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It was a nightmare for someone.

For someone else, it was filled with good things.

And for yet another, it was the end of a night where one witnessed magical events turning people into tools.

The dark night sky shattered into pieces and vanished under the sunlight, while the once-empty restaurant began to be filled with the aroma of food.

People began to take their seats in the restaurant, and families gathered around the vacant tables. Shortly after, Anastasia and Ella stepped into the restaurant, guided by the servants, followed by the Great Witch and Agnes, who walked leisurely.

The restaurant, now filled with a fragrant scent, looked different from yesterday.

Gone were the oversized tables and poorly thought-out courses. Only appropriately sized tables, along with some cutlery, remained, and two chefs waited off to one side.

It was the result of the Great Witch’s renovation of the interior.

Standing in the middle of the restaurant, the Great Witch surveyed her handiwork and nodded with satisfaction, crossing her arms. She then strode over to one of the chefs and asked boldly.

“What do people usually eat for breakfast in Korea?”

“There are various kinds. Let me explain. First…”

The Great Witch interrupted the chef mid-sentence.

“That’s enough. Come to think of it, there’s no need for that. Just make whatever you think ‘Korean breakfast’ is, every day, without me having to say anything.”

Pointing at the chef’s name tag, she continued.

“It says ‘Chef’ on your name tag, so show me some of that skill of yours. Surely, someone calling themselves a chef wouldn’t present something disappointing, right?”

The intimidating words felt much scarier than a mere request. The chef, now tense, nodded in agreement, and as soon as the Great Witch turned her back, she discreetly wiped her cold sweat. With a deep breath, he gathered himself and prepared a breakfast to present to the Great Witch.

“This isn’t bad. It seems herbivorous, though… well, it’s fine. Let’s eat.”

“Yes.”

The Great Witch, with a lofty expression, waved the chef away. She then watched as various dishes ordered by the people began to arrive.

However, the moment she saw the food that Anastasia had ordered, her mouth fell open in horror.

The dishes placed in front of Anastasia were gaudily inappropriate for breakfast.

Embellished with exaggeration, there were jellies in absurd colors — red, orange, green, and blue — that seemed visible from 50 meters away, rolling around. Next to them were dark chocolate dishes in stark contrast.

There was even a piece of bread that seemed like it would ooze sweetness right to the bones, layered with peanut butter and strawberry jam, topped off with jellies — a true embodiment of ‘Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich’. Even the drink was chocolate milk!

The pièce de résistance was the bear-shaped jelly.

A palm-sized jelly bear sat at the center of the table — looking as if it belonged in the decorations that were originally there — positioned so conveniently that it faced not Anastasia, but the Great Witch.

The seemingly trivial jelly bear locked eyes with the Great Witch.

“Anastasia! What on earth are you doing eating so much chocolate for breakfast?”

The Great Witch, unable to hold back, scolded Anastasia in a small voice upon catching sight of the jelly bear. Then, as usual, her temper flared, she stepped on the gas only to freeze when light beamed from her arm.

Looking in the direction of the light, she noticed a golden bracelet.

The exquisite bracelet, resembling a woven golden rose, sparkled under the sunlight filtering in through the restaurant’s window, some of its shine seemingly aimed right at the Great Witch’s eyes.

Odilia pressed her lips tightly and, enchanted by the bracelet’s brilliance, stroked the golden rose bracelet with her other hand, closing her eyes as she leaned back in her chair. In that moment, Anastasia was freed from the threat of a nagging that felt like a nightmare.

Ella, sitting next to Anastasia, looked at the Great Witch with a perplexed expression.

Under normal circumstances, the Great Witch would have launched into a lengthy tirade, employing a high-handed demeanor. Yet, after merely stroking the golden bracelet that hadn’t existed until yesterday, she was now quiet, which seemed incredibly odd.

Ella pondered for a moment.

“Did Hair Park work his magic?”

Then she quickly got her answer.

The Great Witch was unable to make a move against Jinseong.

This mansion was the residence of Jinseong’s family.

Jinseong and his family had enough wealth to casually gift something like a golden bracelet.

And most critically, the only person who could gift something like that was undoubtedly Jinseong.

All these facts suggested that Jinseong’s, or Hair Park’s, influence had subdued the Great Witch’s temper.

Ella thought once more that meeting Hair Park had been the greatest stroke of luck in her life, while she glanced over at Anastasia, who was grinning from ear to ear for reasons unknown.

“Does my sister even realize what crisis she just avoided?”

She had heard that mild scold, so she must have realized she was in trouble.

Yet, it was odd how she seemed to know but remained so blissfully unbothered.

With a hint of irritation, Ella poked Anastasia in the side with her finger.

“Ahh!”

Anastasia turned to Ella, surprise flashing across her face, and then narrowed her eyes as if implying she was ready for a fight.

But Ella didn’t respond to her indignation.

She was just as surprised that she’d poked her own side.

Staring blankly at Anastasia’s face, she blurted out something.

“In order to avoid a crisis… um, I think there’s no food.”

Anastasia processed Ella’s awkward demeanor as she stared at her, and with a seeming gesture of forgiveness, closed her eyes momentarily before nodding and accepting her statement.

“I saw a person eating like this in a dream yesterday. How pretty does it look?”

“In a dream?”

“Yeah! It was someone who was eating jelly worm spaghetti and a 10,000-calorie chocolate brownie cake, scooping a gallon of vanilla ice cream! I think they were American…”

“Eep.”

Ella made a face of shock at Anastasia’s words. Anastasia chuckled, finding Ella endearing.

“They were super skinny, so I thought maybe they had that dream as a reaction to their diet~ They were poor, though. If only they had been as slender and pretty as me, they wouldn’t have to worry about dieting!”

“Is that so?”

Ella wore a slightly skeptical expression at Anastasia’s self-love-fueled proclamation. Anastasia, seemingly displeased by her reaction, pouted and jabbed her finger into Ella’s side again. Only after Ella wriggled around in ticklishness did she retract her finger, saying,

“Anyway, I don’t like dieting or overeating. But the way that person enjoyed their meal left a deep impression~ So I ordered a reasonable portion!”

“A reasonable portion, huh…”

Ella gazed at the colorful spread occupying the next seat.

Then, upon seeing the Great Witch’s disgruntled face, along with Agnes, who would surely nag after the meal, she let out a slight sigh.

“I think it might be a good idea to order some vegetables.”

“Vegetables?”

Anastasia tilted her head in response to Ella’s suggestion.

“These dishes?”

Chocolate.

Jelly.

Chocolate-on-chocolate.

Bread sprinkled with chocolate powder.

Bread slathered in strawberry jam and peanut butter, topped with jelly.

Rainbow-colored bear-shaped jelly.

What kind of vegetable could possibly blend in with those radiation-polluted fairytale-like dishes?

Anastasia pondered for a moment, and then her face lit up as if she understood the intention, looking at Ella with an impressed expression.

She raised her hand and called a servant to whisper something. The servant rushed to the chef to relay her order and soon returned to set it down at the table.

Seeing that, Ella found herself speechless.

French fries.

Tomato ketchup.

“Indeed, my sister is a genius. When you think of America, you think of French fries!”

“But…”

Ella was at a loss for words.

While it fit the definition of vegetables, she wasn’t so sure…

Potatoes?

That’s a vegetable.

Tomatoes?

That’s a vegetable too.

Certainly, fried potatoes count as a vegetable dish, and ketchup made from tomatoes also qualifies.

Sure, they were right in a sense…

“…But it can’t be good for you.”

Ella turned her gaze away from Anastasia’s challenge to her common sense and subtly looked away. Talking with Anastasia often induced a sensation of brain freeze and made her common sense feel warped.

So, she turned to watch the parade of meat and vegetables floating into the open window instead of looking at the steaming fries.

“Uh?”

 

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