Chapter 313: Man Of Principle
Julie was still blaming herself in her head, of all the days, why did her cooking have to be a biological hazard today, thinking that if only her stew hadn’t been so atrocious, they could have spent a few more cozy moments together, wrapped up in each other on the ground instead of dealing with the aftermath of her culinary war crime.
Meanwhile, Cassius had strolled back over to the cooking setup with the swagger of a man walking to his execution.
"Speaking of cooking..." He said, peering down at the pot. "The stew...or whatever this was...is still here."
He grimaced.
There it was, still bubbling faintly like a cursed swamp, with the texture of sludge and the color of regret. He picked up the pot with two fingers, holding it like it might bite him. The viscous goo inside swirled ominously.
"We should throw it away." Julie said quickly. "And dispose of it properly. Like, in a deep hole. With a sign that says ’Never Touch.’ I don’t want some poor animal stumbling onto it and...dying. Or worse."
Deep down, she was still hurt. She hadn’t meant to create a weapon of mass destruction. She just wanted to make something warm and filling. Something that brought people together, not something that cleared a thirty-foot radius and made birds fall from the sky.
She fully expected Cassius to nod in agreement, maybe even help her dig the stew its own grave.
But instead, Cassius held the pot up like he was examining an ancient relic.
"That was the plan." He said gravely. "Containment. Quarantine. Maybe a shrine to warn future generations. Because this stew...it’s not food. It’s a cursed object."
Julie’s frown deepened. ’Okay, that was rude, but also fair.’
He let out a long sigh. "But...my principles won’t let me."