"Young Master Zhen, is your food ready yet? The Crown Prince wants you to hustle and bring it over!" Steward Mao dashed up, wheezing like a broken bellows. Caleb Miles had barely sat down before he started hollering, "Hungry! Hungry!"—making even Steward Mao sweat on his behalf. (Honestly, this kid's stomach runs faster than his brain.)
Ivy Shen nodded, all business. "Done!" she chirped, waving for someone to carry the dish over. No fuss, just chef mode activated.
"Hey, Young Master Zhen, you've been going at it all afternoon. You must be wiped! Why not kick back and let the staff deliver it?" Steward Mao grinned, trying to play nice—but Ivy could smell the scheming from a mile away.
Ivy Shen hooked up a smirk, pure sass. "Oh? Can you guarantee the Crown Prince will eat if I don't show? Can you introduce my cooking the way it deserves? Can you promise your prince will be in the mood to 'flirt' with your Lily Ruan later?" Her rapid-fire roast left Steward Mao totally speechless. (Score: Chef 1, Steward 0.)
"Uh... then please, Young Master Zhen!" Steward Mao swallowed his pride. Sure, this chef was cocky, but the Crown Prince seemed weirdly attached. Plus, he'd heard the head chef mutter about that tragic sour-pickled cabbage with black fish—like, who serves that at a palace banquet? If Caleb Miles flips out after eating, at least Mao won't be the one getting yelled at! With that logic, he hurriedly waved Young Master Zhen forward.
Of course, Ivy Shen clocked every twitch of Steward Mao's scheming face. She knew exactly what this old fox was plotting. Not that she cared—arguing with people who aren't even playing chess, just checkers, is beneath her.
So with Steward Mao leading the way—left turn, right turn, dizzy palace maze—they finally headed for the shiniest part of the palace. Soon, Ivy spotted a grand hall built out of rainbow-colored gemstones, so sparkly it could blind a magpie. She stopped in her tracks, jaw dropped. This palace? Straight out of a fairy tale. (If Cinderella showed up, she wouldn’t even get past the door.)
"This way, Young Master Zhen," Steward Mao whispered, tiptoeing ahead like he was sneaking snacks after curfew.
"I wanna eat! I wanna eat!—" Before Ivy even stepped inside, she could hear Caleb Miles bellowing from within, louder than a parade float.
"Be good, Xuan’er, Young Master Zhen is coming right now," Queen Yvonne cooed, her voice all gentle and soothing, like she was talking down a toddler on a sugar high.
"Dish up—!" In the Endless Indulgence Kingdom, this is how they announce food: Steward Mao screeches at the top of his lungs and the whole show kicks off.
Next, a swarm of palace maids hustle in with platters, setting a spread before each guest. The chefs have prepped multiple servings of every dish, so everyone gets their own. Except for Ivy Shen’s cooking—there’s just one plate, for one person. She’s here to cook for Caleb Miles, not the whole crowd.
"You’re here? Come over, come over!" Caleb Miles spots Ivy Shen right away and waves her over to sit next to him.
Ivy strolls over without missing a beat. Caleb scoots aside to make space, and Ivy plops down without a hint of ceremony.
"What’d you make? Which one’s yours?" Caleb’s handsome face is all curiosity.
"Here, this one." Ivy lifts the lid, and instantly, the aroma wafts out.
"Whoa, what is that? Smells amazing!" Caleb can’t wait—he digs in. "Wow, this is so good! I need rice, give me rice!"
A maid quickly scoops him a bowl of rice. Caleb munches away, totally satisfied. Watching this, Queen Yvonne—seated above—looks deeply relieved. Finally, he’s eating! As long as he eats, everything else is fine!
Seeing this, Ivy glances up, curious to catch a look at the king. But surprise: the king isn’t here. Instead, Queen Yvonne sits at the head of the table. Ivy turns her gaze to the woman opposite—she’s stunning, with delicate features, tall and slender, her hair pinned with a swallowtail hairpin, dressed in pale green robes that shimmer in the candlelight. A total noble beauty, no question.
Miss Ruan catches Ivy staring and blushes bright red. She doesn’t know who this guy is, but wow—she never imagined there could be a man as gorgeous as the crown prince himself.