It was Sunday morning at the Nakiri estate. The family was gathered out in the garden for brunch.

Senzaemon Nakiri was at the head of the table with his arm crossed in his usual stern fashion. Leonora, who just returned from Denmark to appear as a guest judge in Totsuki's annual autumn election, was going on and on about something in her broken Japanese while her doting husband listened intently.

It seemed like just yesterday that he and Alice were competing in the election themselves, though Ryo Kurokiba as he stood silently alongside the wait staff.

Had it been ten years already?

It felt like things hadn't changed all that much.

He remained at the Nakiri estate as Alice's aid while working to perfect his marine research and skills as a chef.

There was never much of a conversation involving their plans. After graduation, Alice had just assumed that he would stay by her side and had him start planning for their new research center.

Ryo just went along with it. He knew Alice had become independent enough to manage on her own. She was probably just so used to his presence that she never thought he'd want to go anywhere else. Besides, he knew if he did leave, Alice would have a hell of a time finding another aid who would actually put up with all her antics.

Thanks to their daily shokugekis, his cooking had improved considerably over the years. But other than that, everything was pretty much the same. His days continued to revolve around cooking and attending to the needs of his mistress–which was more than enough to keep him busy.

But thinking back on it, everyone else's lives had taken on all sorts of directions since Totsuki. Many had become top restauranteurs and titans in the food industry. Not to mention, Hayama had also gotten married last year to one of his research assistants.

Married.

He still couldn't believe how someone as cold and humorless as Akira Hayama would be the first of their group to start a family.

That much was clear. The guy's got some mommy issues.

Ryo shuffled awkwardly in his vest and bowtie. He never felt right without his red bandana. Senzaemon had insisted the gathering was a formal family affair and that he must adhere to the staff's dress code.

He should be cooking, not serving, he thought. Apparently, it wasn't proper, as Alice's aid, for him to step outside his role. Ryo understood his place, as he's been with the Nakiri's for so long, but lately he'd been feeling stifled for reasons he couldn't put his hands on.

"Kurokiba," Senzaemon grunted.

"Yes?"

"Will Alice be long? We're all waiting on her."

Ryo sighed.

"My apologies. The mistress should be here in just a minute."

It was so typical of her to keep everyone waiting, and he was always the one to have to apologize for it.

Alice was not incapable of being punctual. She'd never been late to a single shokugeki in all their years together. Since taking over as site manager of her family's corporation, she'd only gotten sharper and more attentive to the needs of her customers.

Yet, when it came to formal events and gatherings, she always made sure to be fashionably late. No one could do anything about it. She was Alice Nikiri after all.

"I'm here!" Alice's cheeky voice rang out from afar.

She really did have a strange knack for timing.

Alice hopped up to the table wearing her favorite white Sunday dress.

She waved a gold rimmed envelop at them.

"Sorry for the wait, everyone!" Alice beamed. "I just got a postcard from Erina on her honeymoon!"

Ryo smirked to himself.

No wonder she was so giddy. It was just like when they were kids.

Though she didn't like to admit it, his mistress loved and admired her cousin like no one else.

"I can't believe it took her so long to write me. I guess Soma's been keeping her pretty busy," she pouted. "And I thought she didn't know anything about love."

"My, my!" Leonora cupped her cheeks dreamily. "That's right! Little Erina and Soma-kun are married now. They grow up so fast… Does that mean that soon I'm going to be…a grandma?!" Leonora shrieked.

"Mom!" Alice flushed. "Stop! You're thinking too much!"

As Soe rushed to comfort his wife and went on about how she was going to be the cutest grandma in the world, Senzaemon cleared his throat.

"Settle down you two. You're all adults for God's sake. Now that everyone is here, we can actually begin. Kurokiba, go tell the kitchen staff we are ready."

"Yes sir," Ryo answered lazily and headed toward the kitchen.

"Wait!"

He paused mid-step.

"Why does he have to go?" he heard his mistress pout. "Ryo-kun is my aid, not yours. I want him here to keep me company!"

"Alice, be sensible. The boy is working so let him do his job," Senzaemon said sternly. "So tell me, what did Erina say in her letter? Is the cuisine in Greece to her liking..."

Ryo made his way into the kitchen as the subject shifted away from him. He thought he saw the head of the household give him a nasty look as he passed by.

The old man never seemed to like him for some reason. It'd only become more apparent as he and Alice got older.

In the kitchen–––

"Quickly. The guests are waiting," Ryo snapped at the Nakiris' new head chef, who was scrambling to dress a fruit salad under Ryo's death glare.

Incompetent bastard.

He couldn't believe this guy was a three-star chef. He could do better with his eyes closed.

So–what was he doing out here?

In the garden––

"It's a relief that our Erina has finally found her happiness, and with one of the premiere chefs of her generation no less. She'd been working so hard ever since she was a little girl, we were all afraid she was neglecting her personal life, but it looks like our worries were for nothing," Senzaemon said with a rare gentleness that only came about when talking about his beloved family.

"Maybe all those shojo manga she read finally made a difference" Alice mused.

"Soe, Leonora. Have you been giving any thought to Alice's future? She's older than her cousin Erina yet she's met no suitable candidates?"

"Don't even get us started!" Leonora let out an exaggerated sigh.

"I've introduced her to just about every handsome eligible bachelor around! I've lost count of all the parties I've thrown just so she could meet them! But of course, someone always shows up late and underdressed, if at all!"

"You can't expect me to just say yes to the first random guy I meet! I'm not Erina you know." Alice huffed.

"That's right," her father cooed. "No one is good enough for my adorable Alice~"

"But maybe it wouldn't hurt to give some of them a chance. Don't you think, sweetie?" asked Leonora.

"They'd at least have to beat Ryo-kun in a shokugeki if they want the chance to talk to me," Alice shrugged. "But so far that hasn't happened."

"Well sweetie, he did graduate Totsuki as the co-second seat tied with Hayama. There aren't many people out there who have a chance at defeating him. It's so sweet of Ryo-kun to keep doing all those shokugekis for you like when you were kids, but don't you think you should give him a break?"

"What do you mean?"

"What I think your mother is trying to say ––" Senzaemon interjected. "––is that it's about time you start taking your future seriously. You've been relying on your aid for too long, and I'm afraid it might be holding you both back."

"Ryo-kun doesn't mind! I'm his master, so it's his duty to keep me happy. Isn't that right Ryo-kun?"

She threw a playful gaze back at Ryo, who had emerged from the kitchen and was standing behind her with a plate of fruit salad.

"Huh," He responded lackadaisically. "Your food is here, miss."

"Fruit salad? I was hoping for something more interesting, being dragged out here early in the morning and all…"

"It's past noon, miss." Ryo said flatly.

"So? You know I was up late last night finishing our shokugeki!" Alice retorted. "You know what, let's go back to the house so you can make me some of that fish stew from last night. I'm craving it now."

Alice started to get up.

"Alice! This is a family occasion!" Leonora called after her.

"I show up, we talked, what more is there for me to do? You'll be here all week, mother. We'll have plenty more time to catch up."

"But Alice––"

"Bye everyone! Let's go, Ryo-kun!"

With that, Alice ran off dragging Ryo by the collar.

"That bowtie looks ridiculous on you…Here's your red bandana by the way, you left it in your room…"

The Nakiris resumed their meal as Alice's voice trailed off into the distance.

As Leonora and Soe gushed about their daughter and her adorable antics, Senzaemon Nakiri sat silent with a hardened expression on his face.