Reincarnated As The Villainess's Son

Chapter 68: [Club house] [9] [Cooking club]

"Did you check out any clubs?" I asked Ashlyn, who stood behind them with an awkward smile, ignoring Miley.

"Y-yeah, I did, and I was going to check the cooking club," she stammered, swallowing constantly.

What happened to her?

Is she anxious about something?

"Well, I will come with you then," I replied, and she nodded her head hastily.

What actually happened to her?

"Where is Oliver?" Aaliyah asked, of course, about Oliver before anything else.

"He\'s inside," I replied, pointing towards the spirit club hall.

"I will go se—"

"Just stay here; he will come out anyway," Miley interjected, halting Aaliyah.

"Right," she replied, her gaze on the door.

We continued to wait for Oliver as I leaned on the bench again, closing my eyes.

But even with my eyes closed, I could feel someone glaring at me, causing me to slightly open my eyes.

And....My gaze met with Ethan\'s.

He was looking at me with cold, unblinking, focused eyes, as if he would lunge at me at any second, ready to tear me apart limb from limb.

"Ethan?" Aimar shook him by his shoulder, diverting his focus away from me.

"Y-yeah."

"Why are you standing like a statue?"

"Hahaha... Nothing like that." He replied with an awkward laugh.

[...That vessel—.]

\'She has a name, El. Don\'t call her a vessel.\'

[...Why are you annoyed?]

\'I\'m not annoyed; I\'m just saying.\'

[...Then, Shyamal, why did she show others that she\'s close to you?]

\'....She\'s just being possessive, and she might be showing it to Ashlyn as a warning to stay away.\'

[....That\'s messed up.]

\'I know, right?\'

[...You told me about this route thing, remember?]

\'The route that will take you to a happy ending or a bad ending?\'

[Yeah.... Is there any route in which she doesn\'t lose control—.]

\'No, she eventually finds out that Ethan is Asher, and she... always loses control.\'

[....How did things end for her in the game?]

\'....Ethan and his harem will kill her, or she will kill herself.\'

[Wait! Kill herself!?]

Yeah...

[...But why—.]

\'El, El... I don\'t want to talk about that.\'

[Fine...]

\'Yeah... Anyway, I just have to make sure I don\'t die at her hands, that\'s all.\'

We\'re in the bad route anyway...

"Hey, all the gang is here!" I opened my eyes again as I heard Oliver\'s irritating voice.

"...What took you so long?" Aimar asked, looking at him, while Aaliyah silently walked close to him.

"They nearly threw me out when I told them some idiot has three spirits." He replied, glaring at me.

Yeah....

I forgot about that.

It would have been hard for them to believe someone like me exists... well, until they confirmed it with the class teacher.

"Let\'s go take a look at the cooking club." Ignoring his glare, I said as I stood up.

"Let\'s go!" Ashlyn exclaimed happily, coming out of her anxious state and taking the lead.

We followed behind her, and it didn\'t take us long to arrive at the cooking club because it was just around the corner.

As soon as we stepped inside, the aroma of bakery and spices filled the air around us.

I looked around as one of the female students, wearing an apron over her academic dress, came closer to greet us.

"Hello, junior...." Her words trailed off as her gaze lingered on me for a while.

"Senior?" Ashlyn called her with a smile, bringing her back to her senses.

"Y-yes, ah, welcome to the cooking club." She stammered a little, welcoming us in while stealing glances at me.

What\'s with her?

"We would like to look around." Miley came forward, pushing me and taking charge.

"Yes, of course you can." The weird senior replied, "if anyone wants to try making anything, they can do that as well... we will provide the ingredients."

"Me! Me!" Ashlyn exclaimed happily, jumping and raising her hand to catch her attention, "can I make something?"

"Of course, junior, you can." The weird senior replied, showing the way to the kitchen counter.

"I will help you then," I said as I walked towards her.

"I can do that." Well, I tried to before Miley interjected, standing in front of me.

I gave her an annoyed look before I picked up a jar filled with flour and placed it in front of her. "Tell me what this is called?"

".... White stuff?"

"Yeah, go sit in the corner."

"N-no, don\'t behav—."

"Hey," before she could continue to bark, Oliver interjected, grabbing her hand, "I wanted to ask about something."

"Why now." She grumbled, but I walked past her, ignoring her.

"Tie this up for me, please." As soon as I walked towards the counter, Ashlyn asked, facing her back towards me and showing me the apron ribbon.

"Sigh.." sighing, I walked closer as I tied it up.

"Urgh.. Too tight."

"Now?"

"Yeah, it\'s fine." I retied it before I walked back.

"So, what are you making?" I asked as I looked around while the rest of the group took a seat in the corner.

"Cookie!" She exclaimed before she asked, "do you know what the ingredients are?"

"Yeah, my sister used to make it fo—." I immediately shut my mouth as I slowly glanced at her.

Fuck...

She halted her steps as she looked at me blankly.

"A-Az—"

"I mean my fiancée used to make it for me, and I helped her sometimes." I corrected my words, interjecting hers.

"Ah, Senior Christina." She replied, nodding her head with an awkward expression.

Fuck... I nearly got caught.

I need to be careful from now on...

[...I still don\'t understand why you\'re just not saying you are that guy.]

You think it\'s that easy!?

"Give me some butter," she said as she lit up the gas.

I took some packs of butter and passed them to her.

"So... Senior Christina... made you watch her cooking?" With a cheerful smile, she asked.

"Not really, I just stood there because she won\'t leave me alone." I replied honestly as I took a chair and sat beside her.

"Must be hard." Giggling, she replied.

"No... She just likes to behave like a big sister." I grumbled, shaking my head.

"You don\'t like that?"

"Yeah... It makes me uncomfortable."

[Are you lying or are you telling the truth?]

\'It\'s the truth.\'

Christina is hard to understand...

She makes me uncomfortable because I feel like she knows everything about me...

but at the same time, she is the person who makes me feel the most comfortable....

"I\'ve often wished to have an older sibling." I shifted my focus back to her as she mumbled.

"Hmm? Why?"

"... Most of my childhood I had people take care of me, but when I had to take my role as the older sibling back... I got to know that being the younger one is better."

With a gentle smile, she replied while mixing the ingredients.

"Not always." I mumbled, making her glance at me.

"Did you say something?"

"No... Where did you learn how to cook?"

"... from my own and from my mother\'s diary... it had recipes for some dishes." She replied, her lips quivering as she remembered her mother.

"Your mother, huh?" I muttered as the memories of her mother\'s filled my mind, making me drop my head.

[... Az.]

\'Yeah.\' I replied, lifting my head as I looked at Ashlyn... She had the exact same features as her mother.

[... What happened to her mother?]

\'...\'

I didn\'t reply, as I reached out to her, my fingertips gently brushing against her cheek as I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

She smiled softly, not complaining or moving away from my touch.

\'Her mother died.\'

[.... How?]

\'She....Killed herself, and that too.... in front of my eyes.\'

[.....]

\'I was five back then, El....

I was so overwhelmed that I didn\'t know what to do for a long while....

.... I just cried in front of her dead body, repeatedly promising to keep her daughters safe....

.... I just did everything to keep my promise.\'

[.... And you are going to break that promise?]

\'.....\'

I just looked at Ashlyn blankly without replying....

While She dipped her fingers into a nearby bowl of flour and lightly tapping my nose with it.

"What are you thinking?" she asked, her voice soft as she looked at me.

"Nothing." I replied as I did the same, taking a handful of flour and rubbing it on her cheeks.

"Wait! That\'s too much!" She grumbled, glaring at me while her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"Who started it?"

"Aren\'t you a petty person."

"That I am."

She giggled softly, dusting it off as she placed the cookies in the oven, "Now we wait."

The rest of the group also walked towards us. Well, Miley was the first to come forward, glaring at me.

I will just ignore her.

Ding!!

"It\'s done!" Ashlyn exclaimed happily as she quickly took out the cookies.

She quickly placed them on a tray, ready to serve, "... Everyone have a taste."

I tried to grab one, but she picked one and gave it to me.

"Thank you."

I took the cookie Ashlyn gave me and took a bite.

And....

I didn\'t feel anything... It was blank without any taste.

The rest of them picked up theirs one by one and did the same.

"Cough..."

"Ahem..."

And for some reason, their response wasn\'t normal...

"It\'s delicious..." Miley praised before placing her half-eaten cookie back.

The rest did the same, and only Oliver was considerate enough to finish his cookie.

"It\'s not that good, right?" Ashlyn asked with a strained smile.

"So you know—"

Slap!!!

"Argh..."

I slapped Oliver\'s back, making him stop in the middle.

"... I will make it better next time." Ashlyn said with a smile as she picked up the remaining cookies to throw them away.

"Ashlyn." I called her, making her glance at me.

"Give them to me."

"Huh? No—."

"It\'s fine, I like them...." I said, snatching the tray away from her.

"So... who is going to join in?" The weird senior came back and asked.

I raised my hand, as did Ashlyn, Ethan, and Miley.

"Good, I can see you daily." Her smile widened as she glanced... at me briefly while I munched on the cookies, "anyway, register your names."

We did as she told us, giving our names and class.

"So, where are we going now?" Oliver asked, looking at me.

"Traveling club." I replied munching the cookie.

"Ahh, be ready to see Ivan then." He replied, shrugging his shoulders.

Yeah, that guy....

[... Who is he now?]

\'Someone with whom Christina was meant to marry...\'