Chaoter 692 155.3 - Case of a breakfast


    Astron began setting down the rest of the dishes he had prepared, his movements calm and efficient despite the chaos they had caused earlier. tes of fried herb patties, crispy potatoes, Emberboar bacon, and the vibrant eggs with tomato sauce filled the table.


    Irina watched silently, her fork halfway to her mouth as she observed him. It struck her that despite their impromptu "battle" in the kitchen, not a single dish had been ruined or spilled. The chairs might have tipped over, a few utensils littered the floor, but every te remained pristine, as if the chaos had been carefully choreographed. She nced down at her own te, then back at Astron, her lips pressing into a thin line. She hated to admit it, but she was impressed. "How did you...?" she began, her voice trailing off.


    Astron nced at her, one brow arched. "How did I what?" he asked, cing a cup of tea in front of her.


    "Nothing," she muttered, quickly stuffing another bite of food into her mouth.


    But her thoughts didn''t stop. She reyed the earlier scene in her mind-the way he had moved, dodging her lunges with ease, holding onto the food without spilling a single drop. His movements had been so fluid, so precise. She''d never seen anyone so nimble, not even inbat. It wasn''t just his speed or reflexes-it was the way he seemed to always be in control of his body, even in a chaotic situation.


    Her gaze flickered to him again as he settled into a chair across from her, taking a sip of his tea. His sharp features were rxed, his expression calm as if the earlier chaos hadn''t happened.


    "Like a cat..." she mumbled absentmindedly, her fork tapping lightly against her te. Astron nced up, his purple eyes narrowing slightly in curiosity. "What was that?" Irina blinked, realizing she had spoken aloud. Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly shook her head. "Nothing," she said quickly, though her mind lingered on the thought. She remembered a particr cat she''d encountered at the academy-a sleek, ck creature that had a habit of leading her to ces she hadn''t intended to go, including the library that day. It had moved with the same kind of grace Astron did, its steps silent and deliberate, its gaze sharp and knowing.


    That cat... and him... she thought, her lips pressing into a thin line. The resemnce was uncanny.


    Astron leaned forward slightly, resting his chin on his hand as he studied her. "You''ve been staring," he said, his tone teasing. "Do I have something on my face?"


    Irina''s fork ttered against her te as she quickly shook her head. "No!" she said, her voice higher than she intended. She cleared her throat, trying topose herself.


    "I was just... thinking about something"


    "About me?"


    Irina scoffed, crossing her arms as she leaned back in her chair. "Don''t tter yourself," she muttered, though the faint blush on her cheeks betrayed her.


    "Hmm..."


    Astron hummed softly, his gaze lingering on her for a moment longer before he returned to his tea. "If you say so," he said lightly, his tone leaving her bristling.


    She huffed, turning her attention back to her te. Like a cat... she thought again, stealing another nce at him. The idea refused to leave her mind, and she couldn''t decide whether it annoyed her or amused her. Probably both.


    The two of them dined quietly, the earlier chaos of the kitchen melting into a surprisinglyfortable calm. Irina poked at the fried herb patties on her te, the golden crust catching the light, before taking a cautious bite. Her eyes widened slightly as the vors hit her-a perfect bnce of crispy exterior and savory filling, the herbs and spices enhancing the simplicity of the dish.


    She nced across the table at Astron, who ate with his usual unhurried grace. His expression betrayed nothing, but Irina could tell he was aware of her reaction. She huffed softly, unwilling to admit out loud that the food was, in fact, good.


    The eggs and tomato sauce were next, the spices melding with the natural tanginess of the tomatoes to create a satisfying bite. The Emberboar bacon, with its rich, smoky vor, practically melted in her mouth. Everything on the table was simple yet executed with care, the kind of meal that didn''t need to be shy to be satisfying.


    "Not bad," she muttered under her breath, spearing another piece of potato with her fork.


    Astron''s gaze flicked to her, his purple eyes glinting with amusement. "What was that?" he asked, though his tone made it clear he''d heard her perfectly.


    Irina red at him, her cheeks flushing faintly. "I said it''s not bad," she repeated, louder this time, her tone defensive.


    "Hmm," Astron hummed, taking another bite of his food. "I''ll take that as high praise from you."


    Irina rolled her eyes, but her lips twitched slightly, almost betraying a smile. She returned her attention to her te, determined not to let him see how much she was enjoying the meal.


    It wasn''t as if she was a gourmet or anything. Her standards for food weren''t particrly high-as long as it was edible and didn''t taste like ash, she''d be satisfied. But even so, she couldn''t deny that Astron''s cooking had a certain... charm. Each dish was bnced, the vorsplementing one another without being overwhelming. It wasn''t chef-level, but it was clearly made with skill and care.


    Her thoughts wandered briefly to the meals she was used to-borate, meticulously prepared feasts served by the finest chefs in the Emberheart household. They were impressive, certainly, but there was something about the simplicity of this meal that felt more genuine. It reminded her of the rare times she''d eaten something made by hand, without theyers of expectation and ceremony that usually apanied her meals.


    She stole another nce at Astron, who was calmly sipping his tea as though he hadn''t. just orchestrated a chaotic yet perfectly executed breakfast. Hisposure was as steady as ever, his expression unreadable but oddly reassuring.


    "Humph," she muttered, returning to her food.


    They ate inpanionable silence, the tension from earlier reced by an unspoken understanding. Irina didn''t want to admit it, but she felt strangely at ease, a rare feeling she wasn''t entirely sure what to do with. The food, the quiet, thepany-it all came together in a way that felt... right.


    As she finished thest bite of her patty, she leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms as she watched Astron clear his te. "You''re annoyingly good at this," she said,


    her tone begrudging.


    Astron nced at her, raising an eyebrow. "Good at what?"


    "This," she said, gesturing vaguely at the table. "Cooking. Being irritating. Acting like you''re perfect."


    "I never said I was perfect," he replied, his tone calm. "But I''ll take thepliment."


    Irina scoffed, but the faint blush on her cheeks didn''t go unnoticed. She turned her head, staring out the window as if to hide her expression. "Whatever," she muttered, though the corners of her lips tugged upward despite herself.


    As Irina leaned back in her chair, a thought struck her, sharp and sudden. The herb patties. She nced at the empty te in front of her, the lingering taste still fresh on her tongue. It wasn''t just that they were good-they were familiar. Strangely familiar.


    Her brows furrowed as she tapped a finger against her arm, the gears in her mind turning. The vor of the herbs he had used-it was almost identical to the ones she had tasted in the past. And that past wasn''t something random or recent. It was a distant memory, tied to specific moments she''d long tucked away.


    The sheer improbability of it made her chest tighten. There were countless herbs that could have been used to make these patties. Astron could have chosen anybination, and yet, he had picked these. The exact herbs that she happened to like. Her lips pressed into a thin line as the realization began to settle.


    This isn''t a coincidence, she thought, her fiery gaze darting toward Astron, who was now casually stacking their empty tes. His movements were calm and unhurried as if he werepletely unaware of the thoughts swirling in her head.


    But Irina wasn''t convinced. There''s no way he just stumbled into my home and decided to make herb patties with the exact ingredients I like by chance. That doesn''t happen.


    That can''t happen.


    Her fingers tightened on the edge of the table as she stared at him, her mind racing. Did he... n this? The idea sent a small shiver down her spine, though she wasn''t


    sure if it was from unease or something else entirely.


    "Astron," she said suddenly, her voice sharper than she intended.


    He nced at her, his sharp purple eyes locking onto hers. "What?" he asked, his tone calm as always, though his gaze carried a hint of curiosity.


    Irina leaned forward slightly, her fiery gaze locked onto Astron. "Herb patties," she said again, her tone carrying the weight of her suspicion. "Why herb patties?" Astron paused for a moment, ncing at her before resuming his task of stacking utensils. His expression remained calm, unbothered, as if her question didn''t faze him in the slightest. "Why not?" he replied casually. "Seemed like a good choice." Irina narrowed her eyes, her frustration bubbling just beneath the surface. "You don''t strike me as someone who''d eat herb patties," she said pointedly. "You look more like the ''meat and potatoes'' type. Something simpler, less... intricate." Astron turned to face her fully, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the counter. "And what makes you think that?" he asked, his toneced with mild


    amusement.


    "Because," Irina said, gesturing toward the now-empty te, "these aren''t the kind ofn/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    thing you just decide to make. They''re specific. The herbs, the bnce of vors-it''s not your usual style. So why? Why did you make these?"


    Astron shrugged, his expression unreadable. "I wanted to make something different,"


    he said simply. "That''s all."


    "That''s all?" Irina repeated, her skepticism clear. "You expect me to believe that?"


    He raised an eyebrow, his lips curling faintly at the corners. "Why not? Do you think I


    made them for some grand reason?"


    Her eyes narrowed further. "Yes," she said bluntly. "Because there''s no way you just happened to pick the exact herbs I like by chance.""


    "What herbs?" he asked, his tone carefully neutral.


    Irina crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair as she listed them off. "Thymeleaf,


    firemint, and shadow basil. The exact three you used for the patties. How did you


    know to use those?"


    Astron didn''t respond immediately, his gaze steady as he watched her. For a moment,


    the silence between them stretched, the tension palpable. Then he shrugged again, his tone as nonchnt as ever.


    "I didn''t know," he said. "I just picked what I had."