The next morning.

Ivy awakened early and was surprised to see human food on the table.

Kate wakes up a moment later and also saw the food on the table. "OMG! Human food! Roasted chicken, rice, and apple! Tell me it's not a dream! I have not eaten human food for a long time!"

Ivy smiled, amused. "It's real dear sister! The smell is delicious and yummy!" Suddenly, her tummy was grumbling, oh boy, she remembered that she has forgotten to eat dinner last night!

After folding the mattress and setting it aside in the corner. The sisters gathered around the table and began putting foods on their plates. They were already munching their food when Esmeralda exited her room.

"Granny, thank you for the food!" Kate said, expecting that the old woman was the one who finds food for her sister early in the morning.

"Please, join us, Granny! There's still enough food for the three of us," Ivy said, offering the old woman to join them in the table.

Esmeralda shook her head. "Continue eating, girls. I'll just go outside while you're eating your meals." She sauntered towards the door and paused. "By the way, the food was delivered by the big bird and left it on the ground. The tree alerted me to it early in the morning. I guess Maxwell was the one who sends the food for Ivy. Enjoy your meals!" she said and exited the door.

Ivy and Kate looked at each other in astonishment.

Kate dropped the chicken thigh on the plate. "OMG! I can't eat this! What if Maxwell had put poison on the food?" she asked in a horrified voice.

Ivy sighed. "Sister, keep eating! The food has no poison!" she assured her and continue eating the savory roasted meat of the chicken.

Kate's face contorted in disgust and suspicion. She was swallowing her saliva still wanting to continue eating the roasted chicken. But she was afraid that she will just drop dead on the chair due to food poisoning. Those thoughts scared her, so she stops eating altogether.

She was surprised because her older sister was eating the food with gusto. "Sis, are you not afraid of the possibility of the food being mixed with poison?"

Ivy was smiling while munching on the tender meat. "Not really. This is the kind of food Maxwell feed me most of the time while I'm being imprisoned in the room. He never poisoned my foods."

Kate pouted. "Are you and that vampire Maxwell...sort of a lover?"

Ivy's eyes widened in amazement. "Huh? Why are you asking me if he is my lover?" her brows furrowed.

"B-because you trusted him that much!" Kate answered aloud, twitching her mouth in distaste.

Ivy laughed at the expression on her sibling's face. "I don't trust him that much, but he sounds genuine when he told me that he will help us get out of the castle alive because that was also his goal to get out of this castle one day. It just happened that we shared the same dreams in life," she explained gently.

Ivy finished consuming half of the roasted chicken while her sister was looking at the remaining dish hungrily. "See...look at me! I'm done eating but I'm not dead yet. I leave the rest of the chicken for you to eat!"

Kate was truly hungry, she grabbed the chicken thigh that she dropped on the plate and continue eating. "Hmm, yummy! Who cooked this?" she asked.

"The human servants outside the castle. Do you remember that old man who pushes you in the pit? His entire family serves Maxwell and his brothers for generations," answered Ivy.

"Ah I see, that is why the chicken tasted so tender and savory! It's the best that I have eaten after a long time," Kate said.

A frown appeared on Ivy's forehead. "Why, aren't you eating well here?"

Kate shook her head. "No. We never eat human foods here. Granny had me swallowed a pearl and told me that I will no longer feel hungry after ingesting it. And she is right, I no longer eat anything after that day..."

Ivy was amazed by the old woman's power. "Granny is truly powerful and talented! Tsk! Tsk! Too bad she can't even use her power to escape this castle!" She was shaking her head in dismay.

Kate hungrily devoured the rest of the dish and the rice, even the fruit.

Ivy smiled while looking at her sister. "Come with me to the vampire's place, you will never go hungry there. They will serve you delicious human foods all the time," she coaxed her.

Kate was listening to her sister's enticing offer. She recalled that when she was still in captivity by the vampires, she was given delicious meals three times daily. But they also drink her blood! Such despicable creatures!

"No way, I'm not going back there!" Kate answered firmly.

Ivy released a deep sigh of frustration. Still, her sister is hard to sway, then she remembered the plan she had last night before she falls asleep!

Oh, that...! Dang! She almost forgot about it.

Now that she remembered it, she must execute her plan today! The sooner she can finish her mission the better for her and her sister.

Done eating, the sisters cleaned the dishes and the table.

Since staying inside the house is boring, they ventured outside and sat on the wooden bench under the shade of the golden tree.

Kate looked up at the tree. "Hello, tree...where is Granny?"

The tree didn't answer.

Kate sighed. "Hmph, such moody and snobby tree!" she grumbled.

A few seconds later she felt someone slapped her on her back and saw one of the branches of the tree speeding away. "Dang! Tree, how dare you...you are such a bully!" she complained.

"Talk to your sister, ugly cow!" the tree retorted finally.

"Ugly tree!" Kate fought back.

"Ugly human!" the tree responded.

"Shut up!" Kate glared at the tree in annoyance.

"Shut up cow!" the tree continues antagonizing Kate.

Ivy was dying in laughter while witnessing the hilarious exchange between her sister and the tree. She rose to her feet and grabbed her sister's hands. "Oh, dear! Come, let's go over there! Don't quarrel and fight with the tree!"

Kate stood up and allowed herself to be dragged by her sister.

They come near the edge of the land.

"Wow, such a beautiful view over there!" Ivy shouted and pointed her fingers at the scenery below, the trees are growing like mushrooms.

Kate took a step backward grabbing her sister back to safety. She still can remember the horror she experienced after she took a tumble into the forest below and was saved by the centaur king. She doesn't want the same accident happening twice. "Don't come near the edge, sister! You will fall below!" she warned her.

Ivy took a deep breath, this is it! She's going to do it!

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the two big birds waiting nearby. She looked at her sister and murmured silently, 'I'm sorry, sister, but I have to do this!'

She yanked her sister hard and they fall from the floating piece of land heading into the forest below...

"GRANNY...HELLLPPPPPPPPPP...USSSS!" Kate screamed in horror and shock.