[ Oh, so that's what she meant. Well, in that case: ]

I've had worse, [ Bluntly, as he scrapes up what remains on his plate to one side. ] So I don't mind.

[ At the very least, he doesn't speak with his mouth full, waiting between bites to respond to her— but his plate is almost gone anyway, so she soon won't have to watch him anymore regardless. His eyes remain on the food rather than on her, expression unchanging even as he moves the clumpy, grainy bits around with his spoon. ]

Dragging it out will only make it last longer, you know. It's better to get it over with.