The Bride Of The Water God Wang Su

Chapter 7

Kooi brought a tray of food and placed it in front of the young lady. Taking a white porcelain jug, she filled a cup with clear nectar and handed it to Lee Soo. The young lady took the drink reluctantly.

"Sweet syrup again? I'm tired of it," Lee Soo complained capriciously.

"You can't tire of celestial food," Kooi said calmly as she arranged baskets of sweets and fruits.

"I don't understand why gods need to eat at all. It seems unnecessary," Lee Soo mused, leaning over a pyramid of flower cakes covered with soft lilac glaze.

"They enjoy the flavors," the head maid patiently explained.

The young lady picked up one of the pastries and walked to the window. There, two long-tailed birds with bright orange crests were perched on a branch. Puffing up their plumage, they chirped loudly and excitedly, reminding Lee Soo of the fashionistas in the capital vying for the title of foremost beauty. She crumbled the remainder of the cake, tossed the crumbs to the noisy birds, and returned to the table.

"What did my lady enjoy eating when she lived among people?" Kooi asked, offering Lee Soo a pair of bamboo chopsticks.

"I was fond of charcoal-baked sweet potatoes, rice cakes, fried chicken wings in spicy sauce, and also..." Lee Soo paused, noticing the maid's face turn pale. "No, no. For people, poultry meat is a ritual dish, eaten very rarely. Every day we eat stewed vegetables."

Kooi covered her mouth with her hand, struggling to stifle her nausea.

"I'll bring a tangerine for the lady. They're refreshing, invigorating, and dispel sadness..." the head maid said hurriedly, quickly exiting the room.

Looking at the shutters that had been abruptly closed, Lee Soo felt some guilt towards Kooi.

"Why did I say too much?" she thought regretfully.

Scarlet petals floated on the surface of the water. The sweet aroma was familiar, yet Lee Soo couldn't recall the name of the flowers. Sitting in the round wooden bath, she tried not to spin as the maids applied aromatic oils to her hair.

"On that day... At the festival, when the goddesses of morning and evening Dawn shed their outer clothes..." she mused aloud, scooping up water in her palm. "He looked at them so shamelessly, even though he claims that gods are above base feelings."

"Who are you talking about, miss?" one of the maids asked.

"None other than your Supreme Overlord. He's so confident, he didn't even blush," Lee Soo said with a click of her tongue, shaking her head in disapproval.

"There's nothing surprising in that. The bodies of goddesses are flawless. The Supreme Overlord was simply admiring their perfect proportions," the second maid added to the conversation, pouring warm water into the bath.

"How are the bodies of the gods structured? Are they different from humans? The same as ours, or like dolls, or maybe there..." Lee Soo trailed off, looking down meaningfully. She turned her head and met the maid's gaze. "Have you ever served the Supreme Overlord in the bathhouse?" the inquisitive guest of the Heavenly Kingdom asked.

The young maid shook her head, picked up the empty jug, and quickly left the room. Lee Soo turned to the other girl, but she too lowered her head.

"I've never been to the palace," she muttered timidly, hastily gathering wet towels before swiftly exiting, leaving Lee Soo alone.

"Why were they so afraid? Their expressions even changed. There must be some secret here," Lee Soo pondered. "I'll ask Kooi about it later."