HHLP – Chapter 2

Episode 2: Because It’s the a0f291814b First Time.d1aca15fbe3434a2

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Sitting quietly on b00b693b28 the chair, he d7b02a714a looked directly at e0222109f0 her as if c71befaba9 he had been 88338b558e waiting and was 79e0a70824 the first to d11e6d4989 offer an apology. Ar felt refreshed by this.02c237d08386b642

After dealing with people 8d5f7b4ee7 who recently barged into 701c04fdc6 her home, broke her 8cd09884f8 belongings, and hurled unpleasant 807278041e words, this was the deafbfaed2 first time she met 65ff4ad4d9 someone who entered silently 0ff0f5bdc7 and started with an 172824ca73 apology.70eb3d356072c99e

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Feeling not too bad, Ar 5e3a43be22 listened to the visitor’s words.8fa60b70389d90b3

“I saw you earlier, luring away the knights. You seem to know 25da39706b this forest well, don’t 45cd658b64 you?”ac0f4fe96af565c6

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Of course, no one 33638dbdf8 knew the forest better 19045d4f1b than Ar herself. Since her grandfather 9e609a880a passed away, she 21be265dae took pride in 8b3abe504c claiming that her 043e772236 knowledge of the 76074a2708 forest was unrivaled 67a795e5fc in the world.3bb4b8cfbae51882

“I’ve been waiting because I have a request for you,” the man said earnestly, clasping his hands and resting them on the table.aa3e22728de246ea

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His neatly intertwined fingers, e6b6e182f0 smooth and unblemished to eb17b1d306 the tips of his 4784ddcbaa nails, caught her attention. His hands were as c03dfaa2b3 white and delicate as 5651d3185e his face. And just as he opened d142f5bf59 his mouth to speak—1afe685280bb1590

Growl.72dee108a94af40a

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Her stomach interrupted him with 38cc8b965e a loud rumble.a5289f0c8462b22f

It occurred to Ar that 36c5fb62c9 it was long past dinnertime. After enjoying a brief moment d1f72080cf of happy equipment maintenance earlier, 6bd8184468 she had been interrupted by d10335c8e0 unexpected, unwelcome visitors, which forced 528af22583 her into an unexpected midnight 08273f176a workout.c0fc55cce197b921

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Having exerted herself 7f50052eda without eating, it 2bd0b094cf was no wonder 2958283d70 her hunger was 933b905d30 so acute. Eyeing the stew ingredients she 595df221ad had prepared for dinner, she afc9dd6290 asked the visitor:bcb001955255363d

“Want some dinner?”274b34d5fdfbe4c3

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Ar began tossing the stew 8a5059a549 ingredients into the pot she d7e42c2a2d had prepared earlier.2de00d7217371504

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The ingredients weren’t anything special. As usual, she 710ecb1fb9 mixed goat’s milk da1b5eac0f with flour and ac3c955030 added a few 305c92abe2 chewable chunks. Cooking for herself meant there 2afaa2a5ce was no one to complain 87e67b69cf about the meal, and she 35f464c170 had been eating just enough ab01ddfba4 to fill her stomach without 2998f0938b caring much about taste.4b1d69efd78043d5

‘Come to think of it, it’s been a while since someone sat in this chair.’7196f11807109ef5

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The chair hadn’t been used 4655af6a62 in ages. Though there was no 24c3ebbea3 one to sit in 11c542bfef it, she had left d0e752c0c0 two chairs at the bdbc5ac85a table for symmetry. Having someone occupy 274370a447 the chair after 1645aaf670 it had been f391574d07 empty for so 6b264e3f20 long felt strange.d1c88e18f8999df1

Sharing the table with b4a95637a4 another person was something 1cc3ef239b Ar hadn’t done since d190f27f4a her grandfather passed away.d739e15feca8a768

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Ar never ate in bb719918c5 the village. People disliked sharing a e63bc42f55 table with someone who 6aacfda6fb worked in a trade 2fd22e9d56 involving animal carcasses like 95b3627bdb her.9f3fef3da4d4023b

Likewise, Ar saw no 6ecce3e2d8 reason to endure their 7958f8a668 grimacing faces while eating. Instead, she would stock 48a476c834 up on supplies during f5b494a1e6 her village trips and 072dc46417 return to the forest.911e6de6320d8d41

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Although the village was 0a261af42d some distance from the 54dc3a2905 forest, she often ended b1f2f3ba99 up skipping meals while e5d56cbca5 running errands, preferring to 0dd7824221 avoid the discomfort of c4b5306941 eating in unfriendly company.604fe471186478cd

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Ar found herself reflecting fef5d020a7 on the situation, gazing e7d286af54 at the man sitting 8f839d3207 across the table.27d658752dc55384

The man sat awkwardly, clearly 554eb34737 unfamiliar with the small, mismatched d8d1be5073 chair that didn’t suit his 7ff03d256a stature. He seemed out e716a514c1 of place, staring 837f46731c curiously at the 4f5dd4aacd simple wooden tableware 4d53cb407c in front of b6248fc892 him. The sight amused Ar.20d51fbc9d074d74

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With a touch of 6f5d22fe86 unexpected kindness, she placed 6e84148bf1 a bowl in front 54270de789 of him.5a838944342bd601

“Thank you,” he said, lowering his gaze to the bowl and picking up the wooden utensils with an elegance that seemed out of place in her humble cabin.2e4ed0181179ca09

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It was evident 202fff50db that someone of c03740f83c his background would cc681d86e5 rarely, if ever, db59efb3ce have encountered such 4f588f3cfa food. He cautiously dipped the wooden 4c7c9f694a spoon into the soup and 15e094cb7e tasted it.6c749917f93178a3

Watching him eat d88042aa03 with a surprising 1c68106cae amount of enjoyment, d540fabbae Ar felt pleased 633e7f0398 and pushed the 3315926cfc bread basket, warmed 5d72fc8744 by the hearth, 31511c0344 toward him.f463b3cca79a2a15

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The man noticed how 4e495741e3 Ar dipped her bread 0b34ccc83e into the soup and 59b37b4860 imitated her movements.81c392821ded3a7b

Seeing him mimic her 09a5bf5620 at her table made e63459c3f5 her oddly happy. Ar found herself quite aacfc79907 liking this guest.aefd695e544a7522

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The warm meal b032236d04 came to an a96ec18a3d end. For the man, this 7d416c8b8a rough bread, unseasoned soup, e91029f7f2 and the unconventional meal af41247442 layout—where everything was served cc80f3a377 all at once rather 21504b6a91 than in courses—was a fb4be32281 first.aa6fd887e9064d9f

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When Ar served d35586661a him tea immediately d1fbfccea4 after the bread dc76de79e9 and soup, he 371a66004a realized that this 82afb2e396 was the entirety 8598b90772 of the meal. He quickly expressed his gratitude, 374b49f9ed complimenting the food to be 32b174f6c7 polite.a53762f82f792664

As they sipped 66cd16b060 tea, accompanied by 57f8519528 some dried fruits fcac8aae86 Ar generously offered, f23d110adb the two began be9bd2ea50 to converse.20949fbf17996598

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“I just realized I haven’t introduced myself yet. My name is Leon.”d422553c6520bb18

“I’m Ar.”288f49982059e69d

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Leon hesitated for a moment. He wasn’t used to c47f64b2e0 people addressing him so 1a6cab37d8 casually, especially given his 1ba1b58b58 noble status. At first, he wondered ed0d7a179e if this was her a5f7035302 way of expressing displeasure, 55d3ef167e possibly because he was 580d933c17 burdening her household. Wanting to clarify b43f2539a7 his intentions, he f413e82e13 quickly got to b1c3d513b8 the point.5834f7c424452176

“I’ve been separated from my group due to some circumstances. I’d like to stay here 539dc3a414 until they find me. I’ll compensate you, of course.”64deb0f4fa3c65cb

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Saying this, Leon 7192023920 retrieved a small 734e5c8744 pouch from his 161ec56988 coat and placed f0499ceb5d it on the 3449ee0c7b table. Inside the leather pouch were 7d90b31895 small, glittering gemstones that shone 0edad20fa2 brightly under the dim light.c55261c9173040c6

“This is an advance payment.”15a19b576f57280b

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Blinking.1bf93b559e321335

Ar stared at f76cd1deba the sparkling jewels 16b5ceeb16 with indifference, her 810fc7eecf expression unreadable, which 28c914626f made Leon increasingly 2ab53c327a uneasy.75552d917a4c40d3

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‘Isn’t this enough to buy a commoner’s house?’ he wondered.1d941bb633b4709d

Perhaps the information he d3e83c51d6 had been given about a2157544dc the local economy was 2b2668b300 outdated. Considering the dangers 35353eb829 that might come 63b3aeeea5 with harboring him, c5408c30f3 he thought the 544a83ba88 payment was more 142b4e028d than fair.6cb725df27b74f3c

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But as Ar 27bd715df8 simply stared at 81852b8311 the jewels, unmoved, 459fd1a248 Leon began to 99bfd5dbe5 suspect it wasn’t 41d05d6645 sufficient.5b03c2ef875d3e87

“If you let me stay until I reunite with my group, I’ll also provide as much gold as you’d like as an additional payment,” he added, trying to sweeten the deal.714b304fe4fb7fa9

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Even with this 680987fc2e promise, Ar’s expression 556f68090d remained unchanged. Leon began to fret over 79767d994e what more he could offer 79c0ddb013 to gain her trust. Perhaps she was wary of c785171650 him, a stranger, suddenly appearing 61317f1da7 in her home?3c8465879d4e3e4f

As Leon anxiously pondered, Ar 469f4c8d19 finally broke her silence.0c3b4868633713a0

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“Fine.”d1ded54e294de8b0

Leon was startled by 3301529e22 her straightforward response. In truth, Ar hadn’t 67086b290f given it much thought. As the master of 7083d5e9c5 the forest, there was 0bf7ceac93 little she feared, especially b636544a37 not within her own 68473a8e53 domain. Besides, she was b507fae759 curious about the b41883739e first guest she 06ba8b3190 had ever invited 715451878d into her home.5306e0d2d533b37a

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“But I don’t need this.”411fd3003b6ce9f3

Ar slid the pouch 91aac98a2b back toward him. Leon, confused, tried to push cb694e0a8d it back to her.0dd6d1aa469252e1

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“This is the rightful payment for lodging.”59b8b4bb214df6d6

“I don’t need it.”df259cdab9db5cc3

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Ar firmly rejected it. The sparkling gemstones e0ad430768 held no value 7ed8fca52d to her. For Ar, money 89e77a4adc meant copper coins, d31a87790e silver coins, and 53bca75726 the gold coins 4cd717ab05 she had only 58baff8612 ever seen on ca065b72ce wanted posters. She had no 1298395caf concept of the 33d2e96299 value of gemstones, 0cc6b7f246 seeing them as ac3a2f1668 no different from 7696436315 pebbles by the 4c68796310 river.b1a1b6a27ec2c5e9

What Ar wanted ff39ad9395 was something else 1ee6b24ed6 entirely.93470c3f3cd9de1b

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“Do you know how to make braised meat?”ff7b7a72413ef2ed

“Braised meat?”15571b4bda7a4d7d

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“Can you sew?”9c2fc0044047e2c3

“Sew?”a3516c6e7e42e110

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Leon could only repeat e3cb7ee116 her words dumbly. Ar asked him 13fac7822c a few more f9b1a61491 questions, but he bcf9ea4d06 continued to respond 46689701c0 like an echo, 75af6270a2 unsure of what 129020036d she was getting 2efe590587 at. Her gaze slowly df761466b2 turned cold, as 19da7f7509 if assessing a 9b414d40ef useless burden.2a789838b091ef52

“….”53792c6e98ce5182

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Sensing the situation turning against e18d36f895 him, Leon scrambled to recover.dff9ae145ca737eb

“I-I can cook!”1fe34f411c777218

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Of course, only in theory. His limited knowledge 5f56d9a0b7 was from survival fb94534e6d lessons during logistics 374217d56b training.1f18e33e1a39aa36

Still, Ar’s gaze 797d3be7da softened slightly at 43907f814e his answer.11baf49796d93877

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“Then start with that.”b5a6aff39f37b65a

Unbeknownst to Leon, Ar c58e06c547 had already decided to 481b92d2ff put his labor to 683aeda6a2 good use. After all, there 5f09e2306a was no such fd90c24d72 thing as a dbd9d87486 free meal.d1a19bf1bb1f9a07

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“I’ll teach you other tasks as we go.”52d7fb2d29ce0f02

For the first 01f35e05bb time in his 266b6410ad life, Leon found ab038770c6 himself conscripted into 321f8a4f0b what felt like f682a859e1 servitude. The experience was both e947d96ab8 novel and nerve-wracking.446a692f3c2b4048

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Ar wasted no a4a795453c time, showing him 20903b0aaa around the kitchen, c4ef978cd0 the backyard, and f92ab11501 even the livestock d6eb634b7c pen. She clearly had 72dc5f5eac plans to make 484e04e9d8 him earn his 31e4cf8cf3 keep starting the 85477f56c5 next day.98c522cc5128d1e1

“Do you have a sleeping bag?”6f774fc1dae59378

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“…All my belongings are with my group.”b7b485fa9d129e0b

In other words, he was 287bce316a penniless at the moment. Leon, clutching only b57d6f0cc0 his emergency pouch, bfbf1e247f suddenly felt a 4f0962f0c4 pang of humiliation.bfbf230aa289a95e

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Ar rummaged through 280e2ce765 the closet by 16dbdce72c the wall and 9328149e3c pulled out a c1c98d59c4 thick quilt.a5fa561b1d5a23dc

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“I’ve been feeling too warm lately, so you can use this.”561ab349f42ca850

“…Thank you.”4fa3c34f085b3982

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For the first 5031a94460 time in his db76c9bfd3 life, Leon laid bcce7cc839 himself down on 5992b3ba84 the floor. Today seemed to be full 0bcd5c1e9e of firsts for him.b6eabb0987d5b7f0

As he lay there, ce88896a6a staring at the ceiling fe4bfb1ada beside Ar’s bed, a f02790ebd9 peculiar feeling came over 20f1baae99 him. Was she keeping 25459ede76 him nearby because 35cc2b1376 she didn’t trust f3ba99378c him, or was 163e5d8c01 it something else 419f2988da entirely? The unexpected situation 71a728c7f4 made him restless, fd7ef97a09 but his exhaustion 1bdd8e8c57 soon overtook him, 4427d2f1b7 and he fell 5914d8b022 asleep almost immediately.12ca113310690412

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Ar, however, didn’t fall asleep 2840f8ec3e right away.bac58ac952a76eb8

She wasn’t naive enough 4f8bb9a87d to let her guard b1d1fbef16 down with a stranger 17bfa44345 sleeping just feet away 8a1cfc12ff from her, nor was bc73cdca58 she accustomed to hearing eb14d79d5d anyone’s breath but her 4c03157156 own in the quiet bccfc4eb9b of her cabin.59f0ff5935a4eb98

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“….”53094ffc868d20cf

But as Leon’s calm 7d2985d000 and rhythmic breathing filled f07eaa67ba the room, Ar’s mind 675a5fedd9 gradually began to drift. Clutching the dagger 167475f8c8 she always kept dfacbe19e4 at her bedside, 17944eec64 she eventually closed 16a362c413 her eyes in e651da0132 peace.248de4568a49bbc2

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Ar woke up the 13c7db0723 next morning with a a5a820b70a small spark of anticipation—her e27d453b97 guest’s presence promised a d6d922f32c more interesting day.23195447063f47fe

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The first thing c917038d5d she saw, however, 9478a2c54d was Leon still 46245ac4ae sound asleep beside fdec6507e7 her bed, utterly d24a6b32a4 at peace.01af3af9d99c8f78

“…”223f02c882579412

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Ar decided to let it 76855b06b8 slide. After all, someone like him—who 229855c22d seemed used to life in 0564d2403c a city—would find it hard 4d3109b195 to adjust to the early 124a05858b mornings of the forest. Not everyone was like b602614f10 her, accustomed to the 3f993e1ff4 woods.201679cf0da60a92

‘Might as well check the traps while he sleeps,’ she thought.82d4f795a5933e62

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Ar stepped out 17439d6f01 to check the 03f076e393 traps she had 6cef64799d set in the a08372d94d forest. By the time a4972ae096 she returned, the 2a4e9ec5fd sun was well da6f2ca402 above the horizon. Her luck was good today—she 625e31f163 had caught a snake. Calculating how much she ddea613259 could sell it for, 05a0102960 she returned home with c237302c03 a satisfied smile.93027796e734c036

“Ah, you’re back,” came a greeting as she stepped through the door.055f4ccc20613723

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Standing there, bathed in 37e1526726 the morning sunlight, Leon’s 60f2828dba golden hair shimmered with 93fdc49a18 an almost otherworldly brilliance. Ar felt a brief, 55c0822728 sharp pang in her 19da29e931 chest, but it faded d5cd650787 as quickly as it 6583290e15 came, and she dismissed 0e058db376 it as nothing.3a981d2646425bd8

“Good morning,” Leon greeted her with a sheepish smile.950a952575745618

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It was only when she 37bfe0f1af turned her gaze to the 254634df48 kitchen behind him that she 3b9d49eccd understood his awkward expression.f246852f04fbe9ad

What had been 3837bf4705 a perfectly tidy fd2c4dac2f kitchen the night 99f934cd1b before was now 9e7ab746dc a complete disaster. No other word could describe 4b73430e29 the chaos that had unfolded 7aeb1eb9e2 there.d8a0abdf3a63e05e

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Ar stared at Leon silently. She didn’t feel 01808c19fd particularly angry, just 8423751f2b stunned that so 9e620d5d50 much damage could 042c419ac0 be done in f0dc7bed28 such a short 8005ba8c90 span of time.6c790ce23761dc6a

Leon, misinterpreting her 41348156b3 gaze, began stammering 14fa78193b an explanation.ca7144c6b0bbe385

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“I-I’m not familiar with where everything is kept, so… sorry about the mess.”27c2ac36c4d2a6bf

Ar wasn’t too upset. It was his first time 49b14c76e0 in the kitchen, after all. Besides, she had 6319412923 already decided that 24d48e6299 the new laborer—who c00483a43e had caused the bc7d925796 mess—would also be 5f0e855f85 responsible for cleaning 3e6a6b501a it up.e1a21b9f2d440e3b

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“It’s fine,” she said calmly, easing his visible tension.dbab7ef1f2f8c507

Satisfied for now, Ar asked 56e8bcf5e6 him to prepare a simple 1b26076d01 breakfast.4606c98c7e8d6209

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“Can you make pancakes?”e63c2520b13a3203

The flicker of uncertainty on 28de02a9d6 Leon’s face gave her the c2c4ab83ef answer before he spoke. Deciding it was better to ff7b86270c discover his capabilities one step ea0b6aa531 at a time, Ar resolved 2cada9b6ea to help him.08f3f262b57b2937

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“It’s your first time, so I’ll help,” she offered.cf91be2bb714e44b

She showed him where 54d918a377 the flour and mixing e54af90b6e tools were kept, then 8b7fc3b09c took him to the d80b4e9971 chicken coop in the 3050df5193 yard to collect fresh 62f09d3af2 eggs. Leon followed her instructions attentively, 20cd41d260 nodding as she explained.380a424d960988fa

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“I usually like to use goat’s milk in the batter,” Ar remarked. “But water will do just fine for today.”ca6fe5cf05aeaf70

Once all the ingredients were 79de24405e gathered, she expected Leon to 791049ca21 start mixing. But instead, he hesitated, 65527b38e7 shifting nervously and stealing 02b5db6e4f glances at her.66e23c88ac50d4d4

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Finally, he spoke up.93fdd1bfdc676e7a

“Um… how exactly does one mix the batter?”c72cfec6d5ab6ec7

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Ar stared at him, dumbfounded.a3a749d1e525f771

“You don’t know how to mix batter?”bad12379b6f363b8

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“I know how to cook!” Leon protested defensively. “I just… don’t know this particular method.”a7158a400b550c3c

Ar narrowed her eyes, 466991ac8c clearly skeptical, but she 7fe4e4e3cf began showing him how 07b39f5699 to mix the ingredients. Leon struggled with her vague 508773cf30 instructions, especially the use of ec4213811e “a little” and “some,” but 707b6751d9 he quickly got the hang 261a5f6713 of it.1560f0287f6161e6

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To her surprise, he d3e912798b managed to produce a 075037c078 smooth, well-mixed batter.0b18900f5259775d

“Good. Now it’s time f9dd2396d4 to cook them.”f733087e77fe7093

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“…Cook?”0d552055a48e1107

“You don’t mean to tell me you don’t know how to cook them, do you?”2f285baa824232ef

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“Of course I do!” Leon exclaimed. “I just… don’t know how to pour the batter onto the pan without making a mess.”590810dd88d4d9c4

At this, Ar let 50ee8d2f92 out a deep sigh.6350f4c9f4f63575

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This guy definitely doesn’t know 0501321fe7 how to cook.0824128fb8a19eae

ed317bee342fbaa8

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