SWNOVELXO Chapter 72: Is This Orange Juice Still Drinkable?
Chapter 72: Is This Orange Juice Still Drinkable?
“Ah, this won’t do! You all came specifically to clear out those dangerous Slimes, and not only can I not pay you, but I also have to take Gold Coins from you? This just won’t fly!”
The director, Os, was reluctant to accept the six Gold Coins.
“Stop whining and take it already! Just consider it a donation to the orphanage from me!”
Aierjisi stubbornly shoved the six Gold Coins into the director’s hands.
“Well… thank you very much! If there’s anything I can do to repay you, please don’t hesitate to ask. I will do my utmost!”
“Hmm, let’s see. Once this orphanage gets a makeover, how about you build me a statue in the courtyard? So others will know this place was sponsored by me! Yake, let’s head back now, or we’ll miss dinner made by Aisi!”
Aierjisi glanced at the sinking sun, realizing it was quite late already. Although this was a game world, there was no way to precisely tell the time; she could only gauge it by the sun’s position, which was quite the bother. Still, this did give her a sense of genuinely being in another world.
“Ous! Goodbye, Director! Make sure to take good care of the kids!”
After saying farewell to the director, Yake got up from the ground and followed the Little Princess out of the orphanage.
“Aierjisi… I will never forget that name. I will definitely make a statue for you, so don’t worry!”
The director muttered to himself as he watched the two figures disappear into the distance.
“But I never expected you, Aier, would do something like this.”
Walking home with the Little Princess, Yake was still surprised by her earlier actions.
“Huh? What are you talking about? You mean the part where I had a mishap fighting Slimes and played out a script?”
Aierjisi shot a mischievous glance at Yake.
“No, I mean the orphanage thing. I can’t believe you actually took on that request and even sponsored the place! I thought you were the type who wouldn’t blink while killing just to achieve your goals!”
Reflecting on Aierjisi’s past behaviors, it was clear she cared little for others’ lives in pursuit of her objectives—unless those were people close to her. If Yake hadn’t been chosen by her, he feared he and his family could have easily been dragged into some mess.
“Hah? What are you babbling about? Have you forgotten how I acted when Harker came?”
Aierjisi kicked Yake’s behind in annoyance. Just because she was the Little Princess of the Blood Clan didn’t mean she was a random killer; she did her best to prevent civilians from being caught up in unnecessary battles, which was why she had led Harker outside for a fight.
“Yeah, yeah, my bad! I’m sorry!”
Yake rubbed his backside while apologizing. It seemed the Little Princess had a bit of a tsundere side.
The two exchanged no more idle chatter on their way home.
“Oh, it smells so good!”
Standing outside the house, Yake could already smell the delicious food wafting from inside. Just the aroma made his mouth water uncontrollably.
“Of course! Aisi is quite the culinary genius! The dishes he makes smell amazing, and they taste even better. Let’s hurry inside!”
Aierjisi eagerly opened the door and stepped in, with Yake following closely behind and shutting the door behind him.
“We’re back! Aisi, it’s been 300 years! Your cooking still looks as tempting as ever!”
Seeing the table laid out with mouthwatering dishes, the Little Princess’s eyes sparkled with delight as she licked her lips.
“Haha, receiving the praise of Your Highness is the greatest honor for me. Please, have a seat. Both you ladies, as well, please sit.”
Aisi arranged the chairs and invited the Little Princess and the others to join the table for a delicious dinner.
“Well, I won’t hold back then. Hey, Reina Mom, have you not eaten yet? It’s already so late!”
The Little Princess suddenly realized that they must have been waiting for her and Yake to return to start the meal. She felt a little guilty for making them wait all this time to eat just because she had gone off to fight Slimes.
“Since this is your last dinner at home, of course we had to wait for you! And dining together makes the already delicious food taste even better! Also, Aisi, if you have the time, could you teach me how to make these dishes? I’m very interested!”
Aisi’s delicious dishes naturally triggered Reina’s instincts as a homemaker, sparking her curiosity about how they were made.
“Sure, whenever I have time, I’ll teach you. But first, let’s enjoy this lovely dinner! Ah, by the way, Your Highness, would you like some of this?”
Aisi pulled out a bottle of orange juice from his Subspace and handed it to Aierjisi.
“This? Isn’t this orange juice from the Mephilas family?! Where did you get this? I thought I’d never drink it again!”
Aierjisi exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise and joy. This orange juice was quite popular in the Blood Clan. Even the royal family praised it, and Aierjisi had loved it since she was little. But after learning that the Blood Clan disappeared from the public eye, she never thought she would taste it again. To find that Aisi still had some was simply excellent!
“Actually, I use a bit of this orange juice in cooking to adjust the flavors, so I bought a bottle. If I’m not mistaken, Your Highness seemed to really like it.”
“Absolutely! I adore this stuff; I can never get tired of it! But… is it past its expiration date?”
Upon closer inspection, Aierjisi realized the juice’s shelf life was only 82 years, and now, 300 years had passed. Was it even safe to drink?
“Eh? It does seem that way. Let’s just forget it; better to trash the expired orange juice.”
Aisi also realized that this bottle of orange juice was something he had stored in his Subspace before being sealed. Now that he had awakened 300 years later, it had surely spent the same amount of time in Subspace. It was absolutely undrinkable.
“No, wait a second! Even if it’s expired, just a taste should be fine!”
Aierjisi knew very well that drinking expired juice wasn’t good for her health. But just a sip should be okay; after all… this was one of the very last bottles of Mephilas orange juice in the world!