The following day.
Lunchtime.
Menedelia arrived at the manor and appeared inside Nini's room while the couple was enjoying a delicious lunch.
"Granny! Come here, eat breakfast with us!" Nini said. She placed the extra plate and utensils on the table beside her.
"Eat with us, Granny. Let's discuss the plan later after we finished eating," Zero said.
"Okie Dokie," Menedelia replied and lowered herself on the chair beside Nini. She began eating with the couple.
Half an hour later, they finished eating. The servants entered the room and put the dirty dishes into the wooden food tray. They left the room after cleaning the table.
Menedelia took something from the pocket of her dress and gave it to Nini.
Nini looked at the bracelet in her palm, which was composed of black beads that looks like a seed of a pumpkin. "What is this, Granny?" she asked, examining the bracelet closely.
"It's a protection bracelet. I especially made it for you. The sinister voice won't be able to enter your brain once you wear that bracelet in your hands. Since today is your wedding day, I will make sure the ceremony will push through without any problem. No matter what happens, do not take the bracelet off from your hands, okay?" Menedelia warned her.
"I won't!" Nini assured her.
"Good! I felt relieved that no matter what happens tonight, the enemy won't be able to use you to satisfy his or her revenge. And I will be able to focus my time in facing the enemy head-on," Menedelia said. She looked at Zero. "No matter what happens, don't leave your wife alone! Always be alert and cautious to whatever changes you will see in her," she reminded him.
"Yes, I will!" Zero assured her.
"Good luck to all of us!" Menedelia said in a grim voice. "I'll go to the kitchen to examine that place closely," she said and exited the room.
Menedelia walked into the hallway and descended the stairs. She went to the kitchen, checked the makeshift extension outside. The aroma of freshly cooked delicious dishes floated in the air. The cook and her ten assistants were busy performing different tasks all over the place.
She left the kitchen area, heading to the back of the manor. She went to the shade under the tree and looked at the boy assigned to watch the animals. She instructed Zero to buy three monkeys and three dogs and put them in the cage. "Lad, did you feed the animals anything yet?" she asked.
The teenage boy shook his head. "I was instructed not to feed the animals anything, Granny," he answered.
"Good! Wait here, I'll get some food for them," Menedelia said and walked back to the makeshift kitchen outside the house. She went to the cook's side. "How many dishes left that you still need to prepare?" she asked. "Three more dishes. The lady of the house wants us to cook more dishes so that we can give food to the poor neighbors living nearby. She wants to share the food with the poor people on this special occasion," the cook explained.
"I see... where are the cooked foods?" Menedelia asked.
The cook pointed to the long table on the right. "There... we put the dishes in that long table, ready for transfer in the banquet hall in a moment," she said.
"Good, I would like to taste them before bringing them into the banquet hall," Menedelia declared.
"Sure!" the cook replied and resumed slicing the meat in the chopping board.
Menedelia picked up a big platter as well as pork and spoon. She went to the long table and took samples of all the cooked dishes. By the time she finished with her task, the platter was already overflowing with food in all varieties.
She left the makeshift kitchen and went back to the back of the house.
The lad's eyes widened in excitement after seeing the delicious food on the platter. "Granny, can I have some? Please? I'm feeling hungry guarding these animals," he complained.
Menedelia smiled in amusement. "You can eat some of the food, but let's feed the animal first! Give me the plastic bowls!" she ordered.
The boy obeyed and gathered the plastic bowls from the cage and put them on the small table.
Menedelia starts putting food in the bowls. Done with her task, she instructed the boy to put the bowls back into the small opening of the cage.
The boy obeyed.
The animals began eating the food.
She observed the animals. "Let's just wait a little bit and let the animals finish eating their food," she said.
The lad looked at Granny, his brows furrowed. "Why are you feeding the animals this delicious food?" he asked in confusion.
Menedelia smiled. "Silly boy! I feed them the food because they're hungry!" she answered.
"And I'm hungry too!" the boy protested, caressing his grumbling tummy while salivating at the foods on the platter.
Menedelia smiled in amusement.
Fifteen minutes later, nothing bad happens to the animals. They become more energetic after eating the food. Menedelia gave the platter to the boy. "You can have this food, it's all yours," she said.
"Finally! Thank you, God!" the lad said and looked heavenward, thanking the heaven above. He lowered himself on the chair and put the platter on the table. He began eating the food ravenously.
Menedelia smiled. "Eat slowly, you will choke on the food!" she reminded him.
The lad looked at her and smiled brightly. "Thanks for bringing the food, Granny!" he said and continue eating.
"Stay here and don't leave the animals. I'll go to the kitchen and get some water for you," Menedelia said. She left the area, going back to the location of the storage room.
She found several men transferring the wine into beautiful jars that are hand-painted with ornamental flowers. "Guys, are you going to bring the wine to the banquet hall?" she asked.
"Yes, Granny!" the leader of the men said.
"Can I have some sample of the wine? Kindly poured some into this pitcher, make it half-filled," she requested. She picked up the crystal pitcher and put it on the table.
"Sure!" the man said. He picked up one of the jars and poured some wine into the pitcher.
"Thank you," Menedelia said and left the storage room. She returned to the back of the house. The boy finished eating already. She picked up the bowls and poured wine into them, then put them back in the cage.
The dogs ignored the wine, but the monkeys drink the wine greedily.
The boy looked at the pitcher of wine. "Can I drink some of that, Granny? I feel thirsty," he said.
"Sure, but let's wait first," she replied, waiting on what's going to happen to the monkey after drinking the wine.
Fifteen minutes later, nothing happens.
Menedelia looked at the remaining wine in the pitcher, it can still fill one glass full. "Alright, you can drink this..." she said and gave the pitcher to the boy.
The boy drinks the wine greedily. "Wow, the wine tastes sweet!" the boy gushes after drinking the wine.
Menedelia took the pitcher. "I'll go back to the house. Keep an eye on the animals! Inform me right away if something bad happens to them," she said.
"Aye! Leave them to me," the boy answered.
Menedelia left the backyard and went back to the house after putting down the empty pitcher in the kitchen sink.
She saw the guests' carriages slowly arriving in the manor. There will be 300 guests tonight! She hoped that nothing bad will happen to them, or else, if someone will die tonight, she won't be able to forgive herself.
She appeared inside Nini's room a few minutes later.