The Bride Of The Water God Wang Su

Chapter 16

Transparent cubes of jelly melted in a silver vase, water cooled in a porcelain teapot, and peach slices arranged on a platter began to lose their freshness. 

A bee, lured by the delightful aromas, flew through the open kitchen window, buzzing over the table laden with sweets. Unperturbed, no one hurried to shoo away the uninvited guest. The maids, neglecting their duties, gathered around the fireplace, engaging in animated conversation.

"The young lady again didn't touch her food."

"I've never seen her so dejected. What could have happened?"

"Maybe she witnessed something horrific in the demon realm."

"Do you think there were evil giants? Or perhaps the bull-headed prince of the mountain monsters?"

Frightened exclamations echoed from all corners.

"After such nightmares, anyone would lose their appetite."

"I heard that humans are so fragile that missing a meal can make them immediately fall ill."

In the spacious kitchen, anxious sighs and murmurs resounded once more.

"What should we do?"

As if by cue, the young maids turned their attention to Kooi, who sat slightly apart. The head maid meticulously ground vanilla sticks with powdered sugar, then carefully poured the aromatic mixture into a box, dusting off her hands.

"I think we should seek advice from the Supreme Overlord," she suggested after a moment's thought.

Before Kooi could make her way to the garden gate, she encountered Wei An approaching.

"Why didn't the young lady come to the palace today? Has something happened?" he inquired.

The head maid bowed deeply.

"I didn't want to disturb the Supreme Overlord, but ever since the lady returned from the Dark Realms, she's been acting unusually: sighing constantly, appearing melancholic, refusing to eat or drink," Kooi explained, escorting Wei An into the house.

They stopped in front of the doors leading to the young lady's chambers.

"I told you I'm not hungry at all," a disgruntled voice emanated from the bedroom.

"Miss Lee Soo, may I inquire about what happened?" Wei An opened the doors and stepped inside.

"My lord?"

"Please, tell me," the Supreme Lord urged, drawing back the sheer bed canopy.

"I can't... It's too dreadful," the young lady retreated to the far corner of the bed, hiding under the blanket. From beneath it, pitiful sighs and whimpers could be heard. Wei An waited patiently until the tip of Lee Soo's nose peeked out from under the silk blanket.

"Shio," she finally spoke.

The Supreme Overlord frowned slightly at the start but remained silent, anticipating what else the young lady would reveal.

"I not only embraced the demon, held his hand, but also..." the young lady covered her face with her hands, her voice a whisper as if confessing a terrible secret. "I sat on his lap."

After listening to the young lady's confusing explanations, Wei An still couldn't understand why there was such excitement and anxiety.

"What's wrong with sitting on someone's lap? Is it reprehensible?" he asked.

"You don't understand," the young lady's lips quivered, showing offense. "I was so happy, thinking I had met my destiny, even in the Dark Kingdom. But everything here is unreal. It's all deception. And your flower beds are absurd, always changing. Trees cannot bloom forever. And you... you're not real either. You don't feel anything..." Lee Soo suddenly burst into tears, sobbing loudly and streaking tears down her cheeks.