The woman was still there, and Jasmine’s gaze lingered on her for a moment. Then a small smile curved across her lips.
She deliberately walked past the table, carrying the tray just close enough for the warm, savory aroma of fried rice to drift toward them.
If they wanted to stare, they could stare. At least now they had something worth staring at.
Annoying people were still potential customers.
Jasmine was not going to waste a perfectly good market.
From the corner of her eye, she saw the woman growing increasingly irritated while tapping furiously at her BeepAir. Jasmine simply walked past her and headed toward Calla, who was waiting by the metal barrier dividing the cafeteria.
Jasmine held out the tray, but Calla hesitated before taking it.
"Is this really okay?"
"I bought it with my own money, and there is not a rule saying I can’t sell it." Jasmine smiled. "So yes. It’s okay. We can even eat it here."
One of the fresh-graduate Sentinels looked skeptical.
"Are you sure Captain Oleander will choose one of us?"
Jasmine gave him a straight look.
"I never said he would choose you. But if you finish the food, I will make sure you get to meet him."
That bluffing seemed to be enough.
Calla immediately took the large tray from Jasmine, six portions of fried rice arranged across it, and carried it toward the table where her friends were gathered.
Jasmine turned back to bring the remaining portion, only to find the head chef beside her with another six portions.
"I’ve already tasted it," he said. "It’s very good. I’ll talk to the Food Department about adding it to the menu. You should all try it. You won’t regret it."
He raised both eyebrows at Jasmine with a pleased smile.
Jasmine couldn’t help returning it.
Finally, someone other than Oleander believed in her.
The head chef’s approval did something strange to her chest. It was not just pride. It was the quiet satisfaction of being recognized for something she had chosen for herself.
In her previous life, cooking had started as a means of survival before becoming something she genuinely loved. Until the government destroyed it in the name of missions and a life driven by nothing but greed.
Cooking had become a nightmare during those years.
But now, for the first time since waking up in this body, she felt a tiny piece of that old happiness returning.
She liked this feeling.
All twelve portions of fried rice were quickly distributed among the group.
A moment later, Calla transferred the money to Jasmine’s BeepAir.
Jasmine’s smile widened when she saw her new balance.
165 credits.
She’d invested 120 credits and already turned it into a 45-credit profit. Not bad.
But somehow, watching Calla and her friends eat happily made her feel even richer.
"I never thought I could eat lamb for fifteen credits."
"This is so good! The flavor just exploded in my mouth!"
"The portion isn’t huge, but I’m actually full because of the flavor. It’s so satisfying."
One of the Sentinels shoveled another bite into his mouth.
"I can’t go back to rations after this."
"You’re going to make the rations taste worse now."
"Forget the rations. I’m saving up for another one tomorrow."
Jasmine couldn’t help smiling.
That was exactly what she wanted to hear.
She sat at a table near the barrier and watched Calla and the others happily demolish their food. One portion of fried rice remained in front of her, but she was still full and had no idea what to do with it.
Then the countdown caught her attention.
[3:21]
The numbers stopped.
Ding!
[Emergency Quest: Complete.]
[Reward: +400 GR.]
[Unused Time Conversion for Bonus: +321 GR.]
[Eleven residents consumed your cooking. Additional Reward: +275 GR.]
[Guide Resonance: 1221/10000.]
There was a brief pause.
[Chef God’s Evaluation: Your improvised cooking operation was unexpectedly profitable.]
Jasmine’s smile twitched.
[Chef God is impressed.]
Her smile widened again. Her hard work had paid off. And she was getting closer to spending real time inside the Divine Kitchen.
Calla smiled softly from across the table and wiggled her wrist, signaling Jasmine to check her BeepAir.
Jasmine’s BeepAir chimed. She swiped up the notification.
Calla: The food is really good. And you’re kind too. Let’s be friends (?) Haha XD
Jasmine stared at the word friends. She didn’t think she needed one. She had survived perfectly well without them. Yet her fingers moved before she could reconsider.
Jasmine: Ok.
She stared at her own reply.
...Ok?
Apparently, her fingers had developed their own opinions.
Jasmine looked back at her total GR.
After calculating for a moment, she realized something else.
Oleander still hadn’t eaten the shredded chicken she’d prepared for him.
Did the kiss make him lose his appetite?
She frowned.
Seems like another side effect. I need to be more careful.
Her gaze fell to the remaining fried rice in front of her.
Can this really not be taken away? Fried rice has never failed to bring back someone’s appetite.
Just as Jasmine reached for it, something flew into her field of vision.
A metallic sphere hovered in front of her.
It was about the size of an adult’s fist, with a smooth, shiny surface and a single feature that made it look strangely like a giant floating eye.
It blinked.
Once.
Jasmine frowned.
What are you?
The metal sphere blinked again.
Then its body rotated until its curved, reflective surface faced her.
Four thin metal limbs suddenly extended from underneath it, reaching toward the edges of her plate.
Jasmine stared.
What? You’re trying to steal my food right in front of me?
She reached for the plate.
But before her fingers could touch it, a movement flickered across the metal ball’s shiny surface.
Jasmine caught the reflection instantly. Someone was approaching from behind with an angry expression, one hand swinging back with something clutched inside it.
Her body reacted before her mind finished processing the threat.
The instant the object flew toward her, Jasmine twisted and rolled sharply across the floor.
Splash!
Brown liquid flew through the air.
Jasmine landed on her side and looked up.
The liquid hadn’t hit her.
Instead, it had splashed directly onto a cleaning-service worker who happened to be walking past.
The entire cafeteria went silent.
Then several people gasped.
Jasmine stared at the source of the chaos.
What a lunatic. This was becoming unnecessarily inconvenient.