Chapter 129: A Delicious Meal

Qiana observed Astrid scolding her younger siblings but it was clear that she loved them greatly.

It was hard to say what Qiana was feeling at this moment when she saw such a warm and happy family.

Most members of noble clans did not enjoy such close bonds with one another as there was intense competition among the younger generations for a greater share of resources.

Qiana was the youngest of the seven heirs produced by Count Abazin and was the only daughter as well.

In another life, she would have been pampered as a precious jewel and adored by her father and her brothers.

But she was blessed with an incredible gift in cultivation.

That would later be considered by Qiana as a curse.

Her older brothers came to hate her when she won the praises of the family elders.

Her father saw her future potential as a powerful cultivator as yet another political tool to wield.

How could her brothers relax knowing that their little sister was far more talented and valued more than themselves?

There were even rumors that Qiana was to be the future countess of House Abazin.

Qiana's distant personality developed as a means to protect herself in an environment where emotions were seen as a weakness.

It was only when she had met this upbeat Mendolesa girl that a ray of sunlight had entered her boring and monotonous life.

"Astrid," Qiana called softly to get Astrid's attention.

"Thank you."

The Mendolesa girl stopped reprimanding her siblings and shot Qiana an inquisitive look.

"What for?" she asked curiously.

(For being my light.)

Qiana simply smiled and refused to say as she kept the answer hidden deep within her heart.

"Oh yeah... I haven't had these troublesome brats say hello yet," Astrid gently pushed her siblings forward and introduced them.

"This is Jackson, Emma and Isla. Come on guys... say hi to my friend Qiana."

The kids muttered short greetings, but they were clearly still a little bit wary of their big sister's new pretty friend.

Qiana was not worried as she held a trump card to melt the heart of any stubborn child....

Bribes!

"Here I have some presents for you all," Qiana reached for her white bag and withdrew three tightly wrapped packages that she presented to the children.

"Thank you, beautiful lady!" Isla smiled sweetly as she held her gift.

"Can we open it now?" Jackson asked with some excitement on his face.

"Go ahead and make sure to thank Qiana," Astrid nodded at her little siblings and gave permission.

The sounds of paper being teared echoed around the kitchen as each child eagerly ripped the outer layer of their present to see what was inside.

Qiana staggered backwards as three little furballs jumped up and gave her big hugs.

"Thank you!"

"This is awesome!"

"I love it!" came the happy voices of the children.

Yes, it was a success.

Qiana was secretly relieved that all her hard work picking out presents that Astrid's siblings would like had not gone to waste.

Astrid had given her some information about the personalities and hobbies of her three younger siblings so Qiana had chosen her gifts based on what she had said.

Jackson was given a brand-new VR helmet with several popular battle royale, MMOS and shooter games already installed.

Isla's present was a lifetime membership card to a premium beauty and spa franchise that was well-known for being high end and luxurious.

And finally, Emma's gift was an artificial intelligence companion robot with built in protective, emotional, and other functions.

It was also designed to mimic the appearance of the ancient earth species Vulpes lagopus also known as the arctic fox.

"Alright stop bothering Qiana," Astrid spoke up as she noticed that the liquid in the pot was beginning to boil.

"Go set up the dinning table and wait for us to bring the food," she ordered to chase away the three wolflings still clinging tightly to Qiana.

The triplets ran away quickly while answering back in a chorus of voices.

"Okay I got plate duty!"

"Bye Qiana!"

"Isla don't push me, or I'll hit you!"

Astrid could not help sighing heavily as she affectionately gazed at the joyful figures play fighting with one another.

Qiana resumed washing the vegetables while humming softly to the tune of a new song that had recently released by the band EXON-2.

Suddenly she noticed that a tiny shadow was hesitantly approaching her from the dining room.

"Woah your clothes are so pretty!" Emma exclaimed as the little girl walked forward to touch the hem of Qiana's dress.

Emma had always admired the fancy dresses and suits on the drama shows that she watched with Isla.

Her dream was to one day become a world renown fashion designer!

"Would you like to try on my necklace?" Qiana whispered in a teasing voice as she saw Emma's eyes staring intensely at her outfit.

She carefully unhooked the diamond necklace and placed it on Emma with great care not to get the small jewels trapped in the Mendolesa girl's fur.

Emma's eyes shone with happiness as she rushed back to her other siblings to show off her new shiny necklace and brag.

"Are you sure that's okay?" Astrid asked with concern.

"Emma tends to get pretty aggressive when handling things that she likes. I don't want your necklace to break."

"Don't worry.... I can always just buy a new one," Qiana replied nonchalantly.

If a high noble house could not afford to replace one necklace, then they would be a complete joke.

Astrid stayed silent for a moment as she lamented about the gap between people.

That necklace seen as replaceable in Qiana's eyes was probably worth at least five years of her salary when she worked part time jobs.

Astrid decided to put these depressing thoughts out of her mind and focused on cutting the meat into long thin stripes and placing them into the pot of soup.

Qiana passed her the vegetables obediently and soon a delicious and savory smell wafted out from the kitchen causing the hungry trio in the dinning room to salivate.

"Calor obsistens!"

Astrid muttered a quiet heat resistant spell and picked up the large pot of soup without fear of being burnt.

"Big sister can you hurry up? I'm starving!" came the impatient cry from Jackson.

"Are you willing to cook?" Astrid yelled back.

"No..." was the sullen reply from her brother.

"Then sit your little tail down on that chair and wait patiently!" Astrid's big sister mode was now on full display.

Qiana could not help but think that this responsible elder sister was very attractive.

It was a far cry from how Astrid usually behaved in a carefree manner when hanging out with Sophie and the rest.

Qiana followed behind Astrid closely and entered the dinning room.

It was quite cozy with a chandelier hanging from the ceiling and soft gentle light illuminating the room.

The dinning table was able to seat about twenty people and the chairs were made of a comfortable variation of memory foam.

Astrid's siblings had already set out five bowls and were eagerly waiting for their big sister to bring over the food.

Astrid could tell that everyone was ready to eat so she carefully poured a generous amount of soup into each bowl without spilling even a single drop.

Qiana sat down with Emma on one side and Astrid on the next as she gazed at the mixture inside the bowl.

It truly was fragrant.

The colour of the soup was a dark orange with vegetables floating merrily inside and several lean cuts of meat resting at the bottom.

She elegantly held a spoon in her hand and scooped up a tiny amount of soup before blowing on it gently.

Qiana's posture and atmosphere was exactly like someone dinning in a fancy restaurant which caused Astrid and her family to unconsciously straighten up.

It was time for the first mouthful.

Qiana's eyes widened in shock as the intense flavour threatened to overwhelm her.

She could not resist going for another taste.

"So, how do you like my cooking?" Astrid hesitantly asked after Qiana was halfway through her meal.

The Mendolesa girl's tail was wagging from side to side nervously and she kept tapping her feet on the ground repeatedly.

Qiana had once tasted a meal at a royal banquet prepared by the finest chefs who used ingredients that cost upwards of millions of Enas.

This was a home cooked meal using frozen vegetables, meat from a local butcher and store-bought spices.

Qiana doubted that anyone in her family had ever eaten food made from ingredients that cost less than four hundred thousand Enas.

And yet, her opinion on this humble meal was said out loud almost immediately,

"I have never eaten anything better."