Raquel came to a stop, a radiant smile spreading across her face. “Caleb, have you realized your mistake?”
Caleb retorted, “What mistake?”
For a brief moment, Raquel’s irritation showed, but she quickly regained her composure. “This is what you get for angering me.”
A realization dawned on Caleb. “Ah, so that’s the reason. You were the one behind last night’s incident. No wonder that maid barely said a word. You were orchestrating everything.”
Raquel’s gaze wavered briefly before she confidently admitted, “That’s right! You chose to accept that b*tch’s ointment and rejected my help!”
Caleb responded with a faint, enigmatic smile. “I suppose that must have been quite a disappointment for you. After all your scheming, your dear Mrs. Quixall didn’t punish me. Instead, she’s in the kitchen, preparing a thirteen-course meal for me!”
“What?” Raquel gasped softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “How is that possible?”
Seiren is Mrs. Quixall’s favorite maid. If she had really been hurt, there’s no way Mrs. Quixall would be in the mood to prepare such a fancy thirteen-course meal.
Caleb pointed downstairs. “You don’t believe me? Then go downstairs and see for yourself.”
Determined to uncover the truth, Raquel hurried down the stairs and rushed into the kitchen. Deborah had already prepared the fish, ready to start on the next dish. Surrounding her was a group of chefs, all deeply engrossed in their recipe books, mumbling instructions and offering occasional advice.
Raquel was taken aback by the scene before her. Caleb hadn’t been lying. Deborah was indeed preparing a thirteen-course meal.
Unable to resist her curiosity, Raquel approached and asked, “Mrs. Quixall, what’s going on? Why are there so many people in the kitchen?”
Deborah smiled warmly and replied, “Caleb mentioned he wanted a thirteen-course meal, but I don’t have the skills to prepare that much food on my own. So, I invited a few chefs to guide me. So far, I’ve only managed to master three dishes. I still have a long way to go.”
Raquel fell silent. The thirteen-course meal consisted of a total of thirteen dishes, but Deborah had only managed to master three so far. She still had a long way to go before she could successfully prepare the entire feast.
Raquel couldn’t help but recall the past. When she once mentioned wanting to try beef Wellington, yet now, when Caleb deliberately made things difficult for Deborah by requesting a thirteen-course meal, she didn’t brush him off. Instead, she took it upon herself to prepare all thirteen dishes personally.
Raquel was not exactly jealous of Caleb. But she couldn’t help but feel that if Deborah was going to go through so much effort to create such a time-consuming feast, it should be for her own son, Jesse, and not for Caleb—a stranger with an unclear past. Caleb carried the blood of another family, making it seem pointless to treat him with such favor. There was no certainty that, someday, he wouldn’t become someone else’s godson and walk away with the entire Quixall family’s fortune.
Raquel felt a deep sense of unfairness on Jesse’s behalf. Yet, Deborah seemed completely unaware of her feelings.
Noticing Raquel standing there in a daze, Deborah assumed her future daughter-in-law was also eager to try the thirteen-course meal. Smiling, she said, “Raquel, why don’t you step out for a while? In half an hour, the dishes will be ready, and I promise they’ll delight your taste buds.”
Raquel, her voice faint and weary, replied, “All right. Thank you, Mrs. Quixall.”
She was just about to leave when Deborah called her back. “I’ve been busy cooking and haven’t had a chance to check on Jesse. After we’ve finished eating, could you do me a favor and take some chicken stew to him? If he finds out he’s the only one who didn’t get any, he’ll surely throw a fit.”
Raquel nodded. “Mrs. Quixall, is there anything else?”
Pausing briefly, Deborah replied with a warm smile, “Oh, yes. When you head back to your room, could you let Caleb know that dinner will take another half an hour? Tell him not to come down too early.”