Pampered By Power: The True Heiress Returns

Chapter 236

Chapter 236

The enticing aroma of fish filled the kitchen, and Holden couldn’t help but swallow hard as he watched Elysia busily preparing the meal. Concern filled his heart as he said, “Elysia, maybe we shouldn’t have come.”

Elysia paused for a moment, taken aback. Their eyes met, and seeing the regret in his expression, she responded gently, “What makes you say that all of a sudden?”

Holden sighed. “If we hadn’t come here, you wouldn’t need to wade into the river to catch fish, and you wouldn’t have to cook for us. Elysia, it’s my fault you’re going through all this trouble.”

He regretted not learning how to cook when he was younger. Now, he felt useless, just standing there and watching her work.

He thought about how it would have been better if he had brought along two cooks. Then Elysia wouldn’t have to toil away in the kitchen.

A wry smile crept onto Holden’s lips. He could indeed hire two cooks to take the load off Elysia.

With that thought, joy lit up his face. “Elysia, I’ll go to the village right now and find two cooks–just enough to help in the kitchen. That way, you won’t have to wear yourself out.”

Just as he was about to leave, Elysia called out, “Wait a moment.”

“Is there anything else I can do, Elysia?” Holden asked, his curiosity evident.

Elysia smiled softly, recalling why she had started cooking in the first place. It was out of concern for Jack’s health that year. She had begun experimenting with medicinal recipes to help him regain his strength.

To incorporate healing herbs into meals, she had to know about the ingredients and get the cooking right. Over time, she found a passion for cooking that she hadn’t expected.

What seemed trivial to her stirred deep sympathy in Holden’s heart.

smiled gently. “I’m not tired, and you really don’t

occasionally made meals for them and rarely

often worried and told her that too much work might roughen her delicate hands. To help her out, they even hired a middle–aged woman from the village to learn how

departed for Sivro, the woman went traveling and would return a few days later. Elysia then realized that with the

still standing there, speechless, Elysia added, “In a couple of days, our cook will be back. Once she’s back, I

let out a sigh of relief. The mouthwatering scent wafted into the courtyard, making the appetites of sev people who

to the others while stroking his white beard. “You’re in for a

Javier said, surprise evident in

nodded, a proud smile on his face. “She taught herself. This girl has always been quick on the uptake, mastering

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Chapter 236

about medicine and identifying herbs, and she blew me away by figuring out how they could

Although we care for her like she’s our own treasure, we can never fill the void left by her mother and father.

far too heavy for someone her age, suffering in silence without bothering us with her troubles. We know this, yet she worries that sharing her

filled his eyes. “When I first found her, she was barely alive, her body frozen

listened closely, their expressions turning

couldn’t help but lament why they hadn’t discovered her troubles

all this time, they owed their gratitude to these elder men; without them,

this kindness; without them, there would be no Elysia as

mind, a flicker of anger darkened his brow, and he clenched his hands tightly under the stone

that one day, he would make that shadowy figure pay a terrible price.

a warm and loving life in the Evans family, but much of that warmth

filled with

bittersweet smile crossed Javier’s face as he lightly mocked himself, realizing they had never thought that while they rejoiced,