Chapter 70: An Unusual Dinner

The atmosphere felt strange—eerily so. Something about Claire's behavior seemed out of character. Even the aromas wafting from the kitchen carried a faint, unusual scent. It wasn't unpleasant, per se; alongside the soft trace of herbal medicine, there was an oddly alluring fragrance. She must've been simmering it over low heat for hours, letting the natural aroma of the ingredients fully develop.

Lucas suddenly remembered Claire's visit to the herbal shop with Lauren that afternoon. Wasn't she supposed to pick up some burn ointment? But ever since she got back, she'd been holed up in the kitchen, refusing to let him help despite her injured hand. He'd considered insisting, but some part of him didn't want to disrupt her unusual determination. Yet, Roy's words echoed in his mind—*risking it all and coming up short,* and a faint, inexplicable anger started building up within him.

"Claire, is dinner ready yet?" Lucas called out, his tone carrying a hint of irritation. What was she doing in there, hatching an egg? If she was going to be as slow as a snail, she'd certainly earned the nickname.

"Just a minute," Claire replied, finally appearing in the doorway with a large bowl in hand, moving with careful, deliberate steps toward the dining table. Judging by her pace, Lucas guessed it was some kind of soup.

Seeing her carry that big bowl, Lucas's heart skipped a beat. He wanted to scold her, to tell her off for being so careless with her injury, but he held back, afraid that if he startled her, she might spill the soup or even burn herself again. He could only watch, tense, as she made her way to the table and placed the bowl down safely.

Relieved, yet still simmering with pent-up frustration, Lucas couldn't hold back anymore. His anger burst out in a frustrated rant: "Are you out of your mind? Your hand is still healing, and here you are, carrying a hot bowl of soup without any gloves! Do you want to get burned again just to stress me out? Seriously, what were you thinking?"

Claire's brows knit together as she listened to him rant. Her delicate features twisted in a mix of confusion and frustration, and a faint mist seemed to gather in her wide, dark eyes.

Seeing her reaction, Lucas's heart softened, but he wasn't ready to let it go just yet. "What, I scold you a bit, and you start tearing up? Do you think I really think you're an idiot? Look, I'm only saying this because I'm worried about you."

"I'm not crying," Claire mumbled, baffled by his sudden shift from the caring Lucas of this morning to the irritable version in front of her.

"No? Then what's with the misty eyes?" Lucas leaned in, his gaze sharp. "If you're going to tell me it's because you just used eye drops, I'll—well, maybe I'd believe you this one time."

"Honestly, Lucas, I wasn't crying," Claire replied, her voice barely a murmur. "The steam in the kitchen kept hitting me in the face while I was stirring the soup."

"Fine, whatever," Lucas scoffed, looking down at the bowl of thick, milky soup in front of him. He sniffed at it with mild curiosity, then raised an eyebrow at her. "So, this is dinner?"

"Uh, not entirely. Hold on." Claire quickly returned to the kitchen, emerging moments later with a smaller bowl of dark, jelly-like substance, which she set on the table.

Lucas eyed the strange, blackish item in the bowl, a bit taken aback. After a long pause, he asked, "This is… some kind of dessert?"

"No, um, that's… herbal jelly," Claire stammered. But Lucas's penetrating gaze made her worry he might figure out what it really was. He couldn't possibly know it was actually a medicinal tonic, could he?

Lucas pointed back at the milky soup. "And this?"

"Oh, that?" Claire hesitated, unsure how to explain. Calling it a 'health-boosting tonic' would probably get her a skeptical glare. After all, it wasn't exactly made for flavor. "It's, um, a soup to clear the heat and help with lung health," she improvised. "Lauren said it's… really good for you."

Lucas raised an eyebrow, watching her blush grow deeper. "Clear heat and detoxify, huh? And Lauren's the one who recommended it? You and Lauren went to the herbal store together?"

"Yep, she's been so helpful," Claire replied quickly. In truth, Lauren had been remarkably enthusiastic, guiding her through the herbal selections to find things that might help Lucas feel better. Although Claire wasn't sure it would work, she appreciated Lauren's guidance.

"Okay, okay, sit down and drink some soup," Lucas muttered, sounding as though he'd accepted his fate. When did their dinner menu start including strange, soupy concoctions like this? And what on earth was in that dark jelly?

But, wait a second… what exactly was this "herbal jelly"?

"Claire."

"Hmm?"

"This herbal jelly isn't for 'detoxifying,' right? It's not like regular herbal jelly, is it? What's it made of?" He shot her a suspicious glance before glancing down at his own bowl. "And why is your soup clear while mine is milky? You're up to something, aren't you?"

Caught off guard, Claire froze, her mouth suddenly dry, struggling for words.

"Well? No answer?" Lucas pressed, his tone skeptical. "Don't tell me… is there something unusual in this soup?"

"No, of course not! It's just… you're asking so many questions, I don't know which one to answer first!" Claire replied, exasperated. She'd just wanted him to drink it without asking too much. Lauren hadn't prepared her for how to handle this interrogation.

"Alright, then start with the herbal jelly. What's it made of?"

"Oh, it's… a mix of herbs that help with cooling the body and some flowers boiled down, then set to chill," she replied, hoping that would satisfy him.