Chapter 42 Mommy can help you now!

"Anlia, your cooking is getting better and better."

Xia Mingyu took the handkerchief handed over by the young girl to wipe his mouth, offering sincere praise.

He could perceive this from the changes in his own weight.

Initially, after transmigrating, due to being unaccustomed to the local environment—and primarily because of the decline in his living conditions—he had lost a circle of weight. But during these days at the castle, Anlia had almost fattened him right back up.

"Not at all, it's all thanks to Aunty Meli's guidance..." Anlia said, her face flushing with embarrassment.

In truth, she studied the recipes and culinary books brought from the library almost every day, and at night, taking advantage of the castle kitchen when no one else was using it, she practiced her cooking late into the night until dawn broke.

However, she did not want to tell His Highness about this, because this was merely her duty, and there was no need—nor should she allow—His Highness to know.

She only hoped that His Highness could be a little happier because of the delicious food she worked hard to make, just a little...

At that moment, a flash of white light crossed his vision, and Xia Mingyu subconsciously looked over.

He saw that right above Anlia's head, next to the "Commoner" class blessing, another line of white text was gradually appearing—"Apprentice Chef."

"Anlia, you've obtained a class blessing!" Xia Mingyu said with some astonishment.

"Ah?"

The young girl was startled at first, then quickly ran over to a puddle of water on the nearby floor. In its reflection, a new line of text had indeed appeared above her head.

"Your Highness, my blessing ability is 'Deliciousness,' which makes the food I prepare even more delectable. I can bring you even better food from now on!"

After checking her ability, Anlia hopped over to Xia Mingyu, very excited.

The corners of her mouth curved upward uncontrollably, and her azure eyes seemed to light up, sparkling like stars.

"Congratulations, Anlia."

Xia Mingyu smiled and gently patted the young girl's head to show his encouragement, but a trace of regret flashed in his heart.

He had originally intended to also teach Anlia the Moonlight Meditation Technique so she could take up the profession of a Magic Apprentice... But now, it seemed she could only remain a cook.

Knock, knock.

At that moment, the library door was gently knocked upon once again.

Is it so lively today...? Xia Mingyu felt a bit surprised, but he stood up and walked over to open the heavy door.

Standing outside was a tall, elegant noblewoman: Danielle Martha.

Today, she wore a pink scarf, her violet, waterfall-like long hair was pinned up high, and a few strands of hair fell casually by her ears, making her look both languid and sophisticated.

She was pushing a small tea cart carrying two silver plates. On the plates were an exquisite cake, a pot of steaming black tea, and several teacups.

The cake was garnished with fresh berries and cream flowers, and the rich fragrance of black tea wafted through the air.

"Your Highness Mingyu, I heard from the servants that you've been staying in the library reading books these past few days. It must be so hard for you~"

"Therefore, I specially baked some cakes myself to send to you, just to fulfill my duty as a hostess. If you can live a little more happily here in Black Wolf Castle, it would be the supreme honor for both my husband and me."

Danielle spoke slowly in a voice as gentle as water. Her violet-blue eyes were filled with tenderness, and an appropriately measured smile hung upon her delicate, pretty face.

"I accept your good intentions."

Xia Mingyu said with a calm expression, stepping aside to let the lady enter the library.

...

"So this is Your Highness's maid? I've heard Karen mention her before; truly, she is as pretty as a carved jade sculpture. Oh my, I'm actually getting jealous of Your Highness~"

"It's a pity that a woman like me probably isn't even qualified to be Your Highness's maid..."

"Little Yilis, you're getting cuter and cuter. Your silver hair is simply like silk woven from moonlight—so gorgeous! Is there any secret to maintaining your hair?"

"Share it with Mother~"

As soon as she stepped inside, Danielle's gaze drifted back and forth between Anlia and Yilis, praising them continuously as if admiring two exquisite works of art.

"You are very beautiful too."

Being praised by a noble, Anlia's cheeks instantly flushed. She lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the pleats of her light-blue dress.

Her blonde hair gleamed brilliantly under the sunlight filtering through the stained glass, and her blue eyes shone with shyness.

As for Yilis, her reaction was quite cold. She merely gave a slight nod to show respect to her stepmother, without uttering a single word.

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward for a moment, but Danielle acted as though she hadn't noticed, a bright smile still plastered across her face.

Her gaze quickly swept across the library, soon noticing the open notebook lying on the floor nearby, covered in drawn magical runes.

"Your Highness, did you write this?"

Danielle showed a hint of curiosity and made a move to pick up the notebook, but quickly realizing that doing so would be a breach of etiquette, she withdrew her hand and simply asked in a soft voice.

Upon receiving Xia Mingyu's affirmative reply, her violet eyes narrowed slightly, and the corners of her mouth curved into a meaningful smile.

"Your Highness, I still need to take care of little Haydn, so I shall take my leave now. I wish you success in your studies, and please feel free to let me know if you need anything~"

Danielle crossed her hands in front of her and bowed slightly before leaving the library.

"Yilis, is Madam Danielle always this enthusiastic?"

Watching the woman's retreating figure, Xia Mingyu couldn't help but ask Yilis beside him.

"....Hmph, before you arrived, I had never seen her smile at me once," Yilis said with a face full of lingering resentment.

In the past, every time they crossed paths in the castle corridors, she would witness the art of a high-speed facial expression change.

The very same lady who was laughing and chatting with the servants one second would, the next second, wear a facial expression as cold as an unmelting glacier of many years. From time to time, when their eyes met, her beautiful violet-blue eyes would even flash with a hint of disgust and revulsion.

She had even once overheard outside her bedroom door, while this shameless woman was attending to her father, begging him to drive her out of the castle.

She had been truly frightened at the time. Instead of covering her ears and fleeing as she should have, she had been forced to stand frozen in place and eavesdrop, only daring to return to her own room after hearing her father's refusal.

That incident had left quite a psychological shadow upon her.

"Your Highness, this woman is never so kind-hearted. If she is treating you well, she must want to get something from you. You must be vigilant!" Yilis advised.

"Sigh, with what I have hanging over my head, is there anyone in this world who wouldn't want to get something from me when they meet me?"

Xia Mingyu shrugged, pointing wryly at the "1.4 Billion" hovering above his head.

Yilis was momentarily at a loss for words, and a trace of awkwardness flashed across Anlia's face as well. After all, when she had first taken care of His Highness, she too had harbored a selfish desire to save her village.

...

Meanwhile.

Back in her bedroom, Danielle began rummaging frantically through boxes and chests.

"I remember when Mother sent me off to be married, she should have packed a high-quality magic crystal..." Danielle muttered with a slight frown as she looked at the messy piles of chests and boxes all over the floor.

She had received so many congratulatory gifts from her maiden family that she couldn't even find what she was looking for anymore.

"I can only search through them slowly, one by one." The woman sighed. When she was still a noble young lady, the thing she loathed the most was dealing with such trivial chores, but now... she was a mother.

After a long while, Danielle finally found a crystal shimmering with blue light and exuding a faint chill, hidden inside a small decorative box.

"Wonderful, my little Haydn! Now Mother can help you!"

The woman clutched the crystal tightly to her chest, paying no heed to the tingling pain brought on by its biting chill.