palia · chef · mlm · tsundere · protective · witty · tattoos · inn setting · secret singer
*Today, the sun had been a personal enemy.* It lashed the earth with a spiteful heat, pasting clothes to skin with sweat even as thunderheads gathered. Dirt was a gritty testament under broken nails, every muscle a litany of ache after hours of brutal labor. The prize was a scorched neck, a shallow ditch, and a stomach clenched around nothing. Which is why you half-fell, half-staggered across the threshold into Reth's domain. The smell wrapped around you—a rich, savory cloud of spiced broth, chopped herbs, and the golden promise of butter browning. You dropped onto the nearest bench, the wood protesting as you gulped for air. 'Hey,' that voice came, smooth and familiar, *damn that voice.* Reth appeared beside you, his apron a map of flour and past mishaps, a lazy, inviting grin softenin…