C90 Table of Victories

The dishes would be judged equally, each receiving a score out of ten. "Gentlemen," Alicia said with a smile, gesturing gracefully toward the table. "Please begin."

She deliberately placed her dessert first. According to an old saying, the first dish often left the strongest impression, while the last was usually compared against everything before it. She wanted to see if that belief held any truth.

Quinton took the first bite, chewing thoughtfully before giving his verdict. "Seven out of ten." David sampled it next. "I'll give it an eight." Alicia simply nodded without showing disappointment. Next came Valeria's dessert. Quinton tasted it carefully before smiling. "Eight." David followed shortly afterward. "Eight as well." Valeria sighed in relief while Mary stepped forward with the final plate.

Quinton scooped up a generous bite. The moment it entered his mouth, his expression changed completely. His eyes slowly closed as he savored every layer of sweetness and texture. He gently nodded to himself while continuing to chew, clearly unwilling to swallow too quickly. David noticed his reaction. "Is it really that good?"

Curious, he immediately tasted it himself. The rich Cranachan Mille-Feuille melted beautifully on his tongue. The balance between the cream, fresh berries, oats, honey, and delicate pastry was simply perfect. "Mmm..." he murmured, unable to hide his grin. "This is incredible." The three women exchanged puzzled glances.

Instead of giving scores, both men continued enjoying the dessert. Mary finally folded her arms. "Come on. Aren't you two supposed to rate it?" Quinton waved a hand dismissively. "Wife, please don't interrupt my digestion." David chuckled. "Could we perhaps have another serving before giving our scores?" Valeria rolled her eyes. "No. Give your ratings first." The two men looked at each other before answering simultaneously. "Ten." Silence filled the dining room.

Valeria slowly turned toward Mary. Mary turned toward Valeria. Neither woman spoke. Both of them suddenly wanted to taste the dessert themselves. Quinton laughed."Judging from your expressions, it's obvious now." He looked toward Alicia. "You made this one, didn't you?" Everyone burst into laughter.

Alicia merely smiled before glancing at the chessboard. "The score is tied at two-all." She looked between the two men. "So... one final game?" David's competitive spirit immediately resurfaced. Actually, he had been curious since earlier. He wanted to know just how skilled Alicia really was.

He leaned back and smiled. "No." Everyone looked confused. "There are actually two games remaining." He pointed at himself before pointing at Alicia. "Me versus you." Then he pointed toward Quinton. "And Quinton versus you." The room erupted with laughter.

Alicia calmly crossed her arms. "Fine." Then she smiled mischievously. "Just don't say I failed to respect my elders after I beat both of you." The laughter instantly stopped. David and Quinton exchanged glances. Neither wanted to play first anymore. David coughed. "Quinton, you should go." Quinton shook his head immediately. "It was your idea. You go first." Everyone laughed again.

Realizing there was no escape, David sat opposite Alicia. As the game began, he noticed something strange. Alicia wasn't concentrating at all. She looked completely relaxed, almost as if she were casually passing time. David smirked confidently. "Chess requires complete focus. One careless move can cost you everything."

He looked directly into her eyes. "You'd better concentrate, or people will say I bullied you." Alicia smiled. "I'll keep that in mind." Five minutes later... "Checkmate." David stared blankly at the board. "What..." His mind raced as he retraced every move. How? He and Quinton had spent nearly an hour battling each other earlier. Yet Alicia had defeated him in barely five minutes.

Quinton burst into loud laughter. "So..." He folded his arms proudly. "Who exactly was bullying whom?" David covered his face with one hand. "I didn't even see it coming..." Now it was Quinton's turn. Unlike David, he played cautiously from the very beginning.

He advanced each pawn one square at a time, carefully strengthening his defense. Alicia remained patient. She quietly developed her pieces while occasionally talking with mary and valeria. Nobody noticed her bishop slowly positioning itself toward Quinton's king. By the time Quinton realized the danger... It was already too late.

He quickly moved his queen to defend. Alicia captured it. He attempted another defense with his rook. Gone. Another move. "Check." Two moves later... "Checkmate." Exactly five minutes had passed again. Quinton leaned back in disbelief. "I've been completely outplayed." David laughed so hard that tears nearly rolled down his cheeks. "So this is how it feels!" Even Mary and Valeria couldn't hide their laughter anymore.

Alicia stood and stretched comfortably. "Now then." She looked at the handcrafted chess pieces spread across the table. "It's time to decide who gets which set." After a short discussion, Quinton and David each selected the handcrafted pieces they preferred. Neither could stop admiring the remarkable craftsmanship.

Dinner became even livelier. As they ate, Alicia finally revealed who had prepared each dish. Valeria looked slightly embarrassed after learning her dish had received seven and eight points. Mary beamed proudly with her respectable eight and eight. Meanwhile, Alicia remained as calm as ever after receiving perfect tens from both judges.

Throughout the meal, compliments never stopped. Whether it was the lunch dishes or the desserts, everyone kept praising Alicia's cooking. Even Mary and Valeria frequently reached toward Alicia's dishes despite having prepared food themselves. "This is unbelievable," David admitted. "I've eaten in countless restaurants, but this is genuinely one of the finest meals I've ever had."

Valeria nodded repeatedly. "As a nurse, I've worked in several cities and eaten almost everywhere." She smiled warmly. "But today's meal surpasses them all." After dinner, David and Valeria reluctantly prepared to leave. They thanked everyone before driving home, still discussing the incredible food they had enjoyed.

Alicia volunteered to wash the dishes. Mary happily joined her. Rather than helping much, she spent most of the time asking Alicia questions about recipes, herbs, and cooking techniques. The kitchen echoed with cheerful laughter.

Later that evening, I finally returned home after spending the entire day with Laura. The shopping bags hanging from both hands reminded me just how much we had bought. As soon as I entered, I noticed Dad sitting alone in the living room, staring thoughtfully at a beautiful chessboard. The carved wooden pieces immediately caught my attention. "Dad," I greeted, placing my bags down. "I'm home." He looked up and smiled. "Welcome back."

I picked up one of the finely crafted knights. "These are gorgeous." I examined every detail. "Where did you get such beautiful chess pieces?" Dad simply pointed toward the kitchen. I understood immediately. I carried my shopping bags upstairs before returning a few minutes later.

Quinton was still studying the chessboard. Meanwhile, laughter drifted from the kitchen. Curious, I walked inside. There, I found Alicia carefully arranging clean dishes into the cupboards while Mom stood beside her, laughing so hard she nearly dropped a plate. The scene surprised me.

Alicia noticed me first. "Brother." She smiled brightly. "You're back." I nodded. "Yeah." I stretched lazily. "I had a great day... but I'm exhausted." She giggled. "It serves you right." Only then did I notice Mom watching us. Embarrassed, I scratched the back of my head. "So... what did you cook today?"

I looked hopefully toward Alicia. "Please tell me you saved something for me." Instead of answering, Alicia picked up one of the remaining dessert plates. "Taste this first and give rating." I took a bite. "Too sweet." I thought for a moment. "Eight out of ten." She handed me another. "This one's balanced better." I smiled. "Nine out of ten." Finally, she gave me the last plate. The very first bite was enough.

I immediately stopped eating and looked directly at her. "I know this one is yours." She smiled knowingly. "So?" I grinned. "Can I have the rest?" Mary burst into laughter. "My own son comes home and doesn't even greet his mother properly." She pretended to sigh dramatically. "He rushes straight to my precious benefactor instead." Alicia laughed together with her.

I quickly walked over and hugged Mom. "I'm sorry." "How was your day?" Then I glanced around the kitchen. "You really didn't leave anything else for me?" Everyone burst into laughter once again, filling the house with warmth that no expensive restaurant or luxurious outing could ever replace.