When the door of "Savoia" opened, the chandelier above "clinked" and swayed, and warm white light instantly filled the entire space. There was no bar, no superfluous decorations.
There were only a few dining tables with checkered tablecloths, their corners aligned with the tile seams. Behind the innermost wall was a narrow door, from which a faint bitter scent of medicinal soap subtly wafted, likely indicating the kitchen's direction.
It was clean and tidy, giving off a sense of high-class refinement.
A man in a white uniform emerged from that door, his sleeves rolled up to his forearms. He appeared to be Tonio, the chef who possessed the Stand Pearl Jam.
He had just washed his hands with medicinal soap, and a bit of foam still clung to the spaces between his fingers. He was using a sterile cloth to wipe his palms, and after wiping, he even folded the cloth into a neat square and placed it into his apron pocket.
"A customer? Please, have a seat." Tonio's voice was even, yet carried a gentle warmth that made it impossible to refuse. He truly looked like a genuine Italian gentleman.
Kira didn't say much, choosing a table by the window. As soon as he sat down, Tonio approached. He didn't ask, "What would you like to eat?" Instead, he naturally extended his hand, palm up, "My dear guest, we don't have a menu here. Dishes are served according to the guest."
"I will decide what to cook based on the guest's condition. I only need to look at your hands to know your physical state and provide suitable dishes."
Kira paused for half a second, but still offered his hand. He remembered this rule, but experiencing it firsthand was, after all, different.
Tonio's fingertips, still warm from the medicinal soap, gently grasped his hand. He didn't look at the lines, but first pinched Kira's nails.
They were trimmed excessively neatly, the edges of the nail beds smooth and rounded—a sign of years of meticulous trimming. He then touched Kira's wrist, pressing his thumb on the pulse for two seconds.
Finally, his fingertips slid over the web of Kira's thumb, where there was a faint layer of calluses. These were not from holding a pen or cooking, which made Tonio pause for a moment, but he continued to touch Kira's hand as if nothing had happened.
However, his subsequent movements seemed a little flustered, while Kira Yoshikage displayed a faint smile. 'He seems to have discovered something. Interesting. Should I eliminate him? Or should I just eat as usual?'
'No, what if he poisons me? Let me think carefully.'
"Your nerves are too strained."
Tonio released Kira's hand and quickly walked towards the kitchen. As the narrow door opened, the sweet aroma of pumpkin wafted out. After bringing out a large glass of water, he left with a remark, "Please wait for 5 minutes. I will prepare pumpkin soup for you."
The moment the door closed, Kira touched the inner pocket of his suit. The severed hand, wrapped in silk, felt damp and carried a faint, almost imperceptible, sour smell. It was time for a change.
Lost in thought, he gently pressed his hand onto the severed hand. A silent explosion followed, reducing the severed hand to ashes, yet the explosion didn't even harm the silk wrapping it.
This was Killer Queen's ultimate control over explosions, especially now that Kira Yoshikage, after the fusion of two souls, could feel that Killer Queen was even stronger than before.
Picking up the clear water on the table and swirling it, Kira Yoshikage was somewhat conflicted. If the other party called the police, that would be a minor issue, as no one could find evidence of his murders.
But the other party could unleash the potential of food. Given that, who knew if he could unleash its toxicity? If Kira took a bite and died, it wouldn't be worth it.
However, wouldn't it be enough to make the other party take a bite himself?
Before five minutes were up, Tonio emerged with a ceramic bowl, his face now bearing a gentle and natural smile.
The earthy yellow pumpkin soup in his hand was steaming, its Surface covered with a layer of light green oil, an essence brewed from chamomile and lavender.
Looking at him, Kira Yoshikage also smiled. After placing the pumpkin soup on the table, Kira Yoshikage didn't rush to drink it, but instead waited with a faint smile.
"Sir, won't you try it? It helps with..."
"It's fine, I'm not in a hurry. I'll eat once all the food is prepared."
Looking at Kira Yoshikage's smile, the Italian chef couldn't help but swallow, but he still returned to continue cooking delicious food. He had already called the police.
From now on, as a chef, he didn't need to do much more than fulfill his professional duty, which was to cook delicious food, even if the other party was very likely a criminal.
"Your pasta." Next came pasta served on a white porcelain plate, the noodles coated in a light red tomato sauce, sprinkled with a fine white valerian powder. Tonio placed the plate in front of him, explaining calmly.
"This is a delicate sauce made from stewed tomatoes, peeled and deseeded, with a touch of honey. The valerian powder will help you sleep deeply at night, so you don't wake up constantly. Please enjoy."
"Is there anything else to eat?"
"Hmm, there's also a baked apple."
"Then bring that out too."
"Ah, but the food is already getting a bit cold. Now is the best time to taste it."
"It doesn't matter!"
Seeing Kira Yoshikage's chilling expression, Tonio finally relented.
Soon, he brought a plate of baked apples, served in a small porcelain dish. The baked apples were caramel-colored, coated in cinnamon powder.
"This time, all the dishes are here, aren't they?"
Kira Yoshikage muttered to himself, and at the same time, Killer Queen manifested directly. With a light press of its right hand, it pushed Tonio onto a nearby stool.
The terrifying strength made Tonio utterly unable to resist, and at the same time, his eyes widened in horror, looking incomprehensibly at the suddenly appearing large pink cat beside him.
"You taste it first. As a chef, you have the right to enjoy your own delicious creations."
"Wait, sir..."
Kira Yoshikage smiled and scooped a spoonful of pumpkin soup, pouring it directly into Tonio's mouth from mid-air. Seeing that the other party was only scalded but otherwise fine, he gently cut a small piece of apple and directly put it into the other party's mouth.
He even thoughtfully twirled a strand of pasta for him, so he could carefully savor the delicious food he had cooked.
Seeing that Tonio was ultimately fine, and even appeared to enjoy eating his own food, though his eyes couldn't help but reveal fear towards Kira Yoshikage.
Kira Yoshikage was relieved this time. He made a shushing gesture, telling the chef to be quiet, and at the same time began to savor the delicious food.
To be cautious, his way of eating was exactly the same as the chef's: he only drank the soup by pouring it from mid-air, and only cut off a small piece of baked apple to taste.
Kira scooped a spoonful of pumpkin soup. The warm soup barely touched his tongue before it gently trembled from the warmth.
The sweetness of the pumpkin overpowered the bitterness of the herbs. As it slid down his throat, even his perpetually tense shoulders unconsciously relaxed a bit. Killer Queen's shadow under the table also faded slightly, no longer tensing its claws as it had before.
"A taste that strikes the soul."
Kira picked up his fork and twirled a small bundle of noodles. This time, he didn't count as usual, but simply chewed, guided by the taste.
And he made sure his lips didn't touch the fork, even if he only bit into the noodles further away from the fork, and he only took one bite, stopping after savoring that ineffable deliciousness.
The sweetness of the sauce was very subtle, mixed with the slight bitterness of basil. As he swallowed, his stomach felt as if warm water had flowed through it. Even the chill that had clung to his fingertips from dealing with Otoishi Akira that morning quietly receded a bit, and his whole body became incredibly relaxed.
He didn't even notice a bit of sauce on the corner of his mouth until a trembling Tonio offered him a neatly folded napkin, and he raised his hand to wipe it.
"Have another piece of baked apple." Kira took a bite. The warm fruit flesh melted in his mouth, softly sweet. He suddenly remembered the original owner's habit of drinking milk every day.
This kind of warmth, without "calculation," made him feel more disoriented than the severed hand hidden in his pocket. Vaguely, some of the perverse traits he inherited from the original owner seemed to have been reduced to a certain extent.
After enjoying the delicious food, Kira Yoshikage didn't eat much more. His risky consumption of these foods was entirely due to his endless longing when he watched the anime, and now being able to taste them was enough.
The endless deliciousness of these foods made him feel dreamlike. Ultimately, life was the most important thing. Since this person had discovered his secret, there was no reason for him to live.
What a pity for such delicious food.
Kira continued speaking, only taking out his wallet and leaving three times the cash. The extra portion would serve as payment for his life.
"3500 yen per person, right? The extra will be for the tip."
Watching Kira Yoshikage calmly stand up and leave, leaving behind only an elegant silhouette, Tonio finally let out a sigh of relief, only cursing the Morioh police in his heart for being too slow.
The efficiency of police response in Japan was truly too low. But while cursing inwardly, "Welcome back next time!"
He still called out from the bottom of his heart. However, after hearing this, Yoshikage walked a bit further and gave no reply. It was only when he got into the car and the car started again that Killer Queen pressed the button on its right hand.