"How's it going?" Kaguya asked, her footsteps light and her posture graceful as she approached, tapping on the rusty iron bars of the cell. She smiled lightly and continued, "How have you been enjoying your stay here?"
"Hmph," Seryu turned her head, snorting coldly without a word.
"But I hear you haven't eaten for several days," Kaguya said with a smile.
"I'm not hungry," Seryu huffed. "Do you think you can torture me into submission with this? I won't give in."
At that moment, a loud growl came from her stomach, resonating through the silent dungeon.
Seryu's pretty face instantly turned bright red.
"Justice will never bow to evil!" she shouted loudly, as if trying to bolster her courage.
"Oh, really?" Kaguya accepted a food box from a maid behind her and deftly opened the lid. Instantly, a mouthwatering aroma wafted through the air.
The three-tiered food box was filled with a dazzling array of dishes and exquisite pastries, the fragrance so enticing it could make one's mouth water.
Seryu's eyes lit up, her gaze drawn to the dazzling array of dishes, and she involuntarily swallowed her saliva.
But when her gaze met Kaguya's smiling face, she quickly turned her head away, snorting disdainfully.
"It's a pity. Such delicious food, meticulously prepared by the palace's new head chef," Kaguya said, shaking her head lightly in mock regret. "Since you're not interested, I won't force you."
Saying this, Kaguya picked up a piece of osmanthus cake from the box and took a light bite. A sweet and soft taste instantly filled her mouth, leaving a lingering fragrance.
It's worth mentioning that in this world, there was originally no osmanthus or osmanthus cake, something Kaguya regretted, as it was her favorite snack besides dango. Upon hearing this, Aier, one of the three sisters, had been trying to replicate the cake. Finally, not long ago, she succeeded in creating an osmanthus cake that was indistinguishable from the original, perhaps even better.
Seryu maintained a haughty demeanor, pretending to be indifferent by turning her head away, yet her constant swallowing betrayed her true thoughts.
The small osmanthus cake quickly disappeared as Kaguya savored it, licking her fingers with satisfaction. Turning to Seryu, she asked with a smile, "Are you sure you don't want to try it? It's quite good."
"I won't eat it!" Seryu snapped, turning her back and shouting angrily.
"Very well," Kaguya replied, placing the fragrant food back in the box, handing it to the maid beside her. She stood up, smiling as she said, "Miss the opportunity, and it won't come again. Since you have no appetite, I won't force you."
With these words, Kaguya flashed a smile and turned to leave the dungeon.
Watching the silver-haired girl walk away, feeling the burning hunger in her stomach, Seryu's cute face showed regret. She was almost about to call Kaguya back but ultimately couldn't swallow her pride.
Suddenly, Kaguya paused at the dungeon's exit, turning to say with a smile, "Impressive, such resilience. As a reward, you'll get something to eat."
"I don't need your reward. I won't take it," Seryu said stubbornly, though her tone was less firm than before.
Watching the maid approach with the food box, Seryu cursed herself inwardly for lacking resolve, yet she couldn't suppress a glimmer of hope.
However, when the box was opened, her face fell. Inside was not the sumptuous feast she imagined, but only a piece of coarse black bread and a cup of clear water. It was a stark contrast to the earlier display.
"Tightwad," Seryu shouted indignantly, grabbing the rock-hard bread and almost throwing it away. After hesitating for a moment, she refrained.
She stared at the black bread in her hand, torn between defiance and hunger, then brought it to her mouth and bit into it angrily as if it were someone she hated.
The bread was as hard as a rock, and she nearly broke her teeth on it, realizing why it came with water.
"Jerk," Seryu muttered angrily, hurling the bread at the cell door with a metallic clang before it bounced back to her side.
Now, Seryu sat curled up in the corner, arms wrapped around herself, eyes filled with tears, on the verge of crying from the injustice.
Kaguya was oblivious to Seryu's plight in the dungeon, though she might have found it amusing.
At that moment, Kaguya sat in the elegantly decorated living room, leisurely sipping tea from a cup. Her demeanor was relaxed, but her mind was busy processing the information she'd received.
The recent clash between the Minister's forces and Night Raid had left both sides severely weakened, with heavy losses on each side. Three of the Rakshasa Demons were killed, with one critically injured. Izou was slain by Kurome, and Seryu was captured alive.
On the Night Raid side, Bulat, one of the top combatants, was killed while covering the retreat of his comrades. Lubbock and Mine were heavily injured in the fierce battle and would take time to recover. Leone and Najenda also sustained various injuries, though Leone's regenerative abilities and Najenda's support role meant they fared slightly better.
Akame, though only lightly injured, was forced to withdraw early due to severe fatigue, needing time to rest.
Another piece of intelligence caught Kaguya's attention: the Minister's son, Syura. During the fierce battle, he had maneuvered his forces to launch a surprise attack on Night Raid from the rear, leaving them fighting on two fronts and leading to Night Raid's defeat. Bulat was killed while covering the retreat during this assault.
Syura, a character known for his cruelty and depravity, was notorious for his heinous acts, especially against women. Though his combat skills weren't lacking, particularly in martial arts, his use of a space-manipulating Teigu allowed him to instantly move targets to predetermined locations, reminiscent of the Flying Thunder God technique from Naruto.
Kaguya had marked Syura for elimination, not because of his strength but because of his heinous crimes. In the original story, he had raped a young girl to death, a crime Kaguya found utterly unforgivable.
While Kaguya pondered these matters, a maid entered, bowed, and spoke softly, "Your Highness, the young lady has awakened."