NOVPUB
Chapter 224: Althea Cooks for Everyone
"Ssttt... Lower your voice." Althea stepped into his tent and zipped up the entrance. "I came to sleep with you."
"Sleep with me?" he almost failed to control his emotions because her words sounded like she came to have sex with him.
"Didn’t you invite me to sleep with you this morning?" She lay next to him without a hint of nervousness as if they had slept together many times.
The corner of his lips twitched.
’She knew I was just teasing her, yet she still came to my tent.’
He didn’t know whether he should admire her boldness or question it.
"Let’s sleep now." She said as she shut her eyes.
"Are you not afraid that I might take advantage of the situation and do something inappropriate to you?" he inquired.
Instead of answering his question, Althea asked without opening her eyes. "Are you planning to do that?"
Even though they had only known each other for a few days, it was enough for her to know his character.
That was why she dared to come to his tent and sleep with him.
Ren didn’t answer her question and only let out a sigh.
’This Queen is really something.’
He slowly closed his eyes.
At the same time, Althea opened her eyes and glanced at him for a second.
A soft smile spread across her face when she saw him closing his eyes because this was something she had expected.
’I knew it.’
She shut her eyes again.
Shortly after that, the duo fell asleep.
----
Time went by quickly and without realizing it, it was already 05:00 am. At this moment, Ren and Althea were sleeping soundly.
Like yesterday, she ended up in his arms.
At first, she only slept beside him, but in the middle of the night, she moved into his arms because the comfort and warmth of his embrace made her feel as if she were sleeping on a soft cloud.
"Mmm..." she murmured as she finally woke from her deep sleep.
’As expected, I feel refreshed again.’
Her lips curled up into a smile.
’I will return to my tent now.’
Unlike yesterday, she could slip from his embrace easily because he was sleeping more deeply, and his grip had loosened.
’Thank you, Ren. I will cook some delicious food for you later.’
With that thought, she stepped out of his tent and made her way to her own.
At 06:00 am, Althea cooked breakfast.
She declined when her daughter and General Lara offered to help because she wanted to cook everything by herself.
After all, this was her way of expressing her gratitude to Ren for giving her a good night’s sleep.
"Zaria, General Lara, I found a lake near here," Ren said. "I finished bathing there. If you two want to, you can go as well."
Zaria’s eyes lit up. "A lake?"
"Yes. Over there." Ren pointed with his right index finger toward the lake’s location. "Just head straight in that direction for about thirty meters, and you will find it."
General Lara and Zaria exchanged a glance with each other before finally heading to the lake with happy faces.
Ren turned around and approached Althea. "Queen Althea, let me help you with breakfast."
"It’s fine. You don’t need to help me." Althea refused instantly.
"Are you sure you don’t want me to help you?" Ren inquired,
"Didn’t I say I would be the one cooking breakfast last night? Just sit over there and wait for the food to be ready." Althea wanted to show him that, despite her status as a queen, she was also skilled at cooking.
"...alright." Since she insisted, Ren sat down on a nearby stone and absorbed a beast core.
However, it only lasted for around two minutes because a delicious aroma of food broke his concentration.
’It smells delicious!’
He opened his eyes and turned toward the wok.
’It seems like she really knows how to cook.’
He shifted his gaze from the meat to her.
"Hmm?" Althea stopped what she was doing when she noticed his gaze. "Why are you looking at me like that? Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for me already."
A playful smile blossomed on her pretty face as she continued slicing a red chili pepper.
Ren approached her slowly and teased her back. "It seems so."
Queen Althea giggled softly before tossing the sliced chili peppers into the wok, mixing them carefully with the meat.
"Is it ready yet?" he inquired.
"You will have to wait a little longer." She answered without looking at him.
He could not resist the delicious smell, so he tried to steal a piece of the sizzling meat.
But before he could succeed, Althea’s hand darted out, tapping his fingers with a light, playful tap. "Patience."
Ren raised his hands in mock defeat. "I can’t help it. It smells too good."
Her smile softened as she finished cooking.
Now, the meat was perfectly seared.
She picked up a piece of meat with her chopsticks and turned to face him. "Here, I suppose you’ve earned it."
Ren’s gaze softened as he took a step closer.
That moment felt unexpectedly intimate when their eyes met, and he took the meat from her chopsticks.
The simple act felt more tender than he expected, and Ren found himself savoring not just the food but the quiet connection in the moment.
"This is...really good." He was not lying when he said this because it tasted delicious.
"So, did my cooking make you fall even deeper for me?" Althea teased him once again.
When Ren was about to answer her question, Zaria’s voice rang out.
"Mother, is breakfast ready?" Zaria asked as she approached them.
Althea turned to her daughter and responded, "Yes. Let’s have breakfast together." 𝔫𝖔𝔳𝖕𝖚𝔟.𝔠𝔬𝖒
"Great!" Zaria said happily.
After breakfast, they resumed their journey.
Like yesterday, they stopped when the sun began to set.
At night, Ren didn’t sleep right away.
He waited for Althea because he had a feeling that she would come to his tent again.
And his guess was right because she visited him again thirty minutes after her daughter and General Lara fell asleep.
"I’ve been waiting for you, Queen Althea." Ren said while lying on the folding bed.
"It seems like you knew I would come." She took off her furry cloak and hung it on a hook.
"Since you cooked us a delicious meal today, I will give you some special treatment tonight," He spoke and paused for a second before he continued, "I will let you sleep in my arms and give you a wonderful night."
"Then, I will take the offer." Without a hint of shyness, she approached him and lay in his arms.
He wrapped his arms around her slender waist and said, "But are you sure coming to my tent every night is a good idea? If this continues, we will get caught by your daughter one day."
"Why? Isn’t this a win-win situation for us? I get to enjoy a good night, and you get to hold a beautiful queen," she replied with a teasing smile. "As for getting caught by my daughter, let’s worry about that if it actually happens."
"You are really a fearless queen," he stated.
"If I were not fearless, countless people would take advantage of me and make my people suffer." She responded,
"Then, let’s sleep now." He uttered.
"Good night, Ren," she said.
"Goodnight, Queen Althea." He responded.
Shortly after that, the duo fell asleep.
