Really... do we have to eat this?
Phaga swallowed hard, chopsticks still untouched, silently glancing at the others.
Corin sat the same way, trembling, her head lowered. Her small hands twisted nervously together as she bit her lip, clearly hesitating.
Lycaon hesitated, then finally reached out with his chopsticks—plucking the grape from a fish's mouth, the only thing on the table that looked remotely edible.
As for Ellen, she was the odd one out.
"It's pretty good! Why aren't you all eating?"
She had already stuffed a whole fish into her mouth, swallowing it bones and all in a few quick bites, then looked around at Phaga and Corin with genuine confusion.
"Exactly! This is the heartfelt welcome banquet I, Head Maid Rina, prepared for Corin despite Lord Lycaon's endless demands! How could you and Corin not even take a bite, Phaga!?
"And Lord Lycaon, after wasting so much of my time, how can you just eat two grapes and stop there!?"
Rina planted her hands on her hips, pouting.
The two Bangboo floating beside her chimed in loudly, "Yeah, yeah, we worked hard too!"
"Exactly!"
Startled, Corin sat bolt upright. Trembling, she picked up her chopsticks and stammered, "O-okay... Corin understands."
She slowly reached out, forcing herself past the fear in her eyes as she picked up a small fish. With her hand shaking, she lifted it toward her mouth.
"Gulp..."
Swallowing hard, Corin shut her eyes tight and shoved the fish in, not even daring to taste it—just swallowing it whole without a single chew.
At the same time, Lycaon finally caved under Rina's smiling gaze. With pained resolve, he shut his eyes, broke off a piece of the strange, pizza-like base, and choked it down.. His voice came out heavy.
"Phaga, since you're already here, you should eat as well."
"That's right. Phaga too."
Rina suddenly remembered he hadn't touched a thing. His chopsticks were still lying where he'd placed them.
"Phaga, that won't do. I gave plenty of praise for the meal you cooked at lunch!"
"Uh... right."
Phaga forced a bitter smile, then, under Rina's expectant eyes, reluctantly picked up his chopsticks. Like Corin, he lifted a small fish and placed it in his mouth, biting down with a faint hope.
One bite—and that hope shattered.
Bitter!
No—bitter with spice!
No—spice masking overwhelming fishiness!
Phaga's eyes shot wide open. He froze stiff in his chair.
But the fish in his mouth didn't freeze—it lingered, its stench coating his tongue. As the foul taste grew thicker, it shot straight up into his skull, dragging him into a whole new world.
In that instant, he was somewhere else entirely—standing before a river, a bridge stretching into the distance.
"Child, this way..."
He turned toward the voice.
At the far end of the shadowy bridge stood the orphanage director from his memories, half his body already corroded into Hollow. Smiling faintly, he raised a hand to beckon Phaga.
Phaga blinked, then suddenly realized.
No—this was the Final Crossing!
Splash!
He yanked his consciousness back, forcing himself to swallow the vile fish. It burned down his esophagus like fire, churning his stomach violently.
No good—this was it!
Thud, thud, thud!
Phaga slammed the table several times in quick succession. The loud noise drew everyone's attention.
Ellen, still eating happily, turned her head, blinking. With her mouth half-full, she mumbled, "What's wrong?"
The next instant, Phaga lunged like a beast, tackling Ellen to the floor.
Staring at him in shock, Ellen barely had time to react before his fangs sank into her neck.
"Huh?!"
Her eyes flew wide as she swallowed down the food in her mouth. Clutching at Phaga's back, her toes curled in her slippers, her face flushing crimson.
"Hey—Phaga! What are you doing!"
But Phaga ignored her. Ellen's weak resistance was no more than playful taps against him. His teeth pierced her skin, drawing blood.
"Phaga!"
Seeing him suddenly pin Ellen down without a word, Rina gasped, ready to pull him off.
But just then, a tiny hand clutched her skirt.
Looking down, she saw Corin's pale face. Her voice grew faint as she whispered, "Please... call an ambu—"
She never finished. Clutching her stomach, Corin collapsed unconscious.
At the other end of the table came another thud—Lycaon slammed both hands on the table, forcing himself upright, barely maintaining composure. His voice was strained.
"I've already called an ambulance... it'll be here shortly."
Woo~ woo~ woo~
Moments later, the sirens of an ambulance wailed outside Victoria Housekeeping Headquarters.
"Thank goodness..."
Lycaon smiled faintly, then his eyes shut, and he slumped forward onto the table.
July 5th, evening.
Victoria Housekeeping Headquarters lay in chaos. Of five members: one unscathed, one anemic, one poisoned but attempting self-rescue, two poisoned and unconscious.
That night, Victoria Housekeeping suffered a setback unlike any before.
Before long, medics arrived, transferring everyone to the nearest hospital.
Six minutes later, the ambulance burst through three red lights, arriving at the ER.
"Surgery for gastric lavage. Family, please sign here."
"Yes, of course."
Rina hurried forward at the doctor's call.
In the waiting room, only Ellen and Phaga remained.
After a long silence, Phaga suddenly spoke.
"From now on, I'll be the one cooking for Victoria Housekeeping."
"Mm."
Ellen nodded lightly, saying nothing more.
Never before had Victoria Housekeeping taken such a loss.
If Phaga hadn't bitten her just as the food hit, even he would've been laid up in a hospital bed.
Leaning back in his chair, Phaga muttered to himself.
"Can someone's cooking really be that catastrophic? I swear I saw the final crossing... with the dark river of the underworld rushing below, someone waving to me from the far side."
"It wasn't that bad..."
Ellen puffed her cheeks slightly, resting her chin in one hand.
But thinking of Corin and Lycaon still lying in hospital beds waiting for stomach pumps, she couldn't say anything more. In the end, she just sighed and sat in bored silence, listening to the comings and goings of patients around them.
They said hospitals were where you could hear every voice under heaven—rich or poor, joy or sorrow, all blended together here.
And sometimes, fury.
"Damn it, why do I have to cover Nicole's medical bills? Even the 100,000 Phaga gave me wasn't enough!"
Suddenly, Ellen and Phaga's ears perked at a familiar voice from behind.
A moment later, another, flat and emotionless voice answered.
"Sorry, Proxy... Belle. Once the compensation from Vision Industry comes through, we'll repay you."
"Proxy? Phaethon?"
Phaga's quiet voice interrupted their conversation. Though soft, Ellen and Phaga both heard it clearly.
Belle and Anby turned their heads at once—Phaga was leaning against the chair with one hand, half-turned, his eyes narrowing at Belle, who stared back in confusion.
The white-haired one beside her, Phaga remembered. She'd been with Nicole in the Dead End Hollow.
Judging by their conversation, the girl with her must have been the one behind that Bangboo.
The legendary Proxy...
Phaga suddenly recalled a certain joke he'd once made.