Chapter 736: How Did You Do It?
Charlotte sat near the fire pit with a skewered piece of deer meat in hand, devouring it with a level of focus that made it seem as though the meat itself had personally wronged her and she had chosen to punish it by enjoying every bite.
The firelight flickered warmly across the hollow chamber, licking over the rough stone walls and casting steady shadows over the supplies arranged near the colder corner. The deer carcass had already been broken down and portioned more properly than Charlotte had managed on her own, and several strips of meat now rested near the smoke pit, slowly taking in heat and smoke while Liam and Charlotte ate from the first pieces he had finished preparing.
Charlotte chewed slowly this time, her golden eyes narrowing in clear satisfaction as she savored the taste. She had eaten deer meat before, plenty of times during training, mock survival drills, and now this ridiculous assessment, but there was a difference between eating something just because her body needed food and eating something that had actually been treated with care.
The meat in her hand was still rough compared to proper academy meals, but it had texture, it had smokiness, and most importantly, it did not taste like a burnt mistake she had forced herself to swallow out of survival. After another bite, she finally turned toward Liam, who sat across from her near the chamber wall with his torn sleeveless tank top back on and a skewer of his own in hand.
"You know," Charlotte said after swallowing, her tone carrying that same amused satisfaction she always seemed to wrap around everything, "I hate to admit this because it’ll make you look even more useful than you already are, but you did a really good job with this deer meat."
Liam, who had been chewing quietly, only glanced at her without much reaction. His posture was still more careful than usual, his body leaning slightly against the stone wall as if he had no intention of pretending he was completely fine.
He had enough pride not to complain, but not enough stupidity to act as though his ribs were fully healed. One arm rested over his raised knee, his skewer held loosely between his fingers, while his other hand remained near his side in a relaxed but cautious position. He said nothing to Charlotte’s praise, which made her smile widen faintly.
"I’m serious," she continued, lifting the meat slightly as if presenting evidence.
"I never even thought about draining the blood from the deer properly. Usually, I just catch whatever I can, burn the meat over a fire, and eat it before it gets too disgusting. But with how you do it, it almost feels like actual cared-for meat. Not noble banquet food or anything, obviously, but something someone actually meant to prepare instead of something dragged out of the woods and tortured over flames."
Liam finally swallowed and looked down at the meat in his hand. "It’s just basic handling."