C68 You Did All This For Us

Mary was the first to recover from her surprise. A warm smile spread across her face as she looked at Alicia, who was still standing awkwardly at the kitchen door wearing her apron. "I thought I smelled a different aroma the moment we entered the house," Mary said with a chuckle. "My child, why are you working so hard for those two men?"

Quinton laughed as he stepped forward. "The smell is certainly different from what we usually cook, but it smells wonderful. Now you've made me curious. I can't wait to see what you've prepared." He shook his head before adding jokingly, "And those two brats aren't even here helping you."

Alicia quickly waved her hands. "Aunt... Uncle... it's alright. I just finished." She smiled politely before continuing. "And I wasn't cooking for them." Both Mary and Quinton looked at her in confusion. "I prepared dinner to thank you both for welcoming us yesterday and cooking lunch for us. You were both so kind to us, so I wanted to return the favor."

Mary blinked several times. "You... cooked all this... for us?" Alicia nodded shyly. "Yes." Without another word, Mary hurried into the kitchen. Quinton followed closely behind. As they passed Alicia, both of them suddenly stopped.

Their eyes slowly swept across the kitchen. Every countertop sparkled. The sink was completely empty. Every plate, bowl, cup, and cooking utensil had been washed, dried, and arranged neatly inside the cabinets. Not even a single water stain remained. The vegetables that had been used were disposed of neatly, while every spice container had been returned to its original place.

The kitchen looked cleaner than when they had left for work that morning. Mary covered her mouth in disbelief. "My goodness..." Quinton scratched his head. "Did... did she really do all this herself?"

At that exact moment, Sarah, Chris, and I walked downstairs after hearing voices. Seeing my parents standing motionless inside the kitchen, we quickly rushed over. "What happened?" I asked. The moment we stepped inside... We froze.

Four beautifully prepared dishes sat neatly on the counter. The rich aroma filled every corner of the kitchen. The creamy Cullen Skink rested inside a large serving bowl, while the Cock-a-Leekie Soup slowly released steam beside it. The Mince and Tatties looked perfectly prepared, covered in rich brown gravy.

At the far end of the counter sat several elegant bowls of Cranachan, each decorated with fresh raspberries and toasted oats. Everything looked like it had come from a professional restaurant. Chris looked from the dishes to Alicia. "You... cooked all of this?" Alicia nodded slightly.

He let out a helpless laugh. "I honestly underestimated you." I looked around the kitchen once more before turning back to her. "Chris was right." "The way you do things is completely different." "I knew you were smart, but I never imagined you could cook like this." Then I noticed something else. I looked around carefully. "...Wait." "You even cleaned the entire kitchen?"

I opened one of the cupboards. The plates had been arranged according to size. The glasses were lined up perfectly. Even the cutlery had been sorted neatly. I couldn't help shaking my head. "This..." "...this is unbelievable." Sarah smiled as she looked at the dishes. "The food already smells delicious." Then she looked at Alicia with admiration. "I think I should learn cooking from you someday."

Alicia smiled awkwardly. "I don't think I'm that good." "You are," Sarah replied honestly. "I can already tell." Before anyone could continue praising her, Alicia glanced toward the living room window. Her driver's car was still parked outside. She had completely forgotten about the time. "Oh no..." She quickly untied her apron. "Aunt... Uncle..." "Dinner is ready." "I'm afraid I have to leave now."

Mary immediately turned around. "So soon?" Alicia nodded apologetically. "My driver has been waiting for quite a while." She picked up her handbag. "I hope the food suits your taste." Without waiting for anyone to respond, she bowed politely. "Thank you again for everything." Then she quickly hurried toward the front door. "Wait!" Chris called. "Alicia!" "So at least stay for dinner!" I shouted. Mary also stepped forward. "My child, you haven't even eaten!" But Alicia simply smiled as she reached the entrance. "I'll come another day."

The next second, she opened the door and disappeared outside before anyone could stop her. Silence filled the house. Chris scratched his head. "...She really left." I sighed helplessly. "She didn't even give us a chance to thank her properly." Outside, Alicia climbed into the waiting car. As the vehicle slowly drove away, she leaned her head against the window and smiled faintly. "I hope they like it..."

The reason she had left so quickly wasn't because she was in a hurry. She simply didn't want to stand there while everyone tasted her cooking. If they disliked it... She didn't think she could bear hearing their criticism.

Back inside the house, Sarah also picked up her handbag. "I should head home as well." She smiled politely. "I've already taken up enough of your time." The moment she turned around, Mary looked surprised. "Sarah, my dear!" "I almost forgot you were here." She walked over with a bright smile. "I didn't even know these two boys knew you."

Sarah nodded politely. "I just came because I needed some help from them." She smiled warmly. "Please don't worry about me, Aunt. I'll leave now." Before she could take another step, Quinton spoke firmly. "Absolutely not." Sarah stopped. He smiled kindly. "It's already dinner time." "Having you here is an honor." "You're not leaving on an empty stomach."

Mary immediately agreed. "Exactly." "That young lady worked so hard preparing all this food." "It would be a shame if it wasn't shared." She looked around her sparkling kitchen once again. "I worked the whole day expecting to come home and start cooking." She laughed happily. "Instead, I found dinner already prepared, my dishes washed, my kitchen cleaned, and everything neatly organized."

She shook her head in amazement. "That child is truly thoughtful." Sarah looked toward Chris and me for help. Unfortunately for her... We both nodded at exactly the same time. Chris grinned. "You heard Aunt Mary." I smiled. "Besides, it would be rude to leave after Alicia worked so hard." Sarah looked at the three of us before letting out a small sigh. "I guess..." "...I don't have much of a choice." Everyone laughed.

Moments later, Mary carefully carried the dishes to the dining table while Quinton helped arrange the bowls and plates. The rich aroma spread throughout the house, making everyone's stomach growl. Soon, everyone found their seats around the dining table. No one had tasted the food yet... But judging from the wonderful aroma alone, everyone's expectations had already risen.

Mary picked up the serving spoon with an excited smile. "Now..." "Let's see what our talented young chef has prepared for us."