Married To Darkness-Chapter 368: Packing Food And Snacks

As they stepped into the grand foyer, the warm glow of lanterns flickered against the polished floors, casting soft shadows on the walls. The scent of lavender and fresh linen filled the air, a sign that the maids had been hard at work.

Waiting for them were Emma, Thalia, and Sarah, standing in a neat row, their hands clasped in front of them, beaming with excitement.

"My Lord, My Lady," Emma spoke first, dipping into a respectful curtsy. "Welcome home."

"We’ve finished preparing everything for your journey," Thalia added eagerly. "The trunks are packed, the supplies loaded, and we made sure to include extra cloaks in case it gets cold."

Sarah, the youngest of the three, grinned. "And, well... we were hoping you’d let us come along!"

Jean let out a laugh. "You three? On the road with us? Oh, that would be fun."

"Absolutely not," Alaric said flatly.

The three maids gasped in unison. "Why?" Sarah whined.

Alaric’s brows lifted in disbelief. "Because it’s a long journey, it’s dangerous, and none of you are trained for it."

"But we’ll be good!" Thalia argued.

"You’ll be dead," Lucius interjected, his tone dry. "Or crying within a day."

Jean, who had already been nodding along with Alaric, crossed her arms. "They have a point. We’re traveling far, and we won’t be staying in any cozy castles along the way. You three would have to endure rain, dirt, and probably wild animals."

Emma hesitated. "Wild animals?"

Jean smirked. "Oh, yes. Wolves. Bandits. Maybe even—" she leaned in dramatically, "ghosts."

Sarah visibly paled. "Oh."

Salviana, who had been listening with amusement, sighed. "Well, I suppose—"

"No," Alaric cut in firmly.

She frowned up at him. "You didn’t even let me finish."

"Because I know what you’re going to say," he countered. "And no, Salviana."

Salviana pouted slightly but didn’t argue.

"Fine," Emma said with a huff. "Then we’ll just stay here and miss you terribly."

Jean clutched her chest dramatically. "Oh, how will we go on without your daily reminders to ’sit up straight’ and ’act like a lady’?"

Emma smirked. "You don’t sit up straight."

"I rest my case," Jean muttered, making everyone chuckle.

Thalia stepped forward. "Will you be leaving tonight or tomorrow?"

Alaric adjusted his cuffs. "Before dusk."

Sarah nodded, though her disappointment was clear. "Alright then... we’ll make sure you’re all set to go."

With that, the maids curtsied one last time before hurrying off to finalize the preparations.

As the doors closed behind them, Salviana let out a long sigh and plopped down onto the nearest chair.

"Ugh, this dress is so tight." She poked at the corset laces at her waist. "I swear it wasn’t this tight when I put it on."

Jean grinned. "That’s what happens when you eat too much."

Salviana rolled her eyes. "Please. I haven’t even eaten properly. That dinner was... stressful."

Lucius smirked. "I imagine it’s hard to enjoy your food when you’re too busy threatening people."

"Very hard," Salviana agreed, kicking off her shoes.

Jean stretched. "So, are we eating again? Because I’m on board."

Alaric sighed. "Salviana, you just ate."

"Yes, but not with peace." She patted her stomach. "And food should be eaten with peace."

Jean pointed at her. "Exactly! Food deserves respect."

Lucius shook his head, chuckling. "I don’t think that’s how it works."

"Of course, it is." Jean scoffed. "Some food is so beautiful it deserves to be admired. And then there are foods that are just sexy."

Salviana raised a brow. "Sexy?"

Jean nodded solemnly. "Absolutely. Have you ever seen a perfectly roasted chicken? Golden, glistening, juicy. That’s a sexy bird."

Lucius groaned and rubbed his temples. "I can’t believe I’m hearing this."

"Look, some food is handsome," Jean continued. "Like a well-baked loaf of bread. Strong. Sturdy. Reliable."

Salviana laughed. "And what about soup?"

Jean hummed. "Soup is... cute."

Alaric sighed. "I don’t know what’s more concerning—the fact that you’re giving food personalities or that I’m actually interested in hearing the rest."

Jean beamed. "I’m glad you asked! Pastries are—"

Lucius raised a hand. "No. That’s enough."

Salviana snickered. "You’re just upset because you know she’s right."

Lucius muttered something under his breath while Jean and Salviana exchanged a victorious look.

"So," Salviana leaned forward, "food?"

Jean grinned. "Food."

Alaric groaned, but there was amusement in his eyes. "Fine. But this is the last meal before we leave."

Jean and Salviana cheered, linking arms as they headed toward the kitchen, already arguing about what dish to make.

Behind them, Alaric and Lucius shook their heads.

"This is going to be a very long journey," Lucius muttered.

Alaric sighed. "You have no idea."

Jean suddenly stopped in her tracks, her expression shifting from excitement to panic.

"Wait... did we pack food?"

Silence.

Salviana blinked. Alaric and Lucius exchanged glances. The realization hit all of them at the same time.

Jean gasped. "Oh no. We didn’t pack food, did we?"

Alaric sighed. "We packed supplies."

Jean narrowed her eyes. "What does ’supplies’ mean exactly?"

Lucius answered, "Dried meat, hard bread, some fruit. The usual travel rations."

Jean recoiled. "Hard bread?"

Salviana frowned. "What’s wrong with hard bread?"

Jean placed a hand on her chest like she’d been personally insulted. "Salviana, I—a woman of refined taste—am being asked to eat stale, rock-like bread for days?"

Lucius smirked. "It softens if you soak it in water."

Jean turned to him, scandalized. "Water?! You expect me to eat wet bread?"

Salviana snorted. "We could soak it in broth."

Jean gasped dramatically. "Wet, broth-soaked bread?! That’s even worse!"

Alaric pinched the bridge of his nose. "You won’t starve, Jean."

Jean crossed her arms. "I might as well." Then, turning to Salviana, she said, "We need to fix this. I refuse to embark on a grand adventure while suffering a food crisis."

Salviana hummed in agreement. "You do have a point."

Alaric sighed. "We don’t have space to carry excess food, Salviana."

Jean’s eyes sparkled with mischief. "What if we eat some of it now? Then it won’t take up space!"