Chapter 18: The Alchemy of Love (and Poison)

Ellis was fortunate enough to witness Meixia’s alchemy, observing firsthand how she transformed perfectly normal ingredients into peerless poisons.

Ellis even assisted Meixia with the food’s presentation, ensuring its appearance was indistinguishable from delicious cuisine. Of course, the original, potent flavors were meticulously preserved.

Incidentally, to guarantee her own safety from these concoctions, Ellis personally prepared some food for herself.

The process of her cooking flowed with remarkable ease, a truly delightful sight to behold.

“That’s incredible, Ellis,” Meixia exclaimed, admiration shining in her eyes. “Even your cooking is so elegant.”

“It’s nothing, really,” Ellis replied with a hint of pride.

This was a skill her former self, Ellis, had never displayed during their previous journey.

“It’s not just this, either. From sewing clothes and cooking to cleaning house and caring for parents, I’m practically a jack-of-all-trades!”

Ellis deliberately provoked Meixia, seeking retribution for her earlier slanders against her past self.

She vividly recalled how Meixia was not merely clueless about such domestic matters; she was utterly disastrous, completely lacking any semblance of feminine grace.

Meixia’s eyes widened. “Don’t tell me the reason you didn’t travel with Larry and the others was because you were undergoing bride training?”

Ellis nearly choked on Meixia’s wild conjecture.

“I, I, I suppose so~” Ellis muttered, gritting her teeth inwardly. “We should hurry and deliver the food to Larry before he starves. Oh, and I have a brilliant idea—it’s sure to give Larry a surprise.”

Larry stood trembling, caught between confusion and panic. He desperately wanted to flee, even shamelessly begging for food from strangers if it meant escape. Yet, Ellis had threatened to expose his charade, just as he had once threatened her with her hidden stash of money.

‘The tables have turned,’ he mused. ‘After so many years, I should have realized we’re two sides of the same coin, destined to keep each other in check.’

Just then, two beautiful women approached, carrying trays of food.

The unsuspecting onlookers gazed at Larry with eyes full of envy, jealousy, and even hatred. But in Larry’s perception, they were two devils, intent on claiming his life!

Ellis and Meixia each held a plate, and the food on both appeared perfectly normal on the surface.

Larry asked in a weak voice, “Excuse me, are both of these for me?”

“No, only one is,” Ellis replied, wagging a finger. “One is what I made, diligently, and the other is what Meixia made, also diligently. Choose, Larry. As my fiancé, you’ll surely pick my food, right? Trust in our love!”

‘I swear on all these years of our relationship, you just want to see me dead!’

Larry’s hand hovered uncertainly between the plates held by Ellis and Meixia.

Logically, he should choose the one in Ellis’s hands. From his previous life to now, Ellis’s domestic skills had been exceptional, and her cooking had always satisfied his palate.

But! Ellis was well aware of this, so she must have tampered with something. Perhaps she packaged Meixia’s food to look like hers, then swapped the plates—that was entirely possible.

Larry closed his eyes, furiously analyzing Ellis’s psychological state. Finally, he slowly opened them and pointed to the food in Ellis’s hand. “I choose this one!”

Ellis, showing neither surprise nor joy, handed the seemingly delicious meat patty to Larry.

Larry took a deep breath and bit into it. Sour, spicy, bitter—an intense explosion of flavors surged from his tongue to his brain. His body swayed, the world spun before his eyes, and only one thought echoed in his mind.

‘I’ve been poisoned!’

“Why overthink it so much? Both were made by Meixia. I merely had her prepare two different dishes.”

Ellis’s disdainful voice became the final straw that crushed Larry.

‘I’ll kill you, you motherf*****!’

Then, Larry foamed at the mouth and collapsed onto the ground.

Meixia sat dejectedly on the ground, saying bitterly, “I still failed. I followed Ellis’s instructions exactly, so why did this happen?”

Ellis patted Meixia’s shoulder reassuringly. “Some things cannot be forced. If you put in effort and still don’t succeed, then perhaps it truly isn’t suitable for you. Take me, for example; I spent two years studying specialized elemental techniques when I was young, but I couldn’t even use the most basic Elemental Slash. Isn’t it better to just be ourselves?”

“But how could any girl like that ever find someone to love? Is Larry refusing me precisely because of the food I make?”

“That person’s situation is quite unique; he has a bit of a mental cleanliness quirk. However, he does indeed have requirements in that area. But Meixia, one thing I can absolutely say is that you are definitely a good girl.”

Ellis spoke earnestly. “There’s no need to force yourself anymore, nor to be so unconfident. Your purity, kindness, and courage shone with extraordinary brilliance in our previous adventures. Perhaps you misunderstand my brother a little, but he actually has very strict requirements for his companions, from strength to character, and even appearance. You’ve earned the approval of two S-rank adventurers in all these aspects. So stand up, be your true self, and the right person will surely appear before you!”

“Ellis~ Waaah!”

Meixia immediately threw herself into Ellis’s embrace, sobbing loudly, drawing the attention of others.

Ellis: She hadn’t anticipated such an intense reaction from Meixia after a dose of inspirational advice. While part of her words stemmed from genuine sympathy for Meixia, another part was intended to make her stop pursuing Larry.

‘Well, it seems I struck a chord with Meixia’s heart.’

Ellis sighed softly. Now, she had a highly emotional adult and an unconscious fiancé to look after, and it seemed all the trouble was somehow linked to her!

‘How vexing!’

After painstakingly comforting Meixia, Ellis approached Larry with a detached expression. She revived him by pinching his philtrum, then straightened up and looked down at the pathetic man.

“How about you take responsibility for finishing all the food Meixia makes from now on?”

Larry’s tongue was still numb, but his mind was clear. He shook his head frantically, like a rattle drum.

“Then do you still want to eat my cooking?” Ellis asked coldly, dangling the meat patty she had made before his eyes.

Catching a whiff of the meat patty’s aroma, Larry was thrilled. He wanted to inhale every bit of the scent, like a puppy, shaking his head again, but this time, vertically.

“Do you understand our respective positions now?”

Larry shouted, “Long live my wife! My wife is the greatest!”

As expected, this ‘sweet’ scene once again provided ample entertainment for the onlookers, many of whom cast teasing glances, marveling at the affectionate young couple.

Meixia, meanwhile, was utterly dumbfounded. ‘Is this how early humans tamed… *cough*, no, is this the legendary ‘master a man’s stomach, master the man’? Ellis is too powerful!’ Meixia once again felt she didn’t even qualify as a love rival; their combat power wasn’t even on the same dimensional plane.

Ellis, her back to everyone, felt none of the conqueror’s joy. A twisted smile stretched across her face, and the veins on her forehead seemed ready to pop. ‘This guy actually dares to be cheeky at a time like this! Just you wait, you’ll be eating alchemical food day and night!’

“Big Sis, the world is vast, but you are the greatest. That was just for show earlier; please forgive my disrespect. From now on, your little brother will follow your lead.”

Whether he realized the situation was dire or had planned this all along, Larry softened his tone, speaking to Ellis in a voice only they could hear.

Ellis’s expression finally relaxed. She crouched down, and to outsiders, it looked like she was affectionately cupping Larry’s face. “Such sweet words. Remember to always be this sweet.”

Larry, experiencing it firsthand, felt his entire face being kneaded by her two small hands. He forced a smile. “Of course, of course, you’re the greatest.”

‘You little brat!’ Larry thought internally. ‘Just you wait! Once Meixia leaves and the food supply normalizes, you, who has all your assets with me, won’t be so arrogant. Prepare to sing your surrender!’

‘This guy’s eyes clearly show defiance,’ Ellis thought internally. ‘Just you wait, I’ll deal with you properly!’

On the surface, Larry and Ellis were amicable, but inwardly, a fierce battle had already begun.

Larry and Ellis: ‘I won’t lose the 605th confrontation!’