The Crown's Seduction-Chapter 48: Her Own Cooking

Nikolai didn't know what to think. While he might be outwardly acting cool and calm, deep inside, he was already on the verge of exploding. Their earlier kiss already took all that he had just so that he could keep himself in control.

It wasn't the best decision he made that day, but seeing her stunned was worth it in the end. He just had to get some distance away from her to allow himself to cool down and-

"I'm going with you."

He almost froze on the spot. Sweat ran down his back as he did his best not to look at his wife like she had just put him in a corner, which was already the case as he felt her irresistible allure affecting him.

What was she thinking?! She was already doing his best to keep himself reigned in when Mineah moved to kiss him, and yet here she was insisting on wanting to be with him!?

It would've been amazing if he wasn't already on the verge of wanting to pounce on her and taking her all for himself.

'Focus,' he inwardly chanted. 'This is the perfect opportunity to get her to let her guard down. I just have to keep her at arm's length somehow.'

Still, did he really want to risk her being around him while he was like this?

"Aren't you supposed to be resting?" he asked her, hoping that she'd back down. "And you did just say that you're going to be cooking for the both of us."

"I can do that just fine even outdoors," Mineah insisted, her voice slowly gaining more confidence with each word. "Besides, I don't think I'll be able to rest if you're out there instead of being by my side."

Nikolai did his best not to let her words affect him as he kept his cool. Seriously, did she have any idea what she was doing to him?!

"You'll just slow me down," he reasoned despite knowing that it was a flimsy excuse. "The wildlife here isn't what you're used to."

"I can hold my own if need be," she insisted. "I'm not helpless, you know."

Against his better judgment, Nikolai turned to look at her, only to wilt as he saw the determined look on her face. Despite the mad blush coloring her cheeks, the determination in her eyes was impossible to miss.

'The things I do for this woman,' he inwardly sighed before he spoke. "Fine. But stay close. I don't want you getting lost around here."

Surrendering to her demands, Nikolai couldn't help but smile as he saw the look of triumph on her face. It almost looked like she had just won a great prize, and there was a certain charm to her that he just couldn't place. Something that drew him near to her in ways that he was far from comfortable with just yet.

'Just focus on hunting,' he chided himself. 'Ignore her presence just for now…'

Wordlessly, he led the way as they left the cabin. With Mineah accompanying him, he was forced to forgo his mist form in favor of hunting the old-fashioned way. Not that he wasn't just as skilled without his more agile abilities, but it would be considerably slower than if he just went all out.

Then again, he supposed that this could be yet another opportunity for him to get a glimpse of her mannerisms.

"There," he cautiously pointed at a stray boar. "Keep quiet. We don't want to scare it away."

Mineah nodded, and Nikolai went to work as he swiftly lunged at the poor animal. Predictably, he caught it with his own two hands, deftly snapping its neck without even so much as a thought before hefting it over his shoulder like it was nothing.

"There. This should be enough for our current needs," Nikolai slightly smirked as he let the boar fall in front of Mineah.

"Impressive," she sincerely complimented.

He couldn't help but preen at her words. Still, their work was far from over.

"I suppose now it's your turn to prepare our meal for the day?" he curiously asked.

"I'll prepare us some skewers," Mineah hummed as she kneeled down in front of the dead boar. "Do you have a knife I can use?"

Wordlessly, Nikolai gave her a dagger that he always kept on his person at all times. He didn't know if she was truly knowledgeable at cooking, but he was curious enough to see if she was telling the truth.

"I'll forage us some wild vegetables to add to our meals," he offered.

Leaving Mineah to her own devices, Nikolai was quick to find what few wild vegetables that grew out on their private island. They might not be as big or numerous as their products in the kingdom, but the wild carrots and radishes that grew there were packed with flavor the last he recalled.

Satisfied with his haul, he returned to their makeshift camp only to discover that Mineah already had a fire and a few skewers roasting over them.

"Oh, you're back early," Mineah greeted him. "I was just about done."

"I can see that," he smiled. "Here are a few vegetables."

"Great," she hummed. "Add them to the fire over there."

Letting Mineah take the lead, Nikolai kept quiet as he watched her work. There was a certain air of knowledge around her as she moved that he couldn't help but notice. It was almost as if she knew what she was doing…

Which was surprising since he was pretty sure that their food was starting to burn.

"Oh- Wait… No… But…"

Despite this, he kept quiet as he watched her slowly unravel. She was muttering to herself even as she did her best to salvage their food, acting as if she had just lost herself in her own experiments while it blew up in her face.

"A-Alright… It's done."

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Eventually, however, she presented their food to him. It was exactly what he expected… And by that, he meant that he could barely hold his laughter as he held onto what was practically charcoal on a stick.

"Uhh… Mine?"

"I-I know…" she wilted. "But it's still edible, I'm sure."

Raising an eyebrow, Nikolai went ahead and took a bite. Immediately, he felt like he was biting into stone with how hard the meat had gotten. It also tasted a bit like ash, but still…

Seeing her looking at him with hope in her eyes… He just couldn't help but be nice.

"You're right," he lied through his teeth. "It's still pretty good."

Nikolai did his best not to laugh, but Mineah's radiant smile made it easy as she eagerly watched him eat. Likewise, he ate with gusto, even snatching up the other skewers so that she wouldn't get to taste her own cooking.

"Hey!"

"They're that good," he insisted.

They weren't, but if it meant that he saw her smiling all proud to him, then it was all worth it.