The Strange Groom's Cursed Bride-Chapter 81: "I’ll try..."

Alice was seated now, across from Suzy, but her body might as well have been elsewhere. Her hands were clasped on the table, unmoving. Her back was straight but stiff. Her eyes occasionally twitched toward her little purse where the sleek black card rested. The one and only purse she had left since it was the one she had taken with her on that night and never returned to Block A again.

Alice still hadn’t fully processed her last breath.

Hades.

A flower shop.

In Aurora’s name.

Her name.

What...?

Why all the mixed signals? What did he want from her?

Suzy had already perused the digital menu tab and placed her order with an efficiency that made Alice feel even more disoriented. She passed the tab over to a distracted Alice. "If this is stressing you out that much, why not just call him and ask?" she suggested lightly, her voice laced with the easygoing cadence of someone who hadn’t just been handed the keys to a floral empire.

Alice blinked. Call him? Yeah right. That was like calling a dragon to ask why it hoarded gold. She rubbed her neck awkwardly, her gaze darting away. "I don’t... have his number."

She was honest. She didn’t think Suzy was someone she wanted to lie to. Alice was not that much of a good judge of character, but she was quick to suspect people, and her intuition had already been proven right more times than not. However, none of those alarm bells ever rang with Suzy. It was disarmingly simple.

Suzy paused mid-sip of her vibrant mocktail, which the waiter had brought earlier, and then leaned back dramatically in her chair. Her eyes, usually sparkling with mischief, widened in theatrical disbelief. "You’re telling me your own husband, who just gave you access to one of five ultra-exclusive estate gate passes, a luxury self-driving EV, a black card, and now an actual boutique flower shop—didn’t give you his number?"

Yeah right? That was just exactly how confused Alice was too. The absurdity was almost comical.

"Well, yeah." Alice said, raising her own mocktail to her lips and taking a tentative sip. Damn! It tasted nice. And expensive. Like liquid sunshine and candied unicorn tears.

Suzy narrowed her eyes, her expression softening into something more genuinely empathetic. "This must all be tough for you."

"What?" Alice asked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in tone.

"Hades. Being married to him." Suzy’s gaze was surprisingly gentle, devoid of her usual teasing.

Alice didn’t know how to respond to that. It was tough. It was bewildering. It was... everything. "Well, I don’t know?"

Suzy snorted into her glass, a small, unladylike sound, then quickly straightened up. "You know what? Can you maybe order something before you have a full existential breakdown over the Romance Plot you didn’t ask for?" Suzy looked serious now, her usual playful air replaced with a grounded concern. "Eat something. This place smells delicious. We can think after we eat."

Alice sighed, a long, weary sound of reluctant surrender, and nodded. She had to put it all aside for now. Her stomach did rumble faintly, a reminder that even existential crises needed fuel.

She finally took in her surroundings, having only followed Suzy’s lead earlier. The rooftop restaurant had a hush about it, the kind that whispered of luxury and restraint. Soft jazz played in the background, a low, melodic hum that blended with the hushed clinking of cutlery and crystal. Every table was spaced just enough to allow privacy without feeling isolated. Warm golden light spilled from many tiny lights intricately rolled around slim trees—were those natural or fake? It was hard to tell in the flattering glow.

Alice picked up the menu, already dreading this. It had names that looked like they were cast members of a fantasy novel: Truffle-kissed Cloudfish, Velvet Braised Phoenix Lamb, Royal Sapphire Risotto...

And then the prices. Her eyes almost fell off, nearly popping out of her skull like cartoon eyeballs. Each number seemed to shimmer with an impossible amount of zeros.

"W-What is wrong?" Suzy asked, noticing her sudden rigidity. "See something you worship?"

Alice didn’t know how to tell her this was unnecessarily expensive. The cheapest thing there was like one full month of her writing earnings. And that was if one of her generous readers, whom she loved dearly, decided to support her a lot with coin gifts. And since the reader disappeared, she barely earned anything to make a living.

Alice felt a sudden, fierce protectiveness over the black card in her purse. This was Hades’s money. Not hers.

"Come on, hurry. We need to dine and use our black card," Suzy urged, her eyes gleaming with genuine excitement at the prospect of indulging.

Alice looked up, her jaw slack. "W-What?" Our? Bank card?

"What do you mean what? Are you paying with your personal card? I didn’t bring mine, so whatever you like." Suzy gestured grandly at the digital menu. "I already ordered anyway."

Alice looked down at what Suzy had ordered and almost choked to death in horror from nothing at all. 33k? 33k!? For two platters?!

"HOW CAN YOU ORDER SOMETHING THIS EXPENSIVE?!" Alice snapped before she could stop herself. And honestly, if she even had a long time to stop herself, she wouldn’t have. Her voice, usually soft, cracked with outrage, echoing slightly louder than the polite murmur of the restaurant.

Suzy looked at her in genuine confusion, her eyebrows furrowed.

Some diners glanced over, their expressions fleeting, before politely returning to their hushed conversations and expensive meals.

"What do you mean expensive? I only ordered two platters! Are you still sensitive because of earlier?" Suzy asked, her confusion deepening.

Alice was practically speechless. The sheer, casual extravagance was beyond her comprehension.

Suzy leaned forward, suddenly serious, her voice dropping to a comforting tone. "Okay. Look at me." She waited until Alice’s stunned gaze met hers. "Just breathe. No thoughts. Only food. Then you can spiral again, full stomach. Deal?"

Alice bit her lower lip. What had she gotten herself into? She began to regret even stepping out tonight. She didn’t give Suzy any answers. She didn’t even have the time to tell her to cancel the order. Because, with impeccable timing, the order came. Waiters in crisp uniforms rolled a gleaming cart towards their table.

And for a split second, Alice completely forgot about everything else as soon as the dishes were artfully presented on the table. It was the Peppered Chicken and Seafood Platter Supreme. It was less food and more edible artwork; gold-trimmed plates held glistening, perfectly curled shrimps nestled beside saffron-soaked scallops, and a roasted chicken leg with a glaze so perfect it looked photoshopped. Tiny spirals of a dark, glistening mollusk; snails, she realized with a gulp, were arranged meticulously alongside. The aroma was rich, complex, and utterly intoxicating.

But well, she still could not forget how much this cost. No matter how prettily garnished it was, how nice it smelled. It was not worth it. Never.

Suzy beamed and thanked the waiter, her eyes shining with pure delight.

The waiter turned to look at Alice, a polite smile on his face. "Have you placed your order, ma’am, or would you like me to take them?"

Alice looked at him, then at the lavish spread on the table, then at Suzy’s expectant face. Then, she made a decision. Something she would not take back. Something she would not regret.

"I would like an extra plate instead, please."

Suzy gaped, her mouth slightly agape. As soon as the waiter turned, Suzy leaned in, her voice a hushed whisper, "What do you mean, aren’t you vegetarian!?"

Suddenly, Alice’s acting cap was on, ready for its most dramatic performance yet.

She pressed two fingers to her forehead, a picture of a distressed mistress in a tragic melodrama. "Hades... made me eat steak the other day," she whispered, her voice laced with manufactured woe.

Suzy’s brow furrowed, her eyes narrowing in genuine concern. "Why would he do that?" She didn’t look pleased. "He knows you’re vegetarian, right? I mean, the family is aware."

"I don’t... well, I don’t know. He called the shot." Alice’s eyes welled up just a tiny bit, a practiced flicker of tears, as she leaned closer. "And now, now that I will be living with him... I don’t have any other choice. So... I can... I can only try to adapt, now. Slowly." She made sure her voice trembled just enough.

God, if Hades ever learnt about this, he would kill her.

"That is bullshit!" Suzy hissed, her voice low but fierce. "Why would he force you to do something against your belief? Does the Matriarch know this?" Her protective instincts, usually buried under layers of bubbly charm, were fully engaged.

"It’s... okay. My system has been contaminated now." Alice sighed mournfully, clutching her hand to her chest. "I just... I just need to manage for a year. And try to slowly give it up again."

Yeah. She would be out of here by then. Hopefully. Her eyes fell on the plump, perfectly cooked shrimp, a small, involuntary twitch of desire.

"It’s okay. On the bright side, they don’t taste badly," Suzy said, trying to offer what little comfort she could find, completely buying into Alice’s distress.

"Can you... not mention this to anyone?" Alice asked, her voice hushed, eyes wide with feigned urgency, not wanting any kind of scandal. Also, if Priscilla learned about this...

"Of course! I promise you, no one will learn of this. I will be here to guide you in this journey if you want... trust me." Suzy offered her a warm, supportive smile, and then, with genuine sincerity, offered her a pair of gleaming silver cutlery. "Want to go first?"

Alice didn’t respond immediately.

She waited. Looked out at the pretty city from their spot, sighed.

"I’ll... try..." Alice said in a weak voice, taking the cutlery with demonstrably shaky hands. A small, triumphant smile almost broke through her carefully constructed facade. This was going to be an interesting night.

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