After the tour ended, everyone returned to their horses.
Irene approached Lucas, who was standing beside his horse, busy adjusting its gear.
She said calmly,
"Lucas."
He didn't answer.
She paused for a moment, then said in a tone she tried to keep steady,
"I don't understand why you acted that way… there was no need for you to lose your temper like that."
Silence.
What's wrong with him? Why is he ignoring me? This was his mistake…
He said without looking at her,
"Come closer."
Irene stepped toward him. When he reached out to touch her, she pulled back slightly and said,
"Stop. Why are you ignoring me like this? What did I do wrong?"
He replied with restrained sharpness,
"By the creator of hell… are you pretending to be ignorant on purpose, or what?"
She stared at him in shock.
"What do you mean?"
He said coldly,
"It doesn't matter. Just get on."
She straightened herself and said stubbornly,
"I won't mount until you tell me what your problem with me is. Why are you treating me this way?"
No answer.
Suddenly, he stepped forward, grabbed her, lifted her onto the horse swiftly, then mounted behind her.
Irene lowered her head in sadness.
They returned to the mayor's palace without either of them saying a word.
The Dining Hall
In the dining hall, everyone was seated.
The mayor and Lucas were discussing the military affairs of the region, while Irene sat quietly, silent.
The hall doors suddenly opened.
The mayor's wife, Georgina, entered, followed by servants pushing carts of food. She was giving them precise instructions on how to arrange the dishes on the table.
She sat beside her husband.
The mayor said with a smile,
"My wife requested that many dishes be prepared especially for you, Princess."
Georgina added,
"Yes. Since this is the Princess's first visit to the south, I wanted to present our most important traditional dishes. I hope you enjoy them."
Irene smiled and thanked her politely.
Everyone began to eat.
Irene lifted her spoon and started with the soup.
The moment it touched her mouth, an intensely sour taste assaulted her, sending chills through her body. She froze in place.
Georgina asked,
"What do you think, Princess?"
Irene looked at her… then at everyone else.
They were eating normally.
Is it supposed to taste like this?
She said in an artificially calm voice,
"Yes… it's delicious."
Georgina's expression shifted for a brief moment. Her smile vanished, then she said,
"Really?"
Then she smiled again.
"I'm glad you liked it."
What was that just now? Am I imagining things?
Irene took another spoonful.
The taste was truly awful.
She set the spoon down and moved on to the second dish.
She took her first bite—and it was overwhelmingly salty.
She immediately started coughing.
Georgina exclaimed,
"Oh! Are you alright, Princess? What happened?"
Irene said, trying to compose herself,
"It's just… a little salty."
Georgina took a bite from her own plate and said,
"I don't think so. It tastes perfect to me."
Lucas took a bite as well and said,
"Yes, it's not salty."
Irene glanced at him irritably, covering her mouth.
Oh… now he wants to talk.
The mayor said,
"Perhaps there's something wrong with the Princess's plate."
Georgina reached over with her fork, took a bite from Irene's plate, looked her straight in the eyes, and said,
"No, it's excellent, Princess."
Irene felt embarrassed.
"I must have judged too quickly. My apologies."
Georgina smiled.
"No problem. If you don't like it, you may move on to another dish."
What am I supposed to do now? I look ridiculous…
Georgina lifted her napkin, spat the food into it, then took a sip of water—her eyes fixed on Irene, filled with hatred.
She said,
"Princess, try the steak. It's one of the finest cuts in the kingdom, prepared with great care for this occasion."
Irene replied,
"Alright."
She cut the meat and placed a piece into her mouth.
Impossible… impossible… it's unbearably hot. This is not normal. There's no way this is natural…
The heat surged in her mouth. Her eyes trembled.
Could it be…?
She looked at Georgina.
She was staring back at her with a malicious smile.
Her.
It was you… You did this on purpose. But why? I want to spit it out… my mouth is burning.
Irene looked around at everyone.
No… I'll endure it. Just tonight. This pain is nothing compared to what I've already been through.
She glanced at Georgina, who was eating calmly, casting fleeting looks at her.
You want a dramatic scene.
I won't give you what you want.
Irene began chewing the meat slowly and swallowed it.
Then she took another piece—and swallowed that too.
Georgina's eyes widened in shock.
How? I'm certain it's extremely hot…
Tears streamed down Irene's face, yet she continued eating—bite after bite—while staring at Georgina and smiling.
Georgina froze in her seat.
Why isn't she spitting it out? She's actually eating it… Is she insane?
Lucas suddenly looked at Georgina.
She was staring at Irene, fear creeping across her features—as if she were looking at a ghost.
He turned to his wife, unable to believe what he was seeing.
She was crying… but smiling.
Without realizing it, he cupped her face and turned it toward him.
"Why are you crying?"
She answered quickly,
"I'm not crying… something just got into my eye."
She wiped her tears with a napkin, drank some water, and lowered her head briefly, trying to regain her composure.
The mayor asked,
"Are you alright, Princess?"
"Yes, I'm fine. No need to worry."
Then she suddenly stood up.
"Excuse me, I need to go to the restroom…"
"Of course," the mayor said. "Please do."
Georgina stood up nervously.
"Oh my! Shall I show you the way?"
Irene looked at her for a moment.
What a terrible actress.
Then she said calmly,
"No need to trouble yourself, my lady. I wouldn't want your delicious food to get cold because of me. I'll ask the servants to guide me."
She moved before Georgina could reply and left the hall.
Lucas fixed his gaze on Georgina, who was now visibly tense.
Without warning—
He smirked.
Then he tossed his fork onto the table with a sharp sound and leaned back in his chair.
Both of them looked at him.
Georgina said fearfully,
"Prince L–Lucas? Are you finished? You barely touched your food."
No answer.
He continued staring at her in silence.
The mayor said in confusion,
"Your Highness, is everything alright?"
Lucas looked at him and said,
"Yes. Thank you for the meal. I'm full. I need to go to the restroom."
The mayor replied nervously,
"Y-Yes, of course. Please."
The Restroom
Irene turned on the faucet, then bent over the toilet.
She vomited violently, trying not to make any sound.
When she finished, she sat on the floor and wiped her mouth with her hand.
I knew there was something wrong with the food from the start… I can't believe she tried to trap me in such a childish way.
She washed her face and looked at herself in the mirror.
Why is everyone so determined to frustrate me like this? How irritating.
She took a deep breath, then opened the door.
Suddenly—Lucas was standing right in front of her.
She lowered her gaze and stepped past him, starting to walk away.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him, her body colliding with his.
She said, flustered,
"What are you doing? Have you lost your mind? Let me go."
He said,
"What happened? Why were you vomiting?"
She replied,
"What are you talking about? I was just washing up."
"So you won't tell the truth."
She tried to pull away, unsuccessfully.
"What truth? I told you to let go. Everyone is watching… I don't know what you're talking about."
He released her suddenly.
Irene straightened herself.
Then she said,
"I'm going back to the hall now."
She walked away quickly.
Lucas remained standing, watching her retreat.
He sighed quietly.
"No… I never should have brought her with me in the first place…"