Leave Me Alone, Big Brothers! [BL]-Chapter 79: Chicken Soup

Chapter 79: Chicken Soup
It’s still early morning in the mansion, but the servants have already started waking up and bringing the place to life.
Serene, wearing her white chef’s coat, rubbed her eyes as she walked down the service corridor alongside Isabel.
"I’m so fucking tired, Isabel," Serene groaned, her footsteps heavy on the polished floor. "I feel like a zombie."
Isabel, who had been there for decades, let out a calm, melodic laugh. "That’s why I tell you every morning... find yourself a rich husband. One with enough land that you never have to see a stovetop again unless you’re admiring the marble."
Serene snorted, a lopsided grin appearing on her face. "Good advice, Isabel. But you know I’m never getting married. If I did, he’d have to be as rich as a Salazar son." She laughed, the sound echoing in the quiet hallway.
Isabel shook her head, a soft smile playing on her lips. "Be careful what you wish for. Wealth like that comes with shadows longer than the towers they live in."
"True," Serene conceded, leaning closer and lowering her voice. "Besides, it’s not like I have a chance here. Our young masters... they don’t exactly seem to have an eye for women. Such a pity. There’s no woman who could ever have them."
Isabel just chuckled, accustomed to Serene’s madness. But she knew the young chef well. Serene was only twenty-five, but her father had been a chef in Antonio’s house for a very long time. They all knew him well.
After her education abroad, Serene was asked to serve there. She was quite grateful that, at her current age, she was earning more than her peers. Plus, she could explore many new menus as she pleased, which was good experience for her.
The two of them were still talking when they saw Leo enter from the side door. They startled and stopped, before finally saying hello.
"Good morning. You wake up so early," said Serene.
Leo smiled warmly. "Yes, I took a short walk in the garden." His voice was soft as well.
Serene smiled, not realizing her cheeks were blushing.
Isabel smiled. "Would you like some coffee?"
Leo shook his head, smiling. "No, Isabel. Thanks. I’ll have some in my room. Good morning. Have a good day."
Serene stepped aside to make room for Leo to pass. "Don’t forget breakfast," she said.
Leo turned his head, his face right in front of the woman. His eyes were beautiful behind his glasses, crinkling amiably as he smiled. "I’ll skip it. Sorry, Serene. I need to sleep."
Serene felt her heart beat faster. She held her breath for who knew how many seconds. She didn’t even realize she was standing frozen until Leo walked away.
Once she realized it, she was annoyed with herself. "He is so fine! I’d love to have him for myself," she joked.
Isabel just smiled. "You chose the most dangerous one."
"Yeah, his smile is really dangerous! Oh God, he is so handsome!!"
They pushed through the heavy double doors into the main kitchen, expecting the usual silence before the morning rush. Instead, the sound of water boiling in the pan and the rhythmic thwack-thwack of a knife hitting a cutting board met their ears.
Both women stopped in their tracks.
Standing at the center island was Nathan. He wasn’t dressed in the expensive silks he usually wore for breakfast. He had his sleeves rolled up, a simple black apron tied over his shirt, and he was focused, deadly focused, on the carrots on the cutting board.
"Young Master?" Serene blinked, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten. "What are you doing? We... we have breakfast in two hours. You don’t need to be in here."
Nathan didn’t look up immediately. He flipped the carrots in the pan with a practiced flick of his wrist, a movement far too smooth for a boy who was supposed to have been raised in luxury.
"Good morning. I need to cook something. Please don’t mind me," Nathan said, his voice calm but firm. "I’m making chicken soup."
Isabel watched him with keen, observant eyes. She noticed the way he handled the knife and the pan, stirring thoroughly. It was as if he was used to it.
"Chicken soup?" Isabel asked softly. "Is it for Nael?"
Nathan paused for a fraction of a second, his eyes flickering toward the lunch box sitting on the counter. He thought of the cold, grey eyes of Zane Leinster and the sincerity he had seen in the hallway the day before.
"No," Nathan replied, his voice dropping an octave. "It’s for a friend. We will have lunch together."
Serene and Isabel exchanged a startled look. A Salazar making a handmade meal for someone outside the family was unheard of.
"Young Master," Serene said, her professional pride piqued. "If you wanted a lunch box, I could have made something world-class—"
"Oh, I know you could," Nathan interrupted, finally looking up. His expression was soft, yet there was grit to it. "But I want to make it myself. And I don’t want to disturb you. I know you will be busy."
Serene looked at him understandingly. "But your school lunch already sets a good standard for nutrition. Maybe your friends won’t accept food from outside just like that."
She knew how some families were very strict about food and diet, especially for children with allergies. It was very dangerous to accept food from outside without consultation.
"What? They make fried chicken sometimes too. What’s the difference?" Nathan asked.
"I’m sure they have many other things as well. For sure, they have vegetables too."
Nathan shrugged. He had never thought about it. Food, for him, was a luxury. He would eat anything put in front of him, because if he didn’t, he would go hungry.
He stared at the soup in front of him. It was the soup he used to make at the orphanage with Lara. He was very confident in his abilities.
Would Zane accept it?
But seeing what Zane had brought, sandwiches, he thought soup would be better, right?
"I’ll bring it anyway," Nathan finally said.
Serene helped by providing a thermos to keep the food warm. She also prepared some slices of bread.
"How many people is this for?" Serene asked.
"Three."
He was thinking about Eli too.
Serene nodded, smelling the aroma of the soup in front of her. "Looks like it’s ready. It smells really good. You’re a good cook, Young Master."
Nathan was silent, but he blushed. "I’m used to doing it."