The delicacies of the heavens begin with obtaining gem meat.

The crisp sound startled Erina Nakiri from her thoughts.

He looked down at the bowl in front of him, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly, his tone carrying a hint of surprise and uncertainty.

"Scrambled eggs?"

Although it looks decent, it's really just a bowl of ordinary scrambled eggs.

"This isn't your average scrambled eggs!"

Soma Yukihira immediately retorted, then turned around and brought a bowl of steaming white rice to Erina Nakiri.

"It's rice with egg!"

Erina Nakiri's gaze fell on the bowl of white rice, and the interest in her eyes immediately faded by more than half.

Egg rice is just a common, ordinary dish. How could such a common dish possibly catch her eye?

Just as I was about to say something, I saw Soma Yukihira impatiently pour the scrambled eggs onto the rice.

With a soft "scramble," golden scrambled eggs, along with dozens of small brown cubes, landed on the snow-white rice.

The steam from the rice rises upwards, and the small brown cubes begin to melt slowly upon contact with the heat, releasing a rich sauce that quickly turns the rice and eggs into an enticing light brown.

A rich aroma of meat mixed with the fragrance of eggs and rice suddenly filled my nostrils.

Erina Nakiri's gaze sharpened slightly.

Looking at the melting brown cubes, she became somewhat interested in this seemingly ordinary egg and rice dish.

Soma Yukihira deftly sprinkled a pinch of bright green scallions on top, then pushed it in front of Erina, his face full of confidence.

"Please enjoy! This is Yukihira Restaurant's secret recipe—transformed egg rice!"

....................................

Looking at the rather tempting egg and rice dish in front of her, Erina Nakiri hesitated for a moment before picking up her chopsticks.

Pick up some rice coated in sauce and a piece of scrambled egg, and slowly put them into your mouth.

The next second, Erina Nakiri's eyes lit up.

The tenderness of the egg and the chewiness of the rice collide between your teeth, while the melting brown sauce carries the rich aroma of chicken.

The sauce is rich yet not greasy, perfectly complementing the sweetness of the eggs.

It felt like a pair of gentle hands lightly brushing over my taste buds, so comforting that I couldn't help but squint my eyes.

This taste was a novel flavor she had never experienced before.

He couldn't resist picking up another piece with his chopsticks, chewing it carefully, his surprise growing stronger.

"How is it? How is it?"

Soma Yukihira stepped closer, his voice full of anticipation.

"Is it delicious or awful? Tell me!"

Erina Nakiri put down her chopsticks, gently touched the corner of her lips with her fingertips, pondered for a moment, and then gave her evaluation.

"It's just a bit novel, well, but it's actually quite good."

Compared to Jiang Yan's perfectly flawless orange-flavored egg tart.

This egg rice dish ultimately falls short in terms of culinary sophistication.

But undeniably, the fusion of creativity and flavor did give her a pleasant surprise.

Moreover, she had a strange sense of familiarity, as if she had tasted a similar flavor a long time ago, which inexplicably made her feel at ease.

Upon hearing this, Soma Yukihira immediately grinned.

In his view, the evaluation of "some level" already meant that Erina Nakiri approved of his cooking.

That's just being arrogant! He knows it perfectly well.

He was about to say something, such as getting Erina Nakiri to admit that his cooking was indeed delicious.

But then a golden egg tart suddenly appeared in front of him.

Jiang Yan walked over at some point and handed a tangerine-flavored flaky pastry egg tart to Yukihira Soma.

"Want to try some?"

..............................

Soma Yukihira's gaze was instantly drawn to the orange-flavored flaky pastry with a molten center, and the words he was about to say were immediately forgotten.

He snatched the egg tart and eagerly took a big bite.

"Click—"

The crisp sound of the flaky pastry crackling exploded in my mouth, and the rich aroma of orange mixed with the sweet scent of egg and milk instantly overwhelmed all my senses.

The warm, molten filling slid down my throat, sweet but not cloying, with a refreshing orange aroma that perfectly balanced the richness of the egg and milk.

The taste was even more amazing than he had imagined!

"This is so delicious!"

Soma Yukihira's eyes widened, his mouth stuffed with egg tarts, as he mumbled a praise.

It tastes better than his transformed egg rice!

Erina Nakiri frowned slightly as she watched Soma Yukihira wolf down his food, but said nothing.

He said it crisply and decisively.

"Soma Yukihira, you've passed too."

Although there are still some shortcomings, it has barely reached the standard she approves of.

"Haha! That's great!"

Soma Yukihira swallowed the egg tart in his mouth, rubbed his hands excitedly, and looked at Erina Nakiri, about to say something.

Suddenly, someone patted his shoulder hard.

He stumbled and almost lost his balance, then turned around to see Jiang Yan looking at him with a 'sincere' smile.

"Haha, congratulations! We all passed!"

"Let me have another egg tart."

At this moment, Jiang Yan felt utterly helpless.

Once you've passed, stop showing off.

Wasn't his orange-flavored flaky pastry egg tart delicious enough?! How come it still can't shut Yukihira Soma up?

Although Erina has already announced that they passed, she's a tsundere.

If you really anger her, who knows if she might change her mind at the last minute and change "qualified" to "unqualified"?

..............................

Soma Yukihira, unaware of Jiang Yan's thoughts, took the orange-flavored shortcrust pastry custard tart and began to eat it.

Seeing that Soma Yukihira had stopped talking.

Jiang Yan picked up the tray, turned around and walked to Erina Nakiri and Hisako Shinoto, gently placing the plate on the table next to them.

"Would you like to try another one?"

"By the way, the review is over now, so it's no longer working hours."

There were still quite a few orange-flavored flaky pastry tarts left on the tray, each one baked to perfection.

The edges of the tart crust gleam with a caramel-colored sheen, and you can vaguely see the slightly swaying, molten center inside. The enticing aroma wafts into your nostrils, making your tongue itch.

Hisako Shinoto's gaze fell on the egg tarts, a hint of longing flashing in her eyes.

I was very curious about this dish that Erina-sama was given a second serving of.

The subtle scent of oranges mixed with the aroma of eggs and milk is enough to make your mouth water.

But she quickly turned to look at Erina Nakiri beside her.

As Erina's secretary, I naturally prioritize Erina's wishes.

If Lady Erina doesn't want to eat, she won't overstep her bounds.

Erina Nakiri unconsciously stroked her chin with her fingertips, her mind in turmoil.

Reason told her that, as the presiding judge, she should maintain her aloof and dignified persona.

But the lingering orange and milky aroma on her tongue seemed to have a magical power, constantly tantalizing her taste buds.

Coupled with the expectant look in Hisako Shinoto's eyes beside her, any remaining restraint in her heart instantly crumbled.

She coughed lightly, turned her face away, and tried to keep her tone of voice from becoming arrogant, but her slightly reddened ears betrayed her true thoughts.

"In that case, I'll try another piece."

"Hisako, you should try it too. This dish is definitely worth a try."

"Yes, Lady Erina!"

Hisako Shinoto's eyes lit up, a faint smile appeared on her face, and her tone was full of excitement.