Chapter 22: A Helping Hand - 2
"I wonder if it can fit in my mouth."
Evelina’s words, innocent on the surface, yet loaded with an unsettling double meaning. My face, which had just begun to relax, flushed red. My mind raced, Was she... was she implying what I thought she was implying? Was this some kind of noble flirtation? The thought was truly confusing and uneasy for me.
I stared at the comically large cucumber in her hand, then at her innocent, yet subtly mischievous, smile. My brain, usually so quick to analyze code and solve complex problems in my former life, felt utterly short-circuited.
"Evelina," I managed, my voice a little strained, "that’s... that’s a very large cucumber."
She quickly giggled. "It is, isn’t it? The bigger ones always have more... substance. More to work with." She winked, a playful, yet unsettling, gesture. "Don’t you agree, Kai?"
I swallowed hard. "Right. Substance." I quickly averted my gaze, focusing on the pile of normal-sized vegetables. This is going to be a long night.
She handed me the enormous cucumber and a larger knife. "Alright, your turn. Let’s see how you handle this one."
My hand felt dwarfed by the sheer size of the vegetable. I picked it up, its weight surprisingly substantial. I tried to chop it, but the knife felt awkward, too small for the task. My enhanced Strength and Agility were useful in a fight, but apparently not for delicate kitchen work.
Evelina, meanwhile, was effortlessly dicing carrots, her movements fluid. She glanced at my struggle with the vegetables, followed by a soft smile on her face. "Having trouble, Kai? It just needs a firm hand, you know. Sometimes, the larger ones require a bit more... force to get through." She demonstrated with a particularly thick carrot, slicing through it with ease. "Don’t be shy. You have to really commit."
I focused on the cucumber. Commit. Right. I pressed down harder, forcing the knife through it skin. It finally gave way with a satisfying thwack.
"There you go!" she cheered. "See? Just needed a little encouragement. And a good, strong grip." She then picked up a long, slender zucchini. "This one’s a bit different, though. It’s more about finesse. You have to be gentle, but precise. You don’t want to bruise it." She ran her fingers suggestively along the zucchini’s smooth surface. "Some vegetables are just more sensitive, you know."
The kitchen, despite Evelina’s strange comments, was surprisingly comforting. The rhythmic chop of knives, the simmering of water, the warm, earthy scent of vegetables – it was a stark contrast to the eerie and unwanted feel that permeated the rest of the manor. For a moment, I almost forgot about the dead assassin, about Lord Sapphire’s hidden agenda, about the system. Almost.
"Evelina," a voice suddenly called out.