00:00I stared at the black fish on the block.
00:02Do it. They are but two fish. What is there to fear?
00:05The chefs dared not hesitate any longer.
00:07One on the left, one on the right.
00:09They held the fish firmly in place.
00:11The blade hovered over the pink goopy, which seemed paralyzed by terror, her gills barely fluttering.
00:15A cold glint of steel flashed, and the chef's hand fell.
00:19The pink fish's body convulsed violently.
00:23Lily!
00:24Serena, you actually let them strike! How dare you!
00:27It seems today's broth shall be most flavorful.
00:31Chop that black fish as well.
00:33The chef's blade rose high and fell once more.
00:36Serena is truly a fool. She has not even realized that I am this black fish.
00:39It is because she is the high and mighty daughter of the king.
00:42You had no choice but to suffer the indignity of transforming into a beast.
00:45Fret not, Arthur. At this pace, I shall soon spawn a litter of little ones.
00:48I stared fixedly at the two thrashing fish in the crystal tank, trembling with absolute fury.
00:53I turned my head toward the steward standing nearby. My voice is cold as ice.
00:56Go. Instruct the royal head chef to set a boiling cauldron right here in the hole.
01:00Today I'm dragging you two faithless wretches out and boiling you into a seafood stew.
01:03My mind rang with the panicked thoughts of Arthur and his mistress.
01:06Has Serena gone mad? I explicitly told her this fish is my most prized possession.
01:10What shall we do, Arthur? We cannot possibly defend ourselves in this form!
01:13I nearly laughed out of sheer malice.
01:15I brought half the wealth of the Orlando Empire to my marriage with Arthur, elevating him from a lowly commoner
01:19mage to a rising lord.
01:20He even utilized some forbidden transfigure spell to turn himself into a black fish, diving in daily to cup with
01:24her.
01:25Had I not mysteriously awakened the gift of mind-reading today, I would never have known this disgusting situation.
01:29I glared at the pitch-black fish in the water, my stomach churning with disgust.
01:33Bring the cauldron! Now!
01:37Y-your highness, those are Lord Arthur's most precious fish. Should he find out-
01:41This is my castle, since when does a commoner leeching off my coin rule this house?
01:45When I command you to go, you go.
01:47Summon the head chef and the sous chef and have them bring a full set of carving knives.
01:50Terrified, the steward scrambled frantically toward the kitchens.
01:52Nearby, the thoughts of the two fish echoed once more.
01:55She must be insane. What does she intend to do?
01:58Arthur, we are in the form of fish! If we are thrown into that pot, we shall die!
02:02Fear not. I do not believe she would truly dare touch my fish.
02:05The black fish violently whipped its tail, shielding the pink guppy beneath its body.
02:08Two pairs of bulging eyes stared at me in terror.
02:10It began to thrash wildly in the water, ramming to desperately against the glass walls and kicking up violent splashes.
02:14You dared to carry on this filthy deceit right beneath my eyes.
02:18Do not think you can escape now.
02:20Send word to the royal palace. Invite the king and queen to the castle.
02:22Tell them there's an extra course for lunch. Premium seafood stew and sliced fish.
02:26As my words fell, two royal chefs hurried in, carrying a massive landing net and several freshly honed carving knives.
02:30Just as the net was about to reach the water's surface, the heavy doors burst open.
02:34Halt! Who dares touch my son's fish?
02:37My mother-in-law, Madam Martha, who usually carried herself with the haunted airs of a noble dower,
02:41she clung fiercely to the crystal basin, using her stout body to block the chef's net.
02:45Serena, have you lost your mind? If you dare harm these fish, I shall fight you to the death!
02:50Madam Martha shreeming hysterically, her eyes burning with pure madness.
02:53Keeping my arms crossed, I looked down upon this uncooked woman and raised an eyebrow in feigned confusion.
02:59Madam Martha, they are but two fish.
03:01Why such agitation?
03:02I merely wished to use them to brew a broth.
03:05Martha's eyes darted in panic, desperately avoiding my gaze as she stammered out a lie.
03:09These are Arthur's favorite fish! They are his very life!
03:11If you consume them, Arthur will fly into a terrible rage upon his return!
03:14He will demand an annulment!
03:16I let out a scoff, my gaze suddenly turning so sharp it could pierce her very soul.
03:19An annulment? Madam Martha, have you taken leave of your senses?
03:22A low commoner mage who only climbed to his current stages by clinging to my resources,
03:26and now he has the gall to threaten me with a separation?
03:29What does Arthur think he is?
03:31Today, not only shall I slaughter these fish, but I will have their flesh carved,
03:37and I shall consume them bite by bite.
03:39The inner voices of the two fish erupted instantly.
03:42Arthur! Tell your mother to stop her!
03:44I am just an ordinary fish right now!
03:46If I am netted, I am doomed!
03:48She is utterly deranged.
03:49She forced my hand in marriage, relying on her status as princess,
03:52and now she hinders me from finding my true love.
03:54Listening to their thoughts, the revulgent in my eyes nearly overflowed.
03:57Just then, the clinking of heavy armor echoed from beyond the doors.
04:01My parents, the king and queen of the Orlando Empire, had arrived.
04:06The king strode into the hole, frowned at the chaos, and spoke.
04:10It is merely a fish.
04:11If Serena wishes to eat it, let her.
04:14If Arthur grieves for it, I shall grant him a hundred rarer enchanted fish later.
04:18The queen scoffed as well, her eyes filled with disdain.
04:22Excuse me?
04:23Must the most exalted princess of the Orlando Empire cater to the whims of a commoner?
04:27No! You cannot eat them!
04:29The moment Martha beheld my parents, her face turning pale instantly,
04:32she gazed at the black fish frantically blowing bubbles in the vault,
04:35her eyes brimming with the terror of a mother watching her son face imminent death.
04:39Witnessing her display, I trembled with fury.
04:41No wonder Arthur used a border mission as a pretext to vanish completely these past two weeks.
04:46No wonder Martha came to my castle every single day, lingering from dawn to dusk.
04:50She had been acting as a shield for this pair, carrying on their affair disguised as beasts.
04:56I recalled that rainy night years ago, when Arthur knelt in the mile to beg for my hand,
05:01swearing by the heavens that he would love only me, and never betray his vows.
05:05And now, not only does he keep a mistress, but he brought her into my own keep,
05:10carrying on in this sickening manner right beneath my eyes.
05:13I was profoundly disillusioned.
05:15Without sparing Martha another glass, my voice turned cold.
05:18Chef, proceed. Net these two fish at once.
05:20Carve the flesh raw. Sever the heads for soup.
05:23At once, your highness.
05:24The two chefs moved swiftly, plunging the massive net into the water.
05:27The black fish thrashed for its life, splashing water across the floor,
05:31but against absolute force, it was utterly defenseless.
05:34Along with the pink guppy, he was hurled violently onto the cold chopping block.
05:40The black fish tail slapped crantically against the wood, emitting thuns of despair.
05:45While the pink guppy was so terrified, it immediately turned belly up.
05:49My mind was flooded with their wailing.
05:51Am I truly to perish like this?
05:53Arthur, I don't wish to die. Save me, quickly.
05:57Arthur!
05:58Her fingers curled like talons as she lunged madly for my face.
06:02You witch! If you dare kill my son, I shall tear you apart!
06:07Before I could even raise a hand, a royal knight at the queen's side stepped forward and delivered a slap.
06:12Insolent peasant, how dare you assault her highness?
06:15The queen looked down upon her, her gaze frosty.
06:18To raise a hand against my daughter. You seek death.
06:21Guards, pin her down.
06:23Several heavily knights rushed in immediately, forcing the wildly thrashing Martha firmly to the floor.
06:29Madam Martha, pinned to the ground, still cried.
06:32I should never have allowed my son to marry you!
06:35I stared at the black fish on the block.
06:38Do it. They are but two fish.
06:40What is there to fear?
06:41The chefs dared not hesitate any longer.
06:43One on the left, one on the right.
06:45They held the fish firmly in place.
06:46The blade hovered over the pink guppy, which seemed paralyzed by terror, her gills barely fluttering.
06:51A cold glint of steel flashed, and the chef's hand fell.
06:54The pink fish's body convulsed violently.
06:58Lily!
07:00Serena, you actually let them strike! How dare you!
07:03It seems today's broth shall be most flavorful.
07:06Chop that black fish as well.
07:08The chef's blade rose high and fell once more.
07:12The black fish's head went flying, landing on the marble floor with a smack.
07:16The next moment, she completely passed out.
07:18The weird voices within my mind were finally silenced.
07:21The hall was terrifyingly silent, save for the bubbling of the cauldron over the hearth.
07:26I lowered my eyes to the two severed fish heads on the floor and spoke evenly.
07:31Why do you stand there? Clean up this mess.
07:33Just as the head chef reached to lift the fish's body, the black fish head on the floor suddenly opened
07:38its eyes.
07:40Its fish eyes fix on me, unblinking.
07:42Its jaws open and close, until my shock, faint human words spill forth.
07:48Serena.
07:50The king's expression shifted drastically, and the queen drew a sharp breath.
07:54I stared at the fish head as it continued to mouth words, seamlessly snatched a knife, and hurled it with
08:00tremendous force.
08:02With a heavy thud, the tip of the blade drove precisely into the fish's head, pinning it to the floorboards.
08:08Quit playing dead.
08:09But this time, before the chef could land their hands on them, the two fish bodies erupted in a blinding
08:13flash of light right before everyone's eyes.
08:15When the brilliance faded, two figures had appeared in the hall.
08:18Arthur was half-kneeling on the ground, deathly pale, a bloody gash marking his throat.
08:23Beside him was Lily, her hair disheveled, curling upon the floor and shivering uncontrollably.
08:29Arthur lifted his head.
08:30When his gaze fell upon me, his eyes had filled with irrepressible fury and malice.
08:38Serena, you seek death.
