Chương 4: Chapter Three: Food Is My Life

Frostiluna, Year 237, of Queen Illyria's Reign Today, all of the triplets, a skipping Harleen, the elusive duke, and a pleased Erichean have come to visit me due to a very special occasion. They came because today is the day I start solids! I officially turned seven months old, and I've grown at least three front teeth in the meantime. I sucked in a nervous breath. It's time. Early in the morning, I was dressed in outside clothes and taken to the dining room to wait to be served.

The others arrived after me with their entourage. Eris and Derrick didn't show, but no one said anything. Together, we waited for the kitchen to bestow food upon us, hungry mortals. Probably mortals.... Am I immortal? I shook the weird, intrusive question from my mind, not daring to entertain the thought any further. After an hour, servants in black long gowns and funny pants started trickling into the room with metal trolleys. Huh. Surprisingly modern. At least they have the wheel here.

Meng Yuchen whispered to his siblings.

"What do you suppose she will pick?" Niathe bounced me on her hip while the kitchen staff finished setting up the table. Perfectly round placemats, carefully set cutlery, and gleaming plates polished enough to admire your reflection like Harleen is doing. It's subtle, but the way her eyes stray and her seemingly coincidental readjustments to her appearance say it all. Harleen replied confidently from her seat under a ceiling-to-floor window.

"I bet you she'll like the bly hebeb (mapo tofu) over your sok nuell (spaghetti)." Morning rays bathed her in sunlight, giving her a halo capable of turning her mane into flames. One could only dream. The cogs in my head turned as I tried to put meaning to words. At the very least, I'd never heard of that type of snack before. The three of them whispered conspiratorially, freakishly large heads on tiny necks bobbing in tandem.

"How much?"

"Three gold."

"Ten." Meng Yucheng quipped." I'll join in if we bring it up to twenty." The boys and Harleen huddled in the corner of the dining room to place bets. Hurriedly writing down the changing pot and even vowing to sign it with a thumbprint as a seal of proof. The duke grew curious and joined in as well to place bets on me. Erichean was on the fence about it at first, but succumbed to the temptation after his father persuaded him to add to the pot.

They even requested more paper so they could write down all the bets now being circulated due to their presence. I feel like the prized mare at the Kentucky fair. I wish I had a stake in it. My eyes wandered over to the ever-patient staff and the fully covered spread on the table. Eyes bulging out of my head, I tugged at the clothing of the person holding me.

"Hurry." That's right! I can now speak a few words. My teeth definitely helped with the pronunciation. They all chuckled at me, and Niathe gingerly set me down on the table in the center of a bunch of covered dishes. A bib was placed around my neck, and I barely noticed it. My eyes remained glued to the treasures that awaited me. What's in there? Crab legs? What I would give for a seafood festival right now.

One by one, the metal lids were lifted with great fanfare, and the contents of each dish within three feet of me were revealed. The first to be uncovered was soup.

"..." That makes sense all considering, but come on! I'm fairly certain it's some variation of a vegetable and chicken soup, judging by the nostalgic savory aroma. It's not exactly what I wanted, but anything's better than the fare I usually get. Bring it on! Warm food. Flavors. I can't wait. A staff member tasted the soup for me first and tested the temperature before I was allowed to partake. They're so considerate.

I had practiced with my spoon in preparation for the big day and was finally able to bring a couple of sips to my lips. Some spill over was expected, and I licked the corners of my lips greedily. That's the taste I have been missing. God, that's so good it warms the soul. Shivering in satisfaction, I gave out a happy little burp before I pointed at the next one.

"Next!" Giggles rang out, and the staff obliged. Come to mama! The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. A servant in a culinary uniform uncovered the next dish. Is that this world's version of a sub sandwich? Huh. I've actually never had one of those before. The chef cut the sandwich into tiny bits and fed it to me personally after tasting it themselves. They used a different spoon, thankfully.

Leaning forward, I grabbed their wrist to steady myself and bit the tip of the spoon. Chewing until I get the most out of a single bite before continuing. Not bad. The bread feels scratchy and a little soggy in some places, as if it wasn't cooked fully through. It's really meaty in the middle, which makes up for the lack of doneness overall. It's not my favorite thing in the world, but meat is meat. Especially after the year I've had. I turned my face away from the insistent spoon and rejected any more.

"I heard you were having a little party. What's going on?" Right at that moment, Hadrian threw open the doors dramatically and waltzed in. The gambler and his aspiring-to-the-craft children jumped. Ha! The Duke looked guilty of something and seemed to be thinking of an excuse. Too bad. Harleen exposed the whole operation to her mother.

"Mother! We're just playfully betting on what cuisine she'll like more. I have a fifty gold stake!" She faked a gasp and swayed over to her daughter's side.

"Fifty gold? You had better win then." Harleen smiled craftily in response and replied firmly."I will. I've got a secret weapon." I glanced at Harleen suspiciously, and she gave me a toothy smile. Suspicious. I shouted again.

"Next!" Meng Yu Sheng pouted to himself.

"I can't believe she didn't like polyense (sandwiches)." Our older brother consoled him and explained why the mismatch might have happened.

"She's a baby, it's probably too scratchy on her throat or has too many flavors. We're adults, so we can appreciate it better than she can." Meng Yu Sheng seemed to accept that excuse and perked up afterward. I nodded at Erichean in agreement, and he revealed a hidden smile that brightened his eyes. Smart kid. The next plate is served before me, cut into tiny pieces. Ooh! That's mapo tofu, alright! I just know it is! It's never smelled so good before.

Perhaps my brain connected to my stomach at that moment because all you could hear was a grizzly growl from within. My throat burns with hunger, and every cell in my body scream go get it already! Oh yeah. I abandon my spoon and lunge at it. Uncaring of the mess I'm causing, I scarf it down, barely minding the numbing feeling starting in my lips. It's so spicy but so good. The sauce. The tofu. Everything is so good. I can't get enough. Need more. Meng Yuchen exclaimed.

"Hadrian! How did you know?" The little imp giggled, "She's of her mother, silly. It's practically common knowledge that those hailing from the dark elves clan favor the dish. To be precise, she loves the blood." Her eyes glowed with unabated hunger, and her brothers shared the sentiment. All of the overwhelming scents were enough to keep them dizzy with thirst. Strong discipline was the only thing keeping them in one spot. Niathe spares a rare compliment to the girl, even going so far as to use her nickname.

"Well done, Harley." Harleen beams at her and rocks back and forth on her heels while fighting a smile. She loses and grins big and wide at everyone. A few other dishes are served after that. Tossed salads, bland porridges, fries (which I loved to the point of trying to save them for later), a few dishes I didn't quite know how to describe but weren't that bad, and a dish reminiscent of red velvet cake pops. Once I was done stuffing myself, the table was cleaned of any traces of my loss of composure.

To determine the final winner. All of the dishes were set on the table again, and I was encouraged to walk towards the one I liked most. It smells so good in here. How am I going to accurately judge what's best? They tricked me with the tiny portions, though. Everyone pointed subtly at the ones they wanted me to pick, and I ignored them. It was a hard decision, and I deliberated internally with my stomach. Mapo Tofu has my heart, but that chicken soup is still whispering to me warmly. Still, it can't be a tie.

Which one do I like better? A hushed whisper brushed past my cheek like a falling leaf.

"Hey. Baby. I'll give you twenty percent of what I make off you." Harleen walks past me quickly to stand with everyone else away from the table so as not to influence my choice. That's a tiebreaker for me. I subtly throw up three fingers, and she nods from the corner of my eye. Deal. I crawl towards the mapo tofu, devour it again, and hug the plate. This is the best day of my life. Meng Yucheng groaned in pain.

"Ugh!"

"Wait! She hasn't picked second and third best!" Eric shushed the others and reminded them that the deal was made fair and square. Erichean's earnest gaze landed on me, and I felt a twinge of something hard to name. As if I was looking at something I'd seen a thousand times before and only just noticed it. The duke can kiss my ass, though, with those puppy eyes. I saw him looking at that disgusting salad. Really? Not a chance, bro. Eric cleared his throat and waved to get my attention.

"What's your second favorite, Ria?" The youngest triplet hints at his sandwich, and I sigh with all the responsibilities of a terrible wager on my shoulders. Fine. I crawl over to the chicken soup and take a big slurp. Everyone but Erichean groans. Then, in a moment of weakness, I reached over to the sandwich and stabbed it with my finger.

"Yes!" The duke throws his head back and starts emptying his pockets. Everyone does. Including Niathe. You too? I would've thought with her prideful bearing, she was above something like that. What did you bet on? I follow her gaze to the cake pops. I'm so full. Just once, I grabbed a cake pop by the toothpick sticking out of it and munched away. Food coma incoming. She spares me a grin, too, from her generally impassive face, and I wave my cake pop at her like the head of a general.

My good mood fades away as Hadrian pokes at me out of nowhere. Pressing her stupidly long nail into my cheek and retracting it only to pinch the meaty cheek again.

"You look like you jumped in a vat of sauce." She lightly throws a towel over my head, and I retaliated by throwing the spoon I'd been clutching at her. She dodges with ease, and I growl in frustration.

"Vengeful too. That's quite a personality, whelp."

"Leave me alone!"

"Whoa!" Harleen distracts me and shields me from her childish guardian. Her cherry-red eyes stare headlong into mine with unconcealed excitement.

"Shhh. Here." She gave me two gold coins in advance, and I sat up straighter. She helps me stuff them in a pocket in my dress, and I smile victoriously. Money. My one true friend and first love. I missed you so much. I still have the gold coin she gave me on my birthday. It's on my bed, and I sleep with it every night for good luck. Niathe seems humored by it, but Sarabse keeps trying to correct my 'money grubber habits' by trying to replace the coin with dolls.

I've single-handedly thwarted every single one of her attempts, and in doing so, I've succeeded in saving my gold coin from the treasure chest. The place where all toys go to die. I'm a material girl and a proud one at that. Harleen comes closer to me, and her hot breath warms my cold neck.

"I will have the rest hand-delivered to your room before bedtime." Acknowledging her side of the agreement already? I like. I nodded at her and held up three fingers again ju st to confirm. Wait a second. How much is thirty percent of the profits? Will it be divided evenly? Are gold coins the only currency here? I haven't seen any other coins. Are they just pennies here? I mumbled more to myself than to her.

"Thirty."

"Yes, I know." Hadrian gasps and laughs hysterically once she figures out our secret conversation's context.

"You rigged it? You bribed an infant?" Harleen snaps at her mother and looks both ways to make sure no one's heard her treasonous exclamation.

"I did no such thing, and I will not tolerate such slander, Mother." Hadrian holds her stomach and almost bends over from laughing too hard. I give her a cursory look and abandon her antics for more food. Fries! Even if I save them for my room, they'll just get soggy, I justified it as I crunched down on the savory goodness. These are green and not very oily. They remind me of the skin of edamame, but the texture is silky smooth. I live so well now. Chewing slows and I force the thought away from my mind.

It's a good day. Let's keep it that way.