CHAPTER 322: A SCARE

"Coco eats any kind of flying pig dish, right? That’s the only meat I have here right now." Sinclair asked Zaque as he opened the freezer door.

"Yes." Zaque answered, walking over to the kitchen counter top and grabbed a basket filled with onions, garlic, and ginger, "I’m thinking of marinating the meat in soy sauce with garlic to let the meat drown in flavour before cooking it."

"That sounds good." Sinclair agreed, pulling out two frozen meat out of the freezer, "This is both loin and belly, by the way."

Zaque hummed, turning around to look at meat that Sinclair had suspended in the air. "That should be good enough. We can eat the loin because my wife is particularly fond of the flying pig’s belly."

The hybrid perked up, eyes wide in surprise. "She does?"

Zaque nodded his head and approached the kitchen sink, grabbing the knife that was hanging on the hook above it, "She always orders the belly whenever we eat together by the inn."

The gleam of the blade, recently sharpened, caught the light from the window as he lifted the knife in his hand, turning it to get a better look. "She’s always pleased whenever she eats it, too, so I noticed how fond she is of the pig’s belly."

Turning around, Zaque moved back towards the counter and saw Sinclair had placed a cutting board.

"Thank you." The mediator said, his voice sincere, as he set the knife down on it, a clatter echoing through the kitchen when the blade made contact with the wood.

Sinclair placed the frozen meat next to the kitchen sink and let out a soft chuckle, his voice carrying a hint of amusement, subtly acknowledging Zaque’s words of gratification.

"I didn’t know Coco is the type to eat the belly part." Sinclair stated, his comment laced with lightheartedness. "It’s usually avoided because people believe that it’s the dirtiest part."

The implication of Coco’s unconventional preference was humorously noteworthy, his chuckle echoing through the room as he pondered her eating habits, but even if it was an unusual preference, he couldn’t help, but find it strangely endearing.

"You’ll get used to it." Zaque shrugged nonchalantly, his focus shifting to the task he has at hand.

His attention is directed towards the garlic inside the basket and he begins the meticulous process of peeling and chopping them into neat uniform pieces.

His hands moved with precision, the garlic cloves being separated effortlessly under his skilled touch, the repetitive motion of peeling and chopping creating a rhythmic sound, each cut releasing the unmistakable scent of garlic into the air.

Sinclair placed the frozen meat next to the kitchen sink and let out a soft hum, his voice carrying a hint of amusement.

"I bet she would love whatever you cook for her, you’re her husband after all." Sinclair said, grabbing a butchering knife where Zaque found the knife, "Though, I’m betting that she would love it even more if you cooked it the way the inn’s chef cooks it."

Zaque slowly nodded in agreement, his gaze still fixed on the garlic he was chopping.

"She always looks happy after each bite." He remarked, his voice filled with amusement. "So, it’s worth seeing her eat them, but I don’t know how to cook it the same way the chef cooks it. I prefer baking, you see."

Zaque’s tone was soft, an underlying affection for Coco present in his words, and no envy can be heard from his voice.

Meanwhile, Sinclair started chopping the loin and the belly, his actions quick and precise.

The blade of Sinclair’s knife sliced through the frozen flesh, his hands maneuvering the blade with ease, the sound of the knife against the cutting board filled the room, the rhythm becoming a steady background noise to their conversation.

It became quiet after that as the two of them focused on cooking lunch for the four of them.

However, Zaque and Sinclair, while cutting up ingredients in the kitchen, heard a loud and muffled scream from the backyard.

Immediately recognizing the voice as Coco’s, they both dropped their knives and rushed out of the house.

"Coco?!" Zaque cried out, his voice filled with concern, his eyes scanning the small clearing behind the house, trying to find her.

Then, their eyes widened in surprise when they noticed the previously slumbering rabbit, now wide awake and looking displeased with its surroundings, particularly with Coco and Quizen.

They watched Coco, oblivious to the rabbit’s disgruntled look, gleefully spinning Quizen in the air, her laughter echoing through the air.

Thankfully, Coco noticed the two of them and quickly set Quizen down, her laughter easing into a wide smile as she turned to face Zaque and Sinclair.

Excitedly, her eyes twinkled with happiness, clearly overjoyed by something. "Zaque! Sinclair— haha! Guess what?"

Zaque’s gaze found Coco, his eyes falling on her as he noticed the numerous bits of greens sticking out of her hair.

Her once dark locks were now tousled and unkempt compared to how they looked earlier, the various leaves and stems having woven themselves into her hair during whatever unexpected incident happened.

Her clothes, too, have the signs of the recent unnamed activity, the fabric now wrinkled and creased— not to mention, the air has a tinge smell of a particular herb.

Zaque’s frown turned into a forced smile, his expression hiding how upset he was about his wife’s appearance.

"I don’t know." He replied, his voice holding a touch of feigned cheerfulness. "What is it? What happened to you that made you this happy?"

Zaque’s attempt at masking his concern didn’t go unnoticed by Quizen and Sinclair, but his desire to appear supportive made any genuine feelings of disapproval disappear from his being.

"This is what happened—"

Zaque walked over to Coco, his hands gently tidying her disheveled appearance as she began to recount her story.

He untangled the leaves stuck in her hair and attempted to smooth out the wrinkles on her clothing as he listened intently.