Araceli POV
Twilight was falling.
In the evening in New York, the whole city was gradually shrouded in darkness. The city's lights glowed and the neon signs flickered on and off, adding a sense of fantasy and romance to the city.
I was busy in the kitchen when I suddenly heard the door being pushed open. I thought it was the chef and said, "Chef Bowyer, thank goodness you're finally here. Can you pass me that carrot over there?"
I finished and saw a carrot being handed over from behind me.
However, the hand was long and slender and did not look like Chef Bowyer's hand.
I jerked my head up and paused for a moment.
"Mr. Lancaster? Why are you here? I mean, it's kitchen..."
Raphael said calmly, "I wanted to learn how to cook from you."
"Are you sure?" I said while chopping vegetables, "After all, you have so many cooks at home."
"Last night Valeria suddenly felt hungry. She took me by the hand and asked if I could make her fried eggs. Can you believe I got made fun of by Krish when I cracked an egg?"
Raphael smiled, with a hint of pleasure in his voice. "Although it was my first time frying eggs, Valeria ate them all. That means I might have some talent for cooking."
I froze for a moment.
This man actually knew how to fry eggs.
Why did I find this scene so hard to imagine?
I tilted my head slightly and looked at Raphael's hand. There seemed to be a red mark on the back of his hand from an oil splash.
I had noticed it last night, but I didn't think much of it at the time. It looked like he got burned from frying eggs.
I pursed my lips and said, "Did you apply ointment on your hand? The back of your hand got a scald."
"I'm fine." Raphael looked as if he didn't care. "It'll heal in a few days."
"That could leave a scar."
I wiped my hand and asked, "Where's the medicine box?"
Raphael raised his hand and pulled open the cupboard above my head. As he searched, he said, "I remember Maddox telling me the kitchen always has ointment for burns and scalds."
I froze completely.
His arm was right above my ear. As he spoke, I could smell that faint aroma on him. He carefully searched for the medicine cabinet without realizing that his chest was almost all pressed against my back.
I lowered my head a little in embarrassment, but didn't push him away.
"Got it."
He carried a small box down and opened it. Inside, there was indeed an assortment of medicines, as well as antiseptic and band-aids.
I found the ointment for burns and scalds and unscrewed the cap. I took out a little ointment, looked up, and said, "Mr. Lancaster, please give me your hand."
Raphael looked at me and held out his left hand.
I coughed twice softly and said, "Right hand."
He smiled teasingly, extended his right hand, and propped his left hand on the table behind my waist.
I shivered slightly when I first touched his hand. I calmed down for a moment and rubbed the cool ointment slowly over the back of his hand.
Unknowingly, he seemed to gently rest his knee against my leg. His body leaned closer and closer to me.
I looked up slightly and saw my face reflected in his pupils, which were faintly glowing with gold.
It was as if he possessed my entire world.
When his burning eyes fell on my face, I suddenly felt that the action I was applying ointment for him at this time seemed weird.
The distance between the two of them was very close. I could even clearly hear the sound of our breathing on each other.
I could feel the hot sensation of his burning breath spraying on my face. This feeling made my whole heart beat uncontrollably.
I even heard clearly the sound of my heart beating so violently...
I took a step back in a hurry.
Raphael froze, raised his hand, and calmly said, "Thank you, Ms. Chancey."
I lowered my eyes. "It's okay. Mr. Lancaster, I have to cut the vegetables..."
I turned my head in a panic, my mind a jumbled mess.
At that moment, Raphael let out a low chuckle from behind me.
His chuckle reached my ears clearly.
There was so much noise in the kitchen, and I was chopping vegetables... So how did I hear such a soft chuckle?
I was a little chagrined at my own panic.
I pushed down the inexplicable emotions that rose up in my heart and said in a calm manner, "Mr. Lancaster, thank you for introducing me to Mr. Easton. He is really great."
After I said this, my panicked mood finally calmed down a lot.
"I had heard of Mr. Easton a long time ago when he took on a case that was almost impossible to win. When everyone thought he would lose the case, he quickly turned the situation around and produced the most crucial evidence and finally won the case. To be honest, I never really believed it, I thought it was just his team that was good. But it wasn't until I talked to Mr. Easton in person the other day that I realized he was much better than the news..."
I spoke eloquently, expertly chopping vegetables.
Raphael said coldly, "Kenneth grew up to be a good debater, but he wasn't so perfect in life."
I was instantly intrigued.
I glanced at Raphael. "Mr. Lancaster, have you and Mr. Easton known each other since childhood?"
"He lived in my house for two years when he was studying in France. Actually, he didn't start out so great. I gave him a lot of help back then..."
Raphael leaned against the wall and looked at me.
I had read the news about Kenneth, so I said while chopping vegetables, "So Mr. Easton knew how to use the favorable conditions around him when he was still a student. No wonder he has achieved so much since he graduated..."
I said this on purpose to tease Raphael. I glanced at him with a slight sideways glance. Sure enough, Raphael narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at me with some displeasure.
I suddenly wanted to laugh, but I held back from laughing out loud.
"Mr. Lancaster, I'm going to fry the steak. Maybe you should stand away from me, or you might get burned by the oil."
Raphael pursed his lips and took a few steps back.
When I put the steak into the pan, the oil splashed up, and Raphael suddenly took a few steps forward, instinctively trying to get in front of me. However, I shifted the pan expertly and avoided the hot oil perfectly.
Raphael looked at me and didn't go out. In less than an hour, dinner was ready.
I unbuckled my apron and wiped my hands.
"Dinner's ready. I made baked chicken wings again today, and Essel will love them."
Raphael came forward to help me carry the plates out.
What was a little strange to me was that none of the servants were in the kitchen.
Usually, they would have been here to help me.
I didn't think much of it and put the plates on the table. The children were already seated.