5. Satisfied

"Okay! I apologize. I believe that you are not impotent. You don't need to prove it," Amber said, forcing her brain to find a solution. “Then what if I give you my determination?”

"Determination?" Mr. Cold asked, narrowing his eyes.

Without thinking, the woman nodded firmly. "Yes. If I'm determined, I can do anything, like take care of your house. Aren't you tired of taking care of this cottage by yourself?"

"So, you want to be a servant in this house?" the man inquired, doubting.

Although she hesitated, Amber finally widened her smile. "Yes, of course. I can get all the dust off the furniture, wash the dishes, and …” the woman blinked for an idea, “cook some meals.”

"You can cook?"

"Yes! Of course. I know a lot of great food recipes,” Amber nodded, hoping her lie wouldn't be detected.

After a moment of contemplation, Mr. Cold moved away from the woman. “Then make me lunch. If your cooking is good, you can be a servant here. But if you don't, I'll really eat you whole."

Forcing a smile, Amber took a deep breath. “Alright! I'll prove that I'm a great cook. You won't regret setting me free. Now, let me work in your kitchen. I have to look at the ingredients.”

With an even expression, Mister Cold waved a hand. "You have three hours."

"More than enough," Amber sighed before disappearing from the man's eyes. She must not waste a second on her first cooking experiment.

In the silence, the man's brows began to furrow. While looking towards the kitchen, he muttered. "Why would a stupid woman like you have such a scar?"

After a moment of contemplation, Mr. Cold pulled his sleeves so that his wrists could be seen. While taking a deep breath, he rubbed the scar that crossed there.

"But it won't change anything. That stupid woman still has to regret having entered my cottage.”

***

"Oh no! What has happened? Did I put in too many tomatoes?” Amber sighed as she looked into the pot. The soup she was cooking had turned a murky brown.

"Is this edible?" she muttered, grimacing in disgust. The potato wedges looked very ugly. Realizing her failure, Amber bit her lip.

“I could be cooked alive if that Crazy Bear saw this,” she thought before sighing anxiously. "Should I just run away? Or should I stab him with this knife?”

While thinking, Amber's eyes fell on the tomato pieces that she didn't use. Not far from there, whole wheat bread was still wrapped. After blinking for a moment, the woman began to nod.

“Why didn't I just prepare sandwiches from the start? I'm good at it, even with my eyes closed." After snapping her fingers, Amber moved quickly again. There's not much time left.

Just as she finished putting the top layer on the third bun, the sound of heavy footsteps was heard approaching. "Where's my lunch? I'm hungry."

Remembering that the failed soup hadn't been removed, Amber suddenly stared. Without thinking, the woman dressed in a knotted blanket rushed to block the kitchen door.

"Wait a minute! I'm not done plating yet," she exclaimed with both arms spread wide.

“You’re in the kitchen for three hours and still not done? Really, what are you cooking? Human flesh?" Mr. Cold asked, raising an eyebrow.

With round eyes, Amber said, “I was thinking too long. Now, just wait for five minutes. No, two minutes."

Through his narrowed eyes, the man observed Amber's strange expression. After tilting his head, he barged in. The woman gasped and immediately panicked. With all her might, she pushed Mister Cold's shoulder to stop moving forward.

"Wait a moment. Gosh! Why are you so impatient? I only need two minutes.”

However, Amber kept moving backwards. It was useless for the woman to exert strength. In just an instant, Mister Cold had already arrived at the side of the table.

"It took you three hours to make three sandwiches?" he sighed in disbelief.

"I told you, I was thinking too long," Amber said in a high tone and stiff expression. It was obvious that she was hiding something. Realizing that, the man started to check the surroundings.

"What is it?" Mr. Cold pointed at the pot still steaming on the stove.

Amber's heart automatically jumped. “That … is potato-tomato soup.” The woman realized that it was better to tell the truth.

“What soup? I never heard of it,” the man mumbled before stepping forward.

Worried that the Cannibal would see the contents of the pot, Amber stretched out her arms again. "Wait a minute! Let me prepare it in the bowl!”

Unfortunately, the woman was still pushed by Mister Cold. After a few seconds, her back had arrived in front of the stove, while the man she accidentally hugged had looked into the pot.

"What's this?" Mr. Cold asked in astonishment. “You prepared poison for me?”

"Not poison. It's potato-tomato soup. A caveman like you wouldn't know," Amber argued, looking up at the man. She was ready to flee if the ferocity of the Crazy Bear appeared on the surface.

“Why didn’t you peel the potatoes? You think I like the taste of earth?”

While blinking, Amber thought, "Oh, that's why the broth looks so brown."

A second later, the woman put on a proud look. “How dare you underestimate my cooking! Don't you know how many people expect me to be their chef? It's because I'm really good at cooking. All the food I make is sure to be delicious.”

“Including this mud soup?” Mr. Cold interrupted while glancing at the floating potato wedges.

Even though she had doubts, Amber kept her chin up. "Yes, it's delicious. If you don't believe me, just try it."

Frowning his brows, the man pushed the chef away from him. A second later, he began to stir the soup and took some. However, instead of tasting, Mr. Cold sniffed.

"Are you sure this is food?" the man asked, glancing suspiciously.

"Sure," Amber replied firmly even though she realized that the lie was too big.

"Then you're the one who eats this soup. If you manage to finish it, I will believe that you can cook.”

Hearing the unexpected response, the chef suddenly froze. After a stiff blink, she pointed to the worrying contents of the pot. “You want me to eat it alone? Are you purposely making me fat so you can be satisfied eating me later?”

“No,” Mr. Cold answered as he turned and sat down at the dining table. “I prefer this sandwich to that mud soup.” A second later, he pointed to the opposite seat. "Bring your food and sit there."

Amber didn't dare to disobey. After swallowing hard, she poured the soup into the bowl. Inside, she really wanted to cry. “How could I possibly finish this deadly soup?” the woman thought while biting her lip. She was really desperate.

***

"I've finished eating, but you haven't. Is the mud soup bad?” Mr. Cold inquired as he folded his arms on the table and leaned forward.

With chunks of potato in her mouth, Amber could only wave her hand in front of her pale face.

"You can't cook, apparently. Does it mean, now I can eat you?”

Getting such a bluff, the woman spontaneously forced her throat to swallow. "No. It's tasty. It's very delicious so I want to enjoy it for a long time."

Unexpectedly, Mr. Cold shifted the chair to Amber's side. “Then you can become a servant in this house. Now hurry up and finish your food. Another task awaits," the man said, shifting the bowl close to the woman.

"You're not going to eat me?" Amber asked in disbelief.

"According to agreement, you become a servant if your cooking is delicious,” Mr. Cold reminded with an even face.

Feeling relieved, Amber's smile instantly widened. "What's the next task? I'm ready."

Before she could get up, the man pulled her back into the chair. "Finish this soup first. You will need a lot of energy.”

Knowing her ulterior motive failed, Amber's gaze suddenly turned sinister. She really didn't like the earthy taste of the mud soup. "I never eat too much, Sir. I care about my body weight.”

“Finish it or the deal is off.” Casually, Mr. Cold thrust a piece of potato into Amber's mouth.

If it weren't for fear, the woman would have brushed off the spoon in front of her. Unfortunately, she had no other choice but to open her mouth and devour the potato with eyes closed.

Witnessing Amber's stupidity, Mister Cold secretly smiled. It had been a long time since his heart had felt that satisfied.

“Take it easy, Miss Lim. This is just the beginning. I will make you suffer much more. A man snatcher like you don't deserve to be happy," he thought before filling his eyes with hatred.