When Lucas entered the room, he immediately closed the door behind him, leaning against it before remembering something. When his mother was still alive, the taste of the soup cooked by Victoria was similar to his mother’s sinigang. He felt bitterness and sadness, reminiscing about his past. Whenever he was sick and needed something to boost his appetite, even though they had a great cook, his mother’s cooking was always his favorite.
He took a deep breath before regaining his composure, thinking that maybe Victoria misunderstood something. He stepped out of his room and went downstairs to check.
…
Meanwhile, downstairs, Victoria could be seen sitting at the table surrounded by other servants. “Isn’t my cooking taste good?” Victoria asked sadly, her hands trembling.
“Mistress, your cooking is delicious, maybe the Master just has something urgent,” Number 3 tried to comfort her.
Victoria sighed heavily, agitated, not knowing what to do with her hands full of wounds. Suddenly, she started to cry, feeling lonely, thinking that she was a failure and a hopeless person. “Maybe I don’t deserve to stay by Lucas’s side,” she sadly said.
The servants could clearly see the pain in her eyes, feeling sorry for Victoria. In truth, they witnessed how dedicated Victoria was to becoming a refined lady who could stand by Lucas’s side one day. They observed Victoria’s dedication and seriousness as she worked tirelessly day and night to learn and improve her skills.
Number 3 patted Victoria’s back, not knowing what to say, feeling her true sadness. They did not expect Lucas’s reaction to be like this, even though he often ate sinigang. It was the first time they saw such a strange reaction from Lucas.
Victoria was crying uncontrollably, lost in her thoughts, believing that she only belonged on the farm and there was no hope for her life to change. “Why did I even hope that one day I would escape from my difficult life,” she continued to cry, feeling hopeless. ‘Brother Lucas, I can’t bear it anymore, I’m suffering too much,’ she thought to herself while sobbing.
The servants’ hearts ached; they knew what Victoria had experienced in the past because she did not hide it from them. They felt sorry, wondering why such a kind person had to endure this kind of suffering. Those who have good hearts seem to suffer the most, while those who only seek to harm others thrive.
Patty couldn’t help but sigh deeply. She witnessed how Victoria struggled earlier to cook, seeing the dedication in Victoria’s eyes to prepare a meal for the Master. Despite being cut and burned several times, she did not give up. Patty saw Victoria, even after making mistakes twice, did not stop trying. Patty couldn’t figure out the mistake because Number 3 never misjudged, especially when it came to taste.
When Lucas descended the stairs, he saw the dark and foreboding weather in the kitchen. There, he found Victoria sitting at the table, weeping. Though she faced the other direction, it was evident that she was crying profusely, as she continuously wiped away her tears.
As he was about to walk towards Victoria, Patty approached him. “Master, I do not know what’s going on, but I saw how devoted Mistress was in cooking sinigang earlier to show her gratitude to you. Despite being injured and burned several times, she did not give up. The dedication in her eyes was intense, so we did not stop her.”
“Whatever happened earlier, make sure to explain it to the Mistress. She is truly a good person,” Patty pleaded.
Lucas was surprised by Patty’s request for an explanation for Victoria. He nodded in response to Patty’s plea, as he did not want Victoria to have any misunderstandings, even though it was already too late and the deed was done. He approached Victoria.
The servants noticed Lucas approaching and made way for him. He turned and sat in front of Victoria. Victoria was still lost in her thoughts, not noticing Lucas in front of her as tears continued to flow from her eyes.
Lucas saw Victoria’s tears and felt an inexplicable pang in his heart. He signaled to the servants to leave them alone. When they were alone, Lucas picked up the bowl of sinigang in front of Victoria, took a spoon, and started to sip it.
“Go ahead and throw it away; my cooking isn’t good,” Victoria said tearfully, still not fully aware of her surroundings, thinking that it was just a servant in front of her sipping the broth.
“It would be a waste to throw away such a delicious sinigang,” Lucas said.
“It’s not good; even Lucas didn’t like it. I feel like I ruined his mood,” she said before sobbing.
“When did I say I didn’t like your sinigang?” he calmly replied.
“You’re not Lucas-” Victoria paused as she heard the voice and regained her composure before looking in front of her. “It’s you,” she said in surprise.
She saw Lucas happily sipping the broth she made, finishing it down to the last drop. “Next time, you’re the one who will cook sinigang,” Lucas said with a smile before standing up and leaving.
Victoria remained stunned, picking up the bowl that Lucas had eaten from, noticing that it was completely empty. “Did he finish it?” she whispered in bewilderment.
At that moment, Number 3 approached. “Mistress, from now on, you will be the one to cook sinigang whenever the master desires it.”
“Me?” Victoria asked in confusion.
Number 3 nodded. “The Master liked your sinigang, so it is now your responsibility to cook it for him when he wants.”
“Mistress, please have your meal first,” Number 7 said, carrying a bowl of sinigang and a plate of rice.
“Sit down, there’s plenty of sinigang. Join me for a meal,” Victoria said.
“Mistress, I’ve always said you have an exceptional talent,” Number 3 said with a smile.
Victoria wiped her tears before smiling. “Alright, everyone, have a seat and eat with me. If you won’t eat, then I won’t either,” she said in a slightly teasing manner.
Number 3 sighed before sitting down, followed by the other servants, who joined Victoria in her meal.
From the second floor, Lucas smiled upon seeing the scene and then entered his room. He sat on a chair before taking out his cellphone and checked the ongoing news on the internet.
He smiled upon seeing the Casella family in the news again. It was evident that the Casellas had fallen, once an elite family in Rome, now reduced to dust. Many people were protesting because their assets were affected by the company’s downfall. Those who were once their partners are now chasing after them.
Lucas smiled coldly, “one down!” he murmured in a chilly voice before calling Ricardo. When the call connected, Ricardo immediately spoke, “Brother Lucas, we couldn’t get Cecilia alone so we took her family too.”
“Good. I want to return the favor of what their good daughters did for my wife. Let Cecilia’s parents witness how to properly educate their child because they failed to do so,” he said coldly.
“Understood, Brother Lucas. They will taste the medicine of the Tyrant Boss,” Ricardo said cunningly before ending the call.
“Bring out the female dog!” Ricardo ordered coldly to his men.
Immediately, two men dragged out a woman with disheveled hair, a swollen face, and bleeding lips. It was Cecilia.