"Who's there?! Come out and surrender!" Milea shouted confidently, her magnifying glass raised toward the giant cauldron still billowing orange smoke.
Miu growled softly in Milea's arms, a faint sound more like the rumble of an empty stomach than a dangerous threat.
"Huoaa-TCHUUU!"
The sneeze exploded again. From behind the cauldron, a tiny creature emerged, its wings made of bright red scales. It was no bigger than a teapot, with a red nose dusted in chili powder and a little tail curled up in panic.
"Bobi?!" Mama Dari stepped forward, her thick eyebrows slanting sharply. Her calm voice instantly cut through the room. "What are you doing in the Forbidden Kitchen, Dwarf Dragon?"
Bobi the Dwarf Dragon trembled violently. His scales rattled with a soft clinking sound. "P-please forgive Bobi, Mama Dari! Bobi didn't mean to ruin the Queen's hair!"
Milea stepped closer, narrowing her eyes warily. She knelt beside the cauldron and examined several small silver plastic packets scattered across the kitchen floor.
"Based on my observations," Milea cut in with know-it-all confidence, stroking her chin, "Bobi wasn't trying to ruin the Queen's hair. Bobi was trying to cook a secret recipe from the human world, wasn't he?"
Bobi stared at her in shock, his round eyes turning wary. "H-how did you know, Mile?"
Milea smiled proudly, puffing out her chest. "It's easy! First, there's oil on your nose. Second, these silver packets are instant-noodle seasoning packets from the human world—uh, I mean, items from the human world! And third, the palace's magical weather tube is connected directly to this kitchen cauldron's pipe!"
Mama Dari examined the pipe above the cauldron, which was indeed connected to the palace's weather-control machine. Once again, Milea's sensitivity to the little details around her had proven remarkably accurate. This little girl truly was extraordinary.
"Bobi just wanted to try making some warm soup because Bobi has a cold..." Bobi whispered in a pitiful squeak. "But Bobi sneezed while holding the soup seasoning. The seasoning flew into the weather-steam pipe! And it looks like the steam rose all the way to the Queen's room... and then... and then her hair turned curly like fried noodles!"
"And what about the fountain that turned into avocado juice?" Mama Dari asked sternly, though the corner of her mouth lifted slightly at the absurdity of the situation.
"That... was Bobi's fault for putting a magical avocado into the water-drain tank," Bobi confessed, his voice growing softer as he bowed his head deeply.
Miu suddenly leaped out of Milea's arms. The chubby cat sauntered over to Bobi, sniffed the Dwarf Dragon's nose, then licked the cheek dusted with chili powder.
"Meow," Miu purred warmly, as if comforting the frightened Bobi.
Milea burst out laughing and clapped her hands excitedly. "Mama! This isn't a crime—it's the discovery of a brand-new culinary recipe! Instead of punishing Bobi, why don't we throw a party?"
"A party?" Mama Dari raised one eyebrow.
"Yes! The Cloud Kingdom's 'National Instant Noodle Day' party!" Milea exclaimed, her eyes sparkling. "The Fairy Queen likes the savory flavor of her hair, we just need to add sweetened condensed milk to the avocado fountain, and Bobi won't have to be punished!"
Mama Dari looked at Milea's broad smile, then shifted her gaze to Miu and Bobi. The sternness on the Head Fairy's face slowly melted away, replaced by a soft sigh.
"Your logic is always strange, Milea," Mama Dari murmured, though her fingers gently stroked Milea's head. "But this time... your idea isn't entirely bad, sweetheart."