<b>Chapter </b><b>482 </b>
Knox’s apprentice was none other than Vicky, the same guy who used to manage the diner downtown. His take on Mirabe wasn’t exactly glowing, but it wasn’t terrible either. You could say he was pretty indifferent.
When Vicky caught sight of Mirabe, he looked genuinely surprised, as if it hadn’t crossed his mind that Knox would invite her over for dinner. His chat with Asher came to an abrupt halt.
Asher noticed Vicky’s sudden silence and the direction of his gaze, followed it and saw Mirabe approaching. The smile that had been ying on Asher’s face while he was talking to Vicky suddenly faded, reced by a cool detachment.
Vicky didn’t pay much mind to the shift in Asher’s expression. He gave Mirabe a <b>curt </b>nod. “Mirabe.”
He had learned at the diner that she and Vincent were ssmates, so addressing her by her first name
didn’t seem out of line.
Mirabe returned the nod.
Asher stayed silent, acting like Mirabe was aplete stranger. He did not even bother with a greeting and deliberately turned his head away. In his view, there was no need for any pretense without his father or any of the Shepherd family around. He didn’t even want to fake it.
Mirabe’s gaze was cool as she nced over Asher and continued down the hallway to the main hall, but she’d only taken a couple of steps before running into Knox.
Knox’s face lit up when he saw Mirabe. He strode over quickly, “Mirabe, I was just heading to the kitchen. Why don’t youe with me and take a look?”
Mirabe paused, lips pursed as she eyed the enthusiastic Knox. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“How so? My grandson… your ssmate Vincent is the chef today. Come on, take a look. Maybe you’ll have some useful advice,” Knox insisted, ignoring her reluctance.
After a beat, Knox added, “It’s my birthday today.”
Mirabe pressed her fingertips to her forehead, sensing the onset of Donald–level annoyance.
Vicky had stepped forward when he saw his mentor approaching and overheard their conversation. He felt a twinge of jealousy when he saw Knox practically begging a young girl to visit the kitchen. He knew Knox had been considering taking Mirabe on as an apprentice, but this pleading attitude… it was utterly baffling.
The Mendoza family was a respected name in the city, with generations of court culinary specialists. Their status was dignified, and theymanded respect wherever they went. Traditionally, if they were to take on an apprentice, it would be the other way around. The apprentice would seek them out, begging earnestly, and only after passing rigorous tests could they join the Mendoza family.
Vicky nced again at Mirabe, who looked extremely reluctant, then quickly averted his eyes, his thoughts swirling. After a couple of seconds, Vicky called out to Knox again.
Only then did Knox seem to notice Vicky, his expression instinctively turning more serious. “Oh Vicky, you go ahead with your tasks.”
Once he finished speaking, he turned his attention back to Mirabe. “Just think of it as keeping me
10:36
Mirabe looked at Knox, relenting. “Alright then.”
Seeing her agreement, Knox’s face immediately broke into a beaming smile. “Let’s go.”
He walked ahead, and as he passed Asher, he paused to give him a polite greeting before continuing on. Soon, Knox and Mirabe’s figures had vanished from Asher and Vicky’s view.