Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

In many ways, Julian was near perfect-thoughtful, intelligent, and astute, with all the strategy and skills one could ask for. However, there was one glaring flaw that marred this otherwise impeccable man: his cooking.

Perhaps it was fate's way of balancing his perfection, like a sculptor leaving a deliberate flaw in their creation. Aurora would never forget the first time he made her brown sugar water-it was an unforgettable disaster. The pasta he later cooked was passable, but only because it came with precise instructions on the packaging.

The real trouble began whenever Julian had to rely on his own creativity in the kitchen. Yet, when his eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, Aurora couldn't bring herself to dampen his spirits. Encouragement, even for hopeless endeavors, was better than crushing someone's zeal.

"Julian, why don't you help me peel some potatoes for the curry chicken instead?" she suggested gently.

"Sure!" Julian eagerly took on the task, convinced it would be as simple as peeling apples. But the misshapen potatoes and the unfamiliar peeler proved to be far trickier than he anticipated.

He managed to peel a few with some difficulty, but as his hands grew wet and the potato became slippery, it suddenly flew out of his grasp-straight into Aurora's forehead.

"Little Bunny, are you okay?" Julian tossed everything aside and ran to her.

Aurora, who had been salting fish, sighed helplessly. She touched her forehead, which was now slightly red. Thankfully, it had been a potato and not a knife.

"I'm fine, Julian, but maybe you can wash the fruits instead. Just rinse them-don't pluck them off the stems, okay?" Aurora smiled, recalling the grapes she had bought. She didn't want to return to find only bare vines left.

"Got it!" Julian dashed off happily, proud to contribute. Watching him leave, Aurora finally let out a relieved sigh.

cooking could cost lives. From that

her preparations, Julian stood in the doorway, watching her with

guests will be here soon. Go greet them. I've got this

of leaving her to handle everything alone. Torn between his desire to help and his fear of making things worse, he stood

want to

you look like a ghost haunting me.

if on cue, the

Julian, go answer the door," Aurora said,

the door, he found Asher standing there, suitcase

"You're early," Julian remarked.

"I know what you're like in the

if it were his own. Heading straight for the kitchen, he rolled up his sleeves, ready

to cook? With your busy schedule managing

ignored him, washing his hands and surveying the vegetables on the counter. "So

I knew you'd be overwhelmed, and this guy here wouldn't be much help," Asher said, nodding toward Julian. "Which of these need chopping?" Aurora gestured to the potatoes. "Some will go into the curry chicken,

Asher replied, picking

all, his own attempts at chopping ginger

curry chicken. His movements were swift and precise, producing evenly sized cubes