Chapter 67 - The Best Chef

Dinner arrived and the Palace's main members have gathered once again in the same hall.

Sitting on their chair, the Furies noticed something strange. Allecto and Tisiphone looked at each other before seeing Megaera sitting along with them.

Allecto wanted to complain but since the atmosphere was strange today, she stayed silent and just glared at Megaera. Meanwhile, the latter was shocked as well. Why was she brought out there?

Earlier, she had finally slept when Nebarius have woken her up. He kept slamming his heads onto the floor again but Megaera was actually grateful.

'I was having nightmares about Tartarus.' Megaera suddenly wanted to pay a visit to one of their siblings, 'Epiales, if I was not woken up, I could've been in a nightmare for one year!'

Epiales is the personification of nightmares, a son of Nyx, mother of the Furies.

She soon forgot about it when the meals have arrived. As Gods, they do not need any nutrition as they get their energy from the cosmos itself. It's only their enjoyment. That's why they were always looking forward to the food.

The only thing that's stopping them from eating every minute is the lack of resources. They wouldn't want to be seen as gluttonous by their subjects.

"Here you go, Madam."

A plate was placed in front of Megaera. She didn't react at first and took her a while before she learned who's the voice came from you.

"Here's for you and for you."

Joren, wearing a butler's outfit, placed the plates and dining utensils in front of Tisiphone and Allecto.

'What is he trying to accomplish?' Tisiphone internally asked, not because she was suspicious of his actions but because he smiling with his glaring look.

'No! His 'awake' face is not my type at all!' Allecto almost jumped out of her seat when Joren went close to her. Her heart was beating so fast that she wanted to stop it for a while or others may notice.

Fortunately for her, Joren was having a great stage presence.

"Joren, what are you doing serving the dishes?" Hades asked.

"He must've known his place by now." Persephone laughed.

"Don't be like that to our guest."

Hades said but his words were a bit playful.

"..."

'Weird…' the Furies, Nebarius, and the servants all thought at the same time.

"It seemed like you two have made up."

Joren said, making the others panic.

'Why the hell is he bringing that up!?'

"Made up? No, it's more than that." Persephone gleefully replied.

'Eh!? The Queen is not reprimanding him!?'

"Well, enough about that. Sit down." Hades followed.

"No, I'll eat later, Lord." Joren shook his head. After placing down the plates, he put the meals next.

"Why are you helping out in the first place?"

"I just felt like it. Is that not fine?"

'Your response!!' everyone except Persephone wants to run up to Joren and shut him up.

"No, if you like it then I will not be stopping you."

Gasp*

Megaera gasped when she finally noticed what was weird in that room.

'The angle of Hades' edge of lips is not 90 degrees but 95 degrees!'

Looking at where Megaera was looking at, Tisiphone has noticed this as well.

'So, it's not just the Queen but even the Lord is in a good mood! What happened?!'

"However, can you even work with that hand of yours?" Hades glanced at Joren's injury.

"It's fine, Lord. I can even do it without any hands."

Joren joked to which Hades responded, "Heh…"

'The Lord laughed!???'

Even Persephone had her eyes wide open.

"Hm, could you bring Megaera with you later? Now that I think about it, letting her out as early as this is unfair. Instead of one year, how about you can order her around in the palace for one week?"

"!?" Megaera's breathing almost stopped.

It would've been fine if she slept for a whole year but letting a lesser undead order her around!? That's much worse!

'I don't think Joren is just a lesser undead, however, I'm the only one who sees it that way.' Megaera lightly gritted her teeth, 'This will be so humiliating.'

"Then, I'll make her work!"

Joren joyfully replied, making Nebarius and the servants shake.

'He doesn't know what he's talking about!' Kidrith, the head maid thought, 'I knew you for a short while but I will be missing you, Joren Vierei.'

The only fortunate thing was that it wasn't Allecto, the Goddess of Anger, whom Hades ordered to be under Joren for a while.

'Not only did she hurt him, but she will also be with him!'

Allecto glared at Megaera while the latter was oblivious to this.

"Hm, what dishes are these?" Hades looked at the meals that Joren placed on the table. They were unfamiliar with it.

'It's from my hometown. I know that it's hard to import products from the living realm here so I thought they would like it.'

Joren was no chef at all. But, he wanted to try tweaking the dishes based on what he know. After all, he had been cooking for himself.

As usual, Hades was the first to take a bite and the moment he gulped down, he felt a tingling sensation down his body.

'The angle of his lips…! It reached 100 degrees!'

Tisiphone internally commented. Megaera was still shocked by what she just heard while Allecto was busy glancing at Joren. Meanwhile, Persephone got curious and tried it out to be blown away!

"Wow! This is good!"

The servants looked at each other, thinking that the chefs must've outdone themselves this time. They might've cooked something special to alleviate the Lord's anger and the Queen's sadness. Only Kidrith, the head maid who governs all divisions of servants in the palace knew that it was Joren who decided to 'experiment', applying his knowledge to the dishes.

'He might be the best chef in the universe!' Kidrith no longer looked at Joren as a mere lesser undead or a guest of the Lord. She found a deep respect for him. If only they could satisfy their masters every day like this, they would be living their best lives.

"True… this is good." Tisiphone muttered before noticing that Allecto and Megaera were not moving. She then decided to feed them each.

Allecto snapped out of her daze and asked, "What did I just eat? It's tasty!"

"Wow, delicious." Megaera muttered.

Joren smiled as the family finished their meals still wanting more.

"Who is the chef that designed this exquisite dinner?" Hades became more refined after that meal.

Kidrith stepped forward and pointed her hand towards Joren.

"It's our guest, My Lord." she bowed.

"What?"

Everyone then looked at Joren, making him a little embarrassed.

"I just helped with the recipe a bit. It's nothing much."

"You?"

Megaera raised an eyebrow while Allecto fanned herself.

They all thought the same thing- Joren must be the greatest chef of all time.

But that was gravely wrong!

'It worked this well…' Joren was even shocked at himself. When he first came there to eat, he found that the food was extraordinarily delicious. However, he noticed that everyone else wasn't reacting much to it.

At first, he thought that the Gods must've greater standards.

That was wrong too.

To explain, imagine a person eating their favorite food all the time. Tha same food throughout the years.

Joren brought with him the ingenuity of household cuisine. It's like how spiciness and bitterness can make a dish more tasteful. A new variant of the dish that they have been eating for how many years now must've been so delicious for them.

'It's not that they don't know how to experiment but they are afraid to tweak the dish, making their masters dissatisfied. Meanwhile, Hades and the rest don't ask for something new since they don't know much about cooking. They thought they were already eating the best dish out there.'

Joren guessed from what he observed. He was the first person to be a 'third party' in Hades' Palace. He has the view of an outsider and could see from a different viewpoint. This made him notice these things.

The chefs there were still the one who made the dishes tastes good, not him. However, no one sees it that way.

After the satisfying dinner, the palace seemed to become more lively.

"Joren, I'm looking forward to breakfast now more than ever. Continue to help in the kitchen." Hades patted Joren's shoulder.

"Sure, Lord."

Joren just nodded before looking at Megaera.

"Let's go, we'll clean the dishes."

Somehow, him ordering Megaera didn't feel that unnatural. The Goddess nodded and followed him.

'I know that I've planned this all but…' Joren felt a small bead of sweat drip from his forehead, 'aren't I too lucky? Am I using all my life's luck right now? Not only am I surviving, but I'm also gaining their favor.'

Joren wouldn't be surprised if something bad happens to him at the next moment.

"Wait…!"

Out of nowhere, Allecto stepped into Joren and Megaera's pathway.