The Day I Walked Away My Empire Began novel Chapter 217

Lucie burrowed under the covers and drifted off again. By the time she finally woke up, it was already past one o’clock.

She coughed a couple of times. Her throat felt dry, probably thanks to the meds, but at least her headache was mostly gone. Still, she felt a little foggy, moving slowly as she shrugged on her thick robe and stepped out of the bedroom.

The moment she hit the living room, a wave of ginger and smoky barbecue hit her nose.

“Elio? June? What are you guys doing? It smells so strong in here!”

She wandered toward the dining table, curiosity pulling her in. The whole table was covered with takeout boxes. June was lounging there, phone in one hand, skewer in the other, happily munching away. A couple of empty beer cans sat beside her.

June spotted Lucie and grinned. “Hey, you’re up! Perfect timing, my takeout just arrived. Come join me!”

Lucie rubbed her temples. “Where’s Elio?”

June rolled her eyes and jerked her thumb toward the kitchen. “Who knows what he’s up to in there?”

Worried about what kind of disaster Elio might be cooking up, Lucie hurried to the kitchen.

Inside, a pot was bubbling away on the stove, the spicy ginger aroma practically smacking her in the face.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

Elio looked up, startled, phone in one hand, spoon in the other. “Lucie! I’m making you some ginger tea.”

Lucie blinked, stunned. The soup looked a little off, and the sink was already filled with a few pots. Clearly, he’d been at this for a while, burning batch after batch.

Elio scratched his head, looking sheepish. “Uh, those were fails. But this one’s actually turning out okay.”

She stared at him, not quite believing her eyes. Elio, cooking? The same guy who had grown up living like royalty, always surrounded by assistants and housekeepers. Four years ago, he didn’t even know how to turn on a stove. Now he was making ginger tea? And it was actually edible?

He caught her staring and grinned. “What, never seen me cook before? Don’t worry, I’ll clean everything up.”

“Did you seriously make this?” Lucie asked, still in disbelief.

“Of course. I found a recipe online. You have a cold, so I thought I’d make you some ginger tea to warm you up.”

“Uh, you should turn off the heat. It’s about to burn.”

“Oh, right!” Elio scrambled to shut off the stove. “Go sit at the table, Lucie. I’ll bring it out to you.”

Watching his awkward movements, Lucie couldn’t help worrying he’d end up burning himself. “Maybe I should help—”

“No way. You’re still sick. Let me take care of you for once. Go wait in the dining room.”

“…Alright, but seriously, be careful!”

“Good, I’m not trying to get food poisoning. Lucie, come have a skewer with me.”

Elio sighed, looking a little defeated. “…Lucie, maybe you shouldn’t eat this. I’ll order you something better.”

Lucie smiled gently. “Honestly, I’m not that hungry. I just want something light.” She picked up the spoon and stirred ginger tea. After blowing on it for a moment, she took a careful sip. The ginger flavor was intense, and there was definitely a burnt undertone, but she forced it down and managed a smile. “Hmm, it’s… definitely unique. Not bad.”

Elio’s face lit up with pride. “Really? You’re not just being nice?”

“It’s good. Thanks for making it for me.”

He let out a relieved breath. “As long as it’s not terrible.”

June snorted. “Come on, Elio, she’s obviously just being polite.”

“Can you just stop talking for once?”

“Trust me, I’d rather not talk to you at all.”

Lucie cut in, “Alright, enough. Both of you.”

Just then, June’s phone buzzed again. She glanced at the screen and immediately broke into a grin—Steven had replied. She grabbed her phone and dashed for the bathroom, totally forgetting about her argument with Elio.