Chapter 25: The Power of Music

Chapter 25: The Power of Music

Great! She's the first person who's managed to anger him not once, but multiple times—and recently, she's become even more audacious, daring to mock him with that utterly sincere expression. Is she completely unaware of how terrifying the consequences could be for provoking him?

Lydia Moore sighed silently as she watched the mask land perfectly in the sink. Just as she had expected, she failed. She should have known that this devil would never agree to her request so easily. In the end, she was the one who had to give in. Well, if that's the case, she might as well focus on teaching him how to bake, hoping that maybe, just maybe, he might soften a little in return.

With this hope in mind, Lydia took five seconds to adjust her mood before looking up with a bright smile at Aaron King. "Let's start making the cake," she said cheerfully, as if the earlier unpleasantness had never happened.

What game is she playing now? Aaron King's anger cooled just enough to make him suspicious, his sharp, deep-set eyes narrowing. With a doubtful frown, he walked over to the table, eyeing the neatly arranged bowls of powders and liquids with increasing confusion.

"Today, we're going to start with the basics of baking—whisking eggs. Let me introduce you to the ingredients we'll be using," Lydia said, standing tall with the poise of a teacher. She picked up a small, smooth-shelled egg and held it up for him to see. "First, this is an egg."

She received a cold, "Do you think I'm an idiot?" glare from Aaron, but undeterred, she reached for a metal whisk. With a mischievous glint in her eye, she continued, "And this is the legendary whisk. You must be wondering why it's called that, right? Because its purpose is to whisk eggs. Isn't that amazing?" she added, smirking. After all, he might act all high and mighty, but she was sure his "superior intelligence" wouldn't have figured it out without her explanation. This thought filled Lydia with smug satisfaction, restoring her wounded pride.

Is she trying to be funny? Because that was seriously lame. Aaron King felt a trio of frustration lines form on his forehead. She really is just a delusional fool who tells bad jokes. Realizing what had made her so self-satisfied, he let a cold, mocking smile stretch across his handsome face. Then, without warning or any apparent reason, Aaron snatched the whisk from her hand. He gave Lydia a chilling look, his lips curling into a sinister grin, before swiftly bringing the whisk down on her head.

The blow made a sharp sound, and Lydia winced, clutching her head in pain as dizziness washed over her, making stars dance in her vision. She never expected Aaron to actually hit her with the whisk, let alone with such force. Didn't he realize she was a girl? This confirmed it—he was a heartless, cold-blooded monster. Angrily, Lydia glared at Aaron, who was watching her reaction with a smirk, his wicked smile mocking her. With an indignant huff, she grabbed a small handful of flour and tossed it at him in retaliation.

Instantly, the stylish black-and-white jacket he wore was dusted with fine white powder. The look of shock on Aaron's face made Lydia's anger melt away, replaced by uncontrollable laughter.

Finally, the devil has met his match. Lydia thought triumphantly. Sure, she had a good temper, but that didn't mean he could walk all over her. When necessary, she could fight back, especially against someone as arrogant as him.

This idiot! What is she doing? Aaron King stared down in disbelief at the now ridiculous-looking jacket she had ruined. He couldn't believe she'd done something like this to him. And to top it all off, she wasn't even apologizing—no, she was laughing at him! She was dead meat. This wasn't a statement—it was a declaration.

Dark mischief gleamed in Aaron King's eyes. With a quick flick of his arm, he scooped up a plate of flour from the table and tossed it right back at Lydia.

The air filled with a cloud of light, fluttering white powder, like softly singing snowflakes. Through the haze, Aaron saw her startled, disheveled expression and the way she flailed her arms in a futile attempt to ward off the flour. Seeing his revenge play out so perfectly, his mood soared. Mimicking her earlier behavior, he shrugged innocently, a look of faux regret on his face, though the sly smile at his lips betrayed his true feelings.

"Cough! Cough! Aaron King, you—" Lydia Moore tried to speak, but the moment the flour settled, she found herself covered from head to toe in the stuff, her once shiny black hair now white, her face dusted with flour, making her look like a little snowman. She opened her mouth to protest, but when she looked up, she saw the expression on Aaron King's face—a boyish grin, pure and bright, like a child who had just pulled off the perfect prank. His smile was so clear, so pure, like the sparkle of crystal.

His handsome face, framed by his thick, dark lashes, smooth, pale skin, well-defined brows, and straight nose, was illuminated by the grin that made his blue earring glint even brighter. For a moment, Lydia was mesmerized, thinking how incredibly handsome he looked when he smiled like that.

The retort she had planned melted into a soft murmur, "You should smile more often. It looks really good on you." He had such a brilliant, dazzling smile, yet it seemed like he stubbornly hid it behind his cold and arrogant facade. Was it really so hard for him to express his true emotions without reservation?

D*mn it, he wasn't smiling! There was no way he was smiling at her. Aaron King quickly wiped the smile from his face, awkwardly defending himself with a gruff tone, "Don't make up stupid lies to try and butter me up. That's ridiculous." He quickly turned his gaze away, trying to mask his discomfort.

Seeing him so stubbornly refuse to acknowledge what had just happened made Lydia think he was even more endearing. For the first time, she realized that when a guy blushed, it could be incredibly charming. It was a shame he was Aaron King; otherwise, she would have loved to pinch his face, just to see if it felt as good as it looked. But even so, this rare glimpse of his true self was more than enough to keep her eyes glued to him.