The kitchen was steeped in warmth, the scent of simmering spices and freshly steamed rice curling through the air like an embrace. Soft candlelight flickered against porcelain dishes as two figures moved in effortless tandem. Cantarella and Changli, their synergy almost instinctual.

Cantarella stood close, deliberately close to Changli, her presence a constant, soothing weight at her side. Her touch was featherlight yet lingering, her fingertips brushing against Changli's as she helped arrange the dishes. Even as she reached for the herbs, her movements carried a natural grace, a quiet sensuality that made her proximity feel intentional rather than incidental.

"Ah, such care in preparation," Cantarella murmured, tilting her head as she watched Changli drizzle a finishing touch of sauce onto the dish. "I might think you're weaving a spell rather than cooking a meal."

Changli chuckled, a soft, knowing sound. "Food is its own kind of enchantment...one best experienced firsthand." She lifted a spoonful of the dish, her amber gaze unwavering. "Taste it."

Cantarella's lips curled in amusement, but she obeyed. Rather than simply parting her lips, she let her tongue flick against the spoon's edge, savoring the rich, layered flavors. A shiver passed through her, not just from the taste itself, but from the sensation. Her Tacet Mark made every bite a deeply immersive experience, each note of spice and warmth blooming across her senses in exquisite clarity.

She let out a slow, contented sigh, her deep blue eyes half-lidded. "Mmm... the depth, the complexity... delicious." Her tongue lingered against her lips, a lazy, indulgent motion. Then, with a teasing lilt, she mused, "Or perhaps it simply tastes better because it came from your hands?"

Changli merely smirked, neither flustered nor moved. Instead, she reached out with graceful intent, her fingers grazing Cantarella's chin. "That tongue of yours... always eager to praise, yet just as quick to taunt."

Cantarella's laughter was like velvet, smooth and decadent. "Huhu~, Changli. Would you rather I keep silent?"

"Hardly." Changli turned, the faintest ghost of a smile on her lips as she set the final dish on the table. "Come, let's finish."

They moved in sync, hands brushing as they placed the plates, the quiet intimacy between them as natural as breathing. The moment lingered, steeped in something unspoken yet undeniably deep.

Only then did Changli turn toward the doorway, her voice warm and inviting.

"Darling, dinner is ready."

Cantarella let out a pleased hum, tracing the rim of a wine glass with a fingertip. "Come quickly, little one."