"Guinevere, why have you been running to my sister's chambers so often lately?"
"To make her submit."
"Guinevere, how do you always manage to create such novel and delicious dishes?"
"Because I can see the future."
"Guinevere, what about my share?"
Over the past few days, Guinevere had been frequently visiting Morgan's chambers, a fact not lost on most of the Royal Palace staff.
Over the same period, Guinevere had also been frequenting the kitchen, often emerging with fragrant, steaming dishes that no one had ever seen before—another sight observed by most in the Royal Palace.
They all knew their Queen should be seeking favors from her Sister, and she was currently trying to win her over.
Some had doubted Guinevere's ability to succeed, but after she personally prepared a feast for the entire Round Table under the guise of offering condolences, every knight fortunate enough to taste her cooking was convinced.
Great Britain was a culinary wasteland. In later centuries, even Pie would be considered a delicacy—let alone now, in the year 508 AD.
One consequence of their consumption of Guinevere's cuisine was that they often found themselves unconsciously swallowing their saliva when facing her.
However, Guinevere had already begun teaching the palace chefs her recipes, so this "ailment" would soon be cured.
After all, Guinevere wasn't a master chef. With enough dedication, anyone could learn her dishes.
After that, the only ones who would still have the privilege of tasting Guinevere's cooking would be the King of Knights and her Sister, Lady Morgan.
In the bedroom shared by Guinevere and the King of Knights, Guinevere lay sprawled across a small round table, watching the King of Knights gracefully and swiftly devour the special meal she had prepared.
"Is it good?"
"Mmm, I can't even imagine going back to eating our old food now."
"Pfft" giggles
The King of Knights wasn't lacking in magical energy and didn't need to eat to replenish it; she simply enjoyed eating.
"Speaking of which, Guinevere, after all these days of effort, has Sister relented at all?"
"Not in the slightest. She's learned to eat whatever's offered without hesitation, but when asked for help, she still refuses."
"Then why do you keep feeding her?"
"Because I've realized Lady Morgan is desperately lonely. She seems to genuinely enjoy my attention, even if my motives are transparent."
Only the King of Knights was eating. While Great Britain didn't produce much rice, as the King, she never lacked for her favorite foods.
As she spoke, Guinevere reached out and casually plucked a stray grain of rice from the King of Knights' lips, popping it into her own mouth.
"Lia, are you still worried about me getting too close to Lady Morgan?"
"I'll allow you to cuddle with her, but would you even do it?"
"No."
The words had barely left her lips when the King of Knights, startled by the spicy food she'd just tasted, stuck out her tongue. Guinevere paused, a smile spreading across her face.
"Lia, should I thank you for your trust?"
"Hmm, you should definitely thank me properly! By making more delicious meals for me! Guinevere, another bowl!"
In high spirits, the King of Knights' ahoge bobbed merrily as Guinevere took the bowl and deftly served another helping.
As both chef and companion, Guinevere's heart swelled with contentment watching the King of Knights savor her cooking so heartily.
After the King of Knights had eaten her fill, she draped her "blanket" over Guinevere and escorted her back to the Throne Room. Guinevere then returned to the kitchen to personally prepare a fresh lunch for Morgan.
In her previous life, poverty had forced her to be resourceful with her cooking, and she had mastered a wide repertoire of dishes.
The kitchen here also stocked ingredients she had never encountered before. Even if she exhausted her repertoire from her past life, she could experiment and develop new ones.
Take, for example, this Earth Drake meat stir-fried with wild bracken.
"Lady Morgan, are you not feeling well today? Why aren't you eating?"
The Earth Drake meat came from genuine Earth Dragonmen, a type of Magical Beast with a trace of dragon blood. The wild bracken was equally authentic, with a slightly bitter taste.
As the snow melted and spring arrived, knights across the land frequently encountered famished giant beasts and gathered newly sprouted wild vegetables. It was as if the disasters of the past had faded away, and all of Great Britain was moving toward a brighter future.
"I know you might be impatient, but could you at least try the dish you made? The meat isn't cooked through, and the wild bracken is even more bitter than before."
After Guinevere placed the Magic-Sealing Necklace on Morgan that day, starving her into submission, she threatened to withdraw the necklace and deprive her of her handcrafted meals...
With her magecraft severely restricted, Morgan had barely left the house these past few days. She'd been eating and sleeping, sleeping and eating, and had already gained several pounds.
"Ugh, fine. Today's new dish really is a failure. Just eat the other dishes you know are okay."
Perched at the small round table in her bedroom—identical to her own—Lia watched Morgan eat across from her.
The longer she observed, the less repulsed she felt by Morgan's more mature Artoria-like face. She had finally managed to see them as distinct individuals.
"Hey, Lady Morgan, wanna go stroll around town this afternoon? I'll do your makeup, but you have to wear the outfit I pick out."
One should never bite the hand that feeds, but Morgan had long resolved not to soften her stance, no matter how Guinevere tried to appease her. She was curious to see what other tricks Guinevere might have up her sleeve.
After finishing her meal, Morgan let Guinevere dab at her face and comb her hair into a high ponytail.
Overall, Guinevere's makeover seemed to have rejuvenated her, making her look like she'd aged back from her thirties to her early twenties.
The outfit Guinevere had prepared for her was a light, flowing dress brimming with youthful charm.
"Mm-hmm, perfect! This dress really complements the emerald necklace I gave you earlier," Guinevere remarked.
Hearing this, Morgan almost tore off the Magic-Sealing Necklace around her neck and hurled it at Guinevere's face. But she abruptly restrained herself, realizing she had actually grown fond of being fed daily.
Of course, Morgan would never admit she had come to enjoy the daily meals shared with company.
In her youth, her father had died and her mother remarried. Her betrothal had been forced upon her by King Uther. How could Morgan ever have loved him?
Now, she had four disobedient children, each one a King of Knights "fan" she longed to kill and be done with.
Yet after countless interactions and growing understanding of Morgan, Guinevere believed she should have gone mad long ago—though not by taking out her rage on the ever-patient King of Knights.
"Sister, let's go. Let's take a stroll through the streets together."
Only then did Morgan notice that Guinevere was wearing a girlish dress similar to her own, and her hair was styled in a matching single ponytail.
Morgan could imagine the scene: if two women with nearly identical hair color, dressed alike, walked down the street, onlookers, captivated, would likely assume they were sisters.
"Lady Morgan, why are you sitting there so stiffly? Are you afraid to be seen in public? Does my refusal to give you a veil frighten you so much?"
A blatant provocation, but Morgan took the bait.
She straightened up, extended her hand, and struck a pose like a noble lady accepting an invitation, a playful glint in her eyes as she gazed at Guinevere.
"What's this? You're inviting me for a stroll but too afraid to hold my hand? Afraid my foolish sister will see?"
"No, it's just that girls don't usually hold hands when they go shopping together. We link arms, getting even closer."
She had no ulterior motives, she was simply retaliating. This level of normalcy was truly unremarkable.
As Guinevere stepped forward and proactively took Morgan's hand, she even had the audacity to taunt:
"Lady Morgan, is this your first time experiencing something like this?"
At that moment, Morgan couldn't quite describe the mix of emotions swirling within her. She wanted to pull away, but how could she possibly break free from Guinevere's knightly grip?
The smile on Guinevere's face now began to instill genuine fear in Morgan's heart.
Knowing exactly what Guinevere wanted, Morgan felt her earnestness all the more acutely.
This girl... she genuinely wants me to lighten up.
"You..."
"Come on, Lady Morgan! Get up!"
An irresistible force surged from their linked elbows, lifting Morgan bodily from her seat and dragging her forcibly out the door.