Light, elegant bolero music filled the hall. The musicians stood in the corner, playing the melody on traditional instruments. The air was filled with the scent of copal incense.
Waiters moved among the guests, serving appetizers.
The guests themselves were enchanted by the atmosphere — the sounds of the music, the smell of incense, the aesthetics of the décor, and above all, the main attraction of the evening.
A young man. Captured and presented in a Mesoamerican style. And on top of that, so calm and polite — something truly rare.
"What a charming young man."
"Well-mannered. It's almost a shame to eat him."
Evan accepted all the compliments with a sincere smile. He looked as if he were receiving several culinary awards rather than being the main course for tonight's dinner.
Callisa stood at some distance from Evan. She still couldn't believe what was happening, but… maybe it shouldn't surprise her. After all, how many times had she herself almost eaten him?
As she was thinking this, a certain lady approached her.
"I understand how you feel."
"May I ask how?"
"I once went through something similar," the woman said, glancing at Evan. "My boyfriend surprised me. I found him on the kitchen table on a platter with a sign that said 'Eat Me.'"
"And you couldn't stop yourself?"
The woman simply nodded, then added:
For young girls, something like that was the height of romance, with a potential bitter note.
"I cried bitter tears while eating him, yet I couldn't stop. That's just how it is in mixed relationships… You tell him he's sweet, delicious… and then you find him in your kitchen…"
Callisa sighed. That was exactly it. She began to wonder if they hadn't been doomed to this fate from the very beginning.
She looked at the menu prepared by her sister. Pure essence of Mesoamerican style.
To start: frothed chocolate with chili, vanilla, agave honey, and a drop of dark rum. Sweet, bitter, and spicy all at once. She considered it an excellent opening.
Next: corn cream with chili and lime, paired with a semi-dry white Riesling. A good preparation.
When she reached the main course, she didn't know whether to feel pride, despair, fulfillment… she had no idea what to feel.
Torso roasted on a spit over mesquite wood, marinated in cocoa, chili, lime, coriander, and garlic. Stuffed with black beans, corn, bell pepper, chili, and cocoa. Paired with a red Malbec.
Shoulder meat cut into small pieces for tacos.
Roasted leg chops served on corn leaves.
Along with salsa verde, mango salsa, roasted corn with chili butter, black beans stewed with cocoa and spices. Premium tequila to drink.
For dessert: pineapple ice cream with a hint of lime and a delicate chili accent. Served with mint leaves and corn crumble. And more dark rum.
She had to admit it. Otherwise she would have denied her own culinary skills. Everything was perfectly composed.
A perfect ending to the dinner and her relationship…
She could only put her ears back in resignation.
In another part of the hall, someone had no intention of putting her ears back. Frida growled, her tail twitching nervously. She kept returning to the photos of her parents.
"Nice to finally meet Helga's daughter."
Frida merely nodded with displeasure. The club members only laughed.
"Just like her mother."
"She has exactly the same expression Helga had when someone snatched her prey from under her nose."
"Wild Hilda. That's what we called her when she was young… the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
That sobered Frida up.
"My mother was wild?"
She had always seen her mother as calm and dignified. Though not as stiff as her old man.
"Well, after she found out she was pregnant, she became much calmer. Even marriage couldn't tame her, but motherhood…"
A moment of laughter.
"Was my father a hunter?"
"Yes."
One of the women pointed to Evan's display.
"Every club member prepares their inaugural display after their first successful hunt."
She laughed.
"Remember how Ernst prepared his?"
"Forms confirming compliance with all procedures."
Everyone laughed. Frida hadn't believed before that her father had been a hunter. Now she did. No one else could have presented their prey like that.
Then the smiles suddenly faded.
"Everything was great until that day."
Everyone lowered their heads and fell silent.
Aiko was chatting with Lucia about anime and Mesoamerican aesthetics. She tried to escape with her thoughts elsewhere, but kept thinking about the same thing.
"I want to draw every scene from this hall."
Lucia and the other women were absolutely delighted.
"That's an excellent idea."
"You should capture it. You have the talent for it."
Aiko regretted saying it, but she had to admit they were right… at least as an artist.
As someone who knew Evan, she could capture the moment best. Immortalize Evan forever. Although one part of her strongly opposed it, the other was already choosing colors and framing.
Morona, meanwhile, was discussing poetry and old dramas with Hernando. Every conversation, however, drifted toward famous tragedies ending with the hero's death. Toward the plays she valued most.
"The truth, once hidden from me, has now been fully revealed, flooding my heart with unspeakable bitterness."
Hernando nodded.
"I am old. So very old. I've seen many go onto the plate. One in particular stayed in my memory. That was my dear Antonio."
He lowered his head.
"His wife died in an accident. After that, he devoted himself completely to service. At first I thought he just needed time to process the trauma, but…"
Morona only clicked her pincers in a questioning manner about his fate.
After some time I realized something was wrong. I sent him to the doctor. I thought he was taking his wife's loss too hard, but… One day he undressed in front of me and asked me to have him served at the feast." The old jaguar sighed heavily. "If you had seen his eyes. He was already on the other side. It was clear to me that he couldn't be helped anymore. I fulfilled his request." He turned his face toward Evan. "Now I feel like I'm seeing those same eyes again…"
All four girls fell into a kind of stupor for a moment. At least until they heard Evan's voice.
"Girls, come over."
They all approached almost automatically.
"Are you having fun? I see you've found common ground."
The girls nodded almost unconsciously.
"Yes, it's very nice. This is really a good place," said Callisa, then felt a jolt through her entire body and mind. "But doesn't this bother you? You know… they want to kill you."
Evan gently shook his head.
"Not at all."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously. Seriously."
All the girls opened their eyes wide in astonishment. This was something extraordinary. Even for Evan.
"I'm glad it's such a nice place. Good for an elegant dinner." Then he smiled at them. "I'm grateful you let me invite you. You've always been good to me. I wouldn't be happy if you didn't get a piece."
"You know, Evan, we'd most like to have you," Aiko said shyly.
"I know. That's why I invited you," he said with a smile.
This completely disarmed the girls. On one hand, Evan admitted he wanted to be eaten by them. On the other, it was like the most wonderful romantic confession.
"I have to admit, you really are a nice guy."
They turned around. Dorian and Elara had arrived.
"I must thank you for the invitation. As a chef and restaurateur, I am immensely honored. As a father…"
Dorian fell silent, as if he didn't know what to say.
"I understand what you want to say," the club chairman appeared beside them. "The whole room feels it. On one hand, this is an extraordinary event — both culinarily and in the hunting world. On the other, the members and guests have really grown fond of Evan, and they truly feel sorry for him."
The girls looked at him with slight hope.
"Unfortunately, sympathy has nothing to do with it here. There is no basis to interrupt the ceremony. If we took every regret into account, the club wouldn't have survived the first season."
Frida was the first to nod.
"I don't like it, but I have to admit you're right. Just 'it's a shame' isn't enough to stop the ceremony. My old man would probably bore me to death with paragraphs. Actually, where is he?"
"I sent Mr. Ernst Vollmond an invitation along with a video presentation of the hunt. However, there has been no response."
Frida only sighed.
Evan seemed moved by this.
"Cheer up. There'll be more left for you."
She looked at Evan as if she had no idea how to respond.
"I have to admit I liked him too," Mateo spoke up. "I'd gladly see his culinary talents, but that's impossible… the ceremony cannot be interrupted just like that."
"That's true, son. Tradition is tradition. Even the greatest sympathy is not grounds for interruption." Then he turned to the young man. "Mr. Evan, I admit I liked you, but I cannot stop what is happening. I can, however, promise you that you will be remembered as an exceptional trophy. Not because you are human, but because of who you are."
Evan bowed.
"Thank you, Don Serrano."
Strix pulled out a pocket watch on a chain, checked the time, and put it away.
"Dear gathered guests, with regret I inform you that the time has come to end the aperitif and move on to the official part."
The music fell silent. The waiters retreated to the walls. Everyone gathered in front of the display, forming a corridor between the podium and the curtain. Only Strix and Mateo remained with Evan. The former spoke.
"Dear members and guests, thank you all for coming. We have gathered here to witness the hunting inauguration of Mateo Serrano. I ask the hunter to describe the hunt."
Mateo stepped forward. He straightened up. He looked confidently at the crowd.
"Dear gathered guests. I, Mateo Serrano, second son of the illustrious Serrano family, swear to tell you the whole truth, exactly as it happened."
He pointed at Evan. A screen unrolled beside him.
"Here is my trophy. Evan Smith. I noticed him a few days ago on the border between the yellow and red zones." A video recording of the hunt appeared on the screen. "For some unknown reason, he kept crossing from one zone to the other. Eventually it irritated me enough that I approached him and asked why he was doing it. Then, without a word, he suddenly jumped into the red zone. I had no idea why he did it. But I understood that I had gained the chance for a legal hunt. Then I began the chase."
He looked at Evan.
"He was very fast. There were moments when I thought he would escape. However, I must confess something to you."
He looked deeply into the eyes of the audience.
"I set out on the hunt with the mindset that it was simply a family tradition, my duty to the clan." He paused for effect.
"However, this hunt changed something in me. Until now, you may have known me as an amateur racer. Racing and fast cars gave me excitement, but this hunt… gave me experiences I had never known before. For the first time, I thought I understood why my family is so passionate about hunting."
Some began to clap, and Frida nodded her head almost imperceptibly.
"Dear gathered guests, you have seen the video recording and heard my words. I admit that I desire this trophy, but I place family honor first. If anyone can point out any legal inconsistency, I will release him immediately. I ask everyone present — is anyone able to accuse me of any legal inconsistency?"
He looked around the room. Some looked sideways. Others downward. Others straight ahead. No one accused him of anything.
Finally Strix spoke.
"I see no one is raising any objection, so let us proceed with the inauguration. Curtain."
The curtain opposite them opened. Behind it was a wooden block, its base decorated with marigolds. In front of it stood a basket. Next to it, on a polished wooden stand, hung an axe. Even from a distance it was clear this was an extraordinary object. A smooth, heavily polished mahogany handle. And a shining blade of Damascus steel. In the light of the lamps, it seemed to gleam as if waiting for its victim.
Two footmen helped Evan down from the podium. They gave him a moment to stretch his legs after sitting for so long.
Mateo went first. He walked like a nobleman. Behind him was Evan, led by the two footmen. He seemed not so much calm as excited. Finally they led him in front of the block.
"Please don't make it difficult for us."
The footman said. They removed his maxtlatl and ornaments. For him, it wasn't humiliating. After all, he would be naked on the plate anyway.
"On your knees, please."
He knelt by himself. No one pushed him. There was a cushion under his knees, so it was quite comfortable. Mateo stood to his right. He already held the axe in his hands.
"Mr. Smith. Do you wish to say anything else?" Strix asked. Evan thought for a moment and nodded. The chairman took out a notebook and pen.
"Please speak."
Evan cleared his throat lightly.
"Dear guests. I would like to confess something to you. Since I arrived in Carnivory, I have been almost eaten many times. I've thought about it a lot, and I know one thing. Hunger is part of existence, but how you satisfy it is something else entirely. I was a victim in the incident with the white fox." Several guests murmured with displeasure. The incident with Madame Albentine was still remembered. "She was a vain, false, and hypocritical person, full of herself, looking down on her victims with contempt and superiority. I can accept many things, but not falsehood and hypocrisy. That is why I thank you all for your sincerity and respect toward me. I hold nothing against any of you. I would like to ask one thing. Please take care of the girls after the dinner is over. Your support will surely be useful to them. In closing, I can say one thing."
A moment of silence fell.
"I wish everyone a tasty meal."
Everyone looked at Evan with admiration. Everyone was carried away by the moment. Even the girls, though their hearts were in their throats. All said in one voice:
"Thank you for the meal."
Mateo gently bent his torso and placed his neck on the block. He finally decided it was good. Evan glanced at the bottom of the basket. It was lined with white cloth. He thought it was a shame there were no marigolds there, but then he remembered the pollen. He put on a calm expression. He winked to signal that he was ready.
Mateo placed the axe against the base of his neck. He adjusted his grip. He began to raise the axe. He intended to do it properly. With one blow. So that he wouldn't feel pain. The axe rose high above the crowd. The jaguar tensed his muscles. He drew air into his lungs. He furrowed his brow.
He began.
Callisa shuddered.
Frida clenched her fist.
Aiko tried to close her eyes.
Morona spoke soundlessly.
The axe began to descend toward its target, cutting through the air. It seemed everything was leading to this moment. Evan would die. His head would become a trophy, and his body a perfect dinner.
That was how it was, until the sound of a whistle pierced everything.
The blade stopped just short of Evan's neck.
Everyone was in shock. They turned toward the source of the sound. There stood a wolf in uniform. From his gaze alone it was clear he had no desire to be there.
"Ernst Vollmond," a murmur spread through the room.
"Dad," Frida couldn't believe it.
Edgar Smith stepped forward.
"Mr. Vollmond, I am glad you have arrived, however…"
The wolf didn't let him finish. He pulled out his badge and spoke in a voice that brooked no argument.
"Chief Commissioner for Meat and Slaughter Ernst Vollmond. I demand an immediate halt to the ceremony."
"On what basis do you make this demand?"
"Under the Meat Act, Article 84. Concerning violation of hunting zones."
Everyone looked at each other. A legal obstacle?
"That is a mistake, dear Chief Commissioner. I personally reviewed the video recording and found no violation of that article. Please take your seat. Despite such an entrance, your return truly pleases us. Father and daughter are finally together in our hunting club."
Ernst looked around the room. When he saw Frida, he seemed genuinely horrified. As if his worst nightmare had suddenly come true. He had no intention of backing down.
"Replay the recording."
Strix ordered the video to be played. At his command, it was paused at the moment Mateo approached Evan. The wolf turned to the hunter.
"Mr. Strix, are you aware that the zone boundary runs exactly through the middle of the street? Precisely on the line of the road markings?"
"Yes, Mr. Commissioner. I checked that."
"So you knew that both the hunter and the prey were in the yellow zone. No consent was given from the prey's side. Therefore, the hunt began illegally."
A murmur ran through the entire room. Strix raised his hands. The room fell silent.
"Dear Sir, based on the video recording and Mr. Serrano's testimony, I can guarantee that any hunting actions were taken only after Mr. Smith stepped into the red zone." Vollmond measured him with a sharp look. Then he looked at the hunter.
"Mateo Serrano. Do you still maintain that before you approached the prey, you had been observing it for several days?"
"Yes. I approached and asked about his behavior."
"Article 84, paragraph 3. Provoking the prey to enter the hunting zone. This also applies to unconsciously causing the event. Therefore, there is a legal basis to recognize that the hunt began in the yellow zone. I order…"
Strix raised his hand.
"Objection." Vollmond looked at him. "Article 19 on provocative behavior of the prey."
The room sank into murmurs and questioning glances. Vollmond and Strix exchanged several more arguments before Mateo spoke.
"May I have everyone's attention." The room fell silent. "Thank you."
He looked at everyone.
"Dear gathered guests. As I already said, I desire this trophy, but I place honor higher, and honor requires that the trophy have no legal ambiguity. The very fact that this situation has arisen proves that such ambiguity exists. In this situation, I can do only one thing."
Silence fell for a moment.
"I, Mateo Serrano, renounce my trophy and release my prey."
Everyone held their breath. Mateo rested the axe on the floor.
"I desire this trophy, but I know one thing. If I tried to continue, I would bring shame upon myself, my family, the club, and my prey, and I do not want that. I apologize for ruining the plans for tonight's dinner, but honor is more important."
Everyone sighed. The room filled with an atmosphere of thick disappointment mixed with relief. Alejandro Serrano stepped forward.
"Mateo."
"Yes, father," the young jaguar replied with concern.
"I am proud of you. This was not a fruitless hunt, and never think so. You may not have acquired a trophy, but you have proven that you are a true Serrano."
"Thank you, father."
Mateo stepped down from the stage. He approached the girls.
"Can you go to him? I think he'd most like to see you."
The whole group ran to Evan to help him get up from the block. But they stopped right in front of him. The expression on his face shook them. Sad, full of disappointment. His eyes asked why and whether he wasn't good enough. They needed a moment to lift him. In that moment of need, Callisa whispered in his ear.
"Calm down, Evan. You'll see, there's a much better place waiting for you. With us. When we're all together and no one else. Just us."
When Evan heard that, he immediately brightened up. The girls breathed a sigh of relief. It also calmed them that Evan began to cover his private parts. Emilio handed him a bathrobe, which Evan accepted.
Vollmond approached him.
"Evan Smith!" Evan instantly tensed like a string. "I ask officially. Do you wish to file any complaint?"
Evan widened his eyes in surprise.
"I do not intend to file any complaint. I was treated well and fairly and I have been released. There is no need to drag this out further."
"That's what I expected. It's enough to know you." Then he turned to Mateo. "Article 15 of the penal code on omission of action. No legal proceedings will be taken. Now please allow me to…"
Suddenly Vollmond felt a strong grip on his arm. He looked around. Frida had grabbed him.
"What are you…" he suddenly stopped.
He hadn't felt such a grip in years. And that look.
"You're not going anywhere! You have to explain a few things to me!"
Strix approached them.
"You should. This is your daughter and she has the right to know. Besides, you are still a member of our club. You haven't appeared here in a long time, but you still pay the membership fee. Her friends also deserve it."
Ernst lowered his head, then said resignedly:
"Fine, I'll explain everything to you…"
Then Alejandro approached Evan.
"Mr. Smith. We wanted to kill you, and you show us no resentment. Thank you."
"Please don't thank me. Everyone treated me well. I have no reason for resentment."
Don Serrano bowed.
"All the more reason I should thank you. You really would have been a magnificent trophy and dinner."
Evan actually blushed. The leader of the Serrano family had already turned to the gathered guests to apologize that the dinner would not take place when Esteban suddenly approached and handed him a piece of paper.
"Not everything is lost, father. I said there might be complications, so I secured a backup prey. I have already taken care of its legality."
Serrano looked at the paper, then summoned Lysandre. She read it and said she wouldn't have to change the menu. Don smiled. Then he turned to Evan and the girls.
"Since the dinner is still on, please stay."
Evan and the girls accepted the invitation. Mainly because of Frida, who for a long while had been looking at her father with a piercing gaze.