Thankfully, to save Peri from her torment, her mother entered the room, pushing in a small cart stacked with trays of food.
"You're awake," Beatrice said warmly, setting the cart near the bed. "How are you feeling now?"
Peri's face lit up at once. "I feel much better! What did you make?"
Hades blinked in surprise. Just a moment ago, she had been frowning and growling at him, yet now she was all smiles, her eyes sparkling as they lingered on the food.
"It's nothing fancy," Beatrice replied, lifting a plate filled with vegetables, steamed meat, and bread. "Your stomach still needs to take it easy."
Peri grinned ear to ear. "After so long, even this feels like heaven, Mama."
Her words carried weight—during her confinement, she had eaten nothing. She had barely stayed conscious as the divinity fused with her soul, yet the hunger, the cold… she had felt all of it.
Beatrice passed a plate to Hades as well, apologizing softly. "Sorry, it might taste a little bland."
