Rosie's Games

Chapter 186: The Duke's Pudding

"You are making your own desserts?" Rosalind almost could not believe her ears when the Duke took her to what looked like an abandoned house. It was a small shed with a small table, one chair, a small bed, and a kitchen. She shivered from the cold.

The man was still shirtless and had been acting like this was a normal house when clearly, this place had been abandoned for a few months if not years. The house was as cold as the snow outside.

When he did not answer, she found herself staring at his side profile as he busily prepared some ingredients from his spatial bag. Seeing this, she sighed and found the cloak that he used to cover her when they were still fishing. She tossed it to him and he caught it with his left hand without even looking at her.

"This is?" he lifted an eyebrow.

"I was planning to wash it but this situation requires a good cloak." She then turned around and checked if the stool was strong enough for her body. Seeing that it was already old, she sat on the bed instead. She could still feel his gaze towards her but chose to ignore it.

"You are not asking questions?" he asked.

"Why would I ask when I know you are not going to answer it anyway?" She then pulled out some blankets and lay down on the bed. "Wake me up when you are done."

Seeing her lay there as if it was her own home, Lucas frowned. Why would a noble casually act like this? This house was decrepit and old, it had been months since someone occupied this small base. There were webs, dust, and some small insects around the house, yet Rosalind did not complain. Instead, she decided to sleep.

It seemed that her situation when she was sent to the borders was not good. He could not imagine the number of difficulties that Rosalind experienced when she was alone in that place. Somehow, a pang of sadness slowly spread from his chest. He shook his head and continue doing his work.

….

Rosalind woke up when she smelled some fragrant milk. She jolted up and looked at Lucas who was… just about to put a bowl of what looked like milk on the table.

"Just in time," he said softly. Instead of putting the bowl on the table, he handed it to her instead.

"What is this?" It looked like soup but it also looked hard. She could feel milk and something sweet, perhaps some vanilla. It looked like a pudding except it was softer and creamier.

"I made it for you." He sat on the stool and started slurping his own bowl.

Without saying a word, Rosalind followed his actions and was immediately flabbergasted when she tasted the pudding! She had tasted something like this in the past but that… wasn't as soft and sweet as this one.

She smiled and finished her bowl in no time. She then looked at him, hoping to get a second serving. As if reading her mind, he shook his head. "I only made enough for one and I will not be making something like this again."

She blinked. "If you are not making something like this a second time, then why make it in the first place?"

"To show you that I make better desserts."

So, he wanted to prove a point.

Again, she blinked at him, speechless.

How could someone be this competitive?

"I do make better desserts," he added as he finished his bowl. "Considering the lack of ingredients, I would say that I am a genius to be able to make something so sweet and creamy. Don't you agree?"

"Agree…" she blurted, before smiling. "Of course, I agree. However, isn't it better to make something with more ingredients? Something that requires technique and precision. After all, you are the Duke of the North. How could you settle for something like pudding?"

As expected, that made his face darken. Seeing this, she batted her eyelid like an innocent child as she gave him a tight-lipped smile.

"Do not think for one second that I do not know what you are trying to do," he narrowed his gaze at her.

Rosalind could not help but chuckle. "You are the majestic Duke of the North, someone that can slay beasts. How could you not know what I am trying to do? I am but a mere woman with simple gifts and a not-so-bright mind."

This time, it was him that was speechless. For a few seconds, he stared at her face, observing her reaction, then he nodded.

"Alright… I will make something that will show more technique and the precision of the Duke."

Did it work?

Rosalind could not help but lift an eyebrow at the man who seemed to be calmly considering her words. Then she smiled inwardly. She never imagined that she would see this side of the fierce man that had the capability to kill a Blessed individual. Somehow, she found it comical and a little frightening.

"Since we are done, let me take you back." Again, the Duke carried her, but this time he held her gently in his arms like a princess. When they arrived back at their room, he told her that he would be leaving as he needed to check something with Denys.

After making sure that the Duke had already left, Rosalind immediately used her ring to go back to see Mr. Pratt.

It was time for her to treat Princess Isabel.

It was time for her to earn some gold!

The thought made her ecstatic.

"Mr. Pratt!" Rosalind could not help but be surprised when she saw Mr. Pratt personally welcome her this time. Since the disease started spreading, Mr. Pratt had been very busy and it was usually Mathies who would welcome her.

"Miss Lin, welcome."

This time, she notice the smile on the man's face. It looked a little lighter, brighter. Was it because she healed his people?

"You did not have to personally come to see me," she said. "Mr. Mathies would have been alright."

"What are you talking about? You are a special guest of our merchant house. I am not just here to welcome you but to give you some gifts for what you did."

"Oh?" it seems that the people she healed last time have fully recovered! She smiled at Mr. Pratt when he instructed the helpers with him to bring the crates of gifts that he prepared for her.

Not long after, creates of gold coins were lined up in front of her.

Seeing this, Rosalind almost jumped with happiness. Of course, she still controlled herself, she did not want to look like someone who was actually doing this to earn a living.

Then she cleared her throat. "Mr. Pratt… I don't think I can accept this," Rosalind said with a sincere look on her face.

"Miss Lin, this is not enough. The ones that you helped are already back with their family and— and these gold coins were given by everyone else. You are their benefactor, those people lived because of you."

Rosalind coughed.

"But this is—" all that the gold would never fit in her spatial bag. She stared at it in sadness. Inwardly, she was thinking about how to make it fit in her spatial bag, she wanted to bring the gold coins as she knew that she could not withdraw money once she arrived in the North.

However, on the outside, Rosalind looked like she was sad and uncomfortable. The others who saw her reaction could not help but praise her.

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