Chapter 7
Seraphina recalled seeing on television that salmon was meant to be eaten with a dipping sauce. Following this memory, she soaked the entire piece of salmon in the sauce beside her plate. The moment it hit her tongue, her expression shifted dramatically. The sauce contained wasabi, and it was too spicy.
A wave of heat surged through her, making her feel as if her entire body was about to burst into flames. Normally, she would have spat it out immediately. But with Clarence sitting right beside her, she feared that such an act might get her thrown
out.
Fighting back the urge to cough or tear up, Seraphina forced herself to swallow the salmon, her eyes welling up to compose herself. Then she reached for her water glass and drank the water down in large, desperate gulps.
pas she tried
Clarence had been watching her the entire time, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He then instructed a maid to prepare a new dipping sauce without wasabi.
Seraphina’s face burned with embarrassment. She knew he had noticed her discomfort, but there was something surprisingly considerate about the way he handled it.
Clarence then selected a large king crab leg and placed it on his plate. He picked up a pair of crab crackers and began to
work on the shell.
Seraphina finally understood the purpose of the strange utensil she had been puzzling over. “When I cat crab at home, I just use my hands to pry open the shell and dig in. Who knew it could be such a delicate process?‘ she thought to herself.
For fear of misusing the utensils, Seraphina refrained from helping herself to the king crab, despite it being the dish she most wanted to try. She couldn’t help wondering about the richness of the crab meat and tomalley hidden within that enormous shell.
As Clarence deftly cracked open the crab, Seraphina caught sight of the luscious, tender meat inside, making her mouth water. He used a small spoon to scoop the crab roe and tomalley into a gold–rimmed dish. Once he had extracted all the roe and tomalley, he set the crab leg aside.
He then selected another crab leg, repeating the same procedure as he opened it. Seraphina found herself unconsciously Swallowing as she watched.
Then, as though performing a ritual, Clarence picked up a wet wipe and carefully wiped his fingers, moving with the same meticulous care as if he were handling a rare artifact, revealing a hint of his fastidious nature.
After wiping his hands clean, Clarence gently pushed the two plates of crab meat towards Seraphina. “Go ahead, eat,” he said lightly.
Seraphina, who was in the middle of eating a shrimp, nearly dropped it from her mouth in surprise. She stared at him, astonished.
Is he… offering this to me? He spent all that time extracting the meat for me? No way. The president of Angoria’s largest company, cracking crabs for me? Even if I live–streamed this, no one would believe it, Seraphina thought to self.
“You don’t like it?” Clarence asked, noticing her hesitation. He extended a spoon towards her, adding. “Better eat it while it’s
still warm.”
Only then did Seraphina realize that Clarence had indeed been cracking those crabs for her. This man, born with a silver spoon in his mouth and pampered since childhood, had always been surrounded by people catering to his every need. He had never taken such care of someone else.
Even Clarence himself couldn’t fully explain why he had done it. Maybe it was because he could tell she was unfamiliar with this kind of luxury, and for some inexplicable reason, he felt compelled to make her feel more comfortable.
13:28 Tue, Oct 29 BBB
Chapter 7
“Thanks, Seraphina whispered, her voice unusually soft and gentle. The warm smile that graced her lips made her eyes. sparkle with an ethereal charm
Clarence lowered his gaze briefly before resuming his impassive expression. Leaning back in his chair, he said casually, “I was just showing you how it’s done. If you want more, you’ll have to do it yourself.”
“Okay.” Seraphina nodded lightly.
Despite Clarence’s cold demeanor and tone, his gesture of preparing the crab for her left Seraphina feeling both honored and touched.
After finishing what was on her plate, Seraphina decided to try her hand at cracking one herself with the crackers. Savoring every bite of the the crab roe and tomalley, she was about to start on the meat, when Clarence’s voice cut in, “You’re going to eat those parts?”
Seraphina mumbled, “Are they not edible?”
Clarence let out a small chuckle, amusement flickering in his eyes. “I never eat those parts. Aren’t the crab roe and tomalle delicious enough? That’s the real delicacy.”
on with
Seraphina couldn’t help but think, ‘Only the rich could afford to waste like this…all the meat left uneaten Growing up frugal habits, Seraphina couldn’t bring herself to discard the remaining crab.
Noticing her reluctance, Clarence set down his napkin and stood up. “Don’t eat the meat,” he said flatly.
“Oh. Seraphina muttered, though she was confused, given that the meat was quite delicious. But to avoid appearing unsophisticated, she kept her questions to herself.
Clarence left the dining room, leaving Seraphina to finish her meal alone.
After a short while, Sharon appeared and stayed by her side, instructing her on the proper use of the various utensils. ‘Clarence must have instructed her to do this before he left, Seraphina thought. ‘Is he trying to mold me into a refined lady? Or maybe, this is his way of accepting me and showing that I might stay by his side?”
An unfamiliar flutter stirred in Seraphina’s chest, a mix of anticipation and nervousness rippling through her.
When dinner was done, Sharon said to Seraphina, “Mr. Vanderbil’s bedroom is on the third floor
Seraphina’s heart skipped a beat. “Is this it? Is tonight the night? The thought of what awaited her filled her with nervousness, and as she ascended the stairs, her steps became slower, dragging out the inevitable. By the time she reached the third floor, over ten minutes had passed.
The entire floor housed only one grand room, radiating an air of exclusivity and importance. The terrace garden was bathed in soft streetlights, with flowers in full bloom, their scent wafted along by the gentle night breeze.
Steeling herself with a deep breath, Seraphina lightly knocked on the door. No matter how much she stalled, she knew she couldn’t escape this. After all, it was part of the unspoken contract of being Clarence’s mistress.
“Come in,” came Clarence’s voice from inside, low and detached, nearly sapping Seraphina’s resolve. Yet, despite the anxiety gnawing at her, she slowly pressed down on the door handle and eased it open.
Her eyes immediately fell upon Clarence, seated on a couch by the floor–to–ceiling windows, working on the laptop in his lap. His eyes were downcast, his body slightly reclined against the backrest, an air of detached coolness emanating from his
features.
When Seraphina entered, he didn’t look up, his fingers continuing their dance across the keyboard. His stern expression was both intimidating and alluring, exuding an inexplicable charm in his focused state. Seraphina shuffled hesitantly towards him, finally stopping a couple of meters away, unsure of how to break the silence.
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