?Chapter 288:


    Molly blushed, looking shy as she exined in a low voice, “I’m Hayley’s sister. She brought me along to this hunting event and asked me to help out with some things.”


    Alice’s eyes sharpened instantly. It was clear she wasn’t pleased to see Molly.


    She fixed Molly with a wary stare and asked, “And what exactly are you doing picking vegetables here?”


    Molly seemed to sense Alice’s hostility, and her expression turned more uneasy. She lowered her head, almost bashful, and replied, “I actually love cooking. I heard there’s a chance to prepare dinner for the king and princes tonight, so I wanted to give it a shot. Maybe one day, I could even cook at the pce.”


    As soon as the words left her mouth, she seemed to realize how they might be misinterpreted. Quickly, she added, “Please don’t misunderstand. I don’t mean anything by it. I just enjoy cooking, that’s all.”


    Hearing Molly’s exnation, I narrowed my eyes slightly. While doubts still lingered in my mind, I chose not to press her further.


    “We still need to gather ingredients. We’re leaving now,” I said.


    I nodded politely and said goodbye, then took Alice’s hand, leading her out of the vegetable garden.


    Once we were out of earshot, Alice couldn’t contain her frustration. “Makenna, watch out. I don’t trust Molly. There’s more to her than meets the eye.”


    Her fiery tone amused me, so I teased her lightly, “Oh? So, what grand scheme do you think Molly’s cooking up?”


    With a serious expression, Alice analyzed the situation. “Think about it. She could easily get the information from the red-light district, which shows she’s cunning and calcting. How could someone like that settle for just being a cook? And…”


    Alice’s sharp observations hit the mark. We continued our conversation, our footsteps rustling through the leaves as we gathered thest of our ingredients, heading toward the manor’s kitchen.


    The kitchen was spacious and filled with light. Beside a massive stone stove were all sorts of copper and iron pots, with rows of spices and dried herbs hanging from the high ceiling.


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    Some had returned ahead of us, already busy with preparations. The kitchen was alive with the sound of knives hitting chopping blocks and the sizzle of oil in hot pans.


    To avoid drawing unnecessary attention, I led Alice to a quiet corner of the kitchen, where we began unpacking our ingredients.


    Just then, Alice nudged my arm and gave me a meaningful look.


    Following her gaze, I was surprised to see Molly again. She had mentioned her love for cooking earlier, so her presence in the kitchen wasn’t entirely unexpected.


    But what did surprise me was that the ingredients in her basket were identical to the ones I had chosen. They were all the ingredients for beef and tomato noodles. Did she n to make beef and tomato noodles too?


    Makenna’s POV:


    “Makenna, do you think Molly’s trying to take notes from you?” Alice leaned in close, whispering in my ear with a yful edge to her voice. “Or maybe she’s hoping to whip up Prince yton’s favorite dishes too?”


    “Alice, stop it.”


    I pulled my gaze away from Molly’s basket, a faint smile ying on my lips as I shook my head at Alice. “It could just be a coincidence. We shouldn’t jump to conclusions about other people’s intentions.”


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