The Nok Kingdom…
"How is he?" Anna asked the imperial doctor.
The doctor bowed his head and replied, "Your Majesty, His Highness's condition is not good. We managed to save him after he drowned, but we still don't know when he will wake."
Anna looked at the pale man lying before her—Lucien, the King Consort of the Nok Kingdom, her husband. The man who had tried to end his life by drowning himself in the pond.
Everyone in the palace believed he had attempted suicide out of guilt after being caught in an alleged affair with a servant. They said he chose death to escape humiliation.
But Anna simply looked at him and said softly, "I believe you, Lucien."
A knock came at the door. A servant entered and informed her that her mother had summoned her. The warmth in Anna's eyes disappeared, replaced by cold indifference. She stood, gave Lucien one last glance, and left the room.
The Dallas Family House…
The next morning, Lyra woke up to find Lucien missing from the bed. She was about to go downstairs when she noticed a note on the bedside table.
"After freshening up, come downstairs for breakfast."
There was a small heart drawn at the bottom.
She smiled, then went to get ready.
Downstairs, she paused midway on the staircase when she saw the scene before her.
Lady Dallas and Lucien were setting dishes on the table, while Johnson and the grandfather were already seated, talking quietly. It looked… warm. Peaceful.
For a moment, Lyra simply stood there and watched.
Then suddenly, a hand landed on her shoulder.
"Sis," Laura whispered dramatically, "you should take him to a priest. I'm serious. After waking up from that coma, he's completely different."
Lyra frowned slightly.
Laura continued, barely holding back laughter. "What if the real Lucien died and this is some wandering soul that entered his body? You know, like in those novels—"
She stopped mid-sentence.
The air around her turned cold.
Slowly, she turned her head and met Lyra's deadly glare.
Without another word, Laura bolted toward the dining table.
Lyra rolled her eyes. "This girl will lower my IQ one day," she muttered before heading downstairs.
As she approached, Lady Dallas smiled. "Lyra, come sit. Today's breakfast was made by Lucien."
Lyra sat beside him, her eyes soft with admiration.
"Really?" the grandfather said, surprised. "Lucien made all this? I'm impressed."
Lucien smiled a little shyly under their attention.
Lady Dallas added proudly, "When I went to the kitchen this morning, he was already cooking. I told him to rest, but he sent me away instead."
Laura leaned forward and sniffed the food.
"It smells fine…" she murmured. "Let's see if it tastes okay."
She picked up a dumpling, took a bite, then sipped some soup.
The next second, her chopsticks slipped from her hand and clattered onto the table.
Everyone froze.
Grandfather, who had just picked up a dumpling, slowly placed it back down.
Lady Dallas looked at Lucien with worry.
"I should've helped him…" she thought anxiously. "And this girl—can't she behave properly?"
Only Lyra looked amused, watching everyone's reactions.
Then suddenly, Laura jumped to her feet and rushed over to Lucien.
Before anyone could react, she threw her arms around him.
"Lucien, you're amazing!" she exclaimed. "This is the best food I've ever had! Even Mom can't cook like this—you're incredible!"
Lyra's expression darkened instantly.
Before Lucien could respond, a hand grabbed Laura and pulled her away.
Lyra.
She smacked Laura lightly on the forehead and dragged her back to her seat.
Laura didn't argue.
The room fell into an awkward silence.
Grandfather cleared his throat. "Laura… are you telling the truth? If the food is that good, why did you drop your chopsticks?"
Lucien looked like he didn't know whether to laugh or hide.
Laura waved her hands quickly. "No, no! It's amazing, I swear! I just… wasn't expecting it to be this good. I was shocked!"
After a moment, Grandfather picked up his chopsticks again.
One by one, the others followed.
They tasted the food.
Then they all looked at Lucien, genuinely surprised.
"Lucien, my boy," Grandfather said with a laugh, "this is excellent. I didn't expect this from you."
"Yes," Lady Dallas added warmly. "Your cooking is truly impressive. When did you learn all this?"
Lucien smiled awkwardly.
"Ah… when I was abroad, my mentor taught me. He said I shouldn't forget my roots."
He clenched his hands slightly, hoping the explanation would pass.
Lady Dallas chuckled. "Whoever taught you, you've clearly mastered it. I should learn from you."
Johnson nodded in agreement.
Lucien shook his head quickly. "No, Mother, please don't say that. I should be the one learning from you."
Lady Dallas looked at him with gentle eyes.
Lyra watched quietly, a soft smile on her lips.
For the first time, everything felt… right.
They continued eating, chatting and laughing. The atmosphere was warm, filled with a sense of belonging that hadn't existed before.
After breakfast, Lucien and Lyra prepared to leave.
Lady Dallas tried to persuade them to stay longer, but eventually let them go.
Meanwhile, Laura quietly took Lucien's number before they left.
Not because she had any deep reason.
She just wanted to eat his cooking again.
And maybe… because she found him interesting.