“Astreia.”
Wendy’s voice was soft, yet it made the Princess, who was rapidly demolishing her steak, freeze in mid-bite.
“Hmm?”
“Have you always had such a good appetite?”
Wendy put on a look of concern mixed with curiosity, asking in a deliberately casual tone.
“I remember in the Sunset Fortress camp, you never ate with such enthusiasm.”
Astreia wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin, completely oblivious to the hidden probing in his words.
Instead, she answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“The food at Sunset Fortress was so bad, the black bread was hard enough to kill someone if you threw it. Even if you were starving, you couldn’t swallow much. It’s nothing like the Royal Palace, where everything is delicious.”
The smile on Wendy’s face stiffened for a moment.
Couldn’t swallow much?
He remembered clearly that during those precarious days at Sunset Fortress, this Princess could devour the equivalent of five grown soldiers in a single meal.
And she called that “couldn’t swallow much”?
So what about now, when she was treating a tomahawk steak big enough for ten people as dessert and a huge bowl of mashed potatoes as the main course—what kind of terrifying appetite was that?
Yekaterina, seated at the head of the table, listened with a face full of heartache.
She set down her silver knife and fork and looked at her elder sister, her voice filled with guilt and sorrow.
“Sister, you really suffered in the northern lands.”
“It’s all because I’m a useless Queen…”
“Don’t say such silly things.”
Astreia waved her hand grandly.
“That’s all in the past. As long as our days get better from now on, isn’t that enough?”
As she spoke, she grabbed the spoon again, her gaze locking onto the last bit of mashed potatoes in the wooden bowl at the center of the table.
Wendy said nothing more.
He simply watched the Princess in silence, his eyes as calm as water.
He watched as Astreia, with a silver spoon, sent scoop after scoop of mashed potatoes into her mouth.
Her movements still held the crispness of a soldier, and even retained a touch of noble elegance.
But the speed—so fast it left afterimages—and the almost greedy hunger shining in those emerald star-like eyes made Wendy feel a strange, inexplicable chill.
All the illogical details he’d been deliberately ignoring over the past week suddenly surged up in his mind like a tidal wave.
The ancient secret recounted by Prime Minister Allison Visseran echoed in his head once more.
“The only one who retained some sanity was the Restraint Hero, Movila.”
“Under the influence of the Curse, she fell into a frenzy of appetite, constantly cooking, constantly eating…”
“She became—the Witch of Gluttony.”
A cold, bone-piercing chill shot straight from Wendy’s tailbone to the crown of his head!
To deceive that old fox, the Red Cardinal, he’d hastily fabricated a sky-high lie about “Pride.”
He’d always believed that the root of Astreia’s fall was the Holy Sword tainted by the Witch of Lust.
But this scene before him…
“Astreia, are you still…hungry?”
“Mm?”
The Princess finished another big spoonful of mashed potatoes, looked at Wendy in confusion, and nodded honestly.
“A little, I guess. Feels like…I could still eat a bit more.”
Boom!
Wendy’s mind exploded.
That’s it.
Gluttony!
He was a descendant of the “First Hero” and the Witch of Gluttony’s bloodline. Because of the contract with the “Holy Sword,” some latent trait in his blood might have transferred to Astreia!
One Lust was already enough to leave him “utterly exhausted,” and now there’s Gluttony too…how was he supposed to survive this?!
However, judging by the situation, Astreia’s Gluttony trait seemed to be in the early stages of awakening, still within controllable limits.
If her desires could be satisfied with even more delicious food, could he, like the “Method of Taming Desire,” gain control over this power?
As this thought flashed through his mind, Wendy suddenly stood up and pressed down Astreia’s hand as it reached for more mashed potatoes.
“Astreia, don’t eat anymore. Save some room in your stomach—I’ll make you something delicious!”
“Eh?”
Astreia looked up in surprise, emerald eyes wide with disbelief.
“You…can cook?”
Wendy glanced at the table, full of roughly prepared dishes, and a confident, meaningful smile tugged at his lips.
“Of course.”
“Don’t forget, I’m a descendant of the First Hero!”
Astreia immediately understood.
Of course—the self-sacrificing Witch of Gluttony was skilled in cooking! It was only natural for her descendants to inherit a few precious recipes!
The spoon in the Princess’s hand froze in mid-air, and her eyes filled with expectation.
“Then I’ll wait for you!”
Beside her, the little Queen also put down her knife and fork, just as curious about what kind of amazing dish this famous Prince would bring out.
A moment later, just as Astreia was growing impatient and nearly tempted to eat the last of the mashed potatoes, a rich, unprecedented aroma wafted from the direction of the kitchen.
Wendy carried a giant soup dish and set it steadily on the table.
“Ta-da-da~”
“The Ancient Recipe—Beef and Potato Stew! Please enjoy!”
As the powerful fragrance hit her, Astreia’s eyes instantly glowed green.
It smells amazing!
This must be delicious!
She practically snatched the big soup spoon from Wendy’s hand, filled an entire plate, and then eagerly scooped up a piece of tender beef with a small spoon and popped it into her mouth.
“Mm!!!”
Astreia closed her eyes in satisfaction, almost moaning with happiness.
The beef melted instantly on her tongue, the rich broth mixed with the softness of potatoes exploding across her taste buds!
What kind of divine flavor was this?!
She couldn’t bother with noble manners any longer, speeding up her spoon and chewing, diving straight into feast mode.
Seeing her elder sister eat so enthusiastically, the little Queen, too, scooped up a small spoonful out of curiosity.
Just one bite.
The little Queen’s delicate face flushed bright red, her whole body shivering as if struck by a jolt of electricity.
She, too, abandoned all royal dignity and joined the fray.
Watching the two become lost in deliciousness—especially the deep, soulful satisfaction on Astreia’s face—Wendy knew he had won his gamble.
Huaxia cuisine could indeed suppress the urges of Gluttony!
But soon, a new problem arose.
When only one last heaping spoonful of beef remained in the communal dish, Astreia moved to claim it as her own.
However, a quicker spoon beat her to it, scooping up all the remaining delicacy onto another plate.
“Yekaterina!!!”
Astreia erupted in fury, slamming the table as she stood.
“How dare you compete with me for Wendy’s food! As the younger sister, do you have any shame?!”
“I especially saved this for last to savor it slowly!”
The little Queen did feel a bit guilty, but the deliciousness in her mouth left her unwilling to back down.
Puffing her cheeks, she mumbled stubbornly,
“Royal Sister, you already ate more than half—I barely had any. Shouldn’t you let your younger sister have a turn?”
“You!”
Astreia, seeing red, circled the table towards the little Queen.
“Looks like I’ll have to exercise my rights as the eldest sister and give you a proper lesson today!”
“Ah? This—”
Wendy never imagined a meal could spark a royal family feud.
However, just as he was about to speak up and mediate—
A cold female voice, like something drifting from the depths of hell and brimming with seething rage, echoed from the dining hall entrance.
“Well, well…I’ve been sick for days, and not a single one of you came to see me.”
“And now, you’re hiding here, secretly enjoying such fine food?!”
“Truly…seeking! Your! Own! Doom!!!”