The dining room was large, meant for royalty. Apple sat down with Straw and Pine at the side of the table. He did not sit at the head where the king was meant to sit, and Straw noticed that as she took her seat. She hesitated for half a second, glancing from the empty head of the table back to Apple, as if expecting him to correct himself. He did not. He looked comfortable where he was, elbows relaxed, posture casual, like this was his dining room and not a stage meant for display.
Straw slid into one chair, the ache in her neck reminding her of earlier events. She reached up briefly, fingers brushing the scarf, then dropped her hand and focused on the table instead.
"Wow, did the princess make this pudding?" Straw said as she reached for the spoon and scooped some into her mouth. She did not wait for an answer before tasting it. The familiar sweetness hit her tongue, and she hummed softly, eyes closing for just a moment as if the world narrowed down to chocolate and comfort.
"The princess cooks?" Pine asked.
Straw opened her eyes and looked at him, already smiling.
"Yes, Duke. My wife is a pro chef. She cooks all my meals, and they are delicious," Straw said, winking at him. She leaned back slightly, clearly pleased with herself, spoon still in hand as if she was ready to defend that statement with her life.
Pine stared at the pudding, his spoon hovering above the bowl. His eyes flicked from the dessert to Straw, then briefly toward Apple, disbelief written plainly on his face. In a palace like this, where servants moved quietly and food arrived like magic, the idea that the princess herself cooked felt wrong, almost backwards.
Pine scooped a small amount, tasted it, then paused.
"My little sister loves being in the kitchen. Cooking was like her safe space. It's something she has done since we were little," Apple said. His voice softened without him seeming to notice. "Whenever our mother was looking for her, I always told her she was in the kitchen helping the maids. Mother scolded her a lot for that and said, You are a princess, act like one, but Berry never listened to anyone."
Straw listened closely, chewing slowly now. She could picture it too easily. A younger Berryanna, sleeves rolled up, ignoring the world outside the kitchen doors. The thought made Straw smile in a way that surprised even her.
"That's so cute. I get to know two things about her in one day," Straw said happily. She tapped her spoon lightly against the bowl, excitement bubbling under her words like she had discovered something precious.
"Do you want to know more?" Apple asked.
Straw looked at him, genuinely tempted. Her mouth opened, then closed again as she reconsidered.
"I would love to know more, but I think I should let my wife tell me herself. I have my whole life to listen to her," Straw said.
Pine's eyes twisted slightly at that. He still did not fully believe it. He studied Straw's face as if looking for hesitation, doubt, something that would tell him this was temporary. He found none.
"King Applegario, why are you not seated there?" Pine asked, pointing toward the head of the table. "Kings are meant to sit there."
Apple glanced briefly at the empty chair, then back at Pine, unimpressed by the implication.
"I am the king, am I not?" Apple replied. "So I can sit wherever I choose. I can sit here, or there, anywhere I see fit. You should dig in. Or don't you want to eat the chocolate pudding?"
Pine chuckled awkwardly, then reached for his spoon.
"Oh, I do," Pine said as he grabbed his spoon and continue to eat.
Straw watched him for a second, then laughed.
"Hahaha, I like your vibe, King. You know, I also sat at the head of the table once, during the time I ate your pudding," Straw said, laughing. She leaned back in her chair, clearly amused by her own memory.
Her laughter faded when she noticed Apple was not laughing. His spoon paused mid air. His expression went flat.
"You just had to remind me, didn't you?" Apple said.
Straw winced slightly.
"My bad," Straw replied as she continued eating, pretending not to notice the shift in his mood. She took another bite, then glanced around casually. "So why isn't the princess having pudding with us?"
"She isn't. She's probably in her office. Also, she doesn't eat at this table," Apple said.
Straw frowned. She swallowed slowly, then placed her spoon down.
"Okay, I am definitely going to find my wife's office and feed her this pudding," Straw said as she stood up, carrying her pudding and juice as she left the dining room. Her tone left no room for argument.
"Ha ha ha," Apple laughed, but it sounded forced.
Straw had already taken a few steps when she felt eyes on her. She turned back toward him, and Apple made a gesture, subtle but firm, reminding her about her neck, signaling her to cover it so Berryanna would not see the marks. Straw sighed softly.
"Don't worry. I'll come up with something if she sees it. It's impossible to hide forever, but I'm going to lie about it," Straw said.
Apple's smile vanished completely.
"So what are you going to tell her?" Apple asked.
Straw shifted her weight from one foot to the other.
"I don't know yet, but I won't mention his name," Straw replied.
"It's not about his name," Apple said seriously. His voice dropped, losing all humor. "The moment she sees it, she'll know he did it. So if you don't want to be separating them when they brawl, you'd better sit down and finish the pudding while the physician gets here and creates a remedy to help hide those scars."
Straw hesitated. Her fingers tightened around the bowl. She really wanted to spend time with Berryanna today. The thought of Berryanna alone in her office, probably overworking herself, made Straw restless. But Apple's tone stopped her. There was fear there, buried under authority.
She did not understand what Apple was truly afraid of. Was he scared of Berryanna finding out about the scar, or scared of what Berryanna would do if she did?
"Okay, I'll sit back down. But just so you know, tonight the princess is going to find out," Straw said.
"I already called for the physician. He'll be here shortly," Apple replied.
Straw scoffed lightly.
"What is he going to do? Magically make it disappear? Scars take time to fade, you know," Straw said.
Apple did not respond immediately.
"Let him get here first," Apple said. "So, Duke Pine, are you staying with us, or are you leaving?"
Pine, who had been quiet the entire time, looked up. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and glanced at Straw.
"I'm not leaving my sister alone in this city. I'll be staying at the guest house... if Prince Vinegario allows it," he said.
Apple's expression brightened slightly.
"That's right, you were staying at his farmhouse mansion," Apple said with a cheerful expression. "Did he treat you well?"
Pine's hand tightened around his spoon. For a brief second, his smile faltered. Images flashed through his mind, orders barked, humiliations swallowed. He forced the smile back into place. He nodded.
Pine did not know what to say about all the horrible things Vinegario had made him do, so he brushed it off with a smile and nodded as he finished his pudding.
Just as they finished, Apple ordered another dessert. The kitchen maid prepared it, as he did not want to disturb Berryanna, and he was also trying to keep her away from Straw.
But just as they finished the dessert, Berryanna walked into the dining room.