In the kitchen of the Blanchet family.
Ellinor was perched on a spotless counter, with nothing to do.
Watching him chop vegetables with a bit of clumsiness, Ellinor swung her still sore legs leisurely and teased âTheo, youâre such an old fart, and you canât even cook for yourself?â
He glanced at her. âDo you think I need to?â
Ellinor raised an eyebrow For someone born into a wealthy family who lived a life of luxury, he didnât need to do these mundane chores himself.
Ellinor crossed her arms, âYou might not have needed to before, but you better start learning some housekeeping!â
As he chopped tomatoes, he smiled at her, âAnd why is that?â
Ellinor simply stated, âBecause youâre gonna have a family, you need to learn to take care of your wife and kids!â
He hummed in amusement. âEven if I canât do housework, I wouldnât let you do it. Iâd have people do it for you. And Iâll take âcareâ of you in areas others canât.â
Oh no, not again!
Ellinor blushed and decided to play dumb, ignoring his teasing âI donât like having people around me all the time. It disrupts my life!
To be honest, Iâm not really used to your lifestyle with all these servants. I like the atmosphere when itâs just us as a family. I love the feeling of caring and looking out for each other.
Theo, if you want to live with me, youâve gotta get used to a life without servants! You canât expect me to do all the chores; I ainât gonna be your free housemaid!â
He stopped what he was doing and listened. He looked up at her with his eyes slightly squinted.
She was hard to handle. She was already bossing him around before they even started living together.
But what she said hit home.
She was considering their future and planning a life with him in it.
Wasnât this the sweetest thing?
He snapped out of it and gently tapped her nose with his finger, âAlright! Iâll listen to you! Iâll be your housemaid. Iâll cook for you, do your laundry, and take care of you; is that okay?â
Ellinor rubbed her nose, frowned, and said, âTheo, your hands smell like tomatoes!â
He found it amusing to tease her, so he pinched her nose on purpose. âThatâs from cooking for you!â
Ellinor swatted his hand away angrily. âThen get back to cooking. Iâm starving!â
He stopped teasing, finished chopping the tomatoes, and humbly asked, âTell me, whatâs next?â
Ellinor looked at the chopped ingredients and instructed him, âOkay, tomatoes are done. Now slice the beef and cook it.â
He nodded and got to work.
Even though he held a high position in the business world, heâd never cooked in the kitchen himself.
Despite this, he was serious, and under Ellinorâs guidance, every step was done quite smoothly Ellinor found it amusing to watch this tall, handsome man cook beef. She couldnât help but smile, feeling cheerful.
Although she was resistant when Theo forcibly took her home, as she watched him quietly now, she felt a sense of peace and warmth.
Ellinor was left with rural relatives since childhood. They were reluctant to take care of her, so she went to a monastery.
She had always lacked a sense of belonging: no place felt like a home that gave her a sense of security.