Chapter 322 - Don't Run, Ugly Duckling

Panda Novel

Mag opened the door, and Amy threw herself at him in her black magician robes. He caught her in a tight hug, and spun her around in a circle, while Amy giggled in his arms. He then looked at her with a warm smile, and asked, “Why is our little Amy so happy?”

“I’m super happy because Father hugs me every day.” Amy looked up at Mag with an affirmative expression.

“What a sweet little girl.” Mag’s smile widened as he looked at Amy’s adorable little face. She was the most precious thing in his life.

“I’m so envious that you have such a cute little daughter!”

“I know, right! I see them showing off their affection every day, and I really want a daughter whenever I see that!”

“You don’t even have a wife yet. I’m just hoping that the baby in my wife’s stomach is a little girl.”

All of the customers lining up outside the restaurant looked on with benevolent smiles. They were greeted by a show of affection between Mag and Amy every day, and they were quite envious of the father-and-daughter duo’s relationship, but their mood was also lifted as a result.

“Amy, I can grant you a wish that’s related to food. What do you want to eat aside from the food from our restaurant? I can cook it for you.” Mamy Restaurant ignored those envious eyes, and carried Amy into the restaurant.

“Really? I can pick anything?” Amy’s eyes lit up with excitement.

“Yes, anything.” Mag nodded with a smile. The system had promised him that all dishes were applicable, so he was confident that he could satisfy Amy’s wish.

“Then…” Amy contemplated momentarily before clenching her little fist, and exclaiming, “I want to eat the Manchu Han Imperial Feast!”

“Er…” Mag’s smile immediately froze on his face. He realized that he had been a little overconfident, but he wasn’t expecting Amy to remember a promise that he had made so long ago.

“Father told me that the Manchu Han Imperial Feast is super delicious; can you cook it for me now?” Amy appeared to be oblivious to the awkward expression on Mag’s face.

“That’s… not something I can make yet, as the Manchu Han Imperial Feast is not just one dish. I haven’t mastered that many dishes, and I don’t have enough ingredients, so…” Mag explained with an apologetic expression.

“So… I still can’t eat the Manchu Han Imperial Feast?” Amy was a little disappointed, but she quickly put on a smile upon seeing Mag’s awkward expression. She shook her head, and said, “That’s alright, don’t be sad, Father. I don’t even want to eat the Manchu Han Imperial Feast. I love everything that Father cooks for me.”

“Good girl.” A rush of warmth flowed through his heart at the sight of Amy’s thoughtful smile. He held her in his arms, and whispered into her ear, “Believe in your father. I’m definitely going to make you a Manchu Han Imperial Feast in the future, the kind that you can’t finish even after eating for three days and three nights.”

“I believe in you, Father. Father has never lied to me.” Amy nodded before asking, “If we can’t finish it, can I invite Jessica, Big Sister Xixi, Big Bear, Master Turtle, and Master Half-beard to eat it with us? It would be a waste if we can’t finish the food.”

“Of course. You can also invite Aisha, Miya, and all of your little friends to the feast as well.” Mag nodded with a smile. His daughter sure was a generous little girl.

“You’re the best, Father.” Amy planted a kiss on Mag’s face with her arms around his neck, and her face was alight with a blissful smile.

Mag gently stroked her hair, and asked, “Then, is there something that you really want to eat now? Like roast beef or roast lamb chops… Any one dish is fine.”

Amy thought about it momentarily before replying, “I… I want to eat fish, the type that swims in water. I heard from Daphne that fish is super delicious and really succulent. But, she warned me that there were many sharp bones to be wary of. She even showed me a fishbone last time; it was transparent and really pretty, like a needle.”

Mag looked at Amy, and felt as if a sharp fishbone had pierced his heart. The best food that Amy had ever had was pancakes, and even at four years of age, she had still never even tasted fish. Fish wasn’t even a noteworthy or expensive ingredient, but in her eyes, it was like some sort of treasure that was completely out of reach.

“Alright, I’ll cook fish for you. I’ll make you the best grilled fish in the world,” Mag promised with an earnest expression on his face. He had already decided what dish he was going to choose: spicy grilled fish.

“Grilled fish? Like cooking fish over a fire? Like grilled beef and grilled lamb chops?” Amy was very curious.

“Mm-hm, it’s similar, but also a little different. You’ll know when you see it.” Mag didn’t provide an in-depth explanation. Sichuan’s spicy grilled fish consisted of grilling fish before braising it, so it really was different from grilling steaks and things like that.

“As long as it’s made by Father, it must be super delicious. That way, I can also eat super delicious fish, and I can show my fishbones to Daphne too.” Amy nodded obediently with expectation shimmering in her eyes.

“What new magic spell did you learn from Master Urien today?” Mag asked.

“Meow~” Ugly Duckling crept over to Mag, and looked up at Amy with a hint of excitement.

“Put me down, Father, and I’ll show you what I’ve learned.” Amy wriggled as Mag set her down on the ground. She extended her left hand, and assumed a very solemn expression.

Both Mag and Ugly Duckling took half a step back. He didn’t doubt Amy’s magic aptitude in the slightest, but she had only just begun to learn magic, so he was still a little concerned about her control. If he were accidentally hurt by his own daughter, that would be a farce.

Sally and Yabemiya also appraised Amy with curiosity. She was learning from two legendary magic casters, and was extremely talented. They were all wondering what she could have learned from Urien in one morning.

“In my name, I summon the flames of extreme frost,” Amy chanted in her mellow voice. A sputtering sound suddenly erupted from her left palm, upon which a small ball of bluish-white fire appeared. Even though it looked like fire, its emergence made the surrounding air’s temperature drop significantly, even to the extent that everyone’s breathing was spreading drops of condensing vapor.

“Flames of extreme frost?” Mag was a little surprised as he looked at the cold bluish-white flames on Amy’s palm. It was like fire that had been carved from ice.

“Mm-hm. It may be small, but it’s super powerful. Let me demonstrate…” Amy looked around before her eyes settled on Ugly Duckling.

Ugly Duckling seemed to have been struck by a perilous premonition, and it immediately arched its back as its fur stood on its ends, preparing to run away at any moment.

“Don’t run, Ugly Duckling,” Amy instructed with a serious expression before tossing the small ball of fire toward it.