System vs Rebirth

Chapter 44 Conquer His Stomach

Noel could only grit his teeth when he realized that his plans didnʼt work against her. He never knew that the Noel in the previous life had utilized all that strategy to trick her.

In the end, Noel built the tent while Anna cooked their dinner.

*Growl!*

While he was building the tent, the aroma from Annaʼs dish was carried by the wind to his nose. It was a sweet and warm smell that somehow incited his stomach.

”…” Noel was surprised by the reaction of his stomach and even slapped it a few times as if it had embarrassed him. When he glanced at Anna, the latter felt his gaze and chuckled. It was clear she was laughing at his reaction.

Still, he couldnʼt help but remember all the meals until now. Compared to the meal in the barrack or the barely edible meal he cooked in the previous test, this meal was far too peptizing.

In fact, the smell alone could reach the professional chef in the Ardagan House.

ʼHow can she be this good? She is a noble lady, right? A noble lady should only learn about etiquette… Thereʼs no way sheʼs allowed to go to the kitchen. Even if she is an eccentric woman, she should be too occupied with her training.ʼ Noel had so many doubts in his mind, but the smell didnʼt lie.

Anna took out two bowls and poured the soup she made into them before extending one to Noel. ”Here you go. Oh, wait. Wash your hands first in the lake.”

”…” Noel bit his lips. Although he didnʼt want to admit it, the food managed to tempt him.

The soup had a yellowish color. It was filled with Demonʼs meats that were similar to that of an animalʼs meat. There were some potatoes scattered around and Anna even prepared a hard bread for him. A hard bread was usually used for survival because they could last longer and if you poured boiling water into it, the bread would be soft enough for easy consumption.

However, this hard bread actually matched perfectly with the soup. In fact, the soup gave the hard bread a flavor.

Noel couldnʼt say anything and simply went to the lake to wash his hands. After that, he took the bowl and stared at it for a while.

Anna couldnʼt help but chuckle, looking at Noelʼs silly reaction.

”Surviving in the wild like this might be top priority, but why donʼt you make it more enjoyable? I know that we canʼt play around, but having a good meal should be a standard. With a good meal, you can get a good sleep and a refreshed mind.

”Thatʼs why learning how to cook is necessary when surviving in the wild.” Anna made a smug smile. She trained hard to learn cooking because Noel once trapped her in the wild.

It was a torture because the taste of the meat was bad. When she returned, it turned out the demonʼs meat had one of the best flavors. She simply couldnʼt process it.

After that, she learned how to cook despite everyone telling her to focus on the training. And it seemed that her training had paid off.

Noel, who had a sharp mouth, couldnʼt even say anything to her after tasting the food.

”Wait a minute. Weʼre in the middle of a competition, right? Shouldnʼt I make you just an edible food instead of a good one? This way, you will be under a lot of stress and I can win easily.” Anna smirked.

”!!!” Noelʼs body trembled. However, he didnʼt want to show any weakness, so he snorted and said, ”I donʼt care. As long as I can eat and have energy to fight for tomorrow, I donʼt really care.”

”Heh.” Anna was amused by Noelʼs question. It was clear that his bodyʼs reaction was the honest one. She then saw Noelʼs bowl was almost empty. It was because he ate too quickly so that he didnʼt need to make an excuse later.

Seeing this opportunity, Anna then scooped another spoonful of soup and said, ”Here you go.”

”I donʼt need it.” Noel shook his head, rejecting the soup because it might show that he was too reliant on her.

”Is that so? Iʼm full with what I have and itʼs not like I can use it for tomorrowʼs breakfast. I guess Iʼll just throw it away.”

”!!!” Noel widened his eyes and shouted in anger. ”How can you throw it away? Do you know how many people are starving in the fort? Have you ever gone around the fort to see those people? You shouldnʼt waste food!”

”But Iʼm full.”

”I can eat it even if Iʼm full.” Noel harrumphed.

”Then, here you go.” Anna smiled and poured the remaining soup into his bowl.

Noel hurriedly ate the food while Anna kept chuckling as if she had just won.

She secretly took a peek at Noel and muttered inwardly, ʼBecause of his hatred to me, he canʼt be honest to me because it means showing his weakness. His reaction is really cute.

ʼThe Noel in my memory was annoying and troublesome. Compared to him, the current Noel was too cute. How can such a difference exist?

ʼWell, thatʼs obviously because of me. Even though I suggested it, my father and the royal family had made an agreement before that. Hence, my suggestion was useless. I ended up becoming the sacrifice.

ʼLooking at this matter again, our relationship isnʼt that bad. Itʼs just a misunderstanding. Noel should hate my family instead of me…

ʼIn that case, let me raise Noel a bit more so that he can help more people in the future. After that, letʼs solve this hatred.ʼ

Anna had her plan in mind, knowing this was the best outcome that she wanted to achieve.

”What?” Noel furrowed his eyebrows after Anna stared at him for a few minutes.

”Nothing.” Anna smiled and pointed at his clothes. ”Put the bowl there. Iʼll wash them later. Also, you might want to use and dip that pearl again later so that it can purify the water.”

Noel thought for a moment and nodded. He would take advantage of it too, so he had no reasons to refuse her request.

”In that case, you should wash yourself first. Iʼm going to sleep first because I need to wake up early to prepare the breakfast.”

Noel agreed again as he saw Anna entering the tent nonchalantly.