Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
Caspian remembered her. On the day when Eugene Snyder hosted a banquet, she had brought coffee and Eugene had praised her family’s coffee beans. Since Caspian enjoyed a good cup of coffee, he had Charles stop by to buy some when passing by her family’s shop.
He nodded politely. “Ms. Weaver.”
She settled down across from him, a gentle smile on her delicate face. “Would you mind if Harold serves me first, Mr. Prince? I’m just so hungry after such a busy day.”
Caspian felt a bit anxious. He wanted to buy the ravioli quickly so the servants could prepare it for Luna’s dinner that night. Otherwise, it would have to serve as a late night snack, and his wife didn’t eat much at that hour.
However, since she was someone he recognized and clearly in need, he nodded reluctantly.
“Alright, then. Harold, go ahead and prepare hers first.”
Ava’s eyes sparkled. “Two servings, please.” She turned to her maid. “Ella, why don’t you sit down and eat with me?”
Ella took a seat on the other side. “I can’t sit at the main table, but I’ll sit here.”
As night fell, the wind picked up and the air had grown chilly. Ava shivered slightly as a gust blew against her slender shoulders, looking quite pitiful as she wrapped her arms around herself.
“It’s really cold tonight.”
Caspian nodded, his expression neutral. “Yes, it is.”
“Mr. Prince, how are the coffee beans?” Ava asked, her playful brows arching slightly. Her eyes sparkled as she focused on him, filled with an eager light.
“I haven’t had the chance to try it yet,” Caspian replied, puzzled.
He had never even dismounted the carriage when he sent Charles to buy the coffee beans. How did she know he was the one who had bought it?
When the freshly-cooked ravioli was served, the aroma wafted through the air.
“Thank you for letting me go first, Mr. Prince. Next time you come to my shop for coffee beans, I’ll be sure to give you a discount,” Ava said with a smile.
Caspian regarded her with curiosity. “How much of a discount?”
Ava blinked playfully, her eyes sparkling. “How much of a discount would you like, Mr. Prince?”
With her sweet appearance and a hint of innocent charm, she resembled a beautiful flower in full bloom. Even the most steadfast gentleman might feel his heart flutter at such a sight. However, Caspian seemed oblivious to her beauty and was instead focused on the matter at hand. “You should give me the same as whatever you give Lord Snyder,” he said.
Ava giggled, her eyes twinkling. “That won’t do! Since you were kind enough to let me have the ravioli first, I must repay you properly. How about this-if you come in person and buy a pound, I’ll throw in half a pound for free?” “It’s a deal,” Caspian replied excitedly.
“You got it!”
Ava smiled at him in a calm and composed demeanor, exuding a quiet beauty that was both refreshing and captivating. But Caspian shifted his gaze away from her and landed on Harold, who was moving at a painfully slow pace. After a moment, Caspian turned back to Ava and asked, “Didn’t you say you were hungry? Why aren’t you eating?”
Ava tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, revealing a pair of ruby-red earrings that accentuated her shimmering gaze. “Seeing you made me so happy that I momentarily forgot I was hungry.”
Caspian chuckled softly but inwardly thought, ‘If you weren’t hungry, you should have said so earlier. Now, I’ve wasted all this time by letting you go first!’
Ava Weaver was Celeste’s new identity. With graceful movements, she began to eat her ravioli, her delicate lips parting as she took a delicate bite. The small ravioli were tender and flavorful, but she seemed to need two bites for every piece she ate, sometimes even three.
Caspian frowned slightly as he watched. Harold’s ravioli were thin-skinned and filled with fresh ingredients. They were small enough that Luna could easily eat two in one bite. Yet, Ava was struggling with just one.
A truly hungry person would have been eager to gulp down three ravioli in one bite.
Ava didn’t seem as hungry as she had claimed, yet had insisted on going first. Caspian couldn’t help but feel her character was a bit questionable. Even if her coffee beans were discounted in the future, he would have to think twice before buying.
She clearly had her sights set on attracting business with that buy one pound, get half a pound free offer, but who knew what kind of goods that half-pound would be? If it turned out to be old and moldy coffee grounds that had just been unsold for a long time, he would be asking for trouble just to try to save a few coins.
Celeste continued to eat, believing herself to be the picture of grace. She knew Caspian occasionally came to buy ravioli, so she had made a point to come by recently to establish a rapport with Harold. As soon as she arrived tonight, Harold had recognized her immediately.
“It’s ready, Mr. Prince,” Harold called out.
Caspian quickly stood and handed over some silver coins.
Harold waved his hand. “That’s too much! Let me give you your change.”
Caspian chuckled. “It’s not too much. It’s just the right amount.”
“You’re always like this.” Harold smiled helplessly and thanked him profusely. “Thank you, Mr. Prince.”
“I’m leaving now. I’ll come by again in a few days,” Caspian said as he took the ravioli. Then, he politely addressed Celeste as well, “Ms. Weaver, I’m leaving now.”
Celeste looked up with a smile on her lips. The steam rising from the ravioli in front of her lent her already enchanting features an air of mystery.
“Take care, Mr. Prince. Don’t forget to visit my shop.”
“Of course,” Caspian replied politely as he climbed into the carriage and left.
Once he was gone, the smile on Celeste’s face vanished. She set down her cutlery and coldly said, “Ella, settle the bill.”
Harold glanced at her bowl and noted she had hardly touched it.
He couldn’t help but ask, “Ms. Weaver, didn’t you say you were hungry? Why haven’t you finished? Did I cook the ravioli poorly tonight?” Celeste forced a smile. “No, it’s not that. Your ravioli is especially delicious. I just starved a little too much today, and now my stomach aches a bit.” Harold chuckled. “When you’re too hungry, you really can’t eat. You shouldn’t skip meals in the future. You must take care of your health, young lady.” As Ella went to settle the bill, Celeste didn’t respond and simply turned to leave.
She was fuming. Caspian was not only a coward but also blind. Having met his wife, Celeste knew that Luna was an uncouth merchant’s daughter with an ordinary appearance. At best, she was only somewhat pretty.
How could she possibly compare to Celeste?
With her looks, what prince or noble wouldn’t want to take her home? Even when Eugene had seen her, he had forgotten his wife’s presence and stared at her with undisguised interest.
There was no man Celeste couldn’t conquer. Men like Caspian should be easy pickings. It was only a matter of how long he could hold out.
Of course, Caspian had no idea that Ava was interested in him. If he had been that astute and clever, he would have held a position far beyond that of a mere junior official in the Ministry of Infrastructure.
When he returned home, everyone was waiting for him to eat. He handed the ravioli to a servant, instructing them to boil it quickly so everyone could enjoy some.
“I was wondering why you were so late. Was it because you went to buy some ravioli? Look at you-you’ve got your wife on your mind and have forgotten all about your mom. You left her hungry and waiting for you,” Zoey teased.
Caspian quickly apologized, but feeling a bit defensive, he explained, “I could have been home earlier, but Harold was so slow. Plus, Ms. Weaver cut in line. She claimed she was starving and asked me to let her and her servant go first. That’s why I was delayed.” “Ms. Weaver?” Zoey repeated curiously, raising an eyebrow.
She knew her brother-in-law well-he usually didn’t associate with women. Who was this lady and why was she suddenly in the picture?
She pressed for more details, asking, “Who is she?”