Chapter 1520: Being Sisters: Part-2

Two hours later...

’Shit! It’s bad! Very fucking bad!!!!’

Aqualina screamed inwardly as she sat stiffly on the chair, staring at the ’

thing

’ called food placed before her.

Her back straightened on instinct, shoulders tense, eyes frozen as if the plate itself might suddenly attack her.

A blackish-green liquid oozed lazily over something roundish and red beneath it, thick and glossy like a cursed potion gone wrong. The smell hit her a moment later, forcing her breath to hitch. Questions exploded in her mind, but one rose above the rest.

"Aether... ate this?"

Aqualina lifted her gaze toward Delphine, who stood near the counter, calmly washing her hands while peeling off her apron with practised ease.

Delphine nodded, unfazed. "Yeah, he did. But... I didn’t have some of the important ingredients today, so this is just the lite version."

She said it casually, like she was explaining a missing garnish rather than a crime against nature.

Aqualina blinked once, then slowly looked back at the plate. Important ingredients? Her mind stalled on the implication, dread pooling in her stomach.

So this was the reduced version? That meant there was a stronger form somewhere in existence, and that realisation alone felt illegal.

Still, a reluctant thought crept in. She had eaten strange food before, things that looked horrifying but tasted divine. Appearances could lie, she reminded herself, even while her nose protested violently.

Maybe Delphine’s cooking worked the same way... maybe.

Across from her, the girls sat together, whispering in hushed tones,

"Why does it smell worse than last time?" Nyx muttered, pinching her nose while leaning away like the scent might crawl into her lungs and stay there forever.

"Ugh... look at those colours," Thalia groaned, clutching her empty stomach as if trying to protect it from future trauma. "Does she use a different palette every time, or does the food choose its own?"

Raven swallowed hard, her heterochromatic eyes trembling as she stared at the plate like it was a living curse. "I feel... shit!"

Emberlyn lowered her head slightly, guilt flickering across her face as she whispered, "I think... maybe we should stop her. This feels wrong on several levels."

Selene snorted, arms crossed, as she watched Aqualina’s slow descent into disbelief.

"Nah. Let the bitch suffer. She asked for it herself, didn’t she?"

The table went quiet.

Every head turned toward Selene, disbelief and judgment mixing freely as they stared at her.

Thalia’s expression softened into something almost compassionate as she leaned closer and whispered, "Come on, Selene. She’s a princess. If she shits herself like we did... that’s it. She’ll die of shame. Royal funeral, closed casket!"

Selene glanced around the table. One by one, the others nodded in grim agreement, clearly remembering their own battles with Delphine’s cuisine.

"Huh. Is that so?" Selene tilted her head, lips curling into a small shrugging smile. "If you feel that bad for her, then go ahead and help her."

Before anyone could even shift in their seat,

"However... I will ask my aunt to take over the kitchen. From then on, she will cook for u—"

"Let her shit herself!"

"Yeah!"

"Family has to share pain as well!!"

"...Sigh."

Selene leaned back, wearing a satisfied smile as the others recoiled in horror at their own words.

"Anyway, I’m leaving now," Delphine said calmly, folding her apron with precise movements before placing it neatly on the table. She looked at Aqualina and gave her a small nod, "I have something important to take care of."

Aqualina nodded back, then frowned, "But it’s already night."

Delphine adjusted her glasses and smiled faintly. "I slept through an entire day and night. I don’t feel sleepy at all. Might as well finish the work I have."

Her gaze shifted toward the girls seated across from Aqualina, their faces serious now, eyes locked onto the princess like silent witnesses.

"Girls?"

They nodded together, waving their hand as if asking her to leave first!

Delphine chuckled softly, misunderstood their focus as their disappointment, "Don’t worry. Who knows, one day you might even beat my dish... Haha" She laughed lightly, then added with a teasing glint,

"Though I’ll still surpass it, just like now~"

She winked, and the girls’ lips twitched despite themselves.

They all thought the same thing at once.

’No way... She’s going to surpass the nightmare she already created? What the fuck is wrong with her?’

Aqualina watched Delphine walk away. Slowly, she turned back to the plate.

"Even though it doesn’t look good... I think it might be good to eat," she murmured, "After all, if Aether ate it completely, then he really liked it... right?"

She lifted her gaze slightly.

The girls flinched at her words, but Selene nodded quickly, "Yes. If he can do it, you can do it too, right? Or..." she leaned forward slightly, eyes gleaming, "...you’re just a pussy who’s scared of eating?" She burst into mocking laughter.

"But she has pus—"

"That’s not what I literally meant, Nightfire!!" Selene snapped, shooting a sharp glare at Nightfire, who stood innocently at the edge of the table, tilting her head with a genuinely curious expression, as if she had just asked a perfectly reasonable question.

Selene inhaled slowly, then turned back to Aqualina. Her tone softened unnaturally as she smiled with closed eyes. "Please... continue."

Aqualina stared at Selene blankly, the smile unsettling her more than the insults ever could.

She glanced at the others, who averted their eyes.... looking everywhere other than her!

Her gaze returned to the dish, which practically screamed nightmare under the dim light. The colours glistened in a way that felt deliberate, malicious even. Aqualina swallowed, then nodded once. "Okay." She reached out and scooped up a single spoonful, her hand steady despite the war raging inside her chest.

Selene smirked wickedly as she watched the spoon begin its slow journey toward Aqualina’s mouth.

Closer...

Closer...

Closer...

Just the tip... just the fucking tip—

The spoon halted midair.

Selene flinched when she realised Aqualina was staring directly at her, brows furrowed in suspicion. Selene immediately turned her head away, whistling softly, pretending she hadn’t leaned forward like a predator just seconds ago.

Aqualina’s frown deepened... Something didn’t add up.

Why was Selene this invested? Why the sudden encouragement, the pressure, the eyes glued to her every movement?

A chill crawled up her spine.

What if the food really was bad?

But... Aether ate it.

He ate all of it.

Her brows knit tighter.

"Are you not eating?" Selene asked, tilting her head with feigned innocence as she noticed Aqualina thinking too much, which was clearly not going in Selene’s favour.

"Well..." Aqualina dragged the word out before a slow smirk formed on her lips. "As much as I hate to admit it... We’re sisters now. A huge family. And I can’t possibly enjoy food without sharing it with you all, right?" Her eyes glinted.

"Sharing is caring~"

The girls flinched violently, their faces draining of colour as they waved their hands in horror.

Selene clenched her fist, laughing stiffly. "Haha... you pussy. You’re just scared to eat it alone." Her voice sharpened, growing louder. "Unlike you, we ate what Aether ate. It was so fucking damn good! And none of us were scared. Not even a little.

Unlike you, pussy!!"

The girls stared at Selene in sheer horror.

They weren’t scared?

What the fuck?

They had shit themselves all night.

Aqualina’s lips twitched as she slowly raised the spoon again. Thoughts crashed into one another, every instinct screaming for escape, every excuse failing to take shape. She had signed herself into this nightmare with her own mouth.

"Come on, my lady..." Selene continued smoothly, "The great Princess of the Naiadae Empire is scared of a dish that looks bad, even though her husband ate it? What kind of cruelty is this princess forcing on her husband?" She clicked her tongue.

"So disgusting. So vile~ Can’t even take a single bite~"

Veins bulged on Aqualina’s forehead.

"Fuck! I am eating this!" she snapped, shoving the spoon toward her lips. It nearly touched them before she froze again, sweat forming rapidly on her forehead.

Her lips parted slightly, barely more than a whisper of movement.

A millimeter... Maybe less?

’Well... let’s just take a small bite first,’ she told herself, desperately bargaining with fate as the spoon hovered, trembling, right at the edge of no return.

’Oh God... please help me. Let this be good!’

Aqualina pleaded silently, eyes squeezed shut as the thick liquid finally tipped over the edge of the spoon and just about to slide onto her lips, but she stopped... as she panted heavily in fear, "I-I can-"

"Enough!"

Nightfire suddenly snatched the spoon from Aqualina’s trembling hand. She stared at Selene, then at Aqualina, her face twisted with pure disgust. "I can’t believe you two are treating this like some kind of shit!" she snapped,

"For two fucking hours, Delphine poured her love and care into cooking this, and all you’ve done is disgrace it!"

She lifted the spoon slightly, glaring at it as if daring it to argue back.

"So what if it looks weird? Aether ate it, and he’s fine, right?"

"It’s not like eating this will kill you instantly or something. Grow up, fools!!"

Nightfire exhaled sharply, frustration dripping from every word. "You’re disrespecting Delphine’s work." She shook her head with a tired sigh. "At this rate, Aether might only love me after all. I’m the only understanding one here, right?"

Her lips curved into a pitiful smile, eyes glinting with pride. ’I’ll prove them all. I’ll show how great I am,’ she thought smugly.

And then, without hesitation, she took a bite.

Chom—

THUD!!

"NIGHTFIRE!!"

Thalia’s scream tore through the hall as Nightfire’s body collapsed instantly, hitting the floor with a sickening sound. Everyone rushed forward at once!

Selene clicked her tongue sharply, irritation flashing across her face before she shot a glare at Aqualina.

Aqualina, meanwhile, stood frozen, her chair fell back, horror etched on her face as she stared at Nightfire’s unconscious body. White-black foam seeped from the corner of Nightfire’s mouth, staining the floor like some cursed omen.

Aqualina’s knees nearly gave out.

Her gaze trembled as it flicked back to the dish. Her voice came out broken, barely audible. "W-What in the heavens’ name... is this?"

****

Meanwhile—

Delphine had already left the palace, her footsteps steady as she descended the winding mountain path. Darkness wrapped around the forest, trees swaying gently as a cool breeze brushed past her.

"Where are you going?" Snowflake asked curiously, peeking out from Delphine’s cleavage.

Delphine nudged her glasses and replied coldly,

"To find the one who made me."

Snowflake tilted her head, confused. "The one who made you—"

"Did you call me?"

"HIIISSS!!!!"

"SHIT!!!"

Both Snowflake and Delphine screamed in unison as Delphine nearly lost her footing. Her body lurched forward, only stopping when a staff appeared and prevented her from falling down.

Delphine steadied herself and slowly straightened, blinking as her eyes focused.

Standing at the end of the holding staff was the Prophetess.

Snowflake instinctively lunged forward, preparing to attack, but Delphine snapped her hand out, blocking her mid-motion.

"H-How did you—" Delphine began.

"You wanted to find me, didn’t you?" the Prophetess replied calmly/

"Well..." Delphine frowned, confusion knitting her brows before realisation struck.... Of course, someone who could see the future wouldn’t need directions. She sighed deeply.

"Whatever. Since you’re already here, I’d like to—"

"Why don’t we talk inside?" the Prophetess said softly, lifting her hand and pointing behind Delphine.

"Talk inside? We’re in the middle of the fores—"

Delphine turned around, her words dying instantly.

Before her stood a massive white building that glowed gently in the middle of the night.

"...What?"