Chapter 335: Fragrance of the meal

Eilika and Damian sat side by side on the wooden dock that stretched over the lake, their fingers loosely intertwined.

Their bare feet rested in the water below, stirring gentle ripples across the surface that caught the shimmering late-morning sunlight. A wide-brimmed white lace hat shaded Eilika’s face from the stronger rays overhead, while the quiet surroundings made the entire afternoon feel pleasantly removed from the rest of the world.

"Are we not expected back at the cottage?" Eilika asked softly, glancing toward him.

"You seem to have forgotten that today is not a workday," Damian replied, a faint smile touching his lips. "I had intended to return with you, but this place is far too peaceful. Away from all the noise, I find that I am in no hurry to leave."

When Eilika eventually lifted her wet feet from the water, Damian reached toward her and carefully caught them before she could withdraw them completely. He took a clean handkerchief and gently dried the water from her skin.

"Where are you going?" he asked, looking up at her.

"To prepare the meat over the charcoal," Eilika answered. "Since we are staying here through the afternoon, we might as well enjoy a proper meal."

"I shall assist you," Damian offered, pulling his legs from the cool water.

"Dry yourself first," she replied with a lingering smile. She then turned and walked toward the lawn, leaving Damian to follow after her.

Damian returned briefly to the cottage and used a dry towel to wipe the remaining moisture from his legs before rolling down the cuffs of his trousers. His shirt remained loosely fastened, the upper buttons left undone at his neck and chest.

A sharp knock sounded against the doorframe.

"Yes, Maurice?"

"Aisha has dispatched a missive, Your Grace," Maurice said as he stepped inside, presenting him with a small sealed envelope.

Damian accepted it and broke the seal. He unfolded the parchment, only to find the sheet completely blank.

"Bring me a lit candle."

Maurice nodded and departed, returning moments later with a burning taper. Damian held the parchment carefully above the flame, keeping it close enough for the heat to reach the paper without allowing the fire to catch it.

Within seconds, faint lines began to emerge across the blank surface. The hidden ink slowly darkened until a brief message became visible.

’I have found out.’

The two men exchanged a grim look.

Without another word, Damian thrust the parchment into the brazier. The flames curled around the paper, blackening its edges before consuming it completely.

"Shall I make arrangements for you to meet with Aisha?" Maurice inquired.

"No." Damian extinguished the candle with a quick breath. "Instruct the spy to depart without drawing attention."

Maurice bowed and withdrew.

Damian remained standing in silence for several moments. The final hope that Liliana might somehow be innocent had vanished.

It had been a fragile hope, one he had never allowed himself to voice aloud. He had wondered whether someone else might have framed her. He had instructed Aisha to send those exact words only if she uncovered proof that Liliana had truly been involved in treason.

Now, there was no uncertainty left.

Damian ran a hand through his hair and released a weary sigh.

’What drove her to this? And who was she aiding? Her father continues to live a modest, quiet life. Where, then, was all that money being directed? It’s definitely not on her spendings only.’

He forced himself to push the questions aside. Whatever answers awaited him, this was neither the time nor the place to pursue them.

When he stepped onto the lawn, Eilika was already tending to the small outdoor hearth. The charcoal had begun to glow beneath a thin layer of grey ash, and she was carefully arranging the coals with a pair of iron tongs so the heat would spread evenly beneath the cooking grate.

"You took your time," Eilika remarked, glancing up from the embers. "I began to think you had abandoned me to the cooking."

Damian forced a gentle smile and walked over to join her.

"No. How could I ever do that?"

He crouched beside her and looked at the prepared charcoal. Eilika had waited until the flames had died down before beginning, leaving the coals glowing red beneath the surface. She brushed a little of the ash aside and adjusted the grate above them, ensuring it was positioned evenly over the hottest portion.

Damian picked up one of the prepared cuts of meat and placed it carefully across the heated iron bars.

The moment the meat touched the grate, a loud sizzle rose from the coals.

Eilika smiled faintly. "Do not move it yet."

Damian glanced at her. "Why?"

"If you keep shifting it, the outside will not sear properly. Let it remain there until the heat forms a crust on the underside."

He nodded and watched as the surface of the meat slowly changed. Eilika kept an eye on the coals, using the tongs to move a few pieces closer whenever the heat weakened.

After a few minutes, she leaned closer and carefully lifted the edge of the meat with the tongs.

"Now turn it."

Damian followed her instruction, flipping the cut over the grate.

"Let it cook on this side as well," Eilika explained. "The outside should become browned, but do not let the charcoal flare too strongly. If the flames rise, move the meat toward the cooler side of the grate for a moment."

Damian nodded solemnly.

Eilika noticed his expression. "What is troubling you?" she asked. "You appear quite uneasy."

Damian paused, the tongs still in his hand. He looked at her for a moment before shaking his head.

"It is nothing."

Eilika did not look convinced, but she did not press him immediately.

Once the meat was seared to perfection, Eilika carefully arranged the cuts across three porcelain plates.

"A servant could have handled this task," Damian observed, watching her refine the arrangement.

"Do you not enjoy partaking in meals prepared by my hands?" She arched a brow, offering him a teasing glance.

"I do," Damian assured her gently. "Yet I take no pleasure in watching you labor in such a manner."

"Excessive comfort renders one soft," Eilika countered with a soft laugh. "Besides, I find genuine joy in preparing meals for you. Go call Maurice so he may join us for the meal, and request a maid to attend to me as well. I require a brief moment of assistance."

Damian offered a nod of agreement, yielding to her wishes before turning to carry out her requests.

By the time Damian returned with Maurice, Eilika had already arranged the table with the attendant’s help. The freshly grilled meat had been placed on serving platters, accompanied by the simple side dishes they had prepared, while the faint aroma of charcoal and herbs still lingered pleasantly in the air.

"The fragrance of the meal reached well into the halls, Your Grace," Maurice remarked with a warm smile as he approached the table.

"Is that so?" Eilika replied with a small laugh. "Then you must take a seat and join us. Damian lent his hand with the grilling as well."

"His Grace assisting at the hearth?" Maurice raised his brows in amused surprise. "That is a rare sight indeed."

Damian gave him a mildly reproachful look but said nothing.

"Eilika managed the greater share of the work," he replied, as though making certain Maurice understood that he had contributed very little compared with his wife.

He then pulled out a chair for Eilika. She looked up at him with a grateful smile before taking her seat, while Damian settled beside her.

"Mmm... The meat is so tender and flavorful. Your Grace possesses remarkable skill," Maurice remarked, offering a sincere compliment to her culinary craft.

"You flatter me, Maurice," Eilika replied with a modest smile.

"I speak only the truth, Your Grace. His Grace ought to cherish you deeply for gracing his table with such wonderful fare," Maurice added.

"Rest assured, he treats me with great care," Eilika answered, her eyes sparkling with amusement. She then gestured toward the platter. "Please, take another portion. We have more than enough."

Observing the warm attention Eilika bestowed upon his aide, a jealousy sparked within Damian’s chest.

"Maurice, you ought to take a wife if you wish to enjoy such domestic comforts regularly," Damian interjected, his tone carrying a light edge. "Then she might care for you in similar fashion, provided you render your assistance, of course."

"Your Grace, I am already proficient in the kitchen," Maurice countered. "In truth, I intend to prepare the meals for my future wife."

"That is most commendable of you," Eilika praised, visibly impressed.

Damian knitted his brows, casting a suspicious look toward his subordinate. "Since when do you possess such skill? How is it that I was never made aware of this?"

"I live alone, Your Grace," Maurice stated simply. "It was merely a matter of necessity."

"Any woman would be fortunate to call you her husband," Eilika remarked softly.

Listening to her praise, Damian felt a quiet sting of inadequacy. A subtle determination took root. He resolved to master these domestic arts himself, if only to bring that same light to her eyes.

"I can only hope so, Your Grace," Maurice replied humbly before resuming his meal.

Noticing Damian’s quiet stillness, Eilika leaned in and whispered, "Why are you not eating?"

"I am," Damian murmured under his breath, taking up his fork while making a silent vow to himself. ’I shall learn these skills as well. The next time she steps into the kitchen, she will not have to labor alone.’