Page 40 of Bound to His Oath

"Maria, sir."

I sent her my brightest smile. "Please, call me Nico."

She shot me a little smile and said. "Mr. Nico."

Yeah, I was never going to get used to that.

I lifted the lid off the tray after she walked away. My eyes widened when I saw all the food, and I mean a lot of food. Sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, croissants, coffee, and orange juice.

I wasn't sure I could eat all of this. There were going to be leftovers for sure. By the time I sat back in my seat and patted my full tummy, there was still half the food left.

I didn't like tossing perfectly good food. It was a waste. Having gone hungry more than once, it didn't sit well with me.

I put the lid back on the tray, picked it up, and carried it through the door Maria had gone through, walking into a chef's dream of a kitchen. It was on par with every room I'd seen so far in this place...huge.

I didn't see anyone in the kitchen except for an old lady with grey hair in a bun at the base of her neck mixing something in a bowl.

I walked over to her and respectfully asked, "Ma'am, I have a lot of leftovers here. Do you have any containers so I can put it in the fridge?"

I could always eat it for breakfast tomorrow.

The woman glanced at the tray before pointing to one of the cupboards. I set the tray on the counter and then walked over to the cupboard. I found a container big enough to hold all the food and then carried it back. It took just a moment to transfer the food.

I wished I had a pen and a piece of paper so I could leave my name on it, but I could always talk to Luca about it later.

I put the food in the fridge and then carried the dishes over to the sink to wash them before setting them in the dish drain.

When I turned to leave the kitchen, I saw the older woman trying to reach for something on a shelf above her head. I hurried over to her side.

"What are you reaching for?" I asked. "Let me get it for you."

She pointed to a white bowl. I grabbed it and set it on the counter. "Is there anything else I can get for you?"

"You're Nicolas, aren't you?"

I froze, dread pooling in my gut. "Yes, ma'am."

I swallowed tightly when she looked me up and down.

"You're a little skinny."

My face was cold, but I still felt the flush of embarrassment. "Yes, ma'am."

The old woman clucked her tongue before walking over to a cookie jar on the counter by the fridge. She pulled the lid and grabbed something from inside. When she came back, she handed me two cookies.

"Eat these."

"Yes, ma'am." As full as I was, I was afraid not to.

My first bite was like biting into heaven. I groaned and quickly took another bite. I'd had chocolate chip cookies before, and I'd even helped the family cook make them, but I'd never had anything like this in my life.

"Did you make these?" I asked her.

The old woman eyed me. "I did."

"Is there cinnamon in here?"

Her eyes rounded in surprise. "You can taste the cinnamon?"

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