CHAPTER 51: 51

The morning sun filtered through the high windows of the soon-to-open two-story restaurant nestled in the heart of Caerywn.

Warm rays lit up the polished wood floors of the ground level, where elegant tables had been arranged in neat rows, each adorned with simple centerpieces of crystal vases and freshly-picked flowers.

Alaric stood on the second floor—a space meant not for dining, but for secrecy. Here, behind a set of reinforced doors and layered concealment spells, the real heart of the operation was brewing.

Soy sauce.

It didn’t sound dramatic, but the moment one inhaled the deep, fragrant scent of the dark liquid simmering in massive enchanted vats, it became clear—this wasn’t just seasoning. It was transformation. Civilization. Alchemy.

He stood before the group of chosen chefs—seven of them, all seasoned, all skeptical at first. Not anymore.

"Once this flavor hits someone’s tongue,"

Alaric said calmly,

"you’ll see it in their eyes. It’s more than taste. It’s memory. It’s home."

The chefs listened with a strange mix of awe and anxiety. They weren’t just here for a cooking lesson. They had signed something far heavier.

Alaric had bound them with a contract—one laced with divine language and reinforced by mana. It was unbreakable. But he hadn’t stopped there.

Generosity. That’s what sealed it.

Every member of the kitchen and service staff was being paid at rates that dwarfed most other restaurants in the capital.

No one was underappreciated. No one was underpaid. The result? Their expressions beamed—not with forced cheer, but with genuine gratitude.

A few of the younger waitresses, especially, wore dreamy looks whenever Alaric passed by.

His natural gravity, refined features, and unreadable calm had already turned him into a kind of myth among the staff.

Downstairs, Aurevia, Cellione, Serineth, and Virellen moved like shadows in silk—watching, organizing, inspecting the layout of the restaurant floor. They weren’t just beautiful presences in the background. They were part of the backbone.

Virellen—now fully donned in noble attire, though still mischievous at the edges—oversaw the interior decoration, flipping a stray lock of shoulder-length black hair behind one ear.

"Master, you do realize you’re causing quite the problem for our poor, fluttering staff,"

She said, voice carrying a lilt of mock-concern.

"They’re trying to memorize table numbers and plate pairings while imagining your jawline."

Alaric didn’t look up from the soy fermentation notes.

"They’ll recover."

Aurevia, pristine as always in a light blouse tucked into high-waisted slacks, crossed her arms, scarlet eyes narrowing faintly.

"Some of them won’t,"

She muttered.

"One girl almost dropped a plate just looking at you."

"That was Cellione’s fault,"

Serineth said softly, her green hair brushing over her shoulder as she glanced between them.

"She bumped her from behind."

"I did not!"

Cellione snapped, violet eyes flashing.

"I was just walking. She was the one staring at Alaric like he was made of honey and she hadn’t eaten in a week."

Alaric sighed.

"Focus, please."

The girls quieted—mostly.

Virellen grinned and added under her breath,

"The kitchen might survive. The floor staff? Doubt it."

They gathered near the entrance as the smell of fried rice drifted from the kitchen, mingling with hints of sweet chili and crisp greens.

The prototype meal was ready—fried rice with chili chicken, a salad rich with flavor, and a side of chilled fruit punch. A gentle dessert—vanilla pudding glazed with syrup—waited in the cooler.

"I’ll hold the grand opening in three to five days,"

Alaric said at last.

"Depends on how quickly the chefs master the process."

"We’ll be ready,"

Aurevia responded, straight-backed and firm.

"We’ll make sure of it."

Alaric nodded once. Then added,

"Also. Keep an eye on the auction. Virellen —your parents are handling it, yes?"

"Yes, Master,"

She replied, the formal tone softened by a wink.

"Father’s already declared this restaurant’s name as his greatest business triumph—before it’s even opened."

As the five of them stood beneath the golden morning light, the future stirred with aroma and ambition. They weren’t just building a restaurant.

They were laying a foundation—a sanctuary of taste, of labor, of purpose.

And Alaric? He was going to make sure every grain of rice sang.

***

The midday hour arrived without fanfare—but the smell did what trumpets could not.

Fried rice, golden and glistening, was plated with precision. Diced vegetables still retained their crunch. Scrambled eggs had absorbed the umami heat of the soy sauce, layered over every grain.

Chili chicken sizzled on the side—tender, deep-red, and lightly glazed in a sauce that bit first, then whispered sweetness on the back end. Salad sat beside it, cool and crisp, drizzled with a tangy dressing born from crushed spices and a hint of citrus. The punch sparkled. The pudding waited.

Alaric stepped back as the plates were arranged on the long tasting table upstairs. The chefs stood at attention, tense. A few of the younger ones couldn’t stop glancing at him for approval.

"Relax,"

He said, eyes sweeping across the staff.

"You’ve done well. Now, taste it."

The chefs hesitated.

It was Serineth who moved first, soft and slow. She reached out, picked up a fork, and tried the rice. Her blue eyes widened. The quiet girl swallowed, then looked down at her plate as if it had just confessed something sacred to her.

Cellione didn’t wait. She stabbed a piece of chili chicken, tossed it into her mouth, and then made a sound—not a word, not a sentence. A sharp, startled sound like someone had just struck gold beneath her tongue.

"...Okay,"

She muttered, almost offended.

"That’s actually incredible."

Aurevia took a bite next, composed as always. Her expression didn’t shift much, but her eyes lingered on the plate longer than necessary.

"It’s balanced,"

She said.

"And surprisingly comforting."

"That’s the goal,"

Alaric replied.

"Comfort. You don’t just sell flavor—you sell familiarity."

Virellen, perched with one leg over the other like she owned the world, spooned up some pudding and took a slow, deliberate bite. Then she laughed.

"Oh, this is going to cause a scene,"

She said.

"You’re going to have women showing up just to ’accidentally’ trip in front of you and beg for another plate."

"I’ll keep the trip hazards to a minimum,"

Alaric said dryly.

Around the room, staff began tasting too. The atmosphere shifted—what was stiff and silent moments ago now bubbled with surprised laughter, delighted gasps, and the rustle of silverware being raised with less fear, more hunger.

One older sous-chef wiped a hand under his eye and muttered,

"Reminds me of home. Back when my mother used to..."

He trailed off.

Alaric heard him. That was all the confirmation he needed.

"This is what you’re building,"

Alaric said to the staff, his voice calm but resolute.

"It’s not just food. It’s a memory you give to strangers. Make it count."

The chefs straightened.

The three girls noticed it too—the shift in mood. Even the ones who had been skeptical of Alaric’s tight secrecy or unusual ingredients were now silently nodding. A seed had been planted.

Alaric’s gaze swept to the four girls now standing beside him.

"Aurevia. Oversee prep quality. Every pan, every plate, every hand on deck."

"Understood,"

She said immediately.

"Cellione. Inventory. Make sure the ingredients are tracked down to the last grain."

"Already on it,"

She replied, cracking her knuckles.

"Serineth. Scheduling. We’re going to train in rotating teams until muscle memory sets in."

She gave a shy but firm nod.

"And Virellen."

"Yes, Master?"

She said, flipping her hair with one hand.

"You’ll be our liaison with your father. Make sure the auction house has all its documents in order. No oversights."

"I’ll send him a reminder. Loudly,"

She grinned.

"He loves those."

He turned back to the kitchen.

"We open in three days,"

He said finally.

"If we’re not ready by then, we’ll delay. But not by much."

The chefs nodded.

The fragrance of soy lingered in the air like a promise.

Three days to launch something no one in Caerywn had ever tasted before. A restaurant born from a different world, carrying the soul of Alaric’s past life and the discipline of this one.

*****

✢═─༻༺═✢═─༻༺═✢

✶ I Reincarnated as an Extra ✶

✧ in a Reverse Harem World ✧

⊱ Eternal_Void_ ⊰

✢═─༻༺═✢═─༻༺═✢

*****

The day slipped into dusk, and the restaurant floor finally fell silent.

The staff had gone home, full bellies and humbled hearts in tow. The lights were dimmed, the air still rich with the scent of soy and spices.

Upstairs, in the loft area, soft cushions had been thrown across the wooden floor, and the windows stood open to the sound of Caerywn’s distant streets—muted laughter, wheels rolling on cobblestone, a violin played somewhere far off.

Alaric sat against the wall, arms crossed, long legs stretched out. Across from him, the girls had gathered loosely in a half circle.

They weren’t dressed formally—just loose shirts, tied-back hair, bare feet curled into the cushions. The tension of the day had melted into something more human.

Virellen was the first to speak.

"I can’t believe how good the pudding came out," s

She said, lying on her stomach with her chin propped up on her fists.

"It actually made one of the chefs cry. Should I be worried?"

"That was probably the punch,"

Cellione muttered, brushing her hair back and rolling her shoulders.

"I told you it needed less citrus."

"You said it needed more."

Virellen grinned.

"Girls,"

Alaric said calmly.

They quieted immediately.

Serineth, soft-spoken as always, sat nearest to him, her knees tucked to her chest. Her green hair slipped across her face like moss over stone.

"...It felt nice,"

She said, her voice just audible.

"Seeing people eat what we made. Like we were giving them something that mattered."

Aurevia nodded faintly beside her. She hadn’t spoken much during dinner, but now she looked toward Mater with quiet composure.

"They trusted your taste,"

She said.

"And they weren’t wrong to. You made something that spoke to them."

Alaric didn’t respond immediately. He looked out the window for a moment, watching the city breathe.

"I wasn’t trying to impress them,"

He said.

"I just... missed the taste. The kind that makes you close your eyes and remember a moment you forgot you needed."

He turned back to them.

"That’s the only kind of food worth serving."

The room went quiet again.

Cellione leaned back, resting on her elbows.

"You know they were all watching you, right? The staff. The women especially."

"I noticed,"

Aurevia said flatly. Her crimson eyes narrowed a touch.

"Mm-hmm,"

Virellen hummed, flipping onto her back and stretching.

"One of them dropped a knife just to get his attention. Bold move."

Serineth blinked.

"...She did?"

"Yep."

Alaric tilted his head slightly.

"And what are you four trying to say?"

Aurevia’s lips curled—just slightly.

"Only that we’ve been getting... looks."

"You always get looks,"

He said, dry as stone.

"Not like these,"

Cellione muttered.

"These are ’why do you get to stand next to him’ looks."

Virellen sighed dramatically.

"Honestly, it’s exhausting being this admired."

Alaric chuckled under his breath. A rare, brief thing. They all caught it.

He reached forward and took the last piece of pudding from the tray. Before he could bring it to his mouth, a wooden spoon tapped his wrist—Serineth’s, of all people.

She blinked up at him, wide-eyed.

"You had three already."

He paused.

Then, without a word, he offered it to her.

She took it shyly, her cheeks blooming pink, and gave the tiniest smile before eating it. Cellione stared at her like she’d just won a duel by cheating.

"You’re soft on her,"

She accused.

"I’m soft on competence,"

Alaric replied.

"She didn’t do anything—!"

"She stopped me from eating a fourth pudding. That’s bravery."

Virellen laughed so hard she fell off the cushion.

The evening ebbed into warmth and breathless laughter. The kind only earned after exhaustion and effort. The kind you don’t find—it finds you, when your bones are tired and your heart’s a little too full.

Outside, Caerywn sparkled under its stars. Inside, nothing glittered—just soft eyes, shared food, and the understanding that what they were building together was more than a restaurant.

It was a home, born of strange memories, stronger bonds, and four very watchful girls who had absolutely no intention of letting anyone else get too close to their Master.

-To Be Continued