When Felix reached the villa and went inside, he searched for Yelena but she was nowhere to be seen. He tried calling her but her phone was also in her room.
For a split second, he even felt fear. He was afraid that something might happen to her. But all his speculations ended when the maid told him that she went to the orchard. He then hurried to the place. But when he reached there, he was more than displeased at the scene he witnessed.
The woman was his girlfriend but why was she smiling happily at his personal guard? They chat as they plucked some fruits and even laughed together!
Yelena and the guard named Matthew were still chatting as they plucked the fruits without even aware of the Prince's eyes that examined them from afar.
"So, your wish was to become a chef like your mother, but you decided to follow your father footsteps and become a royal guard? But why? Your dishes are amazing and you will surely make a great chef."
Yelena already tasted some of his dishes before and she was not lying. This young man was a great cook, unlike a certain someone.
Matthew smiled at her words. "I'm the only son of our family. My father was a royal guard and so was my grandfather. I'm obliged to follow their footsteps ever since I was a child." He explained.
"I think it's time that we make an effort to abolish this system. We must be free to choose our own path, isn't it? After all, we only live for once." Yelena honestly stated her opinion.
Why did parents always try to push their children to their own desired path? Choosing their career should be children's rights!
Matthew laughed when he witnessed her honesty. "I never thought someone from an upper society like you would have such a mindset, My Lady. Maybe I should reconsider my career too. Besides, I'm still young."
He plucked the apple which was a bit high for Yelena to grab. He then handed to her.
"Yeah. Don't you say that you are 25? That means we are the same age!" She exclaimed as she took the fruit from his hands.
"Really?" The guard beamed. "That's great to hear. But you're already a Captain. You must be a great soldier."
"What is going on here?" The Prince's cold voice was more than enough to make the duo stopped whatever they were doing.
Putting his hands inside his pocket, Felix made his way to them with a nonchalant face.
Yelena turned around to look at him. "You're back?" She smiled while Matthew bowed at the sight of the Crown Prince.
The moment he reached where the duo were standing, his gaze instantly fell upon his guard. It seemed like a normal gaze but when Matthew look at him, he understood right away. It was a warning gaze mixed with jealousy!
Not wishing to get on the bad side of his Prince, Matthew immediately took a step back while lowering his head. He tried to avoid the gaze, no matter what.
"What is going on here?" Felix asked the question for the second time. What did they do or say to smile at each other that way?!
"Ah! I'm trying to make -"
"Not you." He interrupted Yelena who was answering him. "I ask Matthew." His voice was far from friendly and his gaze never leaves the man this whole time.
Feeling nervous due to the Prince's gaze that was still fixated on him, never once did Matthew raised his eyes. "The Lady wants to pluck some fresh fruits to make a cake. So..." He paused when his nervousness made his throat dry. He gulped and continued, "I went with her to help her."
"Oh! Is that so?" Felix's raised a brow as if he was amazed by Matthew's response. "You seems to be so close and happy that it made me wondered if this is a picnic." He bluntly said.
Yelena who was very annoyed at his reaction finally spoke up. "You ordered him to keep me at his sight all the time. That's why he accompanied me here."
"Do you plan to take his side?" Felix scoffed.
What's wrong with her? Why was she always associated with different men these days?! He didn't even mention anything about the man at the exhibition because he didn't want to come off as clingy.
But laughing and smiling at none other than his personal guard was just... just too much!
Yelena couldn't believe how the Prince twisted her words. She could barely resist the urge to roll her eyes at him. She was about to say something but... Matthew beat her at that.
"I apologize, Your Highness. I was out of line." Matthew bowed as he apologized to the Prince.
The Crown Prince may be a little overjealous but he was not completely wrong. As a guard, Matthew was well aware of how he should stick to his job without close contact or interaction which were not work-related. But maybe because of the lady's unexpected easy-going nature, he ended up chatting and laughing with her.
"You are dismissed." Felix simply said and when Matthew left, he turned his attention to Yelena who was trying to leave too. "Where do you think you're going? I'm still not done with you."
Hearing his unpleasant voice, Yelena turned around and faced him again.
"I always saw you smiling at other men these days. Even if I put Lexus aside, there are still two other men." He pointed out with a displeased face.
"Two? How come I don't know the other person?" Yelena scoffed. He truly had many useless speculations these days!
"That man in the exhibition." He hinted with a slight smirk. "I still didn't say anything about it."
Oh! Come on! Why did he keep on twisting the truth today?! Yelena sighed at his jealousy. "I never smiled at that man. I don't even know him." She retorted.
She still remembered clearly. She didn't smile at that stranger. Now that Felix mentioned about it, she was reminded of the strange fact that the man called her name. It made her wondered how he did that while she never gave him her name.
"Then what about today? You smiled at Matthew and you looked so happy." He calmly pointed out again.
Was he a King of Jealousy or what? Was she not even allowed to talk to other men?! It was the first time she witnessed him being this clingy and it almost made her laugh!
"I never know that you are the super jealous type!" She scoffed. "What's wrong with talking to someone who helps me out? We only talked about how he is a great cook and about some dishes."
"I can also do that." Felix retorted confidently.
"What?"
"Cooking."
His response made the Captain laughed so hard at him. Maybe he still had no idea how bad of a cook he was! Even though she tried to suppress her laughter when she saw his bewildered face, she can't bring herself to stop laughing!
"What is so funny?" Felix asked with an annoyed face.
Yelena shook her head. Maybe she wouldn't be able to make him understand with just words. Then a great idea crossed her mind. "Come with me." She carried the basket of fruits and grabbed him on the hands.
She pulled him inside the villa and then to the kitchen. "It's lunchtime. Will you make some lunch for us? I'm hungry." She said to the confused Prince.
The Prince stared at her for a while yet she sat on the chair and take a look at the fruits she gathered, not sparing him any glance. Almost a minute passed before he finally started working on the lunch.
Time slowly passed by while the couple were busy with their own. The Prince was preparing lunch while Yelena was preparing to bake a fruit cake.
"It's done." Felix placed two plates on the table with a satisfying smile. He turned his head to Yelena who came to him.
"What is this?" She asked. Would it really be edible this time?
"It's pasta carbonara. Have a seat." He made her sit on one of the dining chairs and sit opposite to her.
"You can enjoy." His mood seemed to be lifted a lot as he kept on smiling rather than whining.
"Why wouldn't you have a taste of it first?" She takes a fork and rolled some of the pasta in it. She then urged him to open his mouth with a sweet smile.
She won't eat until she made sure that it was edible!
Having no idea about her intention, Felix simply opened his mouth and tasted the pasta he made.
One second and she examined his reaction keenly. And just like she expected, not even five seconds passed when... the Prince spit out the pasta he ate!
Once again, she laughed when he instantly asked for water.
"It's too salty!" Felix exclaimed as soon as he finished drinking the water that Yelena gave to him. But when he looked at her, she was giggling, much more like she was laughing at him!
He blinked in surprise. He was confused at her reaction until he recalled their conversation. Was she trying to let him know that he was a very bad cook?! He snorted when he finally understood what was going on.
"Was this the reason why you asked me to make lunch?" He sighed. "You're so cruel. Why didn't you just tell me?"
"Will you believe if I tell you that you can't cook at all?" She replied, still unable to suppress her laughter.
Now that he thought about it, she always suggested many things to do together whenever he tried to cook. He finally realized that she was trying to avoid his horrible dishes!
He was quite upset that she made him cook just to let him realized that cooking was not his forte! But when he saw her laughing so hard, he was convinced that it was worth it. He at least made her smile. It made him felt satisfied and as such, he finally smiled too.
"Was it that funny?"
"Yeah." She nodded her head and narrowed at the dish. "Do you know how much effort I put to finished that dish you brought for me in the hospital?" When she saw his awkward face, she burst out into laughter again.
When he wondered how hard it would have been, it made him felt embarrassed. Maybe he needs to take cooking lessons!
Yelena rose from her seat and put her hands on his shoulders. "Don't worry. We won't starve." She showed him the oven where her fruit cake was in the process of baking. "Let's just have that for today's lunch."