At that moment, Sebastian was already home, comfortably settled on the living room couch, waiting for dinner.

When Madelyn returned and saw him, she greeted him with a warm and friendly smile. “Sebastian, I’ve returned.”

Sebastian glanced up at Madelyn, nodding subtly.

Then, Madelyn swiftly placed her bag on the table and, with a grin, playfully leaned into Sebastian. Like a cat, she sat beside Sebastian, her hair brushing against his face. “Have you eaten?”

Sebastian stiffened as if he had seen a ghost and uncomfortably shifted a bit to the side. “No.”

Upon noticing that, Madelyn quickly moved closer again. “Are you hungry?”

At that moment, Sebastian wasn’t thinking about hunger but rather about Madelyn’s behavior. What’s going on today? As soon as she returned, she came straight to me. Very unusual. With that thought in mind, Sebastian shifted slightly to the side again and said nonchalantly, “Somewhat. Lydia is preparing the meal. It should be ready soon.”

Madelyn suddenly snickered. “How about I cook for you today?”

Upon hearing those words, Sebastian was stunned. “What did you say?”

Beaming, Madelyn rose to her feet. “Just you wait. I’m off to cook. I’ll show you just how skilled I am.”

After speaking, Madelyn then headed into the kitchen. As Sebastian watched her leave, he thought that was weird. Why’s Madelyn being so overly attentive all of a sudden today? Could she possibly be plotting something again?

Lydia also didn’t expect Madelyn to suddenly walk into the kitchen and ask, “Mrs. Lockhart? What brings you here?”

Madelyn didn’t utter a word and simply tied on an apron. Then, she skillfully rolled up her sleeves, looking all set to get down to business.

Unable to contain her curiosity, Lydia asked, “Mrs. Lockhart, what are you doing?”

“Can’t you tell?” Madelyn suddenly smiled. “Lydia, why don’t you take a break today and assist me in the kitchen instead? I’ll take care of this meal.”

After she finished speaking, she picked up a white radish and began to slice it methodically. Lydia knew that her intentions were sincere, so she didn’t refuse. Meanwhile, Sebastian seemed somewhat incredulous that Madelyn could actually cook. Driven by curiosity.

Her technique, skill, and speed were all exceptional. In fact, the vegetables she chopped were of uniform size. For the first time, Sebastian saw a different side of Madelyn, which was unlike the casual and easygoing young lady he was familiar with. Her focused demeanor as she chopped the vegetables was filled with a woman’s tenderness and care. A hint of warmth subtly filled Sebastian’s heart when he saw that scene. He finally believed that she truly could cook.

At that moment, the oil in the frying pan at the side had become too hot, causing it to start splattering. Madelyn was busy chopping vegetables, so she didn’t notice that. At that moment, she was unsure whether to slice the potato into strips or to stew it in chunks. After much hesitation, she decided to julienne it because she thought it’d make the potatoes a little more refreshing and appetizing.

Suddenly, a few drops of scalding oil splattered out, landing precisely on her fingers.

“Ah!” Madelyn abruptly pulled back her hand, tightly clenching both hands together.

Upon seeing it, Lydia gasped in shock. “Mrs. Lockhart, are you all right?”

Madelyn shook her head, thinking it was normal to be splattered by oil while cooking and that she just had to bear it. At that moment, Sebastian walked in and saw that she had been scalded. Without uttering another word, he took her hand and led her out.

Once they reached the restroom, Sebastian skillfully turned on the shower and then gently placed her hand under the running water. Under the gentle flow of warm water, Madelyn’s fingers appeared incredibly beautiful. They were slender, fair, and so perfect that they could easily be those of a hand model. Sebastian believed such hands shouldn’t be subjected to carrying out chores. Due to the scald, the redness on her fair skin seemed even more prominent.

Looking at her hands, Sebastian couldn’t help but feel heartache and frowned. “Does it hurt?”

Madelyn quickly shook her head. “Sebastian, there’s no need for you to worry. I’m fine. This minor injury doesn’t hurt at all.”

Upon hearing those words, Sebastian furrowed his brows even tighter. “You consider this a minor injury? Then what do you think is a major one? Do you wish to get slashed by a knife? Or perhaps you’d like to boil your hand in a pot of oil?”

“…” Madelyn was left momentarily speechless after being rebuked.

“Feeling any better?” Sebastian asked in a deeper voice.

Madelyn nodded vigorously. “Yes, much better now.”

Though Sebastian felt considerably more at ease, staring at her red skin, he couldn’t help but reprimand, “Don’t ever step into the kitchen again.”

“Huh? Why?” Madelyn was instantly frustrated. Am I not allowed to cook for him in the future?

At that moment, Sebastian spoke coldly. “Because someone else will prepare the meal. You don’t need to do it. If you’re hurt, I’m the one who’ll be in pain.”

Madelyn, however, couldn’t help but argue. “It won’t be the same. Others‘ intentions for preparing the meal are different from mine. Besides, I want to cook for you personally as a wife.”

Speaking of which, Madelyn couldn’t help but recall the last time she made him a packed lunch. Seeing him devour the meal she had lovingly prepared and hearing his compliments on its deliciousness gave her a sense of satisfaction she had never experienced before. To see him satisfied from a meal gave Madelyn an inexplicable sense of happiness.

“Sebastian, I only want to make something for you to eat…” said Madelyn aggrievedly.

Sebastian furrowed his brows silently. I don’t know if she’s genuine and is telling the truth, but I’ll just pretend it’s all real for now.

Following that, he led Madelyn to the outdoor couch to apply the medicine to her. Originally, Madelyn thought it was just a minor injury and there was no need to apply any medicine. However, Sebastian seemed terribly worried that she might be more injured than she appeared, insisting on applying the medicine before he could rest easy. Left with no choice, Madelyn obediently sat still, allowing Sebastian to apply the ointment to her.

As he did, a gentle expression surfaced on his countenance. His movements were meticulous and delicate, appearing incredibly gentle. Before she knew it, Madelyn found herself captivated as she watched Sebastian. Gradually, she moved closer to him, and in the end, she couldn’t resist kissing him on his cheek.

Upon feeling her soft lips on his face, Sebastian couldn’t help but stiffen. Hurriedly, Madelyn exclaimed, “I–I promise I won’t move again!”

However, Sebastian simply packed up the first-aid kit and left.