“The… the last supper?”
Those five words dropped like a sudden boulder, crashing heavily into the calm lake of Su Ling’s heart.
She didn’t know exactly what Phil was referring to, but just hearing the name filled her with a sense of unease.
“You don’t know? Ah, right, you’re new here—it’s normal not to know. I’ll explain it to you slowly once we’re back at the castle.”
Watching Phil walk off, Su Ling hurriedly quickened her pace to catch up.
They passed through the bustling market—voices rising in a lively din, stalls of all kinds dazzling the eyes. Su Ling’s attention was caught by an exquisitely decorated dessert shop, with a wooden sign hanging outside that read “Rosalie’s Sweet Workshop.”
Inside, an elderly woman was busy at work. She had a pair of gray dog ears on her head and a face full of wrinkles. On the way here, Phil had mentioned her—this was Rosalie, the renowned dessert artisan among the Beastkin.
“Oh, isn’t this Miss Phil? And you’ve brought a new partner this time?” Rosalie immediately recognized the court-crest pouch in Phil’s hand. She greeted them warmly, her tone filled with familiarity and pride. “The festival must be near, huh? I only use the finest ingredients for days like this. You’ve picked the right place!”
But Phil seemed a little impatient, her brows slightly furrowed.
“Rosalie, I need these tiramisu and scones made as quickly as possible.”
She spoke while handing over a list. The clinking of coins rang crisply.
“My, that’s quite a large order. Even if I pull in all the help from the shop, we’d still be working until sundown.” Rosalie replied with a smile, but her hands were already busy preparing ingredients.
“Sundown?” Phil’s expression turned anxious. “Can’t you go any faster? We don’t have that much time today!”
“I’m afraid not. My husband’s been ill recently, and I’m the only one managing the shop right now. Look, I’ve already dropped everything else just to rush this order for you.”
“Tsk…”
Phil clicked her tongue in frustration and scanned the store quickly. Her gaze settled on Su Ling.
“Su Ling, I’m leaving this to you. I’m going to check other shops for more ingredients.”
“Eh—eh?”
Before Su Ling could react, Phil had already nudged her gently toward Rosalie. “Remember, we’ll meet back here at sundown.”
“I… I understand.”
Su Ling blinked in surprise, then nodded in agreement, internally wondering about this sudden “mission.”
Not far away, Phil was about to leave, her bag heavy in hand, when her steps suddenly froze.
Her figure stretched long under the shop’s warm yellow light, tinged with a trace of unease and hesitation. After a moment’s pause, she seemed to make up her mind and slowly turned back.
At that moment, Su Ling looked up, and their gazes met in the air. She noticed something unusual in Phil’s expression—an uncertainty between her furrowed brows.
“What is it? Phil, is something wrong?” Su Ling felt that Phil seemed different today.
“I guess… I should tell you after all.” Phil stood before her, her short brown hair slightly messy from the rush, a few strands stuck to her forehead.
Her eyes were unusually serious.
“Earlier, I mentioned Tii. You should just forget about it.” Phil spoke softly.
Su Ling was startled, puzzled even, as she stared at Phil. But the cat-eared girl suddenly turned her face away, avoiding Su Ling’s gaze.
“I really don’t like Tii. I can’t lie about that. But Su Ling… you’re not going to hate me because of that, right?”
Su Ling smiled faintly.
“I do hope you can get along with Tii,” she replied gently, “but whether it’s you, Phil, or Tii, you’re both dear companions to me. I wouldn’t dislike you just because of this.”
Indeed, recalling their first meeting, Phil had shown a natural hostility toward her—like a skittish cat with its ears up, ready to flee at any moment.
But over days of working and living together, Su Ling gradually uncovered the nature hidden beneath Phil’s hardened shell.
Though she occasionally acted “a little mean,” Phil had a heart that considered others. It was just that, due to past experiences or her personality, she chose to deal with people in a sharper, more direct manner.
Of course, Su Ling also knew her feelings for Phil and Tii were not the same. Old grudges couldn’t vanish overnight. She couldn’t treat Phil the same way she treated Tii.
Hearing Su Ling’s words, Phil finally relaxed. She let out a breath of relief.
“That’s good, then.” Then she added, trying to sound casual, “Hmph, it’s not like I’m afraid you’d hate me or anything! I just think it’d be a hassle for work if we didn’t get along.”
Su Ling found Phil’s tsundere behavior amusing and lightly patted her shoulder.
“I get it. Now go on.”
Phil nodded and turned to leave.
Time passed slowly. Su Ling sat quietly in the corner of the shop, occasionally glancing through the half-open wooden door at the sky beyond.
As the hours slipped by, the clouds in the sky were gradually dyed orange-red by the setting sun, blending together in hues of dusk.
The pile of desserts in Rosalie’s trays grew larger and more fragrant. By the time the last ray of twilight faded, Rosalie finally stopped her work—the small cart was now full to the brim.
“All done. I’ve added a few extras, my treat. Please say a kind word for me in front of Her Highness.”
“Don’t worry, I will.”
“By the way, where’s Phil? You two agreed to meet back here, didn’t you?”
Su Ling glanced toward the direction Phil had gone. The road was empty, and unease stirred in her heart.
Strange… Why hasn’t Phil come back yet?
“I don’t know…”
She murmured.
As night quietly fell, the first star twinkled in the sky, followed by more. Su Ling’s mood grew increasingly heavy with the long wait.
At first, she tried to comfort herself with various excuses. Maybe Phil was delayed. Maybe she forgot the time. Maybe she was just on her way back and got caught up in something.
But as time went on, those excuses grew weaker and weaker.
“Phil…”
The once lively market had quieted. People were leaving. Rosalie began to close up shop.
Still, there was no sign of Phil.
Impossible. No matter what happened, Phil wouldn’t be gone this long.
Finally, when the moon was high overhead, Su Ling stood up, her whole body chilled to the bone.
Phil… could something have happened to her?