[We're done for! That freak is here! Take my advice and run!]
[What's wrong? You mean the chef's a freak? Isn't he pretty good-looking?]
[Wow! That's foie gras, right? It looks delicious!]
[Heh, I'll just smile and say nothing.]
[Ugh! I can't take it. Whenever I see this man, that scene from earlier starts playing in my head.]
[The owner of the villa is so beautiful~ Be my wife!]
[You have to admit, the people in this instance are all pretty good-looking, except for that fat guy.]
[This chef is ethnically Chinese. Could he be the streamer? Nobody's guessed who it is yet.]
[The person above definitely hasn't watched the chef's perspective. Otherwise, they couldn't have made such a fucking stupid guess.]
[Was the personal attack necessary? Does watching the chef's perspective give you a superiority complex?]
[You have to admit, people who've watched it are bound to have a little more resistance than those who haven't. (evil grin)]
[Holy crap! I usually get excited watching the other prisoners slaughter each other, and this chef hasn't even killed anyone. But just watching him prepare ingredients made me break out in a cold sweat. I didn't even dare take another look!]
[What's going on? What are they talking about? I'm so curious.]
[There, there, don't overthink it. They're discussing food.]
[Has nobody noticed that the chef has the same name as the villa? Could he have some unspeakable relationship with its owner? (squints)]
As soon as the chef appeared, a cascade of bullet comments flooded over everyone's heads. Some were thirsting over his looks, some were analyzing the situation, and others had fled from the chef's perspective to other perspectives, only to find they still couldn't escape him...
After listening to the chef's introduction, the villa's owner was the first to begin eating.
She tasted it carefully, a satisfied look appearing on her face.
"Kanibari, it seems your cooking has improved again."
Hearing his mistress's praise, Kanibari smiled faintly, placed a hand over his chest, and gave Mrs. Caster an elegant gentleman's bow.
"It is Kani's honor to have satisfied you, madam."
Seeing that their hostess had begun, the others seated around the long table picked up their knives and forks and started eating too.
There was only a small piece of foie gras on each plate, just a few bites even for a woman. One of them, a plump old white man who looked like a wealthy businessman, finished his in a single bite. He smacked his lips, feeling that he hadn't tasted much of anything.
The man with glasses, Brussels, the Black man, and Phil, the rich second-generation heir, ate at an unhurried pace and with proper manners. They didn't look like people who had gone hungry for days.
The blonde woman, the female captain, and the other young Black man were less reserved than the first few. Though they tried to maintain their manners, hunger left them concerned only with devouring the food in front of them.
The most conspicuous was the black-haired woman who called herself a novelist. She only speared a small piece of foie gras and sniffed it, then put it back with a pained expression and ate only the fruit on her plate.
Mrs. Caster noticed her behavior. She took the napkin the butler handed her, wiped her mouth, and asked gently, "Miss, is the food not to your liking? I noticed you haven't touched the foie gras."
"Ah, I'm terribly sorry!"
The woman hurried to answer, afraid that Mrs. Caster might misunderstand.
"It's not that the food is bad. I'm actually a vegetarian, so I can't really eat foie gras..."
"At a time like this, she's still a vegetarian? People from California are so fussy..."
Before the black-haired woman had finished, she heard someone muttering beside her.
Everyone looked over. It was the fat businessman. He was wearing a suit that had originally fit him, but now it clung to his body like dried mustard greens, making him look even fatter as well as ridiculous.
He looked as though he wanted more. After snapping at the woman, he hurriedly turned to the chef and asked, "What other dishes are coming? Bring them out already. How is such a tiny piece of foie gras supposed to fill anyone up?"
Kanibari's smile didn't change. Instead of answering, he turned to look at Mrs. Caster.
Mrs. Caster wasn't displeased by the businessman's rudeness. Instead, she said happily, "I didn't expect our guest to be so pleased with the food here. Naturally, we can't disappoint him. Kanibari, continue serving the dishes. Ah, and miss, since you can't eat meat, bread and fruit are all right, aren't they?"
"Yes, they are. I'm so sorry for the trouble."
At Mrs. Caster's signal, Kanibari nodded and smiled, then wheeled the cart back to the kitchen to prepare the next dish.
In the interval between courses, the man with glasses took the opportunity to ask, "Dear Mrs. Caster, it's an honor to have been invited into your villa. But as you can see, we fled here after a disaster. Could you please tell us how we can leave this island?"
Once he had spoken up, the others followed.
Phil ran a hand through his hair, combing his wet white locks back. "This island is so desolate, yet you have foie gras and red wine here. There must be a boat that comes regularly to deliver supplies, right?"
He sounded casual, but he had hit the nail on the head.
They had seen no sign of human habitation along the way, and when they reached the villa, they hadn't seen a farm nearby either. That meant these things hadn't been raised or grown here, so they could only have been brought in from outside.
If they wanted to leave, they could go with the supply boat.
Mrs. Caster took a sip of red wine, staining her rosy lips. "I understand that you are all eager to leave, but the supply boat only left yesterday. The next one won't arrive for another seven days, and no one will come here in the meantime."
"What? Another seven days? I have a match in three days!"
Brussels pounded the table, making the utensils on it tremble.
"Why are you panicking? We're lucky enough to have a chance to leave. Why worry about a match now? I'm sorry, Mrs. Caster. Please don't take offense. He just got carried away; he meant no disrespect to you."
The man with glasses first stopped Brussels from speaking so recklessly, then turned and bowed his head apologetically to Mrs. Caster.
Brussels also realized he had acted impulsively. What kind of normal person would live in such a strange place? They were under her roof now and couldn't afford to offend their hostess.
"It was my fault, madam. I spoke out of turn in a moment of anxiety."
By then, Kanibari the chef had returned to them. Mrs. Caster's expression remained unchanged. After saying she didn't mind, she invited them to try the next dish.
Kanibari placed plates of pan-fried lamb in front of them, telling each guest to enjoy their meal as he set down a plate. When he reached the black-haired woman, he bent down, fixed his dark eyes on her, and said in a voice as deep as a string instrument:
"Miss, this salad was prepared especially for you. It contains no meat at all. I hope you'll be pleased with it."