Chapter 21: Let her do whatever she wants
Evening soon arrived, and Dominic finally wrapped up his work before heading home.
Throughout the drive, however, his attention kept drifting back to the message Clara had sent him the previous day.
He had spent the entire day debating whether he should reply. More than once, he had typed out a response. And every single time... he deleted it before sending.
Dominic was still trying to adjust to this new side of Clara. The thoughtful, cheerful, and surprisingly considerate woman she had become was so different from the Clara he had known that he couldn’t help wondering if he was reading too much into her actions.
So when it came time to reply... he had taken the coward’s way out.
Now, as the car rolled toward the Sterling Estate, he found himself rereading the same message again, trying to decipher its hidden meaning.
Across the front seat, Mark let out another silent sigh.
For someone who had worked beside Dominic for years, this was a first. His boss had remained distracted through an entire board meeting.
Even after signing several billion-dollar contracts, Dominic had been more occupied with typing and deleting messages than reviewing documents.
Boss... You’re negotiating with your wife harder than you negotiate business deals.
Mark wisely kept the thought to himself and focused on driving. He had already seen the text a countless time, and it would be a lie to say he wasn’t shocked.
The Clara who kept saying how much she hated Dominic was suddenly texting him, "I missed you" text.
A few minutes later, the car entered the estate.
Dominic stepped inside the mansion, but before he could head upstairs, something unusual caught his attention.
Almost every servant was gathered outside the kitchen. Even the head chef stood there with an expression that looked suspiciously nervous.
Dominic frowned. What’s going on?
Before he could walk over, Butler James hurried toward him.
"Welcome home, Master."
Dominic gave a slight nod. "What happened?"
James glanced toward the kitchen before answering carefully.
"Madam... has taken over the kitchen."
Dominic blinked once. "...Taken over?"
Before Butler James could elaborate, another voice interrupted them.
"What?" Hannah had just walked in through the front door.
"The kitchen?" She frowned. "What is Clara doing now?"
She looked toward the crowd of servants. The whispers coming from the kitchen only made her more suspicious.
She was supposed to have a date with Eric, but because he was on a business trip, she decided to return home instead. However, Clara’s decision to cook enraged her.
"I’m going to see what she’s planning—"
"Stop." Dominic’s calm voice immediately halted her.
Hannah turned around. "Brother."
She folded her arms. "Just because I agreed to let your wife attend my engagement doesn’t mean I have to trust her. What if she’s trying to poison us?"
The entire hall fell silent.
Butler James nearly choked on air.
"...Young Miss." He looked at her helplessly. "I can assure you Madam isn’t trying to poison anyone."
Hannah looked unconvinced. "And how are you so sure?"
"Because..." James hesitated. "...she’s been asking the chef questions every five minutes. The only thing she’s attacking is the recipe."
Several maids nodded vigorously. One of them couldn’t help adding,
"Madam even made Chef taste everything before she continued."
Another maid raised her hand.
"And she apologized to the vegetables after accidentally dropping one."
Hannah stared blankly. Even Lily and Silvia remained quiet.
"...She apologized to a carrot?"
The maid nodded earnestly.
"Yes. I’ve never seen anyone say sorry to a carrot before."
Mark, who had just entered behind Dominic, quickly looked away to hide his smile.
Even Dominic’s lips twitched ever so slightly.
Hannah still looked skeptical. "I don’t believe it," she voiced.
Butler James sighed. "Young miss, if Madam truly intended to harm anyone..." he gestured toward the kitchen. "...she wouldn’t keep asking whether everyone would like the food."
Hannah fell silent.
Dominic glanced toward the kitchen. A faint smile unconsciously appeared on his face.
"Let her do whatever she wants."
Without another word, he walked upstairs to freshen up.
Hannah watched him disappear before turning to Butler James.
"...Brother actually smiled."
James coughed politely. "I didn’t see anything."
Mark quietly muttered,
"Neither did I."
***
[Nearly an hour later]
"Tada!"
Clara walked in wearing a bright smile and an apron that still had a dusting of flour on it. She clapped her hands proudly.
"Dinner is served!"
One after another, the servants carried beautifully prepared dishes to the dining table. The aroma instantly filled the room.
Freshly baked bread, creamy mushroom soup, herb-roasted vegetables, perfectly grilled chicken, pasta, and a vibrant salad presented them.
And, sitting proudly in the center of the table.. an assortment of cookies and miniature cakes.
Dominic and Hannah both stared at the feast. Even Butler James looked genuinely surprised.
(She... made all of this?)
Clara stood beside the table, nervously rubbing her hands together.
"I... um..."
She cleared her throat.
"I know I’m still learning. So..." Her eyes unconsciously drifted toward Dominic. "...I hope everyone enjoys tonight’s dinner."
Although she addressed everyone, her gaze lingered on only one person.
She wanted to know one thing.
Would Dominic like what she had made?
Dominic noticed the expectation in her eyes. Without saying a word, he picked up his fork.
The entire room seemed to hold its breath. Even the servants waiting outside leaned in slightly.
Dominic cut a small piece, tasted it and remained completely expressionless.
Clara’s heart immediately sank.
Oh no... Was it that bad?
Hannah couldn’t wait any longer. She quickly took a bite herself.
A second later, her eyes widened.
"...This..." She looked at the food, then at Clara. "...You actually made this?"
Clara blinked. "...Is that a compliment?"
Hannah clicked her tongue.
"Don’t get used to it." She immediately reached for another bite.
"But..." she mumbled while eating, "...it’s annoyingly delicious."
A smile formed on Clara’s face.
Across the table, Dominic quietly put down his fork and looked directly at Clara.
"You made all of this yourself?"
Clara nodded eagerly.
"I did."
(My poor wife. How much trouble she must have gone through to prepare all of this? No, I can’t let her work so much.)
A brief silence followed. Then Dominic calmly said, "...It’s very good."
Three simple words. Yet to Clara, they sounded better than any grand compliment until another compliment hit her.
(But it would taste even better if you were the feeding it to me, wifey.)
"..."