“No, no, of course not. Please, have a seat.” She forced a smile.
The man scanned his surroundings. It was a simple office that still looked elegant even with its minimalistic design. Even though he found it lacking, he was glad to see that the office was tidy.
He found himself a seat and asked, “What are you looking at?”
“Things I have to do today. Looks like today will be a long day…” Nicole sighed. “Why are you here? Do you need something from me?”
“Not really,” he replied as he stared at her lovingly. “I just wanted to be by your side.”
Nicole instantly felt a chill run down her spine. Is this man delusional?
“There’s no need for that. It feels weird having someone here when I work. Please leave.”
She really hoped he could understand that she was chasing him out politely, yet, things went way different than she had imagined.
He ignored her, thinking she was putting up an act of indifference. “I have nothing else to do. I’ll just stay here for a while.”
Nicole was rendered speechless, and annoyance bubbled within her after her surprise subsided.
Is he for real? The owner of a winery has nothing to do? Heck, how can you be so free when you’re the heir to a duke?
Nicole’s curiosity had been piqued, but it was rude to ask him about the topic in such a manner. So, she decided to focus on her work instead.
The busy woman thought Levant would leave when lunchtime rolled around, but she was proven wrong when he remained seated as the clock struck noon.
Should I chase him out? Seeing that he’d waited for a whole morning, Nicole decided to do that after lunch instead.
“Mr. Levant, should we grab something to eat?”
“Didn’t I tell you to drop the honorifics?” Levant stood up.
Even though she wasn’t used to calling him by his name, she seemed to have no choice or say in the matter. So, she nodded. “Come on, let’s go.”
Nicole led the way, wondering how she was going to chase the man out of her office as she walked.
Levant followed closely behind her. He wondered if she was touched when he had waited for her throughout the entire morning. This is going smoother than I thought.
When they arrived at the canteen, Nicole found a brightly lit spot and sat down. She ordered two dishes and two servings of rice.
“I hope the food suits your taste,” she said awkwardly.
The man looked at the dishes on the table and smiled faintly. Is she going to pretend she can eat these unimpressive dishes and prove she’s not a gold digger?
“Do you always eat your lunch here?” he asked.
“It depends. I usually eat here when I’m busy.”
She would usually head back home to enjoy her lunch with her children, but she was afraid to do so today because Levant might just decide to follow her back.
The man put up a worried expression and said, “You must have it tough…” He then stood up to help Nicole plate some food.
“I’ll do it myself.” She wasn’t used to having another man do such a thing for her.
He watched her as she ate, wondering if she really could eat such a simple meal.
When Nicole was busy raising her four children alone in the past, life was hard for her. There were times when she would have to starve. That was why she could enjoy the simple meal she was now eating.
A few minutes soon passed, and he frowned as he realized she wasn’t forcing herself to eat the food. Instead, it was him who found the food inedible.
Nicole noticed his reaction as well and tried her best to hide her smile.
I hope he leaves early to Levant Winery for his meal…
She quickly finished her meal without uttering a single word and then asked, “I think the food here isn’t up to your standard. You should go back to Levant Winery and have your lunch there instead.”
