"No Marriage, Please! vs. Marry Me or Die: The Ultimate Love Showdown" - Episode 5

The room had a desk and a bed, but both were thickly covered in dust. Clearly, a decent amount of cleaning was in order.

After placing my luggage down and pulling the curtains open, a cloud of dust swirled into the air.

Cough! “Yeah… I’m definitely going to need some cleaning supplies. Guess I’ll go ask Ria.”

I stepped into the hallway and headed for the dining hall where I figured she would be waiting. I found the place without trouble—but Ria was nowhere in sight.

“Huh…? She’s not here?”

Just then, I heard some noise coming from the adjoining room.

I followed the sound and found myself peering into a spacious kitchen.

Ria was there, seemingly chopping ingredients with a knife—potatoes, probably?

A few other root vegetables were scattered about. Judging by the setup, she was likely making soup. A large pot sat nearby.

However… her technique was, frankly, dangerous. She was slamming the knife straight down onto the ingredients. It was obvious she wasn’t used to cooking at all.

“Ugh! This is way harder than I thought!”

“You alright?”

“Hm? What, you don’t think I can do this alone?”

To my surprise, she turned toward me—still holding the knife.

Yeah, maybe I should help with the cooking before even mentioning cleaning supplies.

“That’s dangerous, you know.”

“What is?”

“Who chops vegetables by slamming a knife down vertically?”

“Eh? Isn’t that how you’re supposed to do it…?”

“Here, let me show you.”

“Fine…”

I took the knife from her and swiftly began chopping the potato into bite-sized chunks with quick, rhythmic motions. In no time at all, the potato was ready.

“Wow! You’re really good at this! Do you cook often?”

“Pretty much. First rule of handling a knife—keep your left hand in a claw shape.”

“A claw?”

“Yeah. Like this, to keep the ingredients stable. Then pull the knife toward you to slice. Same in reverse. Don’t push straight down—always pull or push at an angle. That’s the basic technique.”

“Huh. I see. That makes sense.”

She looked genuinely impressed. But now I was wondering—how had she managed meals until now?

“So… what do you usually do for food?”

“Um, well… I usually eat out. People are kind to me when I go into town. I eat a lot of bread and stuff.”

“I see. But what made you decide to cook at home today?”

“B-because…!”

She looked like she wanted to say something but hesitated.

“Well… you’re my first guest. I wanted to make you feel welcome. And I happened to have gotten a lot of ingredients recently…”

Blushing slightly, Ria admitted it openly.

“Want me to teach you? Cooking’s not that hard. Just cut, grill, boil, or steam. Anyone can do it with a little practice.”

“Really!?”

“Yeah.”

“To be honest… I’ve always admired people who can cook.”

“Oh? Why’s that?”

“You won’t laugh?”

“Of course not.”

There’s nothing laughable about wanting to cook. But what she said next caught me completely off guard.

“When I get married someday… I want to make delicious meals for my husband. You know? They say the way to someone’s heart is through their stomach, right?”

“…”

That hit a little close to home—too timely, even. Still, I responded naturally.

“Yeah. That makes sense. In that case, let’s start with the basics so you’re ready for the future.”

“Mm! Thank you!”

She smiled so brightly—it was genuinely beautiful. I’d only just met this girl named Ria, but I felt like I was beginning to understand her, little by little.

“You’re trying to make soup, right?”

“Eh? How’d you know?”

“The ingredients and that big pot gave it away. First, we’ll roughly chop the meat and vegetables.”

“R-roughly chop… got it.”

Clumsily, she started cutting the ingredients as instructed. She seemed to be absorbing my advice well—there didn’t appear to be any issues.

“But why cut them like this?”

“It helps them cook faster. Soup’s forgiving—you just cut things up and simmer them.”

“I see. Cooking has its logic, huh?”

I gave her instructions, and she followed them step by step. Though she had no prior experience, she picked things up quickly. At this rate, she’d be cooking on her own in no time.

We browned the meat in the pot, added water, and tossed in the vegetables. There were herbs nearby too, so we added those for flavor.

Before long, a rich aroma began to fill the air. A final touch of salt, and it was ready.

“Wow… it smells amazing!”

“Freshly made is always best. Plus, these ingredients are top quality.”

“People always give me good stuff—they’re really considerate.”

“That explains it.”

With the food ready, we sat down at the table—somewhat oversized for just two people—facing each other.

It was a simple meal: sliced bread and soup. But the quality of the ingredients shone through. Using only salt had been the right call.

“Delicious!”

“That’s thanks to the ingredients. We should be grateful to whoever gave them to you.”

“Yeah. I’ll make sure to thank them properly.”

Ria ate with surprising enthusiasm. I took a bite too—the sweetness of the vegetables spread first, then the savory flavor of the meat kicked in. The seasoning was perfectly balanced, and the herbs added depth.

Even the bread was soft and chewy—clearly high-quality.

“This is really good… cooking really is something special.”

“It is. Meals are important. Just remember the steps from today. And whatever you do, don’t slam the knife straight down again. You’re not chopping firewood.”

“Yes, yes. Hehe. Yuri, you’re like a mom or something.”

She smiled warmly. It struck me again how beautiful she was. Still, I couldn’t help but notice—every now and then, a shadow would cross her expression.

Now that I thought about it… why was she living alone?

“Hey… if it’s not too hard to talk about, why are you by yourself?”

“…”

She looked down in silence. Even in the original story, not much had been revealed about Saint Ria’s past. That’s why I decided to ask.

“Sorry. Forget I said anything.”

“No… it’s okay. The truth is… I don’t know who my parents are. I was abandoned as a baby. Grew up in an orphanage. I’ve never even seen my parents’ faces—I don’t have any relatives, either.”

“I see…

I’d had a vague idea, but hearing it confirmed still hit hard.

“Yeah. So, I kind of wonder—if I had a mom, maybe she’d be like this?”

“Yeah. I think she would.”

“Mm.”

The conversation ended there. After we quietly finished our meal, I finally asked where the cleaning supplies were.

Back in my room, I quickly got to work cleaning.

Most of the dust was gone now, and the room looked reasonably decent. I’d give it another go later, just to be thorough.

Before I knew it, it was late. I turned on a lamp and started jotting down notes in my notebook.

For now, I’d use this village as my base to hone my skills. And if I could help resolve Ria’s situation along the way, all the better.

“Rain, huh? And thunder too… Hope it clears up by morning.”

I glanced out the window—heavy rain poured down, lightning flashing across the sky. The thunder and lightning were almost simultaneous. It was close.

Well, time for bed.

Or so I thought—until a sudden knock echoed through the room.

When I opened the door, there she was—Ria. Clad in pure white pajamas and a nightcap, hugging a pillow to her chest.

Her eyes shimmered slightly as she looked up at me.

“Hey…”

“What is it?”

“Um… would it be alright if I slept with you tonight?”

“—Huh?”