"Aditya, let me introduce you to my sister Seraphine. Seraphine is one of the special members of the Elders council." Aditya looked at Seraphine. Just like Riya and Amelia, she too had long beautiful silver hair. She was fair-skinned.
Seraphine's dress was more bold and revealing compared to Riya and Amelia's. She was wearing a tight dress that perfectly highlighted her curves. Her breasts slightly shook as she moved
Regardless of how revealing and bold the dress she wore, there was no doubt in Aditya's mind that Riya and Amelia were more beautiful compared to her. To Aditya, it felt as if, Seraphine knew that she couldn't compare to Amelia and Riya so she chose to show more of her skin to appear more beautiful and appealing to the eyes of the men.
This might have worked on any normal man but Aditya wasn't any normal man. Every single day, he had to endure the seduction of the Succubus Empress (Lilith) who was 100 times more seductive and sexually appealing than Seraphine. Not to mention the fact that all the girls that Aditya had in his Dragon Palace were more beautiful than Seraphine.
"Seraphine, this is Aditya — the Emperor of the Istarin Empire."
"Hello, Aunty!!!" Aditya politely greeted Riya's aunt.
'I wonder if Thalos has complained about me to her.' Aditya thought in the back of his mind while greeting Riya's Aunt, Seraphine.
The Empress has personally cooked a feast since this was Aditya's first time coming to the Celestial Terrain Empire.
"Hello, Aditya! Various rumors about you are always circulating in our empire. I have heard a lot of things about you."
Before dinner began, Seraphine came to join them for dinner since this was a special occasion. Amelia introduced both of them to each other.
"By the way, Seraphine, where is Thalos?" Asked Amelia as she put a dish of fried fish on the dining table. She had asked Seraphine along with her son to come but Thalos couldn't be seen anywhere.
"My apologies Sister but my son is not feeling well. Thalos said that he was going to take some rest."
Hearing Seraphine's words, Aditya and Riya rolled both of their eyes. However, Amelia's expression didn't change.
How can a Peak 5th-order cultivator not feel well? This was nothing but a lame excuse for not coming to join the family at the dinner party.
Riya wasn't that concerned about why her cousin didn't come to the dinner party. She didn't really care about him. When she was born, Thalos was already an adult. So there always has been a barrier between her and Thalos. Besides, she also didn't like the way that he stared at her. So in her mind, it was better that he didn't come with his mother.
On the other hand, Aditya understood that the reason Thalos didn't come to the dinner party was because of him. Aditya was sure that he had left a very deep impression on their first meeting.
"That's a shame. I wanted to introduce Aditya to Thalos. But if he is not feeling well, I guess there is nothing that I can do." Amelia said.
Amelia understood that her little sister was dissatisfied with her. Even before her daughter along with Aditya returned, she had been advising her to not allow this relationship and instead let Riya get married to Thalos. Amelia knew that if she went along with Seraphine's suggestion then she would avoid having a clash with the 10 elders and also have things easy way but how could she take away her daughter's happiness?
When Aditya was out of her life, her daughter lost all of her happiness. As her mother, she didn't want her daughter to go through that experience again.
"That's alright, Aunty. I already have met with Thalos."
"Did you? He didn't tell me about it." Seraphine pretended to be surprised. Aditya had a feeling that this woman was just pretending.
Amelia wasn't that naive. Although she wasn't as smart as Seraphine, she could somewhat guess why Seraphine kept suggesting she get Riya engaged to Thalos. If that were to happen, then it was inevitable that Thalos was going to come into power. This was what Seraphine wanted.
Amelia understood that Seraphine not bringing Thalos with her was her way of protesting against her decision. But did Amelia care about this? The answer was no. She didn't care.
Amelia knew that there was darkness in her little sister's heart. There always has been darkness in Seraphine's heart. This is the reason why she became the Empress instead of Seraphine. Riya's grandmother was able to see this darkness. Even though Amelia and Riya's grandmother tried many times to erase this darkness Seraphine never changed.
If Seraphine's heart was pure and didn't have any darkness, there was no doubt Seraphine would have become the Empress. Amelia wouldn't have any problem giving the throne to Seraphine. But Amelia feared what Seraphine would do to this Empire once she became the Empress.
"As the guest, Aditya, please go ahead and take the first bite," Amelia said. Every eye in the room, be it Riya's, Amelia's, or Seraphine's, turned to Aditya. They all waited, showing respect to him as the guest, eager to see him take the first taste of the meal.
Aditya picked up his fork and knife and gracefully cut a small piece of the fried fish that was served. He then lifted the piece to his mouth and took a bite. As he did, it was like a flavor explosion happened right in his mouth. The fish was cooked to perfection, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The seasoning was spot-on, a mix of spices that seemed to dance on his taste buds. His eyes instantly lit up, brightening like stars, and he couldn't help but nod his head in sheer amazement at how good the food was.
"Wow, this is incredible! It's really good." Aditya's voice was filled with genuine delight. "The flavors are just perfect. It's like a little piece of heaven in each bite."
Seeing Aditya's amazed face, Amelia couldn't help but let out a little laugh. She felt really happy. All the time she had spent in the kitchen, getting everything just right felt totally worth it now. Watching him enjoy the food filled her with a deep sense of joy.
"Wow, Aunt Amelia, this is the best-fried fish I've ever had, seriously!" Aditya didn't hold back his praise. It was something really special for the leader of such a huge land to even know how to cook. And Aunt Amelia wasn't just any cook; her cooking skills were even better than the top chef he had back in his own kingdom.
Amelia's face turned a little red, clearly touched by his words. "Oh, you're too kind, Aditya. Thank you for the lovely compliment."
With a thought, Aditya realized he had to ask about the name of this incredible meal. "By the way, what do you call this feast? I've never had anything like this before. It's an Elven feast, right?"
Amelia smiled, "Yes, it's an Elven feast. We call it 'Sylvari's Bounty.' It's a traditional meal in our culture, usually made for special occasions. Along with the fried fish, it includes honey-glazed vegetables, Elven bread that's been seasoned with herbs, and a fruit tart made from Celestia berries for dessert."
Aditya nodded, clearly impressed, "Sylvari's Bounty, huh? What a fitting name for such an amazing spread of food. You've truly outdone yourself, Aunt Amelia. I feel honored to partake in such a cultural experience."
"I totally agree, no chef back in our kingdom could even come close to matching my sister Amelia's culinary skills," Seraphine chimed in, her words full of pride. She picked up her fork and started to eat, along with everyone else at the table.
Hearing Seraphine's words, Aditya couldn't help but think she wasn't just saying that to make her sister feel good. Amelia was a truly gifted cook. And the most amazing part was that she was the ruling Empress of the Celestial Terrain. That meant, that despite her busy schedule and all the responsibilities that came with leading a vast empire, she still managed to find time to master the art of cooking. Her talents in the kitchen were even better than the best chefs in Aditya's own realm, the Istarin Empire.
As Seraphine took a bite of the honey-glazed vegetables, she sighed in delight. "Ah, these veggies are just perfect. Sweet, yet not too overpowering. You've really outdone yourself, Sis."
Riya nodded her head in agreement while enjoying a slice of the herb-seasoned Elven bread. "Mom, this bread is heavenly! It's got just the right mix of herbs. Honestly, I think it would be hard for anyone to not fall in love with your cooking. I really missed your cooking."
Amelia blushed, clearly touched by the flood of compliments coming her way. "Well, I'm just happy you all enjoy it. A meal is always better when shared with loved ones."
The dinner stretched on for almost an hour. Everyone was taking their time, savoring each bite, and enjoying the lively conversation that flowed around the table. As they chatted about this and that, Aditya couldn't help but notice that Seraphine was acting extra friendly toward him. It wasn't just simple politeness; it was something more, something that made him wonder what she was up to.
About an hour into the evening, Seraphine stood up, smoothing out her dress. "I've got some important stuff I need to take care of tonight, so I can't stick around any longer. Aditya, do come by my house when you find the time," she said, smiling in his direction.
Aditya picked his words carefully, not wanting to commit to anything. "When I have the time," he replied, keeping his answer purposely unclear.
Seraphine seemed to accept this vague response. "Alright, goodnight everyone," she said, smiling once more before leaving the room.
'I will need to look out for this woman.' Aditya thought as he watched Seraphine leave.
"Aditya, come with me I am going to take you to your room."
