Never Mistake a Queen for a Lapdog novel Chapter 771

Other people spent money chasing after someone. Seth, on the other hand, was costing him his friends.

Jude had a reasonable suspicion that if Seth ever decided to get on his knees and beg Noreen for forgiveness, he'd be expected to kneel right alongside him.

The seafood market was already closed, so Seth found a seafood restaurant and bought the ingredients there. He selected them with a practiced eye, looking like he'd done this countless times before. Jude just couldn't quite wrap his head around it.

In his mind, Seth was the pampered young master of the Harcourt family, accustomed to having every aspect of his life—from his meals to his clothes—taken care of by servants. He was the golden child every parent dreamed of, brilliant and destined for greatness. People like that were supposed to be above the mundane realities of life, let alone trivial household chores like cooking.

And that had been Seth's image before. But as Jude watched him expertly clean and prepare the seafood, even accurately predicting the simmering time and the ratio of seasonings, he was stunned. He stood frozen for a long moment before pointing at the fragrant, delicious-looking seafood soup in the pot. "Seth, are you for real? You actually know how to cook?"

The aroma alone was enough to make his mouth water. Even Jude, who was used to the finest cuisine, felt his appetite stir.

Seth shot a cool glance at the dumbfounded Jude and replied nonchalantly, "What's the big deal?"

He knew how to make more than just seafood soup. He could prepare a variety of dishes and broths that were easy on the stomach, all of which he'd learned from a specific restaurant—the one Noreen used to frequent.

Once, he couldn't stop himself from asking a question that crossed a line. He asked her why she was so invested in his well-being, why she would scour the entire city for a remedy just because he couldn't sleep.

At the time, she was cooking for him. With her head bowed, revealing the soft, pale nape of her neck, she had answered in a low voice, "Because you're my boss. Isn't it normal to please the boss? That's how I'll get a promotion and a raise."

The answer had left Seth disappointed for a long time. But eventually, he comforted himself, thinking it was for the best. Whenever he felt himself falling too deep, he would remind himself that she loved someone else. Her kindness was just part of her job. He shouldn't dare to dream of a happiness that wasn't his to have.

So he cherished every act of kindness from her, measuring its value and storing it in his heart.