Sabotaging My Walkout Queen

Chapter 47: Getting Closer

Athena’s P.O.V.

“Alright, here we go. I would have to break this red stuff first, then cut the orange ones, and mix all

together.” He slowly opened the container, and I could not get enough of staring at him.

Other than our maids, the last time I experienced someone prepared for my food was when Mommy

was still alive. Even at six years old, I kept on staying in our kitchen area as I always wanted to help

Mommy cook our food.

On the other hand, Helena was indeed the sleepy type. So, while she was waiting at the dining table,

her head would inevitably bow as a sign that she had already fallen asleep.

When Mom died, Dad would only prepare the table for Helena... as if she was his only daughter. It was

a good thing that I knew how to prepare my food, and being with Paula in the kitchen made me learn

how to cook even more. Aside from Mom, who untimely passed away, my assistant and maids at

home... now, I had Cristoff.

“Let me help you,” I offered. I was ready to steal the container from him, but he just stopped me.

“No, I can do this. These are only baluts*, Helena. I just dyed them to become red!” he blurted out.

My eyes grew wide in horror at what I heard. “Balut? Oh my God, no way, Cristoff!” I yelled at him while

moving my head sideways to keep myself from disagreeing. Because of my scream, almost everyone

in the canteen looked at us, but I did not care.

For Christ’s sake, there is no way that I would eat a small chick! Just by thinking about its black head

popping as you crack its shell would already make me feel sick and vomit.

He laughed transparently. “I loved your reaction, Helena, but don’t you trust me enough? I’m only

kidding. These are indeed salty eggs!”

“Promise?” I asked like a kid.

“I promise,” he confirmed.

Learning that those were salty eggs made me heave a deep sigh out of relief, but I wouldn’t just sit

here without doing anything to get even. The next thing I knew was I immediately stood up and before

he could even say a word, I already spanked his shoulder.

“Ouch! You’re getting used to hitting me, huh? Can’t you just relax? I wouldn’t let you eat something

that I knew you wouldn’t like.” He couldn’t stop laughing, but his laugh seemed to be music to my ears.

I sat down. “I’ll help you. I’ll make sure that there was no balut in there!”

“No, Helena… just sit there and watch me. You’re my princess for today so let me be your slave,” he

ordered me.

Then, he brought four red eggs and three tomatoes from his food vessel. I must admit that I never tried

eating that food combination as I wasn’t good at eating vegetables, but I could at least give it a try.

“But I don’t want you to be my slave, Cristoff. You’re my rival, remember? Look, when Mommy was still

alive, it might not be obvious, but I always helped her cook and set-up our dining table. I was only four

by then,” I smiled while boastfully telling him my story.

“But I don’t want you to be my rival, Helena. I want you to be my—” he cut off mid-sentence.

He was then speechless while breaking the salty egg as his fingers turned red-violet. He looked at me

and his piercing brown eyes seemed to be telling me something he couldn’t say personally.

“What?” I asked. Badly wanting him to finish his sentence to satisfy what I really wanted to hear, my

eyes got fixated on his face trying to read him translucently. It seemed like all I could see right now was

him, only him, in this almost crowded place.

My heart started to beat fast, and butterflies suddenly fluttered inside my stomach. It felt like the

background scenes swiftly transitioned into a slow-motion manner as if an imaginary spotlight was

focused on us.

_________________________

Balut* is a fertilized bird egg (usually a duck) which is incubated for a period of fourteen to twenty-one

days depending on the local culture, then boiled or steamed. The contents are eaten directly from the

shell.

Balut that is incubated for longer periods have a well-developed embryo and the features of the

duckling are recognizable. The partially-developed embryo bones are soft enough to chew and swallow

as a whole.

Balut is common street food in the Philippines and other localities and is also sold in stores and malls.

It is a relatively cheap source of protein and calcium. Wherever Filipinos migrated for work, a large

market for balut would develop.