Chapter 1131: Chapter 1131: Having Him Cook for a Love Rival? Should He Serve Him a Missile Instead?

What’s it like living with a highly disciplined and proud man and a cute little kid?

At seven in the morning, Casimir knocks on my door, sweetly saying, "Mommy, Dad started making breakfast. Do you want noodles or porridge?"

Leah is a typical night owl. Even if she doesn’t do anything, she still stays up playing with her phone until 1 or 2 AM. So when Casimir knocks, her mind is still foggy, but she resigns herself to climb out of bed, open the door, and say lifelessly, "Noodles, please."

Then she flops back into bed to sleep.

After sleeping for a while, Leah notices the house is a bit too quiet, so she rubs her eyes and gets up, only to find Casimir sitting on the floor by the door, resting his chin in his hands, looking at her with big, bright black eyes.

The little boy is sitting there quietly, with white teeth and red lips, as cute as a carefully drawn cartoon. When he sees her wake up, he jumps up happily, pats his little butt, and says a bit shyly yet proudly, "Mommy, I was very good. I didn’t make a sound."

Leah’s heart softens. She beckons him to the bed, hugging him gently. "Why are you sitting on the floor?" she asks.

"I wanted to see you, Mommy." Casimir’s eyes curve into smiles as he looks at Leah. Last night, he was too excited to sleep, tossing and turning in bed. Dad was mad and spanked him, and he only slept fitfully after that, so he came early in the morning to see her, afraid she might disappear again.

Leah chuckles. She always thinks about correcting him that she’s not his mom, but seeing the boy’s joy, she can’t bring herself to say it.

"How long have you been looking for mommy?" Leah asks as she smooths his collar, suddenly feeling like buying things for him.

"For a long time. Since I could understand things, Dad always told me Mommy got lost." Casimir says, burying his little head into Leah’s arms, whispering, "Mommy, I’m very good. Please don’t leave me."

Leah strokes his little head gently and replies softly.

Woken up by Casimir, Leah couldn’t fall back asleep, so she got up early, washed, and took Casimir downstairs.

Richard was already up. He only sleeps four or five hours daily, and last night he barely slept at all. Casimir was too excited to sleep, and so was he, though he hid it well and didn’t show it.

Leah saw him sitting by the white floor-to-ceiling window, still in his signature cotton-linen mandarin-collared shirt. The morning light softly streamed through the window, illuminating his stern yet handsome face with an indescribable sense of serenity.

Leah was dumbfounded for a moment. Richard had already put down his book; his tea-colored eyes looked over, saying in a deep voice, "Breakfast will be ready soon."

After speaking, he went into the kitchen.

Soon, two bowls of beef noodles sprinkled with spring onions were brought out, smelling delicious and enticing, while Richard served himself a bowl of plain noodles. "Let’s eat," he said, sitting down.

Casimir cheered and started eating his noodles with gusto.

Leah, however, felt a bit stunned, as if something wasn’t quite right, but she couldn’t figure out what after thinking for a long time.

Richard saw her staring blankly at her noodles. She had just gotten up and seemed almost plain-faced, not even wearing lipstick, in a loose beige knit sweater. Her long hair was curled into waves, and her features were innocent yet stunning, making it hard to look at directly.

Meeting her like this, Richard noticed something different from the past. The old Crystal was always full of life, carefully maintaining her image, adept in social situations. But now, Leah Squire seemed to shed the skin of the Major General’s wife, being more carefree, more real.

Regardless of which side of her he sees, he likes both.

"Don’t you like noodles?" Richard asked, nervous since her every move seemed to affect him. He remembered she used to enjoy eating noodles in the morning. Back when she stayed at Hawk’s place, she would often ask for noodles for breakfast.

Thinking of how little time they spent together over the years, his gaze dulled slightly.

Leah snapped back to reality, watching Casimir almost bury his face in the bowl before picking up her chopsticks and taking a bite. Her eyes lit up; it was just an ordinary bowl of beef noodles, yet for some reason, it tasted particularly pleasing and chewy.

"You cook so well. If you were a cook, you’d probably earn more than as a carpenter, though it’d be more tiring," Leah praised, taking several more bites.

With his eyes lowered, Richard smiled slightly, an expression that quickly vanished. He didn’t speak and quietly ate his noodles. Ever since they reunited, even eating plain noodles brought a joy that seeped through his entire being.

If possible, he’d forsake everything just to live simply with the three of them like this. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"Mommy, Dad would never be a cook." Casimir swallowed his last bit of noodles, burped, and pat his round belly, giving a sly grin. "Dad has a bad temper."

He even smacked his bottom last night.

Leah wholeheartedly agreed; his temper really wasn’t suited for being a cook. His icy demeanor would scare all the customers away.

After breakfast, Leah received a call from Aiden, asking about her health.

Aiden is Leah’s attending doctor, a Chinese-born Swiss national, in his early thirties, single and a perfectionist. It’s said that when she was critically ill, Griffith rushed to Switzerland to find a doctor, intending to kidnap a senior one. Still, those were so scared they couldn’t even hold a scalpel, so Aiden stepped up, though under duress, to treat her.

The medical conditions in the Golden Triangle are appalling, making recovery difficult. However, Griffith’s enemies are everywhere, making Leah’s recuperation elsewhere unsafe. It’s been dragged on over the years. Thankfully, Aiden’s skills are strong, saving her life each year during his visit to the Golden Triangle.

"So-so, barely hanging in there." A few months ago, Leah fell in a horse race with Bessie, delaying her final surgery due to her health. Aiden has since called her every two weeks, urging her to recuperate in Switzerland.

But Leah was worried about Delphine, and with Griffith there too, she didn’t go.

The man’s voice was crisp and gentle, advising, "I’m attending a medical conference in Southeast Asia next week, convenient for a check-up."

Leah’s beautiful eyes lit up; she laughed, "That’s perfect! I’ll show you the best snacks in Southeast Asia and authentic Chinese food at my place. We recently got a chef with superb skills."

"I’d like that," Aiden nodded with a smile. "I’ll be happy to join you."

Leah hung up, her smile yet to fade, as she saw father and son, strikingly similar, staring at her unblinking.

Casimir had his mouth wide open in awe, revering how Mommy always thought of Dad as a cook—a harsh Dad, yet Mommy saw him as a mere cook.

The former, awe-inspiring Major General of Imperial City, however, had a dark and brooding expression. His thin lips pressed together. Make food for another man? Haha, maybe make missiles instead?