[Craving detected,] Bubu said immediately, sounding thrilled. [New mini quest: Soothe the belly beast. Reward: tiny increase in winter resistance for you and the babies.]
"Stop naming my stomach," she snapped mentally.
She stepped into the palace hall and spotted Kian reviewing the new patrol routes on a stone table.
"Kian," she called.
He looked up at once. His usual cold expression softened as soon as he saw her.
"I want soup," Isabella said seriously. "Hot, with meat and those roots Cyrus brought in yesterday. I do not want to chew too much."
Kian blinked once. "I will make it."
She paused.
"You?" she asked.
"Yes," he replied.
She knew Kian could kill beasts easily, lead hunts, fight enemies. But cook?
Still, her stomach was already imagining warm soup, so she did not refuse.
Behind the palace, there was a simple outdoor cooking area. A stone fire pit, some flat rocks to use as tables, and a rack with simple tools.
