Soon, one dish after another was brought out and set before the guests. However, the first dish was enough to turn stomachs.


    Vespera thought it was a creamy soup at first until she looked closer. The texture was far too thick. And then, it hit her. It was a pig brain! The milky-white mush was disturbingly simr to pureed brains.


    Everyone''s expressions twisted in varying shades of disgust. Before anyone could recover, the second dish arrived.


    It was a traditional pie from Regalia. The fish heads were baked upright, poking through the crust. Their eyes stared nkly toward the guests.


    A collective shudder rippled down the table. Still trying to recover from the pig brain and pie, the guests were hit with the third dish. It was a nearly raw steak, barely seared on the outside. Myoglobin pooled around it in deep red puddles. Even Calbert, who normally loved meat, couldn''t handle it.


    Each dish seemed worse than thest. No one had the stomach to actually eat. With the dim lighting, unsettling castle, and uncanny hostess, the guests exchanged subtle nces. They wanted to leave but couldn''t.


    Refusing to eat would be rude, but how should they eat these dishes?


    Eventually, everyone settled for the pie. They picked at it halfheartedly, cutting tiny bites just to keep up appearances. Some chewed slowly with grace, while others raised a fork to their lips only to pause and start a polite conversation instead.


    "Is the food not to everyone''s liking?" Belinda asked everyone.


    The guests fell silent. Then, someone said, "No, it''s quite good."


    Another guest replied, "I usually don''t eat much at dinner."


    Someone else chimed in, "The food is delicious. It''s just that I happen to be a vegetarian."


    ...


    Excuses rolled in one after another. Belinda nodded at every response. Her face was already stiff, so when she smiled, the faint smear of red from the steak still clung to her teeth, making her look even more frightening.


    Her gaze slowly drifted around the table before stopping on Dominic. She asked, "Mr. Reid, what do you think?"


    Dominic set down the spoon he had been using to poke at the fish head. He answered politely, "It''s not bad. It''s quite the experience just looking at it."


    Belinda asked, "Why aren''t you eating then?"<fnd0ac> This content belongs to find?novel</fnd0ac>


    Dominic replied, "I''m fasting. I don''t eat after sunset."


    Belinda and everyone else went quiet. The so-called vegetarian internally cursed, "Damn it, I should have used that excuse too!"


    Maintaining her smile, Belinda lifted her wine ss and looked at all the guests. She said, "My apologies for the poor hospitality. Allow me to offer a toast."


    Finally, it was something safe. Everyone drank as it was the least they could manage. After that, more delicacies followed.


    Aside from Dominic, who imed he was fasting and wasn''t afraid to offend the hostess, everyone else was busy pretending to eat. In reality, they didn''t eat much.


    Vespera discreetly dabbed her lips with a napkin, using the motion to spit out the bite she had just taken. She wasn''t the only one doing such a thing.


    Across the table, the two people from Regalia seemedpletely unfazed. They ate the pie happily. Meanwhile, Gerard had retched several times.


    Calvert leaned toward Vespera and whispered, "Vespera, the dessert is not bad. Have more of thatter, or you''re going to go hungry tonight."


    Dessert? Vespera looked at him. Then, it clicked. He sneaked into the kitchen earlier, so he must have seen it.


    Sure enough, after all the horrifying dishes, dessert was finally served. Even from a distance, the sweet and rich scent of milk wafted through the air.