The Dragon King's Heart

That was what Dante said before he cut their communication. Putting two and two together, Laina quickly walked into the living room just as the doorbell rang. 

She hurried over and opened the door. Unsurprisingly, there he was. 

"I didn't mean right this moment," Laina could not help but laugh as she let him in. 

"I could just turn to leave..." as he spoke, Dante turned around and walked out of the door. 

Laina grabbed hold of the collar of his shirt and pulled him back into the house. She closed the door behind him. 

"Did I say you could leave?" Laina asked with her arms crossed. 

On the outside, both of them heard a yelp, followed by a cry of pain. 

"That voice..." 

Before Laina could react, Margaret came down the stairs. She had heard the commotion and came to see what was happening. 

"Ah Dante, you're here. Is Marius with you?" Margaret asked. 

Laina gasped in shock as she rushed to open the door. True enough, there was a man on the ground. It was Marius. 

"Marius! I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there when I closed the door," Laina apologized profusely as she helped him back up. 

"Your Highness, it's alright," he quickly said as Laina helped him up to his feet, "I followed Dante hereafter he disappeared in a flash. I guess I have myself to blame."

She helped him into the house, only for Marius to be tackled by Margaret. She leaped into his arms and hugged him tightly. 

"I missed you," she whispered to him as she buried her head in his chest. 

It had been a while since they last met, which explained Margaret's behavior. But she was never one who openly expressed her affection for someone. Hence Margaret's actions took everyone by surprise, including Marius. 

"Margaret, everyone is looking at us," he whispered into her ear as he kissed her forehead.

Margaret immediately pushed him away, blushing beet red. She did not know what else to say, embarrassed by what had happened. Laina and Dante chuckled as they looked on at the both of them. 

Dante wrapped his arms around Laina. He was concerned about her well-being more than anything else. Laina, on the other hand, could feel the cold temperature of his body. It felt colder compared to the last time they met. 

"How are you feeling?" he asked her. His voice was filled with concern as he looked at her from every angle. 

Laina held onto his hand as she replied, "I'm alright. To be honest, a little relieved."

"Relieved?" he asked as he furrowed his eyebrows. 

She nodded, "Relieved. Now that I don't have to worry about my Kingdom, I can do what I want to do."

"And what would that entail?" Dante asked as he tucked a loose lock of her hair behind her ear. 

Laina was just about to reply when she realized she did not have the answer. She had not planned much beyond this point.

"I'm not sure yet. I'll think of something," she replied, filled with hope. 

Laina clapped her hands together, "Since the both of you are here, perhaps you would like to join us for dinner?" 

"Dinner? Who's cooking?" Dante asked. 

He looked at all of them. Based on the intel he had received, Laina had only taken Margaret, Kol, and Florin with her. She had not hired anyone else. 

"I am," Laina declared with a smile. 

Dante gulped as he looked over to Marius. He looked back at Laina. 

"You?" he asked. 

"Yes," seeing the expression on his face, Laina sensed something was wrong, "Is something wrong?"

Dante tensed up. He quickly replied, "No, nothing."

Laina ran back into the kitchen to continue her cooking. She informed everyone to wait in the dining room. As soon as Laina was out of sight, Dante went over to Margaret. 

It was as if she already knew what he was about to say. She glanced back into the kitchen before looking back. 

"I tried to dissuade her," she said in a hushed voice, "Trust me, I did. But she insisted."

Marius was confused. He did not understand what they were saying. It sounded as if they were implying there was something wrong with Laina's cooking but he could not be certain. Dante walked into the kitchen to offer a hand. 

"It's alright, I can take care of things. How hard could it be?" Laina said as she pushed him out of the kitchen. 

"That's what I'm afraid you might say," Dante muttered beneath his breath with a sigh. 

"Did you say something, Dante?"

he nearly jumped, "No nothing. I'll wait in the living room."

After some time, Laina called out to all of them. Everyone came into the dining room, greeted by a table wide spread of dishes. Much to Dante and Margaret's surprise, everything looked great. But if their experience had taught them anything, it was that looks could be deceiving. 

Everyone took a sit around the table. Laina took her seat next to Dante. She was beaming with pride at the dishes she had made. 

"Dig in," she said invitingly. 

Dante and Margaret made eye contact as she gulped. Scanning the table for a safe choice, Dante picked up a slice of grilled soy sauce marinated chicken. His fork trembled in his hands as he brought it close to his mouth. 

Laina was looking at him in anticipation. She did not seem to notice the tremble in his hand as he placed the chicken in his mouth. As soon as it did, Laina was eager to know how it tasted. 

Margaret watched Dante intently. His expression would decide their fate for the rest of the meal. Unbeknown to them, Marius took a slice of rolled omelet.  Dante bit down on the chicken. Much to his surprise, it was edible! But it did not have much taste either. 

"How is it?" Laina asked eagerly.

"It's good," Dante replied with a forced smile. 

But in truth, it was bland. Blander than an unseasoned steamed potato! Not to mention, the chicken was overdone too. The meat was dry. 

"Really? That's-" Before Laina could say anything, Marius spat out the bite of omelet he ate.