the enemy." Only then did Ryohei Tanaka continue:

"If the owner is unwilling to sell, then why not let me exchange it for an improved recipe?"

"This will be a win-win situation!"

"You absolutely won't regret it afterward; in fact, you'll be incredibly glad for the decision you make today!"

"...Guest, you certainly are confident!"

Callista looked at Ryohei Tanaka with a somewhat odd expression, almost unable to hold it back.

He spoke of improving a recipe as if it were as simple as eating or drinking, and solemnly swore she wouldn't regret it...

She hadn't seen someone so conceited in a long time!

And to be honest, Ryohei Tanaka really didn't look like a master chef...

"Fine. If you can truly improve a recipe to my satisfaction, then I will give you the recipe for the dipping sauce."

Callista thought for a moment and felt that Ryohei Tanaka wouldn't give up easily. She decided to just give him a chance as he asked, and give herself a chance too.

If Ryohei Tanaka really could improve a recipe to her satisfaction, then giving him the sauce recipe wouldn't matter; she wouldn't lose out.

If he couldn't, Callista wouldn't be so easy to talk to anymore. She wasn't made of clay...

"Congratulations, you made the correct choice!"

Lucoa looked at Callista and said with a beaming smile.

"I hope so." Callista glanced at her, shrugged, and raised her hand in a gesture of invitation.

"Please follow me, guests."

After speaking, she led the way, her black pointed stilettos clicking on the floor.

Ryohei Tanaka followed naturally, his mind already pondering which dish to improve.

Thinking about it—

Since it's for the Roasted Flamingo dipping sauce recipe, I might as well improve the Roasted Flamingo itself!

By the time he took his second step, he had already made his decision.

Back where they stood—

The waitresses who witnessed their conversation looked curious as they watched their retreating figures.

If their shifts weren't still ongoing, they would have wanted to follow and watch the excitement—

It looked very interesting!

...

The Tulip Tavern's kitchen was a separate stone building located right behind the tavern. The kitchen area was about 30 square meters, with a high ceiling and a large chimney for ventilation.

The decoration style was completely different from a modern kitchen. The core area featured two huge open fire pits with grills set up above for roasting meat, and large pots suspended by iron chains for stewing soups.

Next to the fire source was a large brick oven, and surrounding the fire area were heavy wooden worktables for cutting and preparation.

Along the stone walls were open cupboards displaying various kinds of tableware...

"Lady Callista!"

While Ryohei Tanaka was curiously examining the otherworldly kitchen, a burly middle-aged man with a large golden mustache, dressed as a chef, greeted Callista respectfully.

Then, he looked strangely at Ryohei Tanaka and Lucoa, wondering what these two outsiders were doing in the kitchen.

"Klinken."

Callista nodded to the mustached man, then led Ryohei Tanaka to a door and pushed it open.

"Using the ingredients remaining in the pantry and the game room to improve a recipe—that's no problem, right?"

"Do you still have flamingos?"

Ryohei Tanaka asked directly.

"..." Callista froze for a moment, looking at Ryohei Tanaka with some surprise. She smiled and pushed open another door.

"Of course! We usually prepare extra flamingos."

As she spoke, she looked toward the cage at the far end of the game room—where several large pink birds were standing on one leg.

"..."

Ryohei Tanaka didn't waste any words. He took an apron out of his spatial storage, put it on, and walked toward the flamingos.

Seeing this, Callista's pupils contracted involuntarily. She thought to herself that these two were indeed not simple, and felt a bit fortunate that her attitude toward them earlier had been decent.

"Lady Callista, did I hear you say something about improving a recipe?" The mustached man leaned in curiously.

The meal rush was over, there weren't many people in the tavern, and the kitchen was idle.

"You heard correctly."

Callista glanced at him, crossed her arms over her ample chest, and jutted her chin toward Ryohei Tanaka.

"The guest inside wants the recipe for the Roasted Flamingo dipping sauce and says he'll exchange an improved recipe for it."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, the mustached man raised an eyebrow. He looked with a scrutinizing gaze toward Ryohei Tanaka, who was opening the cage in the game room to catch a bird...

~~~

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