Zara gave Jack a look that suggested he was being foolish and, with her arms crossed, inquired, "What do you think, Brother?"
Jack realized how silly his question was and rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a bit embarrassed. "It seems like you're hungry, right?"
Zara met his gaze with a serene expression and replied, "So, you finally figured out why I'm here, Brother?"
Jack, feeling a bit uneasy, responded, "If you're craving something, just let the servants know, and they can ask the cook to prepare it for you. Why are you heading to the kitchen?" He tried to hide the worry on his face.
"Brother, is everything okay with you?" Zara inquired, giving him a curious look. "Why do you ask?" Jack asked with a puzzled expression.
"Don't you realize what time it is? The servants must be asleep by now!" "So, what do you intend to do?" Jack replied, still a bit lost as he gazed at his sister.
"What do you think? Just look around and see what I can whip up," Zara stated matter-of-factly, spreading her arms wide.
Once she finished speaking, she turned and headed into the kitchen without waiting for Jack to respond.
Jack, still processing his sister's words, snapped back to reality only to find that she had already disappeared from view.
Feeling a surge of worry, he hurried into the kitchen to find Zara confidently exploring, as if she had everything under control. "Lia... Lia, hold on...."
As he entered the room, he noticed his sister staring blankly at the array of ingredients laid out before her. He approached her, his voice filled with concern, and said, "Lia, how about I call Ava and whip up something for you to eat?"
"Brother, everyone is asleep. I don't want to wake them," Zara replied calmly, scrolling through her phone for some recipe ideas.
Jack, feeling a bit lost, rubbed his hands together nervously, unsure of what to do next.
Then, a light bulb went off in his head. "What if we just order something instead? You shouldn't have to stress over cooking right now."
Zara raised an eyebrow at him and asked, "Are you really my brother?" "What kind of question is that? Of course, I am!" Jack shot back, surprised by her remark.
Zara wore a surprised expression as if she had just realized that her brother was well aware of her preferences.
Noticing her look, Jack sensed that something was off and pondered for a moment until a lightbulb went off in his head.
He playfully tapped his forehead and exclaimed, "Oh right, I totally forgot you're not a fan of takeout. So, what do we do now?"
"Brother, we have hands," Zara replied, glancing at Jack's hand.
Jack smiled gently at her and asked with his eyebrows raised, "Do you know how to cook?"
Zara pressed her lips together at the question and replied with a hint of resignation, "No." Jack, pointing to himself, asked, "So, do I seem like someone who can cook?"
"I know my brother is really great at..." Zara began, her eyes sparkling as she glanced at Jack. Jack's eyes brightened with pride as he encouraged her to finish her thought.
"Eating!" Zara exclaimed, and in an instant, Jack's expression shifted to that of a disappointed child.
But soon, he felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him, and he cleared his throat to mask it, "Ahem... alright, alright. So..." Jack turned to Zara, who was beaming at her brother, eager to see what she would do next.
Zara caught on to her brother's unspoken question and waved her phone in front of him, saying, "With this."
As Jack saw this, his heart raced, and he silently prayed for their safety while forcing a smile at his sister to mask his worry.
He pondered for a moment and then said with a grin, "Lia, how about I give it a try, and you can guide me by watching the video?"
He was determined not to take any chances by letting his sister handle the cooking alone.
Although she excelled in many areas, her cooking skills weren't one of them—just like their mom. There was that one time they visited her, and Zara attempted to cook, resulting in a disaster that left the kitchen in ruins and everything burnt.
Since then, the family had made it a point to keep Zara out of the kitchen, and even during her entire time in Laurania, she was not allowed near the kitchen due to the chaos that ensued.
Even though he had no cooking skills, he wasn't comfortable leaving the kitchen to his sister. It wasn't that he thought she'd burn the place down; he just worried something might happen to her.
Zara didn't argue with Jack and let him take charge in the kitchen while she stood by, checking her phone for instructions.
As he was getting everything ready, Jack turned to Zara and asked, "What do you feel like eating?" "Scrambled egg fried rice, but hold the veggies," Zara replied, looking pretty chill.
Jack shook his head and said, "Tsk...tsk...tsk... You really haven't changed, Lia. You need to eat some veggies for your health."
Zara glanced at her brother, kept quiet, and focused on the video playing on her phone.
Jack wasn't bothered by her silence; he knew she wouldn't react to their usual banter since they'd been at it since they were kids.
As Zara guided him through the cooking process, Jack followed her instructions carefully. However, when he added one of the ingredients, flames suddenly burst from the pan. Startled by the fire, Jack lost his grip on the pan, causing it to slip from his hands and the food to spill all over the floor.
The moment the flames ignited, the kitchen's fire alarm blared, and water began to spray down.
Zara, quick on her feet, ducked under the table by the stove just in time to avoid the water, while Jack, left behind, was soaked and still trying to comprehend the chaos around him.
The alarm was loud enough to wake the whole house. Kylie, still half-asleep, rushed down the stairs with a worried expression, and Andrew followed closely behind, holding her protectively, looking like he'd just been disturbed from a deep sleep.