Chapter 3 3

Daphne was busy preparing a plate of Japanese-style omelet rice in the kitchen. After spending more than

15 minutes in the kitchen, dinner was served. Aside from the omelet rice, she also prepared some delicious cheese croquettes. "Brian, dinner is ready!"

Brian glanced at the time. There were still 13 minutes left before 8 o'clock.

He jumped off the sofa and walked towards the kitchen slowly. Then, he sat down in the kitchen.

On the second floor, Damien wiped off the saliva on the corner of his lips. He snorted. "I'm sure the food doesn't taste good, though it does smell nice."

"It's delicious."

Brian praised Daphne the moment he put the food inside his mouth. It was as if he had heard Damien's comments from upstairs.

Daphne smiled, "Really? I can prepare more delicacies for you in the future."

Something struck her mind as she asked, "Brian, why are you here so late at night? Where are your parents?"

"Are you Mr. Russell guest?"

Based on the rumors flying around, she was sure that Mr. Russell didn't have children of his own.

Brian frowned and nodded, "Yes, sort of."

"Just as I expected."

Daphne nodded. "Even though he doesn't have good looks, I'm sure he has a kind heart."

Well, considering that Mr. Russell had a child playing around in his house, Daphne felt that he wasn't as crazy as she thought he would be.

"He's not ugly."

Brian took a mouthful of rice and reminded her again in a low voice.

On the second floor, Sebastian squinted his eyes at Damien, who was drooling profusely. It seemed like he was comparing the differences between his two children.

Brian was trying his best to protect Sebastian's reputation. On the other hand, Damien was trying to make the whole world think that his father was an ugly monster.

Damien pouted as he said unhappily, "I don't want a stranger to be my mother."

Sebastian frowned slightly as he turned to leave.

As Brian finished his meal downstairs, it was already 8:10 at night.

He did enjoy his meal to the fullest.

Brian used a small plate to put the remaining cheese croquettes on it, preparing to take them upstairs.

"You should rest early."

When he reached the final flight of stairs, he turned around and looked at Daphne, who was standing rooted to the ground. "Don't worry."

"I will protect you from now on."

Although Brian was a young child with a small figure, he exuded a charismatic aura. He didn't sound or look like a typical 5-year-old at all.

Daphne was stunned for a moment.

When she looked at his small figure from behind, she felt really amused.

Even though she still couldn't get used to her new environment, she wasn't desperate enough to rely on a young child like Brian.

Daphne turned to the kitchen and started cleaning up. Once she was done, she couldn't bring herself to sleep in the terrifying bedroom again.

Finally, she laid on the couch, using her jacket to cover up herself.

In the children's room.

Brian put the plate of delicious cheese croquettes at Damien's bedside.

Damien turned his back and faced the wall. "I won't eat it."

"Oh, okay."

Then, Brian took the plate and put it at the desk beside his own bed.

Damien was speechless.

He muttered unhappily, "Didn't you promise to drive those women away with me? You told me you didn't want a stepmother!"

"How dare you betray my trust! You traitor!"

Brian sat on his bed and glanced at Damien's back. "She's really good at cooking."

"I don't care! She's not our mother!"

Damien scrapped the wallpaper with his fingers unhappily. "I only want my real mother."

On the opposite bed, Brian sighed. He looked at the ceiling and said softly, "But she's dead."

Brian was a lot more mature than Damien. He knew that their mother was never coming back home.

Their father shouldn't be single for the rest of his life either.

That woman downstairs was not a bad candidate.

"She is not dead," Damien muttered.

Damien clenched his fists and shouted, "Mummy is definitely still alive! She's waiting for us to find her!"

Brian closed his eyes and ignored him.

All of a sudden, the atmosphere of the children's room quiet down, with the tantalizing scent of the cheese croquettes wafting in the air.

In the end, Damien climbed down his bed and tiptoed to Brian bedside. Then, he grabbed the plate and munched on the croquettes.

His eyes lit up with joy when the food entered his mouth.

It was really delicious!

It was 10 times better than the food cooked by the maids at home!

"Take the plate downstairs."

When Damien was munching on the second piece, a childish voice echoed from Brian's bed, "Also, I won't allow you to pull pranks on her anymore."

"I like her, so she's under my protection now."

Damien was speechless again.

The corners of his lips turned down. "Brian, you are acting very weird today."

In the past, Brian was indifferent to most of Damien's pranks. But now, why was he trying to protect that woman?

Was it really because she was good at cooking?

While Damien was preoccupied with his thoughts, he took another bite.

It was really delicious.

After he finished the croquettes, Damien took the plate downstairs.

While he was walking down the stairs, he could spot Daphne sleeping on the sofa at one glance.

Curling up into a ball, she was still shivering from head to toe.

Damien walked towards her and stared at her face.

"She's a pretty woman, and she's good at cooking too," Damien thought.

"If only she's my biological mother..."

While Daphne was sleeping, she could feel someone staring at her.

Instantly, she woke up and saw the child from before standing in front of her.

With a plate in his hand, he was staring straight at her face.

She rubbed her sleepy eyes and asked, "Are you... still hungry?"

"Why is he looking at me with an empty plate?" Daphne thought.

Damien pursed his lips. He knew that she must've mistaken him as Brian. However, he still nodded and replied, "Yes."

He wasn't lying, he was still hungry.

Looking at the child's adorable appearance, Daphne's heart melted. She pinched his cheeks and said, "I'll go and make something for you to eat."

Once she finished speaking, she went into the kitchen as she pondered, "Didn't he say that he can't eat anything after 8 p.m.?"

Besides, she did cook a large portion for Brian just now.

Feeling confused, Daphne went into the kitchen and prepared a simple meal for Damien.

The child devoured everything.

Daphne was stunned beyond words.

"Oh wow, this child... he has a really big appetite!" Daphne thought to herself.

She felt shocked when Damien handed over the plate to her as he requested for more.

When he finished eating, Daphne couldn't help but ask, "Brian, you... you're really hungry, huh?"

Damien froze. Then, he giggled, "Yeah, I eat a lot."

He reached out and showed her two of his fingers. "From now on, you should keep making good food for me. Double the portion, okay?"

Damien remembered that Brian might leave the leftovers he didn't like to him. So, he emphasized his point again, "I want you to double the portion, and the food must be exactly the same, okay?"

Daphne was a bit stunned. But still, she nodded and smiled while cleaning the dishes. "You are a growing child. It's natural for you to eat more."

Daphne took out a box of biscuits and gave it to Damien. "This is for you." It was actually meant as a gift for Mr. Russell.

After that, she smiled and touched the child's head. "You should eat well and grow up healthily, okay?"

Damien blushed as he ran upstairs with the box of biscuits.

Daphne heaved in a deep breath. When Damien was out of sight, she went to the sofa and continued sleeping.

Upstairs.

On the table, an expensive phone vibrated, which indicated unread messages.

Sebastian picked up the phone and clicked on it.

The messages were as follows. Brian: Approved.

On the other hand, Damien sent a voice message to his father. While munching on a box of biscuits, he said, "For now, I'll give her my approval. I still don't like her though."

"But she's so good at cooking. I'll compromise, just so I can enjoy good food every day."

Sebastian put down his mobile phone and gave an order. "Please arrange tomorrow's schedule for me. We will be registering for marriage tomorrow.