Chapter 173 The Annoying Younger Brother-in-Law
Unbeknownst to Lucas, there were two forces at play: Oliver and Roger.
As dinner time approached, Lucas offered to cook for Natalie. Initially, Natalie hesitated, not wanting Lucas to overexert himself, but she eventually yielded to his persistent requests.
With the kitchen door ajar and an efficient ventilation system in place, cooking fumes were kept from invading the dining and living areas.
Natalie perched on the sofa, her arm draped over the back of the armchair while she happily watched Lucas's figure bustling in the kitchen.
"Natalie, sit properly," Oliver chided, his displeasure evident as he lightly tapped her buttocks when she did not listen.
Natalie exclaimed in surprise as she turned to look at Oliver with eyes wide with disbelief. “Oliver! You did it again!”
Oliver simply raised his chin, a silent command for her to adjust her posture.
Liam, observing the scene, could not suppress a chuckle.
‘The young master's jealousy is like that of a child, unable to tolerate the young madam's attention on anyone but himself. Even in his early teens, it was rare for him to behave like this…’
Natalie could not help boasting about Lucas's culinary skills to Oliver, hoping for a future where her brother could reside with them. She said, “Let me tell you, Lucas is really good at cooking!”
Oliver, however, viewed her praises as mere exaggeration. He said disdainfully "How skilled can he possibly be?"
"Lucas has always been there for me, especially when I was ill," Natalie defended earnestly. "His dishes may not rival those of the Michelin chefs you employ, but they carry the warmth and comfort of home."
This was a quality that was often elusive to even the most seasoned chefs.
Natalie's pride was palpable as Oliver made his way to the kitchen. There, Lucas, wearing an apron, was meticulously slicing potatoes. While his knife skills might not match Natalie's precision, his cuts were remarkably uniform, and he managed the cooking process with ease.
"What are you looking at? Surely you're not going to claim you can cook," Lucas said with a sneer as he seasoned the dish.
Before Oliver could respond, Lucas continued, "You're fortunate Natalie insisted on bringing me along. Without me, you'd likely end up setting off the alarm and causing a disaster in the kitchen."
Lucas’ jibe made Oliver’s expression sour even further.
"Don't bother. You probably can't even distinguish salt from sugar," Lucas added, recalling a piece of gossip he had gleaned from the seemingly innocent household staff, which was that Oliver's meals were all prepared by his sister. This was something he found unacceptable. How could Oliver treat his sister like a cook?
Lucas then expertly finished preparing the potatoes, cleaned the pan, and proceeded to cook the steak. Although his culinary approach differed slightly from Natalie's, the resemblance in their cooking styles hinted at their shared life experiences.
Oliver, lips pursed, had to admit his inability to discern between salt and sugar. As the heir of his family, kitchen duties were unfamiliar territories, given their reliance on professional chefs for meal preparations.
"I can simply hire a Michelin chef for her," Oliver retorted, suggesting his capability to provide only the best for Natalie.
Lucas scoffed. "The lack of romance in some people is truly frightful."
Oliver was increasingly irritated by his brother-in-law.
Lucas pointedly remarked, "My sister taught me how to cook. She believes a man who doesn't cook for his wife lacks attentiveness."
Lucas's smirk was loaded with implication as he continued to say, “And that seems to be you…”
Meanwhile, Natalie had deliberately distanced herself to give Lucas and Oliver room to interact. They did not argue, and she remained on the sofa, looking in the direction of the kitchen curiously. However, Oliver's tall figure, positioned at the doorway, obstructed her view and muffled their exchange.
…
Eventually, Oliver returned with a frosty expression.
Natalie, with concern etching her features, asked, "Did you and Lucas have a disagreement again? Lucas is still in high school; there's no need to take his words to heart."
Oliver responded with a dismissive snort as he thought to himself, ‘Your brother, the high school student, is far from simple. So what if he's in high school? When I was fifteen, I had already begun to make plans for the RK Group and took revenge. Age hardly dictates one's intellect or capabilities.’
Oliver looked at Natalie with a solemn expression and asked, "Did you teach Lucas to cook?"
"Yes," Natalie replied, taking the time to explain, "I can’t always be there for him. Eventually, he’ll have his own family."
Natalie's rationale was straightforward: once Lucas moved out, she would no longer be able to cook for him. Thus, cooking, being an essential life skill, was something he ought to learn. Lucas, displaying a knack for it, had picked up the skill rather quickly.
Oliver's expression darkened further. He did not expect that Lucas had indeed been truthful.
Lucas's culinary expertise was limited to French cuisine, and due to his health condition, it was difficult for him to cook more intricate dishes. As such, he opted for simpler dishes/
"What do you want to eat? I'll prepare it," Natalie offered, well aware of Oliver's selective tastes. While Lucas' cooking might satisfy the average person, it likely would not meet Oliver's standards.
Upon hearing this, Lucas protested, visibly annoyed by his sister’s indulgence of Oliver. “Natalie!”
Natalie soothed Lucas with a pat on the shoulder, and Lucas, though reluctantly, ceased his complaints, looking at Oliver disapprovingly.
"There's no need for that," Oliver said, taking his place at the head of the table. His attention was on his dining etiquette.
"Take a seat," Lucas urged, guiding Natalie to her seat and presenting her with cutleries, eagerly anticipating her praise.
"It's been over half a year since I last cooked. Do you think my skills have worsened?"
Oliver, overhearing Lucas's comment, sighed inwardly, wondering about the quality of the meal.
‘He hasn’t cooked for over half a year… Would it be really bad?’
Natalie, sensing the tension, made the first move. She sampled a piece of the pan-seared steak. She appreciated the well-balanced flavors and the precise cooking time, though she noted a minor flaw in the sauce. Nonetheless, she found the effort commendable and gave Lucas an encouraging thumbs-up.
Oliver, somewhat reassured by Natalie's reaction, tentatively tried the meat sauce spaghetti.
Both Natalie and Lucas watched him intently, the former anxious that Oliver might criticize Lucas' efforts, and the latter concerned about upholding his sister's honor through his cooking.
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