The Alpha Prince's Purchased Maid
Chapter 35: Overwhelmed by Emotions

Chapter 35: Overwhelmed by Emotions

I was confident in my cooking abilities, but now that the time came for me to serve him food, I was so nervous that my hands shook. Endless worries filled my mind, and I doubted if the food I had made would be good enough for him or if it would suit his tastes. After placing the food in front of him, I took a few steps back and stood beside him.

“What are you doing? Sit down and eat with me,” the man said invitingly.

I hesitated briefly before taking the seat opposite him from the table. He must have thought my reaction was strange because I didn’t even know why I acted like that. Since he was not one of the masters I was supposed to serve, I had no idea why I was starting to treat him as if he were one.

He lifted a spoonful of the soup I had made to his lips as I stared at him from across the table. My stomach felt tied up in a tight knot as I waited for him to appraise the food I had prepared.

“It tastes wonderful,” he said before he started laughing.

“Really?” I asked before letting out a sigh of relief.

“Really. It tastes even better when accompanied by your funny reactions. You don’t have to be so nervous around me,” he said before stuffing more soup and bread into his mouth.

I was starving before, and just watching him eat my food happily made me feel whole and delighted. My lips curved into a joyous smile, and I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him as I watched him enjoying the food I had made.

“Do your fingers still hurt?” he asked as he looked my way.

It was a shame that he was still wearing his sunglasses even though we were already indoors because I couldn’t see his eyes or the feelings reflected in them.

“A little, but I’m fine. I’m sorry if I worried you...” I replied truthfully.

“You should eat. You’re hungry, right?” he said before his lips curved into a slightly teasing smile.

“Well...” I began saying before I hesitated.

I couldn’t tell him that my appetite was already quite satisfied just seeing him enjoying the meal I made. It would just sound strange and forward.

“Here,” he said as his beautiful hand shoved a spoonful of soup before my face.

My eyes widened as I watched him lean over the table to offer me food. Did he want to feed me?

“Huh?” I made a surprised and confused sound.

“Open up. I’ll feed you...” he said warmly before continuing to smile charmingly at me.

“There’s no need...” I began protesting right away.

“Just open up,” he insisted.

He didn’t give in, and I figured I couldn’t win against his stubbornness or determination. No one has ever fed me food, and I’m not a man. Was this something that people here usually do for each other, just like how he sucked on my fingers?

I opened my mouth slowly, and he gently fed me the soup. The warm and familiar flavor of the soup filled my mouth. Immediately, I was reminded of home and all the other girls at the orphanage. I’ve thought of them before, and it didn’t take long for me to wish to go back. However, cooking and tasting my cooking reminded me of my role and life at the orphanage.

“It tastes amazing, doesn’t it?” he asked before he chuckled happily.

Without knowing what to say, I just nodded. I didn’t want to compliment my cooking because it was lacking, and I couldn’t make anything fancy due to the orphanage’s lack of ingredients and equipment. Suddenly, I started to feel highly emotional, but the emotions that consumed me were not bright and happy.

“What happened?” his voice snapped me out of my dark and ominous thoughts.

I looked up from my lap to see him crouched beside my seat. He is such a big man. His forearm rested on one knee as he stared at me. I could see my reflection faintly on the lens of his sunglasses.

“Why are you crying all of a sudden? Did I...say or do something to make you sad?” he asked with a hint of confusion and guilt.

“That’s not it...” I quickly denied it before he got the wrong idea.

His beautiful fingers slowly approached my face, and soon, I felt the heat of his fingertips on my right cheek as he brushed my falling tears away. He sighed softly before his fingers moved to my other cheek to do the same. His touch felt so gentle, but it only made me think more sorrowful than before.

The reason that I was crying was straightforward. I must have been fooling myself or ignoring it, not realizing the truth.

I can’t go back home anymore. That place that I called home was no longer my home. There was nowhere for me to return to and no one for me to return to.

The thought brought even more tears to my eyes. Although I tried to stop crying initially, it seemed impossible anymore. All the emotions I had been trying to hold in exploded simultaneously. Tears streamed down my face before I covered my face with my hands to hide away from him. I didn’t want him to see me cry. I didn’t want anyone to see me cry and break down like this.

...

**Leonard’s Point of View**

Why did she start crying all of a sudden?

I had gotten physically closer to her than I had intended for today, and I knew I had to keep some distance between us. After silently promising myself that I wouldn’t touch her again, she had to start crying just a short while after.

--To be continued...