Chapter 112: Giving Rating to Liliana’s Cooking
“By the way, Fiona, I have something to ask you,” Leon said as he carried Fiona toward the dining room.
“Hm? What is it, Daddy?” Fiona blinked her round, golden eyes, curious about his inquiry.
“Does your mommy know how to cook?” Leon inquired, and his curiosity piqued as he looked at Fiona.
“Of course she knows how to cook!” Fiona replied firmly and directly.
“Oh?” Leon was a little surprised by this revelation, not expecting Liliana to possess culinary skills.
“Have you ever tasted her cooking?” Leon inquired once again.
Fiona nodded vigorously and responded, “Yes, I have! However, Mommy hasn’t cooked in quite some time, and now Lyra handles all the breakfast, lunch, and dinner arrangements.”
As she spoke, there was a tinge of sadness in her tone, hinting at her longing for Liliana’s cooking.
Upon hearing this, Leon raised one eyebrow and gave a slight nod.
Naturally, he understood why Liliana no longer cooked.
As the Emperor of a great race, she simply didn’t have the time to attend to tasks like cooking.
Political affairs, defense, and various governmental systems naturally took precedence.
Furthermore, the impending war kept Liliana preoccupied, leaving little time for their three little girls.
However, witnessing Fiona’s sorrowful expression, Leon couldn’t help but feel a pang of reluctance.
After all, if the mother was occupied, shouldn’t it fall upon his shoulders as a handsome and caring father to assume responsibility for his three daughters?
With a gentle smile gracing his lips and a playful pinch on Fiona’s chubby cheeks, Leon said, “Alright, don’t be so sad. Next time, I’ll cook a meal for you and your two sisters. How does that sound?”
At Leon’s words, Fiona’s eyes instantly lit up, twinkling with excitement.
“Are you sure, Daddy?” Fiona asked eagerly, her small palms clenched together in excitement.
“Of course! Have I ever lied to you?” Leon replied with a crooked smile, his tone nonchalant.
“Wow! Alright! I’ll look forward to it! Hehehe~” Fiona cheered happily, her innocent smile lighting up her little face as she swayed her head with joy.
She didn’t need to question whether her dad could cook because, in her little mind, he was amazing and capable of anything!
Observing Fiona’s joy, Leon chuckled and gazed at her affectionately.
Sometimes, simply witnessing the happiness of this little girl brought Leon immense satisfaction, surpassing even the joy of triumph on the battlefield.
Continuing to walk with Fiona in his arms, Leon made his way through the hallway until they reached the front of the sizable and luxurious dining room.
From their current position, they had a clear view of the inside of the dining room.
In the center of the room stood a moderately sized dining table, capable of accommodating seven to nine people.
At the end of the dining room, there appeared to be a kitchen directly connected to it.
As Leon entered the dining room, taking in its surroundings, he felt a sense of awe and surprise.
It was evident that this dining room was designed for intimate family gatherings, a departure from the grand dining halls of the Imperial Palace or noble mansions.
Leon found himself appreciating this cozy setup—a space neither too grand nor too modest.
Just as Leon had taken only a few steps, he was suddenly called from the direction of the dining table.
“Daddy! Come here!”
“Daddy!”
The soft, sweet voices, unmistakably belonging to Charlotte and Iris, snapped Leon out of his reverie.
Smiling gently, he walked over to where they were sitting on the dining chairs.
“Good morning, Charlotte, Iris,” Leon greeted them gently.
“Good morning, Daddy!” Charlotte’s eyes formed crescents as she returned his greeting with a sweet smile.
“Good morning, Daddy!” Iris replied with a sweet smile, though her expression seemed somewhat indifferent.
Observing the two still in their lolita nightgowns, Leon couldn’t help but smile before seating Fiona in a dining chair.
Taking a seat to Fiona’s left, Leon turned to Charlotte beside him and asked softly, “How are you this morning? Are you two doing well?”
“Of course we’re fine!” Charlotte replied cheerfully as she ate the milk-dipped bun in front of her.
“Um, fine,” Iris mumbled, focused on her meal.
Leon nodded, then shifted his gaze to the dining table, where an array of food had been prepared.
Bread, buns, milk, meats, and various other dishes, all made from the highest quality ingredients, filled the table with their appetizing aromas.
However, the absence of Liliana in the dining room left Leon feeling somewhat perplexed.
“By the way, where’s your mommy, Charlotte, Iris?” Leon inquired as he picked up a bun, dipped it in milk, and then fed it to Fiona beside him.
“Hap! Nyam~ Nyam~” Fiona took a bite of the bun fed to her by Leon, her small mouth chewing with her eyes narrowed like a crescent moon.
Glancing at Fiona being fed by Leon, Charlotte pouted slightly, feeling envious.
“Mommy is in the kitchen,” Charlotte replied with a hint of annoyance, continuing to chew the bread in her small mouth.
Leon chuckled and took a fresh bun, dipped it in milk, and then offered it to Charlotte, immediately sparking happiness in the little girl’s eyes.
“Hap! Nyam~ Nyam~” Charlotte took a bite of the bun and devoured it eagerly, her face mirroring Fiona’s happiness.
When Iris, seated to Charlotte’s left, witnessed the two of them being fed by Leon, she immediately pursed her small lips in dissatisfaction and jealousy.
However, feeling too embarrassed to ask him to feed her, she could only remain silent, her cold and indifferent expression masking her true feelings.
As such a handsome and caring father, how could Leon not notice her discomfort?
Quickly, he picked up the chocolate-filled bun from the table, dipped it in milk, and offered it to the pouting Iris.
As she looked at the bun offered to her, Iris’s cold and indifferent expression melted away like an ice cube, replaced instantly by a happy smile.
With her small mouth, she eagerly devoured the bun, savoring it deliciously, as if the food her daddy gave her was the most precious thing in the world.
Observing Iris’s once cold and indifferent face now adorned with smiles of happiness, Leon couldn’t help but mirror her joy with a smile of his own.
Due to her demeanor, which closely resembles her mother’s—indifferent and cold—Iris sometimes struggled to express her desires and be honest about her feelings.
Therefore, Leon realized he had to take the initiative.
After feeding his little girls and witnessing their satisfied expressions, Leon shifted his attention back to the dining table and picked up a loaf of bread.
Dipping it in milk, as he had done for his three daughters, Leon took a bite, and his eyes widened in amazement.
“So good…” Leon blinked in astonishment.
Taking another loaf of bread and dipping it in milk once more, Leon tried eating it again, finding it just as amazing as before.
Even Lyra’s cooking, which he considered to be top-notch, didn’t compare to this.
Chewing the bread in his mouth before swallowing, Leon turned his gaze towards Charlotte and inquired, “Charlotte, who prepared this meal?”
Just as Charlotte was about to respond, a cold yet gentle voice suddenly emanated from across the table.
“Of course it was me. Is it delicious?”
As the words reached his ears, Leon flinched slightly and shifted his gaze toward the sound’s origin, only to discover Liliana standing abruptly across from the dining table, a plate full of food in her hands.
“Liliana? How long have you been there?” Leon asked, perplexed, his gaze roaming over her as if he were admiring a masterpiece.
Liliana looked vastly different from her usual attire of a black gown and ice-cold demeanor today.
Draped in the loose white dress and pink apron, she exuded a seductive allure in a different manner.
Her usually long white hair, adorned with accessories, was now tied up in a ponytail, prompting Leon to acknowledge her exceptional beauty and charm.
Furthermore, this appearance perfectly complemented her role as a mother!
‘Damn it, I never imagined that a homely look like this would suit Liliana.’ Leon held back his racing heartbeat as he whispered to himself.
Observing Leon’s heated gaze upon her, Liliana smiled faintly.
“I just came from the kitchen,” Liliana replied nonchalantly as she placed her plate full of food on the dining table.
“By the way, Leon, if someone were to gaze at me like that, they might just vanish, you know?” She continued in a playful tone, her thin smile carrying a seductive allure, prompting Leon to snap back to reality.
“Ehem!” Leon coughed, swiftly adopting a nonchalant and calm demeanor as he pretended to eat, masking his embarrassment.
Charlotte, Iris, and Fiona, who observed their interaction, couldn’t help but blink their eyes curiously.
It was the first time they had seen the two of them teasing each other like this, especially their mother, who rarely wore such a smile.
In their minds, their mother had always been strict and stern in any matter, so witnessing her show such tenderness was a first for them.
Nonetheless, as children, they were happy to see their parents getting along.
Observing Leon deflate and make a pretend face to conceal his embarrassment, Liliana couldn’t help but smile happily.
Previously, she had often found herself at a disadvantage, teased by Leon.
Right now, seeing him embarrassed has brought her a sense of satisfaction.
Seated in the dining chair opposite Leon, Liliana smiled and inquired, “You haven’t answered my previous question, Leon. How was my cooking? Was it good?”
Hearing her question, Leon, mid-chew, quickly swallowed his food and offered an appreciative look.
“It’s unbelievably delicious! I didn’t expect you to cook this well,” Leon praised sincerely, eliciting an even wider smile from Liliana.
“If you had to rate my cooking on a scale of 1 to 10, what would it be?” Liliana rested her chin on her palms, gazing expectantly at Leon across the table.
Leon smiled slightly and didn’t immediately respond to her question.
Slowly rubbing his chin, he feigned a pensive expression.
After a moment, he glanced back at Liliana, whose face was filled with anticipation, and returned her smile.
“If I were to give a rating, it would be a perfect scale: 1.”
Liliana:…
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