The Duchess's dinner was prepared very lavishly.
A purple-black U-shaped dining table, fully ten meters long, was laden with an array of dazzling dishes.
Roasted suckling pig, stewed snails, pan-fried steak, stewed potatoes, fruit salad, lamb stew with potatoes, goose liver pâté with sautéed scallops...
Looking around, there were at least twenty different dishes.
Patunasankus was very satisfied with the Duchess's hospitality. Compared to the foolish Loranhir who tried to feed vegetables to an evil dragon, the Duchess was clearly much more sensible.
The evil dragon could eat to her heart's content, but Loranhir was not so pleased. The lavish dinner felt like a condemned prisoner's last meal before execution—after finishing it, they would pack up and set out the next day.
Loranhir put down her knife and fork, having no appetite. Rather than luxurious banquets, she preferred simple home cooking.
She glanced at Patunasankus.
The princess gently wiped the creamy residue from the corner of her mouth with a napkin. Her movements were elegant like a cat's, and with her adorable appearance, she gave people a pleasing impression.
In contrast to her elegant movements was the fact that she hadn't stopped eating for a moment.
She really ate too much, yet her stomach didn't seem to expand at all...
It wasn't just Loranhir who thought this; the Duchess and Elaphia felt the same.
At first they found it strange, until they considered the difficult days the fragile princess had endured in the evil dragon Patunasankus's lair, and the bumpy journey with Loranhir. Now that she had encountered good food, it wasn't strange that she ate a bit more.
"Wonderful!"
"Endless delicious food..."
"No more dark cuisine made by monster servants."
Patunasankus narrowed her eyes, filled with blissful enjoyment.
Eating was always most important.
Although the evil dragon never spoke while eating, some people were very keen on discussing matters at the dining table.
Elaphia stood up, adjusting her black-framed glasses, looking every bit the scholar.
Elaphia said, "Regarding the Duchess's commission, I presume you are all laypeople. I know the hero possesses great power, but when it comes to knowledge and experience in handling this type of situation, none of you present are my equal. This is also why the Duchess asked me to be her advisor."
Loranhir remained unmoved across the table. She knew she shouldn't speak at this moment; whatever she said would be interpreted as the hero's profound mystery.
"So I think the decisions in this matter should be based primarily on my opinions," Elaphia glanced at the hero again, and seeing her still looking indifferent, continued, "Of course, if the great Hero has any objections, I am all ears."
Hearing Elaphia's words, Loranhir instantly found her image increasingly likable.
For her, having someone willing to take responsibility was exactly what she wanted.
"I have no objections," Loranhir said.
Elaphia secretly rejoiced.
She hadn't expected to gain the hero's trust in her abilities so quickly, without even needing to use the rhetoric she had prepared in advance to persuade the hero.
She had gone to considerable trouble preparing for the hero's possible inquiries.
This was good, this was good. The initiative had fallen directly into her hands; she could proceed however she wanted.
"The method to break a curse is often reflected in the cursed person's behavior, like a quiet confession from the heart. Even if they consciously deny it, they will reveal it in their unconscious actions. But the prerequisite is that we must capture Evelyn to understand the phenomenon and reveal the essence," Elaphia explained.
Patunasankus's ears twitched, listening with interest.
Elaphia appeared very dedicated, but she had no intention of helping the Duchess's daughter break the curse. However, she did have a plan—a significant one—to kill the princess under the pretext of breaking the curse.
"Especially before the people from the Eternal Flame get to her," the Duchess added, starting to become anxious.
"Then we need to lure out the ferocious beast and set a trap in advance," Elaphia continued, occasionally pushing down her glasses to observe Loranhir's eyes, being extremely cautious.
"Does Lady Duchess know what Evelyn's interests are? Or rather, what she liked most in the past?"
Duchess Pascal was silent for a moment, then cast her gaze on Patunasankus, who was quietly eating. "In her childhood, Evelyn was most fond of the Princess's dancing, especially watching Princess Latifa dance lightly by the lakeside, under the moonlight. This is something she cannot resist. Every full moon night, she always sits by the lakeside for a while."
Loranhir trembled slightly, feeling an ominous premonition. The Heart of the Red Queen began to beat faintly.
Elaphia was delighted inwardly. Yes, this was exactly what she wanted.
Patunasankus stopped eating, her little golden ahoge tilting slightly.
After a moment's hesitation, she slowly put the cut pieces of steak into her mouth.
Eat first.
Before Loranhir could even process her actions, she had stood up. She didn't know why she did this, but something in her chest was gradually rising, faint like a spark.
"No, I know what you want to do. You want to use the princess as bait. This, of all things, is not acceptable."
Loranhir's intense reaction was beyond Elaphia's expectations. The hero's sudden emotion surprised her, but she merely pushed her glasses up. "The ferocious beast only appears on full moon nights, kidnapping maidens randomly and irregularly. To actively lure out the ferocious beast, there's no better choice."
"Of course, if the great Hero has a more expedient method, I'd be happy to hear it."
Loranhir sat back down and said nothing, her hand gripping the holy sword tightly, then releasing it powerlessly.
The fire crackled in the fireplace, occasionally emitting a few weak sparks that vanished in an instant.
Surprisingly, the Duchess directly rejected this proposal.
"No, rather than having Princess Latifa dance on a full moon night, risking drawing out Evelyn, I would rather send a few more squads of guards to search for her."
"What do you think, Princess?" Elaphia looked at Patunasankus.
By now, Patunasankus had stopped her movements.
The evil dragon looked up and faintly saw a girl in Elaphia's clear pupils.
A girl with dandelion-colored long hair.
—The day before yesterday I saw a rabbit, yesterday I saw a deer, and today, I met you.