Chapter 104: An Unexpected Meal

Elias stared at the plates for several seconds, unable to understand why the morning meal looked so different from what they usually ate.

The maids had always prepared modest but tasteful dishes, most likely because Benjamin had been working to keep their expenses as low as possible from the very beginning. Neither Elias nor his wives had complained, since the food was still nutritious and hardly different from what they had eaten before their marriage.

After all, no one was going to prepare exquisite meals for a bastard who had become synonymous with the trash of the Crimson Ducal Clan. The same could be said for his wives, whose former glory had long since faded.

However, the dishes before him now looked like something served at the table of a wealthy noble. The meat had been arranged carefully, the vegetables were cut into neat pieces, and the sauce carried a rich color that suggested it had been prepared with considerably more effort than their usual meals.

He glanced at Sara and Lena, who were standing beside the table with troubled expressions, and asked, "Is there some kind of special occasion today?"

The two maids exchanged a brief look before shaking their heads.

"No, my lord," they answered together.

He furrowed his brows and looked back at the food. "Then..."

Before he could finish, Stella puffed out her chest with pride and announced, "I did it!"

Elias blinked and turned toward her. "You made this?"

"Yes!" she replied, grinning from ear to ear.

He glanced between her and the dishes, then questioned her with genuine curiosity. "You know how to cook?"

Stella’s smile gradually disappeared as she tilted her head and thought about the question. After a few moments, she shook her head.

"I do not."

"Then how did you make it?" Elias asked.

Stella shrugged. "I do not know. It just happened on its own."

"Hmm..." Elias leaned back slightly, studying her thoughtful expression.

’It seems the things she experienced as an adult are still ingrained in her body and mind, but because of the split, she does not remember them,’ he concluded.

The idea sounded absurd, yet the result was right in front of him. Stella had prepared a dish she apparently understood without knowing how she had learned to make it.

To her, cooking was nothing more than a familiar habit, something her body remembered even though her conscious mind could not explain it.

"Try it!" Stella urged, leaning toward him with eager anticipation.

"Alright," Elias agreed, then glanced at Natasha.

She was also staring at the dishes, although the surprise in her eyes was more restrained than his. Whatever awkwardness had lingered from the morning had already vanished beneath the unexpected mystery of Stella’s cooking.

[She is waiting for us to try it,] he conveyed through Mental Whisper.

Natasha looked at him, nodded, and offered Stella a faint smile before picking up her utensils.

He followed her, taking his fork and knife as Stella watched them with barely concealed excitement.

The dish consisted of tender meat cooked until it was soft enough to separate with almost no effort, surrounded by chunks of potato, sweet potato, and carrot that had absorbed the flavor of the sauce.

The potatoes were creamy beneath their softened edges, while the sweet potatoes added a gentle sweetness that blended naturally with the carrots. The meat itself was rich and savory, carrying the deep flavor of the broth and seasoning without becoming heavy.

When he tasted the sauce, he discovered that it was slightly sweet at first, but a mild kick followed almost immediately, warming his tongue without overpowering the other flavors.

The sweetness balanced the meat’s richness, while the faint spice kept each bite from becoming dull. He chewed slowly, then looked down at the dish with a pleasantly surprised smile.

"This is good," Elias said, his voice carrying genuine approval.

Stella’s face lit up as she pumped one fist into the air. "Yay!"

Elias glanced toward Natasha and found her staring at the food with an expression of quiet disbelief. She took another bite, and her eyes softened as the flavor reached her tongue.

The maids, who had been watching nervously, finally relaxed. Their shoulders lowered, and Sara even exchanged a relieved glance with Lena.

Stella, however, seemed more interested in Elias’s reaction than in the maids’ relief. She rose slightly from her chair, tilted her head, and asked, "I can bathe with you now, right?"

Elias froze with his fork halfway to his mouth.

"You did this for that?" he asked, his expression becoming speechless.

Stella immediately frowned and dropped back into her chair, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Of course not! I did it because you and big sister Natasha did not have dinner yesterday."

A smile appeared on Elias’s face.

"Thanks, Stella."

Her frown deepened instead of disappearing.

Elias noticed the change and asked, "What is wrong?"

Stella narrowed her eyes at him. "I call you husband, but you have never called me wife."

Elias raised one hand and pressed it against his face.

’So that is what this is about?’

Beside him, Sara and Lena seemed to find the exchange far more entertaining than they had expected.

Their earlier concern had vanished entirely, replaced by amused expressions as they watched the strange romance developing between their master and his wives.

Elias sighed, lowered his hand, and looked directly at Stella.

"My wife, I am thankful that you did something so sweet for my other wife and me," he said.

Stella’s eyes brightened immediately, and she smiled with unmistakable pride.

"You can always count on me."

Elias returned her smile and gestured toward her plate. "Eat, or it will get cold."

Stella obediently picked up her utensils, and the three of them continued eating together.

The atmosphere became considerably lighter, with Stella occasionally glancing toward Elias to ensure he was still enjoying the meal, while Natasha savored each bite beside him.

A few minutes later, they finished eating. Elias was about to rise from his chair when Stella suddenly stood up and leaned across the table, bringing the side of her face close to his.

"Oops..." she said, her eyes darting away as she pointed vaguely toward her mouth. "I got a bit of gravy on the side of my lips."