Chapter 1170 The Nourishing Soup
“Is that so?” Toby studied Rose’s expression intensely for a while. He had a feeling that she wasn’t telling him the whole story, and was hiding the truth from him.
However, he wouldn’t force her to speak if she wasn’t feeling about it, as long as his stepmother wasn’t coming over to the old manor for a matter regarding him and Sonia.
“By the way, Sonny.” Recalling something all of a sudden, Rose turned her head and looked at Sonia. Sonia, who was enjoying the tea, immediately raised her head and asked, “What is it, Grandma?”
Her heart began to hammer inside her chest. No way! Please tell me that I’m imagining things. I thought I’m safe! Should I watch out for the incoming tease?
As Sonia waited anxiously for Rose’s words, the elderly woman continued, “I suppose you and Toby have seen Jean on her way out of the manor. Did she create any difficulty for you?”
Listening to Rose asking such a question instead of what she had in her mind, Sonia let out a sigh and smiled in relief. “Don’t worry, Grandma. She did nothing. Besides, Toby even stood in front of me to protect me in case she would cause trouble. However, she didn’t try anything this time. Instead, she ignored me and talked to him for a moment before she left hastily.”
“I see. That’s good.” Rose nodded as she was relieved to hear such an answer. It seems like my idiotic daughter-in-law finally listened to my advice this time. Patting Toby’s shoulder, Sonia added, “Maybe she decided to back off after she saw his bravery to defend me.”
Rose cast her a relieved smile. “He’s your significant other, so he has the responsibility and obligation to keep you safe. If he can’t even protect you, he has no right to be with you. Even if you’re reluctant to break up with him, I’ll force you, or else he’ll become a burden to you.”
Toby sighed as the tingling pain in his temples aggravated. “Grandma, I’m your grandson, after all. Am I really that incompetent in your eyes?”
“It’s just an example.” She cast him an expressionless look. He sighed in defeat and no longer protested.
Sonia seldom saw Toby in such a discouraging situation, and it caused her to giggle out at his embarrassment. Even though she covered her mouth, her muffled laughter could still be heard.
Seeing her experiencing a joyful moment, Toby’s expression softened and he showed a hint of happiness as he indulged her at the moment.
The interaction between the young ones didn’t go unnoticed by Rose.
She was pleased and was rest assured after seeing them having a close relationship.
For now, she could finally stop worrying about the matter of their relationship.
She held a firm belief that even after she passed away in the future, these young ones would always remain by each other’s side.
“Madam.” At that moment, Mary returned with the servants behind her, who were carrying various foods on the trays.
Rose snapped out of her thoughts and waved them over. “Come here.”
Mary nodded before she ordered the servants to go into the pavilion and placed the dishes on the stone table.
There was plenty of food on the table, and the smell was already making the onlookers drool.
Sonia was already craving food at the moment, so the various foods managed to trigger a reaction in her when she saw them, as almost everyone could hear her stomach growling.
Embarrassed by the honest reaction of her body, she immediately covered her belly as her cheeks flushed, and she attempted to apologize. “I—”
Rose chuckled. “You must be hungry. They’re just in time to serve us food. Go on. Don’t starve yourself.”
“She’s right, Miss Reed.” Mary handed over the silverware to Sonia with a smile.
Blushing, Sonia took them and whispered quietly. “Grandma, I’m sorry about you having to see me in such a state. I didn’t expect my stomach would suddenly make a sound.”
Rose waved away her worries happily. “There’s no need to feel bad. It’s something common when you’re hungry. Enough with the apology and begin the meal instead. Toby, serve Sonny some food.”
“I will.” Toby used the serving spoon to grab some food and put them on Sonia’s plate before he spoke gently. “Let’s eat.”
She hummed a response and nodded before she grabbed the silverware and began her lunch.
Toby, who was also hungry, joined her too.
Sitting in front of them, the two elderly women watched them eat with a look full of affection. At the same time, they would seize the opportunity to serve the food to the couple themselves and urge them to eat more.
Sonia and Toby were both uninterested and reluctant to dismiss their kind gesture. Thus, they ate everything the two women served on their plates.
At one moment, Sonia suddenly recalled something. She looked at Rose and asked, “Grandma, are you not eating?”
Rose only shook her head. “I had breakfast and It’s still early for me to have lunch. But you hadn’t, so these are specially prepared for you. I’m happy to watch you on the side.”
“Don’t worry, Miss Reed. You must’ve missed the fact that Madam is following a strict schedule to have her meals every day for the good of her body. Madam usually won’t eat unless it’s within the fixed time,” Mary added.
Sonia nodded in understanding and had given up the thought of suggesting Rose join them for food, otherwise her consideration would eventually do more harm than good.
And so, Sonia stopped worrying about the others as she enjoyed the brunch with Toby.
After the meal, the servants cleared up the stone table. Following that, Sonia watched Mary pick up a tray from another servant’s hands.
There were two bowls on the tray, but she couldn’t see their content from her seat. Judging from the steam and the aroma, she assumed it was soup.
Sonia had the chance to see what inside the bowls were after Mary put the tray on the cleaned stone table. It was none other than soup, and was even a soup to nourish the body.
She could see a drumstick in one of the bowls, combined with various herbs. As for the other bowl, she couldn’t tell its contents from its dark surface and lack of ingredients, other than assuming it was some kind of herbal soup.
However, the aroma of the soup was telling her a different answer. Thus, Sonia guessed it was a soup intended to nourish the body like the other one.
However, the bowl of soup had an odd smell and it wasn’t particularly pleasant. As such, Sonia wondered what the ingredients were that made up the soup.
These two bowls of soup must be for Grandma and Madam Mary. After all, they should take care of their health as they’re aging.
Sonia wasn’t the only one who had the thought, as even Toby thought so. The idea of the two bowls of nourishing soup was made especially for him and Sonia never occurred to him for once.
The idea only popped into his mind that the soup was for them when Mary put the bowls in front of him and Sonia respectively.
It wouldn’t be a problem if the soup were for both of them. However, the difference between the two bowls of soup was troubling Toby.
Sonia’s serving was a chicken broth made with various ingredients. Moreover, she had a drumstick all to herself, which she could eat after she finished the soup. Meanwhile, Toby only had a bowl of soup, and he couldn’t see anything else inside. Besides, the soup was giving off an odd smell, and he couldn’t help but doubt whether it was edible.
Toby’s expression sank at the discrimination.
Staring at the bowl in front of her in surprise, Sonia took a while to come back to her senses before she looked at Rose and Mary for an answer. “Are these for us?”
Rose and Mary nodded at them with kind smiles.
“That’s right. Miss Reed. These soups are made for you and Young Master Toby.” Mary elaborated.
Sonia could feel a twitch on the corner of her lips. “Is that so? Thank you, Grandma and Madam Mary. I thought these are for you instead of us. However, we’re satiated after the meal.”
She had a full stomach and didn’t feel like she could drink the soup. Moreover, there was a drumstick too.
Waving away the younger woman’s worries, Rose added in dismissal, “It’s fine. You can take it slow. Don’t worry about rushing it.”
Sonia grimaced at the older woman’s gesture. “Grandma, can we not drink this?”
