The idle chatter finally ended, and the festival's signature event began.

Per Harvest Festival tradition, the first dinner must be self-cooked—each person required to prepare at least one dish.

Everyone braced themselves. As nobles rarely seen near kitchens, their culinary efforts were predictably dubious.

Avoiding embarrassment was the real priority.

Liliana reached this conclusion swiftly.

Though the tradition had long been a hollow formality, perfectionist Liliana refused to be humiliated. She’d secretly ordered dishes from renowned restaurants across her district, demanding: "Make it look homemade but as lavish as possible." After rigorous selection, failure was impossible.

"Now then," Clan Head Klafa announced tonelessly, "as per custom, present your masterpieces."

Liliana shot her hand up before he finished. "Me first! Behold my culinary artistry!"

With a flourish, she lifted the lid off her plate—

A hefty, golden-baked flatbread lay beneath, lavishly topped with cheese, ham, shrimp, and diced vegetables. Vibrant and aromatic, it made mouths water.

"……"

Silence.

No applause came. Liliana froze.

"Liliana," York sighed, rubbing his temples, "this isn’t homemade."

"N-no! Of course it is! I—"

"There’s no oven here for *otherworldly* cuisine."

"……Huh?"

*Otherworldly?*

Liliana stared at her carefully chosen "dish." It was novel, yes—but truly from another world?

York exhaled. "For context: this is called ‘pizza.’ Baked in specialized ovens. Originated from another world—specifically a nation on the Prime Plane. It entered our realm alongside foods like ‘dao xiao mian,’ ‘sushi,’ and ‘tacos’ as cross-dimensional trade grew."

"I see… wait! I secretly learned the recipe and used an external oven!"

"……………………We’ll take your word for it. Next."

After Liliana’s blunder, others presented their dishes. Though no one truly cared, she burned with shame—humiliated before her father, rival clans, and that infuriating bug-girl.

She shot a glare at the silver-gray-haired girl beside her. The girl merely glanced away. *Ignoring me?* Liliana seethed.

The showcase continued.

Ellen presented army-style bread and jerky. Chloe scoffed, "Anhans, look—this woman only makes rations!" before unveiling a vibrant salad. York served slightly charred pan-fried fish. Lux presented a flawlessly textbook soup—so perfect it killed appetite. Klafa offered a whole roasted chicken, fragrant and steaming. Nia presented minimalist sandwiches with lettuce and ham. Anhans boasted about rare ingredients in his stew, earning praise from Ellen and Chloe. Molly shyly offered handmade pastries, adorably lopsided.

"Excellent," Klafa began the ritual speech, though the spread was far from excellent. "We praise benevolent Harvest Goddess Ansoona, who grants us sustenance, and we repay her with sincere devotion. Here we have… pizza, rations, salad, fried fish, soup, roast chicken, sandwiches, stew, and pastries. We—" He paused. Something felt off.

Ten people. Nine dishes.

After a stunned second, he realized who was missing.

"……Nerlis? Yours?"

For the first time that night, he looked at the silent silver-gray-haired girl beside Liliana. She gave a slight nod toward an object shadowed by the roast chicken.

"That one, Father."

Her expression hovered between apprehension and indifference; her tone carried faint apology.

All eyes followed as the chicken was shifted aside, revealing a plain white porcelain plate.

Ten emerald-green orbs rested on it—each fingertip-sized, smooth, and hard.

"Hard candy?" Lux raised an eyebrow.

"Mint candies," Nerlis clarified.

"……"

"My favorite food… possibly my only favorite."

"*Pfft!*"

Liliana burst.

"*PFFFT—HAHAHAHAHA!* Nerlis, my dear sister! Who serves *candy* as dinner? And this isn’t homemade!" (Her own pizza scandal forgotten.)

"I made them myself. It was… complicated."

"Tch. Liar! Only someone who spends all day with bugs would think this acceptable! Right, Brother Anhans~~?"

"Hm? Ah—yes!" Startled by Liliana’s sudden address, Anhans’ composed facade melted into a lovesick grin. Her charm hit him like a critical strike.

"Mint candies are so cheap~~ Yours was far better, Liliana~"

"Of course!" Liliana beamed, shooting Nerlis a triumphant look.

"My apologies for the disappointment," Nerlis murmured, rising to bow slightly.

——

*…This should suffice.*

I sat back down.

Serving mint candies at dinner *was* odd. I’d avoid it next time. But I truly love them.

Liliana still glared smugly. Everyone else stayed silent—except—

"W-wait, Liliana! Don’t be so harsh!"

Sweet Molly intervened.

"It’s just for fun! No need to judge… and they look delicious, right Nerlis?"

Apologetic smile in place, she snatched a candy and popped it into her mouth. Her eyes lit up.

"Mmm~ Cool and sweet! Absolutely delicious! Thank you, Nerlis!"

"Thank you, Miss Molly."

I forced a faint smile, nodding stiffly.

In the end, only Molly touched my candies. Everyone else’s dishes were cleared.

——

Festival dinners always ran long.

By the end, bedtime neared.

Everyone retired early—even Anhans and Molly stayed overnight.

10 PM. The manor’s protective wards hummed to life. Guests vanished into their rooms. The hall stood empty.

All should sleep—except Klafa’s two Shadow Attendants.

During Harvest Festival, every servant, guard, and steward took leave. Yet the clan head’s safety remained paramount. His two secret guards—loyal only to him, faces unseen by others, shadows that never slept—stood watch.

Even as Klafa slept, they’d take turns guarding his life from the dark.

10:10 PM.

Nerlis slid her book back onto the shelf, checked the insect breeding tanks, and climbed into bed.

——

Then came the next day.

7:30 AM.

The scene from the beginning unfolded.

In the dawn-lit hall, Klafa Zelah—the father of the Zelah siblings—lay sprawled on the floor. His face twisted in agony, eyes shut tight, body submerged in a congealing pool of blood. A corpse.

A gaping hole gaped in his chest. His heart was gone.

Terror thickened the air. Shock and horror etched onto every face.

"*WHO… WHO DID THIS?!*"

York, the eldest son, snapped first.

Bloodshot eyes blazing, he roared at empty space:

"Arian! Angret! Where are you? *Show yourselves!*"

Silence.

Dread solidified in his throat. He swallowed hard and bellowed again:

"Shadow Attendants sworn to guard Klafa Zelah! I, his firstborn son, command you to appear!"

No answer.

"*Tch!*"