After everyone sat down, Diancie served each of them a cup of the juice she had squeezed. She also brought out a plate of sliced cucumbers and tomatoes.
"The house does not have much to entertain guests. We only have these," Diancie said.
Ange smiled and said, "The juice was squeezed from Berries that the Pokémon on the plateau gave me. The cucumbers and tomatoes are what we grew ourselves. Go on, try them."
"The Prince actually grew vegetables himself!" Lila exclaimed in surprise.
"Of course!" Ange laughed. "Otherwise, where did you think the cabbage, radishes, and chives I use for making buns came from?"
"Then I must try them!" Lila said.
"I want to eat too!" Romeo also raised his hand.
The siblings picked up the forks in front of them. They each speared a piece of cucumber and a piece of tomato and put them in their mouths.
"Ooh, delicious!"
As the cucumber and tomato entered their mouths, the siblings immediately tasted that they were different from ordinary cucumbers and tomatoes.
The flesh of Ange's cucumbers was crisp and tender. Biting into one, they could clearly hear a "crunch." The sweet juice that flowed into their mouths felt like a cool summer breeze brushing across their tongues.
The tomato's flavor was just as good. Its flesh was plump and delicate. Biting into it, the sweet and sour juice flowed in their mouths, frantically stimulating their taste buds. The flavor was like the sweetness and shyness brought by a first crush. It made people want more.
The vegetables grown from seeds provided by the System were naturally extraordinary. Both humans and Pokémon loved them.
Fiona saw the Princess and Prince enjoying themselves. She quietly picked up her fork and ate them one bite at a time. In a short while, the plate in front of her was empty.
"Burp~~"
She had eaten a little too much. She could not help but let out a burp. Although she was extremely embarrassed inside, she tried hard to maintain a composed expression.
Sylveon also ate happily.
While eating, Romeo picked up the juice next to him and took a big gulp. However, after drinking it, he shivered hard.
"Hiss~~ So sour, so sour."
He shrank his neck and closed his eyes as he spoke.
"Hahaha~~" Ange laughed heartily. "This juice was squeezed from wild Berries. The taste is not as sweet as those grown artificially. But if you savor it slowly, it is very delicious. Gulping it down is not a good idea."
Lila and Fiona heard this. They picked up their juice and took a small sip. Indeed, although a light sourness lingered in their mouths, making them shiver slightly, the sweetness returned after it disappeared. It had a unique flavor. It made them want to drink more.
Of course, wild Berries could not compare to those meticulously cultivated ones. They were only good for an occasional taste.
Ange often received wild Berries sent by the Pokémon. He only ate them occasionally. He used most of them for cooking. He discovered that Berry juice could act as a great seasoning, removing many odors from food.
After tasting the juice, Lila said, "Prince, we came to see you today not just for a visit. We also have another matter."
Fiona and Romeo nodded in agreement.
Lila first took out a card. She pushed it toward Ange.
"This card contains one million Pokédollars. It is your allowance for the next year. The Royal Family will transfer money to you on time every year from now on."
Ange looked surprised. "There's such a good thing?"
Lila did not know whether to laugh or cry. "You are a member of the Royal Family. This is only right! Romeo and I have it too."
"Not only that, the Royal Family will also cover the feeding expenses for your Pokémon from now on. We have already brought one year's worth of Pokémon Food for Diancie, Munchlax, and Komala. It is on the aircraft. These Pokémon Food products are premium items meticulously prepared by the Royal Breeders. You cannot buy them outside."
Ange graciously accepted the bank card. "Since everyone has it, I won't be polite."
"There is one more thing," Lila continued.
"What is it?" Ange asked.
"The ministers strongly object to you setting up a stall every day. But you won't listen..." Lila looked a bit awkward. "So, Father and the ministers discussed it. They adopted a compromise."
Ange: (?)???
What compromise?
"Please log into your Resident Identity Network first and take a look," Lila said.
Ange took out his phone and logged into the League Resident Network with a doubtful feeling. He was immediately shocked because a piece of property information, a storefront, had been added under his name.
At the same time, he seemed to faintly hear a prompt from the System indicating that a Mission had been completed.
Ange looked at Lila. Lila understood and explained, "The ministers knew they couldn't stop you from doing business. So, for the sake of the Royal Family's reputation, the Royal Family allocated funds to purchase a storefront for you. This way, you can continue selling buns and Mantou. You won't have to show your face in public, and it won't damage the Royal Family's image."
Ange did not expect that rejoining the Royal Family would have so many benefits!
"Fine, I understand. Let's do that," He would not be foolish enough to push it away.
Looking at the bank card in his hand, he suddenly had an idea. He pushed the card back to Lila.
"Prince, what are you doing..." Lila looked at Ange, confused.
"I have an idea," Ange said. "I want to use all my allowance to buy the Nebel Plateau."
Unlike Ange's past life, land could be bought and sold in the Pokémon world. Of course, it was limited to certain lands. For example, the land in the Royal Capital could not be bought or sold.
But the deserted Nebel Plateau could be.
"One million Pokédollar is definitely not enough. I'm talking about all my allowance from now on. Because of Diancie, I can foresee that I will have a very long lifespan. Instead of having the Royal Family pay me an allowance every year, why not give the Nebel Plateau to me?" Ange continued.
"This..." Lila was stunned. She had not expected Ange to propose such a plan. "I can't make that decision."
Ange smiled and said, "Of course. You go back and talk to Edward. Have him discuss it with the ministers and make a decision. I will wait for your reply."
"Alright," Lila nodded helplessly. "Why do you want this barren Nebel Plateau?"
Although the Nebel Plateau was like spring all year round, the plateau environment meant it could not be used for farming. If they developed the livestock industry, the area was not large enough. By any measure, buying it would be a losing proposition.
"I really like it here!" Ange laughed.
"Alright. Let's go and move the things from the aircraft for the Prince," Lila said.
"Okay," Ange nodded.
So, the group returned to the aircraft. They moved box after box back to the house. The boxes were filled with Pokémon Food of various flavors. There were Pokéblocks and Pokémon Cookies. The room was stacked full.
After everything was moved into the house, Ange saw Munchlax eagerly opening a box. It took out a can of Pokémon Cookies and poured them into its mouth.
Munch Munch~~
After chewing a few bites, it disappointedly placed the half-eaten cookie aside.
Munch Munch~~ No, no. It's not as delicious as the food my master and I make.
Diancie, who understood Munchlax's words, did not know whether to laugh or cry.
Munchlax had never been so picky before. Forget Pokémon Cookies, it could eat even tree leaves with relish.
Ange had made its taste buds too refined.
After a short rest, Lila said, "Prince, please take us around and show us the place."
"Sure," Ange agreed readily.
He first led Lila and the others on a tour of the small house.
Lila said, "The Prince's place is furnished just like a restaurant. Do you have guests here?"
Ange answered with a smile, "Yes, the Pokémon on the plateau are my guests!"
Lila merely took Ange's comment as a joke. She did not take it seriously. Pokémon don't have money. If you open a shop to entertain them, won't you lose everything?
When they visited the Flower Garden, Romeo exclaimed in surprise, "Prince Ange, are these Gracidea flowers you're growing here?"
"Romeo, you recognize them? I didn't expect you to be quite knowledgeable at such a young age!" Ange praised him.
"Hehe~~" Romeo scratched his head sheepishly. "I only saw them in books."
"He just likes to bury his head in his room reading. He's read a lot of miscellaneous books," Lila was ostensibly complaining about her brother, but the pride in her tone was undeniable. Everyone saw it but did not mention it.
Finally, Ange took them to the vegetable garden.
Seeing the garden full of flourishing vegetables, Lila widened her eyes and asked, "Did the Prince grow all of these?"
Looking at the neat rows of chives and cabbage, the bright red tomatoes, the eggplants bending the branches, the long beans covering the vines, and the juicy radishes... even Lila and Fiona, who had never gardened, felt joy.
Ange smiled and said, "It's not all my credit. The Pokémon helped too."
The Dugtrio brothers, hidden beneath the green shade of the vegetables, slowly poked their heads out when they heard the movement. They wanted to greet Ange. But they saw many strangers next to Ange. They were immediately startled and quickly retreated back into the ground.
Ange smiled and introduced them to Lila and the others. "Dugtrio is the biggest hero of the vegetable garden. But they are a bit shy, so I won't make you meet them."
Lila and the others nodded in understanding.
Only after Ange and the others walked a little farther away did the Dugtrio brothers quietly poke their heads out to look. They were delighted by Ange's praise.
Dig dig~
Dig dig~
The brothers looked at each other. Their eyes were curved into happy slits.
It's something to be proud of and happy about when your efforts are seen and acknowledged by your boss.
When everyone returned from outside, Ange saw that it was getting late. He said, "Let's start making dinner."
We should eat dinner early tonight so Lila and the others don't return too late.
Munch Munch~~
Munchlax heard this and happily spun around in circles.
"Prince, do you need our help?" Lila asked.
"No, you just wait here. Munchlax and I will make it together. It will be ready soon," Ange waved his hand.
"Then we will wait for the feast," Lila said with a smile.
"I'm so excited!" Romeo said happily.
After entering the kitchen, Ange said to Munchlax, "Munchlax, you've been learning with me for so long. How about you stir-fry the dishes today?"
Munch Munch~
Munchlax patted its chest confidently, indicating it was fine.
"Then I'll leave it to you. I believe in you!" Ange encouraged it.
Munch Munch~
Munchlax became even more confident. It bounced happily. It opened the refrigerator and took out a pile of vegetables. It also brought its beloved small stool. It stood on it and got busy at the stove.
Munch Munch~
It even unconsciously started singing a little tune, just like Ange usually did.
Ange saw that Munchlax was proceeding in an orderly manner. He took out the bucket of Grass Nanny Milk from the System Backpack and got busy.
He first spent Happiness Points to buy a sterilization machine from the System Store. He poured the Grass Nanny Milk into a large bowl and placed it inside.
After the milk was sterilized, Ange began to take out flour and knead the dough.
Actually, the method for Milky Mantou was not much different from regular Mantou. They just needed to add the Gogoat milk during the kneading process and then let it ferment.
As the Mantou began to steam, a rich milky aroma quickly drifted out of the kitchen.
It smells so good! Is it this fragrant?
Even Ange himself was surprised. He did not expect that simply adding Grass Nanny Milk would make the Mantou's aroma so rich.
"Prince, is it ready? My stomach is growling." Romeo poked his head into the kitchen.
As he spent more time with Ange, Romeo was no longer as introverted as he was at the beginning.
To be precise, introverted people were only introverted when facing strangers. Once you were familiar enough with them, you would find that they were actually very lively when with close acquaintances.
"You have to wait a little longer. Don't rush," Ange said.
"Alright," Romeo was disappointed and withdrew his head.
A few minutes later, the Mantou was finally ready to eat. Ange eagerly lifted the steamer lid and took one out, planning to taste it.
Hoo ha~ Hoo ha~~
The Mantou, fresh out of the steamer, was too hot. Ange could only keep blowing on it. White steam floated up from the Mantou, rising into the air and circling once.
Munch Munch~ Master...
Munchlax eagerly moved closer. It looked up at Ange, its eyes full of longing.
Ange smiled and divided the Mantou in half. He stuffed one half into Munchlax's hand.
Munch~~ Thank you, Master!
(￣▽￣)~ Munchlax held the half-piece of Mantou in both hands. Its eyes narrowed into slits.
Awwoo~~
Munchlax swallowed the half-piece of Mantou in one bite. Then, it covered its cheeks and chewed carefully.
The soft and fluffy texture of the Mantou brushed against its mouth like smooth silk. It made Munchlax shiver uncontrollably.
After the Mantou went down, a burst of energy suddenly surged. It was like countless small hands gently stroking Munchlax's body. It was also like the feeling of its mother gently patting its back and lulling it to sleep in its infancy.
Even if Munchlax was slow-witted, it felt the difference after the Mantou was upgraded to Milky Mantou.
Munch Munch~~
It excitedly howled with its mouth, wanting to share its feelings with Ange.
However, Ange, who also ate the Mantou, only felt that it was delicious. He had no other special feelings. He did not understand what Munchlax was saying.
"Good, good. I know it's delicious. Just wait until dinner starts. I'll make sure you eat until you're full."
Ange thought Munchlax was just being greedy.