Mateo’s face sank. He was just about to refuse when he looked up and saw Crayson staring at him with a sharp gaze. And so, he had to get up and move to the side to sit down. In the kitchen, Matthew took off his apron and walked over there.
“Come, Master. I saved you a seat.” Eleanor patted the seat next to her and smiled. “Your disciple treats you best, doesn’t she?” She was insinuating something. Veronica, sitting opposite, felt like Eleanor had just given her an uppercut.
“Thank you, Your Highness.” Matthew didn’t hold back either as he sat down directly next to her. As the elder among the group of youngsters, Crayson finally spoke. “Alright, now that everyone is here, let’s dig in.”
Although Hayley didn’t come down, the few people who knew the situation tacitly avoided mentioning her. The group sat together in the dining room. Since Eleanor was quite the conversationalist, the atmosphere was lively, and there were no signs of hostility between the archenemies.
At least, they were doing an excellent job at being amiable on the surface. Veronica thought that Eleanor would make a good diplomat, given her temperament.
A person who remained unassuming, concealing all emotions perfectly, making it difficult to fathom their thoughts… Such an individual made for the most formidable presence.
“Let me try the fish.”
Eleanor picked up a forkful of fish belly and put it in her mouth, savoring it carefully, then gave Matthew a thumbs up. “You are worthy of being my master. The catfish you cooked is delicious. Rich with aroma, a hint of sweetness, and tender flesh; it’s delightful!”
“Let me try.” Liam also picked up a piece of fish and took a bite. His eyes lit up at first, and the surprise in his eyes almost overflowed, but he still pretended to be calm and frowned. “Is it that good? It’s just average. Let’s see… Yes, it lacks a bit of spiciness. It would be even better if it was spicier.”
The hidden clan had a preference for food with more robust flavors. They liked to put a lot of chili in everything. In fact, they found joy in spiciness, but not everything had to be highly spicy to be delicious.
For instance, the home-cooked, pan-fried catfish Matthew had prepared. He cooked the fish until both sides turned golden brown, added some onions and slices of radish for a brief simmer, sprinkled a touch of coriander, and then let it simmer on low heat to reduce the sauce.
After it was cooked, the fish had no fishy smell and tasted delicious. It was excellent. Dominik also picked up a chunk and tasted it. After tasting it, he said to Matthew, “Iron Pillar, your culinary skills are exquisite. The fish is delicious.”
“Thank you, Your Highness, for your praise.” Matthew glanced at him with a simple and honest smile, nodding.
Then, he picked up a whole fish and placed it on Veronica’s plate. “Miss Veronica, have some fish. It will be gone if you don’t eat it now. Master Waylen said that you like to eat fish the most, so I specially cooked this for you.”
As a chef, it was inappropriate for him to serve food to Veronica. However, everything seemed reasonable because Matthew mentioned Crayson.
Especially when the three Ledger siblings praised the fish as delicious, it was highly likely that the food would be gone soon.
“Thank you.”
Veronica felt a gush of warmth but didn’t let it show.
“What about mine?” Mateo looked at Matthew and complained, “Anyhow, I’m half a master to you. It wouldn’t be right if you don’t serve me.”
For some reason, Mateo felt a bit unhappy when he saw Matthew serving Veronica. Unexpectedly, Matthew only glanced at Mateo indifferently. “Self-sufficiency leads to contentment.”
Mateo was rendered speechless at that. “Haha! Master is right.” Eleanor laughed and applauded. “Mateo, don’t make things difficult for my master.”
