What should I eat?
Let me think, what can I eat that I don't usually get, isn't too cheap or too expensive, isn't troublesome to eat, and won't ruin my image while eating... The taboos of eating on a date. This is very important, not only for my face but also for the Zoldyck family's prestige. When I can afford to be particular, I must not lose dignity.
Yes, I'm not eating alone!
I am eating with the Zoldyck family's image engineering on my shoulders!
The Zoldyck family's terrifying golden brand cannot be tarnished by my hands!
Also, I must choose food that I genuinely like, otherwise, it would be a lie, not the answer Silva wanted.
In the "real world," my favorite things to eat were junk food I wasn't allowed to have, like high-calorie KFC and McDonald's, barbecued food that causes cancer if eaten too much, and questionable spicy hot pot... Thinking about it carefully, I don't actually like them that much, mainly because I rarely get to eat them.
No, I must maintain the image of a high-end Zoldyck enterprise. The enterprise's image is related to the employees' image, the enterprise's grade is related to the employees' grade, and the enterprise's value is related to the employees' value. Every employee must have the self-awareness to maintain the enterprise's image. A resume from working in a large company is obviously more competitive in the market than one from working in a small company.
What other foods do I like that are still dignified? Let me think... Oh!
Barbecue!
Meat is the result of humans evolving to the top of the food chain!
Rich aroma, delicious taste, unparalleled satisfaction!
Except for vegetarians or those who don't eat meat for religious reasons, I believe no one dislikes meat! Choosing to eat meat is highly unlikely to go wrong; it's ordinary but reliable!
When I told Silva I wanted to eat barbecue, he said, "Okay, wait for me a moment," and turned to leave.
"???"
This beach was undeveloped. There were no buildings around. I watched Silva's route heading towards the forest by the sea.
"?????"
Huh? Um, Silva, you're not planning to catch a prey and bring it back, are you?!
Freshly caught ingredients, 100% fresh meat.
I don't doubt Silva's ability to find and kill any animal with a single punch, nor his wilderness survival skills, as wilderness survival is a basic course for the Zoldycks. I suspect, given the Zoldycks' preference for large animals, that whatever he brings back will be more than I can eat.
Imagine Silva dragging back a mountain-sized beast, skinning it, setting it up to roast over a fire, and casually tearing off a thigh thicker than my waist, handing it to me. Out of politeness, as the proposer, I would take a small bite of the thigh and be full. That would be disrespectful to Silva and a waste of food.
Moreover, based on my barbecue experience in the Meteor City, the limited conditions for outdoor barbecue make it easy to get greasy hands, which is very undignified.
Most importantly, without rich seasonings, is the taste of the ingredients alone truly delicious?
Specialization exists. Silva isn't a Gourmet Hunter, he's an assassin. He can only guarantee that the basic taste is acceptable, right? Looking at his unchanging training clothes, you can tell he's someone obsessed with leveling up and work, with no refined pursuit of life quality. The last time he took me out for a late-night snack, he chose an ordinary popular shop in the commercial street, not a high-class establishment; his style was surprisingly down-to-earth.
Perhaps that's what true wealth is: not eating delicacies every meal, but having the freedom to eat whatever you want.
Although in the "real world" I gave up the pursuit of refined life quality due to economic conditions, eating directly affects my mood. When conditions allow, why should I continue to mistreat myself?!
I don't want to experience the barbarous and primitive barbecue in the Meteor City dungeon again, nor the terrible-tasting monster meat. No wonder Feitan and Chrollo's heights are not great in adulthood; the living conditions in Meteor City are truly poor! I never want to go there again in my life!
Silva is tall, and his strides are naturally large. In the few seconds I was thinking, he had already walked quite far. In my haste, I forgot my whistle and quickly ran, chasing after him with all my might. When he stopped, I just managed to touch his finger with my hand.
"What's wrong?" he looked down at me.
"Barbecue... aren't we going to a restaurant to eat?" I tilted my head up and asked with my lips.
"Do you prefer a restaurant? But this is fresher," Silva said. "And there are varieties not available on the market."
"..." It is indeed fresh, 100% fresh, the kind that was alive and kicking a moment ago. But it doesn't have to be this fresh! And you can't just eat varieties not available on the market! Even if the Zoldycks aren't afraid of toxins, they can't guard against viruses, right?! What if I catch a Type X flu or a novel coronavirus and am terribly unlucky?! Kukuroo Mountain becomes a quarantine zone, and Zoldyck Patient Zero is infamous in human medical history? Although the Zoldycks have been infamous for generations as assassins, they probably wouldn't mind another charge.
No, this won't do, Silva! Being skilled and daring isn't like this. My existence is an original plot point that wasn't in the story. Perhaps Silva will contract a new disease by eating wild animals with me. Regardless of whether it can be cured, as the one who suggested barbecue, I would bear most of the responsibility. Silva, who has killed countless people without any accidents, goes out with me once and suffers misfortune. Wouldn't Kikyo and Zeno tear me apart as a jinx?
"..." I shook my head repeatedly at Silva. "Um... ordinary ones are fine."
"Won't you try it before deciding?" the Lion King was quite persistent about hunting wild game himself.
Please don't. Leave this high-class wild game of unknown danger to your own son, Illumi!
"..." I had to use other reasons. "...I... I prefer to dip it in sauce and wrap it in lettuce to eat the barbecue, so it's not too greasy. And... I also want ice cream..."
"..." The Lion King, unable to hunt, fell silent.
As a wealthy and handsome heir of a prominent family, and the world's top expert, the Lion King had no need to worry about finding a wife; people would flock to him. Although I don't know if it's true, Kikyo said the competition back then was fierce.
The Lion King, being highly sought after, probably hadn't experienced the need to please a woman much, so he hadn't thought that women could be such troublesome creatures, had he?
Am I troublesome?! Am I more troublesome than Kikyo?!
No, I'm just thinking about food safety! My requests aren't that troublesome, are they!
"Are you sure? Won't you think about it again?" Silva was more persistent than usual.
"..." I shook my head firmly.
I cannot back down here! If something happens with the food, I can't bear the responsibility!
"..."
"..."
The eye contact with the Lion King made my heart race and my chest feel tight.
Clenching my hands, I tried my best to hold firm until the end.
"Meruem, I'm very happy," Silva removed his subtle aura and reached out to stroke my head. "It seems you've truly regained your spirits."
He led me down another path. Before long, we saw a car, and the butler waiting by the car bowed respectfully.
After returning to the city, we went to the hotel to shower and change, and then headed to the barbecue restaurant.
On the way, I looked at Silva's back, which reminded me of my father in the "real world." He also used to bring me delicious food. Although my mother said they were leftovers packed up, and although my mother said they weren't tasty... at least the pan-fried dumplings tasted pretty good to me. Since I couldn't offend my mother or disregard my father's good intentions, I could only eat a portion and pretend to be full.
Back then, I thought my father was not good with words, because he never got angry with me and often gave me money to buy things. He was quite good to me. But we rarely communicated, and my attitude towards him was always a bit distant. For this, I felt sorry. It wasn't until the last period before their divorce that I found out he had been frequenting prostitutes long ago and now had a steady partner, who was also pregnant.
After searching for similar topics online, I felt like the whole world had changed. Many things were not as they appeared on the surface; even elderly people with canes might go to prostitutes.
Especially once, while waiting for job offers, an interviewer sent me ambiguous text messages, constantly probing my limits with his words.
I don't like people who appear to be gentlemen; I always can't help but imagine their private filth, their personal flaws.
Then there are things like "red rose and white moonlight" and "the flower at home is not as fragrant as the wild flower." No matter how beautiful and outstanding a wife is, it cannot prevent a man from having mental or physical infidelity.
You can't judge a book by its cover. Silva looks reticent, absorbed in leveling up and work, but if he really wanted to do something else outside, Kikyo and the surveillance equipment would not be enough to control Silva. Perhaps Kikyo doesn't care about this and practices an "open marriage"? Anyway, many men just play around outside and return to their families in the end for the sake of novelty. Some men specifically choose to have affairs with married women, so they don't worry about the other party rushing to claim status and disrupt their own family harmony.
"..." Their marital status is none of my business, nor can I control it.
A person has more than one identity in the world. Silva is both the "Patriarch of the Zoldyck family," and a "son," "husband," and "father." It is impossible to perfectly play every role. I should not be a malicious speculator about how well he plays his other roles. I am not a saint either and am not qualified to judge others. It's better to focus on the role of "father."
Necessary care, resources for upbringing, time spent together, he has given me everything I wanted. What more could I ask for?
"..." Don't be too greedy. You are not a child who doesn't understand boundaries. Adult willfulness is not willfulness; it is ingratitude.
Intentionally ignoring certain things is one of my essential life skills in the "real world." It allows me to live happily like an animal for a while.
This barbecue restaurant is all-you-can-eat. The meat is slightly marinated and gives off a unique aroma, so it can be directly placed on the grill without additional seasoning. If you want a richer flavor, there are three dipping sauces to choose from.
In the "real world," I have had several experiences eating at all-you-can-eat barbecue restaurants. Coupled with my barbecue experience in Meteor City, I am skillful. Without thinking, I reached for the barbecue tongs, but Silva reached out at the same time.
"I heard from Illumi that you are very skilled," Silva said in a negotiating tone. "So, will you give me a chance to show off?"
"..." I immediately nodded and withdrew my hand.
As for housework, cooking is a woman's job, and "mother's taste" is praised. As a profession, however, chefs are mostly men, as if men's cooking is tastier than women's. Illumi's roasted crow level seems to be about the same as mine.
Alas, I'm not a Gourmet Hunter. As long as the barbecue is cooked through and evenly, I consider it qualified and won't be picky.
The gradually improving aroma of the barbecue was like a hook, catching my stomach and dangling it high, making me unconsciously swallow my saliva.
The hunger accumulated during the period of fasting erupted all at once. When Silva placed the grilled meat into my bowl, holding my chopsticks, I almost lost my composure and wanted to shove the delicious grilled meat directly into my mouth.
Control yourself, control yourself.
[Starvation: Level 6]
Using the little reason I had left to maintain my dignity, I wrapped the barbecue in lettuce. In the "real world," my next step would be to "gulp it down," but here I couldn't do that. I controlled the extent to which I opened my mouth with restraint and took small bites.
The fresh and crisp lettuce wrapped around the rich meat juice. It was so delicious that my eyes welled up, so delicious that I realized the meaning of life, so delicious that I had to restrain myself from eating too fiercely or too unattractively.
At first, it was for satiety, then I focused on the taste of the dipping sauce. One dish had a perfectly mild spiciness, which I loved. Even though I've become a person who can't tolerate spice, I still like spicy food!
When I was about seven or eight tenths full, I realized Silva had been constantly putting grilled meat into my bowl. He hadn't eaten a single piece himself.
Oh no, did I eat too fast? I seem to have eaten too joyfully and wholeheartedly.
I'm such a selfish person.
I stopped my chopsticks and looked at Silva. He was focused on grilling the meat on the rack, appearing serious and focused in everything he did.
I couldn't help but imagine if he had affairs outside again.
The more outwardly proper a man is, the more I want to discover his flaws and gather strong evidence for "no man is good." This is probably a kind of illness.
Trying hard to clear my mind, when Silva put meat into my bowl again, I said with my lips: "Dad, you don't have to put it all on my plate. You eat some too."
"Watching you eat fills me up," he said, placing new raw meat on the grill.
"..."
It was my own fault for asking such a foolish question. Silva likes the unrestrained enjoyment of outdoor barbecue. True men's romance is "eating meat and drinking alcohol heartily," right?
As my hunger subsided, my eating speed also slowed down. Silva's grilling speed remained constant, so the barbecue in my bowl kept accumulating.
"..."
"Eat more, Meruem. Being too thin is bad for your health," Silva noticed the accumulated uneaten barbecue in my bowl.
"...I'm already full." My hunger level was zero.
"Eat a little more," Silva said. "Although your mother likes you thin, I actually think a bit of flesh is good. Don't put too much pressure on yourself."
"..."!
Um, Silva, is your red rose of the voluptuous type? It is said that voluptuous women are softer than thin women, more comfortable to the touch, and better suited as bed partners.
No, no, I can't think about this anymore!
I chose to empty my mind and eat the meat with my head down.
Silva had ordered too much meat. I ate until I absolutely couldn't eat anymore, but the meat in my bowl kept increasing, filling me with despair. I had to surrender to him again.
"Is that so? Seeing you eat so happily, I thought you could eat more," Silva didn't make things difficult for me this time. He took my bowl to him. "Do you still want ice cream?"
Of course, I want to eat it! I nodded.
"Aren't you full already?" Silva asked doubtfully.
Ice cream and barbecue are two different things!
Being full of one doesn't affect eating the other!
I can't say a witty phrase like "I have a separate stomach for sweets" to Silva, can I? It feels a bit frivolous.
I tried to explain with science: "...Ice cream turns into liquid when eaten, so it doesn't take up space."
"Hmm." Thank goodness, he accepted my explanation.
I tasted the ice cream, and he efficiently devoured the barbecue, as quickly as the last time we ate late at night. I couldn't tell if he found the food delicious.
When we paid the bill, the restaurant gave me a mascot doll, small enough to be held in one hand.
On the way home, after thinking it over and over, I couldn't help but touch Silva's hand with the doll, making him turn to look at me.
"Dad, I'm sorry," I summoned up my courage. "For accompanying me to eat something only I wanted, and for not finishing it, I've caused you trouble."
"You haven't done anything wrong, no need to apologize," he said, patting my head with a hint of helplessness. "Say a bit more. Is there anything else you want to tell me?"
"..." I thought for a moment. "Do you really like the barbecue today?"
"Why ask that?" Silva seemed to have figured something out and chuckled in amusement. "If I don't like something, I won't force myself to eat it. I didn't eat because I liked watching you eat."
Don't say things like that.
"You were very happy then," he said. "The past you didn't have this vitality."
All of this will be lost.
"To spend your life destroying lives, yet to be happy about awakening life – life is always full of surprises, which is why it's interesting."
When I grow older, when Killua is born, and when you see my true nature more clearly.
It won't be like this anymore.
You will regret it.
"That's why I never regret it."
So, when the time comes, can you... dig out my heart?