novelraw Chapter 305: A walking kitchen disaster
Chapter 305: A walking kitchen disaster
Rory frowned, still unconvinced.
"Xarion’s words are way over the line. Vangar can really just... take that without reacting?"
Even she had the urge to slap Xarion twice after hearing all that.
And Vangar could endure it?
Yuel nodded. Lowering his voice, he explained calmly, "Xarion is testing him. If Vangar can’t even endure this, then he doesn’t deserve to stay by your side."
Yuel had seen through it immediately. He knew Xarion wouldn’t act like this without reason—Vincent was definitely behind it.
Vangar was too powerful. Vincent needed to know just how far Vangar could go for Rory before deciding whether he could truly be trusted.
After all, Rory’s identity was far too special. If Vangar ever learned the truth and developed other intentions... The consequences would be unimaginable.
Vincent would never gamble with her life.
"Testing him?" Rory repeated, brows knitting tighter.
"Yes." Yuel’s tone remained gentle. "They want to see how much Vangar is willing to endure for you. If he can’t even tolerate Xarion’s verbal provocation, then how reliable could his so-called ’affection’ and ’loyalty’ really be?"
Rory fell silent.
So this... was Xarion’s way of testing Vangar for her sake.
Meanwhile, at the front grill, Vangar slammed the knife down onto the chopping board.
The sharp sound cut through the air.
He lifted his eyes, staring straight at Xarion. His chest rose and fell heavily, like a caged beast on the verge of breaking free.
Xarion met his gaze without a flicker of fear.
The air thickened, killing intent spreading silently between them.
From where she stood, Rory’s palms were already damp with sweat.
One second...
Two seconds...
Several seconds passed.
Then suddenly, Vangar finally spoke. "If you think my cutting is that bad, then you do it."
His voice was steady, without a trace of anger on the surface. With deliberate restraint, he pushed the knife toward Xarion.
"You handle the meat. I’ll do something else."
He had forced himself to suppress the fury boiling inside him.
This was Rory’s manor, he couldn’t fight here. She was already wary of him. If he lashed out now and hurt Xarion in front of her... Wouldn’t she fear him even more?
Worse—she might get angry with him because of that annoying troublemaker.
It was not worth it.
Xarion raised a brow as he looked at the knife pushed toward him.
So he’d held back.
Just moments ago, Xarion had clearly felt Vangar’s killing intent. And yet... he had restrained himself.
Since when did this guy become so patient?
Or maybe... The pressure wasn’t enough yet?
Xarion pointed lazily toward the grill beside them. "If you can’t cut meat, at least you can grill, right? Go."
Vangar didn’t argue. He stood up, walked to the grill, picked up a pair of tongs—and began awkwardly turning the sizzling meat.
His movements were still clumsy, but every action was deliberate, focused.
He took it seriously.
Watching from behind, Rory felt her eyelid twitch uncontrollably.
She turned to Yuel and muttered under her breath, "I think... this ’test’ should stop here. He really can’t cook. This is starting to feel a bit excessive."
It wasn’t that she felt sorry for Vangar. She was genuinely worried that if this continued... He might burn her entire manor down.
Rory quickly walked over. Looking at Vangar—who was still seriously tending the grill—she said, "Vangar, the burn you got earlier hasn’t fully healed yet. You should go sit over there and rest for a while."
"Let Xarion and Paros handle the grilling."
Vangar hadn’t expected her to come over... let alone show concern for him.
He had assumed that, for Xarion’s sake, she would turn a blind eye and let the teasing continue.
After all, Xarion was her bonded partner, and he was only a newly matched one.
"It’s alright, Female Master. My injury is already fine."
Vangar didn’t want to put her in a difficult position. If she cared about him, then he should be the one to make things easier for her.
"Female Master, I’m really fine. I want to try grilling again."
He lifted the skewer in his hand, showing it to her.
"Look—this one’s much better than before. Let me try one more time."
Vangar understood exactly why Xarion was targeting him. Aside from their unfinished business from years ago, there was also the matter of testing him.
In the Empire, newly matched males were always tested—sometimes even bullied—by the female’s existing partners.
Compared to what others endured, Xarion’s sharp words were nothing.
Xarion glanced at the skewer in Vangar’s hand, then reached out and lightly caught Rory’s wrist.
"Female Master, since the Marshal himself wants to learn, just let him. With me here, nothing will happen to him."
Rory’s lips twitched.
Do you even realize he’s a walking kitchen disaster?
Fine. If they wanted to make a mess, she wouldn’t interfere... As long as they didn’t burn down her manor.
"...Alright, then keep grilling. Just be careful with the fire."
Please don’t burn my house down.
"Don’t worry, Female Master. I’ll be careful." Vangar answered seriously.
Xarion added, "Female Master, I’ll keep an eye on him."
Just as he finished speaking, Paros walked over, holding freshly grilled skewers.
"Rory, I just made these. Try them—tell me if they’re good?"
Vangar and Xarion exchanged irritated looks.
This guy really knew how to pick his moment.
I kind of want to punch him.
Whoosh—!
The flames in the grill suddenly surged upward. In an instant, they swallowed the nearly finished skewer in Vangar’s hand.
Xarion stared at the blackened, charred thing in Marshall’s hand, smoke still curling from it.
He paused for a second, then immediately found a new opening to attack.
"Vangar." His tone turned sharp with mockery. "I’m truly impressed."
He snatched the ruined skewer and held it up in front of Vangar’s face.
"I told you to grill meat, not make charcoal."
His words fired off like a loaded weapon—fast, relentless, each one sharper than the last.
"When you cut meat, you turn it into paper. When you grill, you turn it into alchemy."
He tossed the charred skewer back toward Vangar in disgust.
"I finally get it now. That senile Beast God must’ve known you were this useless—and figured you were getting old. That’s why he matched you with Female Master. Probably just found you a place to retire and wait to die."
Xarion’s tongue was lethal—second only to Rory, no one in the household had been spared from it before.
Even knowing this was a deliberate test, the others couldn’t help but feel a flicker of sympathy for Vangar.
Vangar stood silently by the grill, head lowered, eyes fixed on the shattered, blackened skewer lying on the ground.
His lips pressed tightly together.
He said nothing.
For the first time... He looked almost pitiful.
"What’s going on here?" Vincent walked over, his gaze briefly sweeping across the charred remains on the ground.
Then he looked at Xarion.