Celitia looked at Sophia with complete helplessness.

She was already this affected by the spice, so why did she insist on eating?

What good could come from being so stubborn?

She had no choice but to get up and go to the kitchen to pour water for Sophia.

Kassy held a tray, standing behind Sophia, and said apologetically:

"I'm sorry, Your Highness Sophia. I didn't consider that you couldn't eat spicy food. I'll definitely be careful next time."

"No need!"

Sophia stiffly raised her hand and waved at Kassy.

"What Lily likes to eat, I can naturally eat too!"

Even though she was thinking of using Sophia as a breakthrough point, Kassy was somewhat speechless at this moment:

"You really don't need to force yourself like this..."

"It's really fine!"

Sophia's thinking was simple.

Since it was something Celitia liked, then she was willing to try it.

That way, she would definitely be able to understand more and get closer to her, right?

Celitia came out of the kitchen carrying a water cup and handed it to Sophia.

"Drink some water. Although it won't solve the problem, it can make you feel a bit better."

Sophia hurriedly took the water cup and drained it in a few gulps.

"Whew... thank you."

After drinking a belly full of water, Sophia felt she had recovered a bit and could continue.

That's right, continue!

As a princess, this little bit of chili pepper couldn't defeat her!

Celitia ate faster than Sophia and had put down her fork early.

She just sat across from Sophia like this, quietly watching Sophia struggle with that plate of pasta, occasionally getting up to refill the water in her cup.

By the time the battle ended, Sophia didn't know how many cups of water she had drunk. Her mouth was also swollen from the spice, red all over, looking both comical and cute.

"Finally..."

Sophia sighed and collapsed in the dining chair holding her stomach. "I drank too much water, my stomach is so bloated, it feels like it's going to burst..."

"Rest for a while."

Celitia skillfully began cleaning up the aftermath. Seeing this, Kassy hurriedly snatched the plates from her hands.

"Leave it to me. Master, just sit here peacefully and chat with Her Highness Sophia."

Celitia glanced at Kassy, didn't insist, and handed over everything in her hands to her.

With a maid here, it would be a waste not to use her.

Kassy's eyes brightened slightly, thinking that since Celitia was willing to give her work to do, complete acceptance of herself shouldn't be far away.

Celitia couldn't be bothered with what Kassy was thinking. She walked to Sophia's side, pulled out a dining chair and sat down.

"Feeling a bit better?" Celitia asked.

"Burp~"

Sophia let out a spicy-flavored burp, serving as a response.

Looking at Sophia's sweaty, constantly panting appearance, Celitia felt both annoyed and amused.

She couldn't help but bend her index finger and knock Sophia's head once:

"Why did you have to be so stubborn? Even after finishing it, you wouldn't get any benefit."

After the reproachful words came out, Celitia couldn't help but pause slightly.

Perhaps when Sophia scolded her for being stubborn, she felt the same way.

"This has nothing to do with benefits or anything..."

Sophia opened her mouth, continuously fanning herself with her hand. "As a princess, I should try many things I haven't experienced before!"

Her mouth was swollen from the spice, but she was still being tough.

Celitia sighed inwardly and didn't continue questioning.

"Rest a bit more. If your stomach feels uncomfortable, tell me immediately."

"Okay..." Sophia slumped in the chair, becoming a puddle of soft mud.

Celitia stood up and gently patted her head like comforting a cat.

"Mmm..."

If her stomach wasn't really uncomfortably bloated, Sophia could have enjoyed the feeling of being patted on the head a bit longer.

Celitia turned and walked into the kitchen.

She had long heard the constant "clang clang" sounds coming from inside. She could guess with her toes that Kassy was making a mess in there.

If she kept dropping things, there really wouldn't be any plates left to use.

Walking to Kassy's side, Celitia reached out to take the plates: "Enough, let me do it."

Kassy was flattered and hurriedly blocked her hand, saying gently:

"I already said, leave this to me. Master just needs to enjoy Kassy's service like before."

Celitia stopped her movement, her voice slightly surprised: "Like before?"

She didn't know whether Kassy was pretending to be stupid or really was stupid, to actually be able to say such things.

Those past events branded in the depths of memory, those heart-piercing pains, those scars carved into her bones—in Kassy's light words, they seemed as if they had never existed.

Celitia took half a step forward, approaching Kassy's side.

Kassy was about half a head taller than her current self. Celitia stood on her tiptoes, placed one hand on the elf's shoulder, and brought her lips close to her ear.

The warm breath stirred the scattered hair by the elf's ear, seeming tender and intimate, but the words spoken were like blood-stained blades about to cut open that fragile, pulsing carotid artery.

"Do you really think I won't kill you?"

Kassy's whole body shook violently, the plate fell from her hands, crashed into the sink, and shattered to pieces in an instant.

"Master, could it be..." she asked in a trembling voice, "you really want me to die?"

"Why not?"

Celitia smiled slightly, the hand resting on the elf's shoulder slowly moved to her neck, extremely gently caressing the blood vessels within.

Kassy didn't dare move.

Even knowing that the girl beside her was no longer as powerful as before, Kassy still didn't dare show any resistance.

That extremely terrifying pressure had long been carved into the depths of her memory.

Her body trembling continuously, Kassy could only endure.

She was forced to feel those slightly cool fingertips pass through her hair and accurately press on her carotid artery.

Kassy closed her eyes, tears flowing drop by drop from the corners of her eyes.

Over all these years, Kassy had grown accustomed to her tolerance, accustomed to her favoritism.

She always felt that Celitia allowing her to stay must be out of consideration for their past relationship.

She always felt that as time passed, with Celitia's personality, she would eventually forgive her.

It was her own misunderstanding of her master before, not cherishing her devotion.

Now, she had remembered the sealed memories, understood her master's actions, and tasted that bitter fruit.

Kassy thought her wish was simple enough.

Live well, return to her master's side, make her change her mind...

At this moment, Kassy felt that cold finger leave her carotid artery, and the terrifying killing intent emanating from her receded slightly.

"Mmm...!"

Kassy finally remembered to breathe, gasping heavily, coming back to her senses from that frightening feeling of suffocation.

Wild joy surged from the bottom of her heart. While gasping, Kassy said intermittently:

"Master... indeed... still won't kill me... right?"

Before Kassy could be happy for long, Celitia smiled and poured cold water on her:

"Keeping you alive is only because you still have a tiny bit of use value. I hope you don't think too much."

Kassy was stunned, the boiling joy in her chest seemed to freeze.

"Is it because I share the curse with Master, so killing me wouldn't benefit Master?"

Using the words she had used to persuade Sophia, speaking them again from her mouth, Kassy only felt a sense of irony.

"More or less." Celitia said carelessly.

During this period, Celitia had already begun to realize something.

The so-called curse wasn't simply a curse brought by forbidden arts as she had initially thought.

The contract between her and Kassy had long been severed, yet they still couldn't escape it.

Her own physical condition was definitely not as simple as she had initially imagined.

All of this was connected.

If she could figure it out, then regaining her original strength wasn't impossible.

For this reason, Celitia had been researching recently.

Choosing to keep Kassy was also one of the important reasons.