"Clara, come sit over here with me." Uncle Coleman offered his seat.
Claire Lowell was still unwilling. In her eyes, changing seats would be like admitting defeat to Raina North, almost as if Raina had bested her.
However, she wasn’t completely ignorant of social niceties and knew now wasn’t the time to argue over something petty. She could only suppress her displeasure and sit down.
Uncle Coleman nodded at this sight.
Quinn Thorne sat in the corner with his bowl, observing everyone’s reactions, and couldn’t help but sigh when he looked at Uncle Coleman.
This Uncle Coleman was usually astute and capable—what had muddled his thinking now?
Perhaps he wasn’t muddled; rather, over the years, the elders’ excessive courtesy had made him forget his original role and duties.
Quinn Thorne silently made a note, intending to find an opportunity to remind Uncle Coleman. At this age, would it not be better to retire gracefully than to lose face by throwing one’s dignity away? ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel★fire.net
At that moment, the servants had already laid out the dishes on the dining table.
Uncle Coleman took a serving chopstick and picked up a dish, after tasting, he generously praised, "Delicious, Clara, your skills have improved, very good, very good."
"Grandpa Coleman, you’re too kind." Claire Lowell smiled thinly, then mustered the courage to pick up a spare rib and place it on Elias Hawthorne’s plate, "Nameless, you try some too."
Elias Hawthorne said nothing, instead picking up a piece of fish and setting it on Raina North’s plate, "Leo, you’ve lost quite a bit of weight recently, eat more."
Claire Lowell’s expression stiffened at this sight; she hadn’t expected Elias Hawthorne to be so attentive to Raina North.
She took a deep breath and said, "Nameless, you’ve been busy all day, start eating, and I’ll take care of Alliance Leader Rivers."
Saying this, she used the serving chopstick to place another spare rib on Raina North’s plate, then asked, "Alliance Leader Rivers, what else do you like? I’ll serve it for you."
Speaking, she filled Raina North’s plate before she could even respond.
Raina North hesitated as she looked at the dishes on her plate, delaying to pick up her chopsticks.
Claire Lowell couldn’t help but say, "Alliance Leader Rivers, why aren’t you eating? Is my cooking not to your taste?"
"It’s alright, I guess." Raina North replied, though her expression seemed somewhat reluctant.
Even years later, returning to The Umbral Zone, she didn’t find it particularly uncomfortable—except for the food.
The Umbral Zone was very prosperous, with some central cities not much different from major cities in Veridia, aside from the culinary delights.
Perhaps because everyone’s focus was on martial arts, compared to Veridia, famous worldwide for its cuisine, there was still a significant gap.
For an ordinary person, it might be fine, but unfortunately, she had a discerning palate akin to an emperor’s, and her sensitive tastebuds had been suffering since she returned.
Originally, she thought coming back today with Elias Hawthorne would allow her to have a good meal, but didn’t expect it to be ruined by this Eldest Miss Lowell.
Seeing this, Claire Lowell’s eyes flashed with annoyance, but she still maintained a beaming smile, "Alliance Leader Rivers saying so indicates you aren’t quite satisfied with my skills. In that case, please do instruct me more."
Raina North looked at Claire Lowell and asked, "Are you sure you want me to instruct more?"
"Of course." Claire Lowell’s chin lifted slightly, her expression confident. She had specially learned to cook, and among ordinary people, her skills were considered top-notch.
She put in so much effort to win over Elias Hawthorne’s taste buds.