Cer is still staring at Ze, reaching out to touch him on the shoulder. It doesn't surprise me that he'd be so worried about him considering the man basically raised him. At the same time, it's jarring to realize there's someone out there who genuinely cares about the guy—regardless of his rude personality. After experiencing his exquisite diatribes myself, as his teammate, I can't imagine how bad he'd be as a superior, or on the battlefield. His poor soldiers... They must be more scared of him than of the demons they're supposed to slay.

Since they're so busy fussing over Ze, I head to the kitchen, remove our plant, and place it on a table. As I look around, I spot the other two plants Thea and Cer got, and I grab them too, then rinse all three. Removing a pot from a cupboard, I fill it with water and place it over the stove. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find how to turn the stove on.

As I'm struggling to figure it out, a hand reaches out from behind me, pressing a few buttons until a small flame flares to life. I sneak a glance behind, not surprised to see Ze, who's looking at me with a puppy-like expression as if he's waiting for me to pet him and tell him what a good boy he is. Alas, that's exactly what he is not.

It's on the tip of my lips to thank him, but since I'm not speaking to him, I simply roll my eyes and redirect my attention to the pot.

When the water boils, I place the whole plants inside. Since there are no instructions on how to make the brew, I will not take any chances with it. Better to be safe than sorry, so I'll cook both the root and the stem with the flower. After everything is brewed, I drain the water into a cup and bring it with me to the table.

Ze silently trails behind, taking a seat next to me and giving me an odd look. He purposefully moves his chair closer to mine, his body brushing against mine.

I bring the cup to my lips for a sip, but before I can drink, Ze's hand shoots out and he wedges it between my mouth and the cup, stopping me.

"It is hot," he mumbles, wrenching the cup from my hands. I stare at him dumbfounded as he blows some cool air at the steamy liquid before drinking from it. He screws his face in disapproval, blowing some more cold air and tasting it again.

"What the hell are you doing?" I grit my teeth, incensed at his behavior.

He repeats the action a few more times, eluding all of my attempts to get the brew back.

"You can drink now." He nods, finally handing it back to me. He has a very pleased look on his face as he waits for me to praise him.