[Yuito's POV]

She is becoming better.

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"Why come you cut them so easily while I can barely cut them!!" Vivi asked as she stood next to me in the kitchen of her apartment.

She wore a red apron and different ingredients occupied the kitchen table and the stoves. I also wore a purple apron as I showed her what to do.

"Have you tried using the other side of the kife?" I asked and she knitted her eyebrows before looking at me.

"Do you think I am stupid or something? Of course, I knew to use the sharper edge." She huffed.

"Just checking." I chuckled and showed her how to cut the vegetables on the chopping board again. 

"Make sure you pull back the knife and slice it, without simply pushing it and hoping them to be cut." I said and she nodded while following my actions. 

She cut the vegetables better but she was still awkward in her movements.

"Other than that, you need to practice. You will get better." I said as I easily chopped the vegetables at a rapid pace, showing off my skills.

Even my mother was jealous of my cutting skill although I have not surpassed her in cooking yet.

I will surpass her soon though, it was only a matter of time. I will get that EX cooking skill like Emiya and make girls fall in love with me. Or in this case, make them fall deeper in love with me.

I thought about that idea.

...or maybe not. Would Sumire feel bad if I surpassed her? She'd probably feel useless and feel that her cooking was not as valuable.

I imagined her being a little sad and dejected due to being surpassed. She loved cooking for me and the family.

On second thought, let's drop the idea. It was a stupid idea. It was something she took pride in and loved to do, no way am I going to take that away or affect that pride.

You see, like I said I don't mind making fighters who have trained all their life second guess themselves by absolutely surpassing them, but I wouldn't do it to my girls.

"Yuito."

"Yuito!!" Vivi's call snapped me out of my thoughts as I turned to look at her. I was a little confused when I saw her crying.

But she seemed just as confused as well, "Why am I crying? *sniff* *sniff*." 

I looked at her chopping board and saw red onions. I laughed and patted her head while she wiped away her tears.

"That's onion. Try not to smell the fragrance. You should not put your face near it and make sure to cut it into four different parts to lessen the smell." I said as I watched Vivi continue rubbing her eyes as she started crying harder.

"...and you shouldn't rub it in your eyes."

"Yuito..it stings."

"I should have told you that first." I sighed, "Sorry, go wash your hands and eyes."

She did as I said and took a minute to wash her face. I used that time to chop every onion we would need for the dish. 

 

She came back with red eyes, "Remind me why I need to learn cooking?"

"Well, if you want to please a man, that is the way to do it." I said, 'Unless of course, you are willing to go down.'

"But I can just order the best food for him." She mumbled, "It'd probably taste way better than whatever we are making."

"True." I said.

"But there is a different kind of satisfaction, almost spiritual when a man eats something made with the love by a woman. Be it his mother or his wife." I said as her eyes blinked, confused.

"It's kind of like how you said you feel safe when he stands in front of you. You wouldn't get that same feeling of safety if a dozen men stood in front of you. Although logically, you should feel safer with more men." I said and her eyes twinkled in understanding.

"Right!!" She pumped her fist and got back to cooking with a newfound determination and fervour.

I was making a meal for myself and she was copying me and my recipe to make the same meal for Xiaolong.

"Eh eh eh! Make sure to not waste the Wagyu. It's expensive." I said when I saw her discarding some meat which she did not cut perfectly.

Wagyu was expensive here in Korea, even more so than other parts of the world.

"Uh huh." She said but she didn't heed my advice properly as she lost herself into preparing the best meal. Who cares if it was expensive? As long as it tastes good for Xiaolong.

Another thing which I am working on is fixing her sense of money. I kid you not until recently, she did not know the value of things at all.

Like she knew about the different costs of items and all but since she had been able to buy everything even without looking at the tag her whole life, she was not aware of the true meaning of something costly and something cheap.

To her, she could buy everything. what's the difference?

It was only when I let her starve and sent her to a Korean restaurant with limited money that she learned. Her face when she realised she could not get everything she wanted was hilarious.

'You mean if I can't have spicy chicken and stew? I have to choose one?'

'Wait, wait. If I bought spicy chicken, I couldn't afford a dessert?'

'What do you mean I need to eat kimchi and rice if I want dessert!! I want spicy chicken and stew!'

It was a work in progress but I am slowly turning her form a spoilt brat with a good heart to a normal person.

And why exactly was she willing to go along with what I said? Well, first of, I took the role of a parent she never had and she was wiling to do anything I said since she consider me a precious friend.

But that only makes her follow my word, and she still wouldn't do things to the best of her ability. So in times like these, we use love.

"You know I was thinking, the reason Xiolong is so opposed to the idea of being together with you even though he loves you could be due to your spending." I said and she paused.

"Just think about it, if you got together, your father would be opposed to it and he would cut you off and forbid you from spending his money. Then you would need to live with whatever Xiaolong can provide, with your expensive spending, I am sure he thinks he would not be able to take care of you." I said and she stayed quiet.

She also stopped her work and stayed still for a few seconds, likely digesting my words.

Let's just say when she started cooking again, not a single Wagyu went to waste.

Honestly, she was so cute.

And like I said,

She was getting better. 

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"You are weak." I said and dodged the incoming attacks from Xiaolong. He was using a wooden Guandoa as we sparred in the training room.

"I don't know how strong you really are when you use a real Guandao or when you use your special martial arts, Cheon Hohuigong but from your physical stats and your reflexes, you are not strong enough to protect her from the world." I said and kicked his abdomen when he leapt at me.

A shockwave erupted as he was sent flying and crashed into the wall of the training room.

"You don't need to always stay by her side when she is with me, she is safe. So use that chance to get stronger than you are now." I said.

He slowly got himself up from the crater formed when he crashed and he looked at me, his breath was heavy.

"Thank you." He said, "Thank you for opening my eyes and taking care of her."

It took quite a long time but he was finally trusting me again. Maybe the fact that I saved her from Taegon put me on his good side.

"No problem. And are you not eating the food? She worked hard for you." I said and looked to the tiffin box where Vivi had put a meal for him.

He also looked at that and his breath became shaky, not because of exhaustion but due to his heavy heart.

"How could I? I do not deserve such a thing." He said but his eyes were longing, "I promised myself to be her shield, I expect another more. I deserve nothing more." 

That was the whole problem with their love. That was what he had been told his whole life, since he was a child. He was a tool, a guard dog.

And a trauma like that does not simply disappear. Although I knew someday, he is going to get over it and run away with Vivi.

Right now, the future of their love life was bleak. I heard from Vivi that when she confessed to him some years go, he kneeled down and planted his head on the ground and told her he was a mere dog to her.

And started barking for her.

It was heartbreaking, for both her and Xiaolong. Although I wanted to put the blame on Xiaolong as the man, I could never hope to understand what he went through or how he felt. So I am not a worthy judge.

{Maybe the fact that he got his dick cut off before he was appointed as Vivi's personal guard is also holding him back.}

Maybe. 

As the author said, when he made a pledged to become Vivi's shield forever, he was forced to cut off his dick in a ritual. It was something to make sure nothing could happen between him and Vivi.

Sumire also felt insufficient and was self-conscious for a long time since she couldn't get pregnant with my child.  I think this was a similar situation.

Although, I wouldn't worry too much if I was him. If his balls are safe and he can still produce sperms, Vivi could get pregnant.

And about the rest of his dick? The world is changing, and I know by the year 2023, doctors will be performing surgery and give dicks to even women and turn them into men.

I was hopeful for them in that regard. And if it was money for a surgery like that, they wouldn't have to worry as long as I am here even if they do run away from her father

"Well, whatever floats your boat. Just know that she will be the happiest when she is finally with you." I said, "And I believe that you will also be many times stronger when you finally have her in your arms."

"A man protecting his treasure will always fight fiercer than a man protecting another man's treasure." I said and left the training room.

I kept an eye on him from the window and I watched as he slowly crawled towards the tiffin and opened it.

He stayed like that for a long time before coming to a decision

He took one bite. And tears fell from his face.

He finished the rest of the food while silently weeping. Each spoonful he put in his mouth was like a treasure to him.

I smiled and left him alone.

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"Shit, I am getting invested."

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Author : Double chappy!!