Chapter 25: The Little Queen Bee

Cecil arrived at the top of the cliff in a state of some disarray.

Chi Sui, who had climbed up earlier, was already leaning over to inspect the small, fluffy creature lying on its back atop a giant flower. It looked much like the queen bee Cecil had contracted with, though the crown on its head had been replaced by a pink bow. Its body was frail and emaciated, lying motionless in the heart of the flower. Even as Chi Sui and the others approached, it showed no reaction, merely staring blankly at the sky.

The sight tugged at Chi Sui’s heart. "Is it sick?"

Cecil brushed the pollen from his clothes. He had just been carried up by a swarm of Pink-Ringed Bees, forming a dense, human-shaped mass of buzzing insects. The mere thought of it was horrifying, though fortunately, he hadn't been able to see it from the inside; it was better to scare others than himself.

"Not exactly sick, I suppose. It’s just been starving for too long."

Starving? Hearing this, Chi Sui looked at Cecil with undisguised disdain.

"Hey, what’s with that look? It’s not that I haven't been feeding it; it’s that it refuses to eat," Cecil said, his voice laced with grievance. "I’m a rancher on Purple Island; I could never do something as cruel as mistreating a magical creature."

"Ever since it was driven out of the hive, it has been in this state. It won’t accept my food; it even rejects the pink honey I had Ni Ni bring out. I’ve tried so many things. Maeve even came to try and form a contract with it, but it wouldn't agree."

"Maeve has been here too? Then why bother entering this competition?" Chi Sui asked, puzzled. It couldn't possibly be for the 15 gold coins. According to Hector, the ranchers in this area were all rolling in wealth, and she was the only pauper who couldn't even afford to build a creature shed.

"I wanted to try one more time. No rancher could see it in this state and not feel heartbroken." Cecil bent down and reached out a finger to touch the little queen bee’s antennae.

This gesture drew a slight reaction from the dazed queen, though it only managed to nudge its antennae away. It was too weak now to even turn over.

"How long... has it been hungry?" Chi Sui frowned, finding the scene difficult to bear.

Sensing the queen's rejection, Cecil sighed and stepped back. "Since it left the hive, about twenty days."

"Twenty days?" The staggering number left Chi Sui stunned where she stood.

"What does it like to eat? Are there any specific things to watch out for regarding ingredients?"

Since it had gone without food for so long, Chi Sui’s feeding plan had to be executed as quickly as possible; there was no time to lose.

Mr. Stone’s voice echoed in Chi Sui’s mind: "This little one has quite a strong will, but it looks like it won't last more than three days if it doesn't start eating."

Chi Sui took a deep breath, reached out with her previously helpless hands, and grabbed Cecil by the collar.

"There’s no time. We’ll talk as we go. Mr. Stone, please take us down."

"Wait? I just got up here!"

Before the words had even left his lips, Cecil was hoisted up by Mr. Stone, who spread his wings and dove straight toward the ranch cabin.

Looking down at the distance from the ground, Cecil gulped and gave a dry laugh. "No need to be in such a hurry, right? How about we switch to a safer flying posture?"

Chi Sui, being carried with one arm, heard Mr. Stone’s voice: "Not possible."

Well, Mr. Stone was quite the grudge-holder.

"Rancher Cecil, you still haven't told me the Pink-Ringed Queen's dietary preferences."

"You want to talk about it here?"

"Yes, right here." Chi Sui smiled with an air of innocence.

"...Desserts. After all, they are bees; they all like sweet things. It would be best to include honey." Cecil shivered, feeling as if he were being tortured.

"Good. Where is the kitchen?"

...

Cecil didn't know how he had managed to get down from the sky; he only knew that his legs felt like jelly once he touched the ground.

Leaning against the kitchen doorframe, he spoke weakly: "Besides honey, there is some white sugar I brought from Green Island, but there isn't much left, so use it sparingly. The eggs and milk are in the fridge nearby, the flour is on the shelf, and you can see what else is available."

Chi Sui nodded in thanks, leaving Cecil with nothing but the sight of her busy back.

Finding white sugar in the kitchen was an unexpected joy; Chi Sui had assumed she would have to rely solely on honey for seasoning.

Checking the ingredients, the quality of the eggs and milk was quite ordinary, but the honey was high-quality and carefully selected.

With the ingredients assessed, Chi Sui had a plan. She decided to start by making a honey caramel custard.

First, she prepared the caramel by heating sugar and water over medium heat. Once the syrup began to bubble, she lowered the heat, waiting patiently for it to turn a golden brown. Using the residual heat of the pan, she added a splash of hot water, completing the caramel topping for the custard.

Next, Chi Sui whisked two eggs in a mixing bowl. She heated the milk in a pot over low heat, stirring in the honey as it warmed.

Once the milk began to steam, she poured it into the egg mixture while stirring continuously, then strained the liquid through a sieve three times to ensure a smooth texture.

Finally, she placed the custard into the oven. As this was her first time using such an old-fashioned oven, she couldn't quite gauge the time and temperature, and the final product was slightly imperfect.

The custard had collapsed a little and didn't look particularly beautiful, but after tasting it herself, she found there was no major issue.

After much hesitation, Chi Sui decided to pack the custard and asked Mr. Stone to take her back to the little queen bee.

Before leaving, she didn't forget to tell Cecil that she had made a portion for him as well, to thank him for providing the tools and ingredients.

In the kitchen, Cecil picked up his portion. Looking at the tempting sheen of the custard, he took a spoonful with a complex expression and placed it in his mouth.

He muttered to himself, "I guess I just don't understand the youth of today; they aren't even satisfied with making something like this."

Back with Chi Sui, Mr. Stone slowed his flight speed to ensure the custard remained intact.

Thinking of the queen bee’s frail state, she was deeply worried. The journey was silent, her mind racing with other dessert ideas in case the queen refused this offering.

When they reached the top of the cliff, the flower was the same, and the queen’s posture remained unchanged.

Nearly two hours had passed, yet the little queen bee hadn't shifted even slightly.

Chi Sui softened her footsteps, opened the package, and held it out.

With the wrapping removed, the custard was fully exposed to the queen bee, and a faint sweetness permeated the air.

30 seconds...

1 minute...

3 minutes...

As the seconds ticked by, Chi Sui’s hands began to stiffen, but the queen bee, aside from a slight flutter of its wings at the start, made no further movement.

Just as Chi Sui was about to give up and withdraw the custard to think of another plan, the queen moved.

It lifted its head with great effort and took a bite of the custard before it.

Once the food was in its stomach, perhaps gaining a bit of strength, the queen began to eat faster and faster.

The custard, which was about the same size as the queen, quickly disappeared.

As Chi Sui watched with bated breath, the "Affection" meter above the little queen’s head slowly ticked from 0 to 1.

1?