A few minutes later, everyone arrived at the dining area. The servants had already arranged the plates on the massive dining table, easily fitting more than twenty people at once.
After everyone took their seats, Madam Layla said to the servants, “Start serving the food, our esteemed guests are feeling hungry.”
“We understand, Madam…” The servants nodded in unison and began serving the food.
As the servants brought in the dishes, Xi Meili’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she laid her gaze on the plates emitting a delicious aroma. She couldn’t hide her eagerness to taste the food, resembling a child discovering an enticing treat for the first time.
“Wow, what a delicious aroma, the food must be super delicious, right?” Xi Meili mumbled in excitement, turning to her husband as though seeking confirmation.
Hearing this, everyone couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle. Yuan found his wife’s child-like enthusiasm adorable.
“I guess…?” Yuan replied with an awkward smile, unable to definitively claim the food’s taste without sampling it first.
“The food will be very delicious, you don’t have to worry. I can assure you of that. After all, everything Ivy makes turns out quite delicious,” Madam Layla said to Yuan and Xi Meili with a smile.
From the moment Ivy joined the Monroe family, she had never disappointed them with her culinary skills. Whatever she cooked turned out exquisite, and the Monroe family had complete trust in her ability.
A minute later, the servants finished serving all the dishes and left the scene.
“Well, let’s start eating, everyone… Don’t hold back, you can eat as much as you like. We have plenty of food for everyone,” Madam Layla said with a warm smile.
“Really?! Then I won’t be holding back…” Xi Meili exclaimed with surprise, diving into the food with gusto.
Hearing this, Yuan and his wives stared at Xi Meili with amusement and chuckled.
‘This beautiful, cute glutton, when did she ever hold back?’ Yuan sighed inwardly, affectionately amused by her enthusiasm.
‘Holding back, huh? I wonder when did you ever hold yourself back? You’re more like a bottomless pit that can swallow everything…’ Rose thought to herself, amused by Xi Meili’s voracious appetite.
Shortly afterward, everyone else also began to eat. The food was indeed delicious, with the perfect combination of spices that enhanced each bite, making the dining experience delightful for all.
Lily savored every bite of the food, thinking to herself, ‘If I eat this food every day, I am sure that I will be addicted to it…’
Meanwhile, Yuan, Emma, and Xi Meili seemed to have an insatiable appetite, devouring their food as if they hadn’t eaten in ages. Their speedy consumption surprised not only Madam Layla but also Ava, Julie, James, and Ivy. They all stared wide-eyed in disbelief at what they were witnessing.
‘Are they even human to have such a monstrous appetite? Emma and Xi Meili are one thing, but Yuan, with that slim figure, having such a monstrous appetite, is beyond belief. This is the second time I’ve witnessed them eating like this. I’m speechless…’ Madam Layla thought to herself.
‘He looks so handsome even while eating…’ Ava and Julie both thought to themselves, admiring Yuan’s charm.
‘I wonder how a man who seemingly lacks manners and proper etiquette managed to have such goddesses as his wives. I’m so envious of him… Fate is really cruel!’ James thought inwardly, feeling a twinge of jealousy.
After the meal, Madam Layla turned her attention to Yuan and asked, “Yuan, since you defeated the wyvern that was threatening us and saved our village from destruction, how long are you all planning to stay in our village? I know that you’re heading to the capital of the kingdom, but it would be wonderful if you all stayed a little longer. My daughters also want you to stay a little longer to deepen your bond with one another, especially since you’ve agreed to marry them in the future.”
Julie, blushing slightly, said with excitement, “Yes, Yuan, stay a little longer. I want to go on a date with you…”
“I also agree, Yuan. I’d love to go on a date with you if you’re fine with it,” Ivy added, her eyes sparkling.
Yuan and his wives couldn’t help but chuckle, amused by the enthusiasm in their eyes.
“We’re planning to extend our stay in this village for a week,” Yuan replied. He then looked at Ava, Julie, and Rose and continued, “In this week’s time, I would like to get to know all of you better. A healthy relationship requires understanding and knowing each other well.”
‘So Ava and Rose already knew about it and kept it quiet? Unbelievable. Why didn’t they inform me about this?’ Madam Layla thought inwardly.
Julie glared at Ava, thinking, ‘This little sister of mine is declaring war on me! How dare she keep something like this to herself?’
“Indeed! For a healthy relationship, knowing one another and understanding each other’s feelings are essential. We can’t take it lightly or make hasty decisions,” Madam Layla nodded in agreement, speaking from her own experiences.
“So, one week it is then?” Madam Layla said.
“If only you’re fine with it…” Yuan replied playfully.
“Please! You can stay here as long as you want! Since you’re the future son-in-law of our Monroe family, I wouldn’t mind if you stay with us forever, you know?” Madam Layla said with a smirk.
“Thank you for the offer, though, but that won’t be happening, Madam Layla,” Yuan quickly retorted.
‘This woman! How dare she entertain the thought of making my dear stay here forever? Does she have a death wish?’ Anna fumed inwardly, and the other girls also frowned upon Madam Layla.
“Hahaha, I was just teasing you. Knowing you, I know that you are not the type of person who will stay in one place…” Madam Layla laughed playfully.
“It’s fine since it was just a joke, if it was true then I wouldn’t mind making a hole in your chest,” Grace’s icy cold voice resounded, her small smile not diminishing the threatening tone.
Rose, Ava, Julie, James, and Madam Layla became speechless, taken aback by Grace’s cold words that felt more like a direct threat. How could she be so cold and openly menacing?
“She must be joking, right?” Ava said to Rose, seeming to be in disbelief.
“From the look of it, I don’t think so…” Rose replied, her expression serious.
‘From her words alone, I can tell that she isn’t joking. I might die if I say something wrong… She’s way too dangerous! I’ll avoid her at all costs!’ Madam Layla thought inwardly, feeling a cold shiver down her spine and her face breaking into a nervous sweat.
‘I never thought this white-haired goddess could be so dangerous and cold. I should stay away from her as much as possible; I don’t want to get on her bad side and meet an early demise.’ James was horrified, not having tasted the “forbidden fruit” yet, and not willing to take any risks by offending such a dangerous woman.
‘I wonder how he can handle such a dangerous woman? Doesn’t he fear death?’ James wondered inwardly, glancing at Yuan briefly.
He couldn’t imagine having such a dangerous woman as his wife, always wondering when he’d meet his end, even in his sleep. He wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment.
However, in that moment, the door of the living room opened, causing everyone to turn their attention toward the noise.
A tall, handsome young man with dark brown hair entered the room, followed by a servant carrying a fruit basket with both hands.
The man’s eyes brightened as they landed upon Rose, and he immediately approached her, saying, “Oh, thank goodness that you’ve woken up, Miss Rose. That’s a relief. I was worried when I heard that you were fighting against a powerful monster to save the village. I visited earlier this morning, but you were still sleeping, so I decided to come back later.”
‘This idiot! Why is he here right now?’ Rose thought inwardly.
The man continued, “Here, I have brought some fruit for you, and these fruits will definitely help you recover faster, Miss Rose.” With that, he took the fruit basket from the servant’s hand and offered it to Rose.
“Uh… Thanks, I guess…?” Rose accepted the basket with an awkward expression on her face.
“Who is this idiot anyway? He doesn’t seem to be an official of the village,” Yuan asked Rose in a low voice, ensuring only she could hear him. 𝒃𝒆𝒐𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝙘𝙤𝒎
“This idiot is Henry Turner. He is the son of my father’s friend and lives in the Southern part of the village. Their family runs a merchant business. He has been pursuing me for years, no matter how many times I’ve rejected him, he still doesn’t give up. He’s quite persistent,” Rose explained in a low voice.
“Is that so…” Yuan muttered in a low voice as he observed the man named Henry.
“I wanted to beat this guy every time he confessed to me, but alas, I couldn’t do that because of my father’s friendship with his father. The two of them are best friends and were rivals in their younger days, so I can’t make any move that would end their long friendship. I had to do nothing but tolerate everything and treat him like air,” Rose explained to him a moment later.
“I see, so they were really good friends. Probably, I would’ve done the same if I were in your place…” Yuan replied with a smile.
‘Friendship, huh? I wonder what it feels like to have a friend like Rose’s father. In my life, I never made any friends except for Lulu…’ Yuan pondered to himself in a daze.