Chapter 62

Alexander paused, spoon mid-air, and looked at Lily. "Do you think I should sit at the dining table like a child who can't care for himself? Should I wait for a housekeeper to feed and clean up after me?"

Lily choked on her food, trying to imagine the scenario. "Pfft!"

While his description was exaggerated, it mirrored their current situation. "At least you don't have to cook," she said, suddenly curious about his life, which seemed far different from what she'd imagined.

"If I had a choice, I wouldn't," Alexander admitted, his background and status making it unnecessary for him to handle such "trivial matters."

"So you don't want to?" Lily pressed, intrigued. Perhaps cooking was a hobby? Why else would he have shooed her from the kitchen? Alexander glanced at her and shook his head. "I studied abroad for a while."

"So?" Lily still didn't understand. Even with the Russell family's wealth, employing a housekeeper was trivial. Was it a dislike of housekeepers that drove him to cook himself?

Taking a sip of soup, Alexander answered, "As the heir to La Beauté Group and the Russell family, my training encompassed much more than business management. Cooking was one skill I acquired—a stress reliever, you could say." He avoided further details about that period, when he couldn't be with her. "Soyou stopped me cooking because you doubted my skills?" Lily sipped her soup, finding it delicious. He shouldn't question her abilities, even if he was a skilled cook.

"There was too much smoke," Alexander said after a pause. "You don't need to cook anymore."

'I knew it!' Lily thought, surprised.

Too much smoke? She knew Alexander had top-of-the-line kitchen appliances, including a professional-grade exhaust system. She hadn't noticed any smoke, certainly not compared to her old apartment. His kitchen was vastly different.

Lily recalled Alexander's words: "Women belong in the hall and the kitchen, just like my Lily." At the time, she'd felt proud, believing he'd rely on her to feed him. He used to eat prepared meals, never chopping vegetables or washing dishes. Yet he'd dismissed her, claiming "too much smoke"? It seemed a man who truly loved his wife wouldn't want her doing housework. He'd hold her hand and care for her.