Chapter 784: Subjective

For a moment, everyone could only stare at Zoren and his trembling back. Deep lines appeared on their foreheads, wondering what had happened to him.

"Master?" Lloyd asked worriedly. "Is everything alright?"

They assessed Zoren for a little longer, checking for any sign of poisoning. But then again, how could Zoren be poisoned when he was eating the same food served to everyone?

"Sir, should we ask..." Lloyd trailed off as Zoren raised a hand to stop him.

"No need." Zoren slowly reached for a glass of water, chugging it down in a hurry. After sighing in satisfaction, he loosened his tie a bit.

The veins on his temples were protruding, and his forehead was breaking out in sweat. Zoren didn’t say anything, pinching the bridge of his nose while massaging his forehead slowly.

The longer he remained silent, the more tense the air in the room became. The previous mood quickly evaporated due to Zoren’s sudden reaction to the food and his subsequent silence.

"This food is..." Zoren muttered under his breath, his eyes glistening menacingly as if ready to kill someone. Eating a horrible dish, caused by his wife’s kind-hearted intention, was one thing, but that was as far as Zoren’s patience could go.

His tolerance extended only to his wife. Otherwise, he’d feel grumpy and irritable if the culprit was anyone else. Moreover, this food tasted like poison—no, it was literal poison. It could kill him if he took another bite.

Zoren had already endured two horrible dishes in a row before Penny confessed what was ruining her cooking. He didn’t want to relive that horrifying experience.

"This food... is horrible. It’s poisonous," he said, his eyes glinting menacingly. "Get the person who made this out of here."

Everyone looked at one another until they heard him say, "Now."

In a snap, the servants broke from their stunned silence and nodded. Without further ado, they quickly left to fetch the person responsible for the food. As they left, Zoren’s dark and sharp eyes landed on Belle.

"Sit down," he remarked flatly. "And don’t eat that poison. It might not be good for your child."

Belle gulped, lowering her head. "Yes."

She sat back down, casting a glance at William, who sneered at her. Belle then caught the mocking look in Karina’s eyes. Ignoring it, she glanced at Dean, only to see displeasure written all over his face.

’This is why I didn’t want to tell him,’she thought. ’It would only upset him. He already has enough on his plate; I don’t want to burden him with my problems.’

Although life could be easier if people just asked for help, Belle was the type to take responsibility for the results of her own decisions.

"Master, are you alright?" Lloyd inquired, concerned about Zoren. "Should I call for help?"

"I would appreciate that," Zoren nodded. "I think I’ve been poisoned."

"Yes! Right away!" Lloyd didn’t waste a second, taking out his phone to make an emergency call. There should be medics nearby.

"Hah!" William scoffed angrily, slamming his hand on the table. "Who in the world would be bold enough to poison the head of the family right in front of everyone?!"

A few people at the table looked at William with disgust. Just now, he had been trying to undermine the authority of the main family, represented by Zoren Pierson. But now, he was acting like a concerned uncle who had always cared for his nephew.

What a hypocrite.

Others, meanwhile, were simply worried about Zoren. Was he truly poisoned? They glanced at the plates in front of them and then at Zoren’s plate. The dish was the same, but it seemed Zoren had eaten a bad part. Then again, the possibility of poison remained.

"You’d better find the person responsible for this dish!" William roared, knowing this was all he could do to save face. Acting concerned was his only option now. Otherwise, he’d be in deep trouble if things escalated. "I’ll make sure they learn a lesson they’ll never forget! How bold they are to attempt this!"

There might not have been much truth in William’s display, but Dean and Zoren’s exchange gave the impression that they were getting along. If the First Branch decided to support Zoren, William would face serious trouble.

He might as well earn some goodwill now to mitigate the negative consequences.

******

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Penny was carefully washing dishes. Her lips curved down in a frown, nearly touching the floor. Glancing over her shoulder, she flinched when she saw the menacing glint in Mildred’s eyes.

’Damn it!’Penny mentally wept, scrubbing pots with a heavy heart. ’At this rate, I won’t make it to the dinner gathering. I’m hungry too!’

Penny wasn’t usually emotional, but right now, she felt highly so. Her eyes were shiny with tears, on the verge of crying out of frustration with herself and her decisions—and from hunger.

"Auntie, I haven’t eaten anything..." she whimpered, casting Mildred a pleading look. "Can we please eat first?"

Mildred huffed. "After you finish, you may eat. However, you’ll be eating with me."

"..." Penny hung her head low, hoping someone would come and save this damsel in distress. "But then again, he wouldn’t come to the kitchen. Why would he?"

From what she’d heard, even Dean coming down here was rare. Zoren? There was no way he’d come to the kitchen for any reason.

As Penny vented her frustration, scrubbing the poor pot until it gleamed, she heard someone at the entrance. Everyone in the kitchen froze, turning their attention to the door.

"Who made this dish?!" the servant’s voice was tense, holding a plate of food. "Whoever made this—or anyone who came close to it—should come with me. There’s a problem with it."

Everyone looked around nervously. If they were asking who made the dish, they could point to Mildred. But if they wanted to know who had come near it, then half of them would have to go.

"I did!" Penny raised her hand without hesitation, water dripping from her rubber gloves. She raised it as if volunteering for something fun and exciting. "Me, me! I did it! Why? Did they like it?!"

The servant’s face darkened at Penny’s enthusiasm, especially since she even had the gall to ask if they’d liked the dish. Zoren himself had said it was horrible—practically poison. But little did everyone know, for Zoren, that words like "poisonous" and "horrible" could be subjective.