Chapter 31
Zachary’s lips twitched, nearly breaking into laughter when he saw Sophie’s awkward expression.
Jasper also showed a barely perceptible smile as he glanced at Natalie, “The military district library has many specialized books. If you need any, feel free
to borrow them.”
Natalie had just mentioned it casually, not genuinely intending to read anything, but since Jasper offered, she certainly wouldn’t decline. She smiled. sweetly at him. “Thank you, Mr. Locke,”
He maintained his usual demeanor and replied simply, “You’re welcome.”
Watching their interaction, Zachary couldn’t help but click his tongue in approval, adding, “Ms. Talia, Captain Locke usually spends his time training or reading. If you want to learn, he’s definitely the right person to ask!”
Sophie’s face turned even darker when she heard this
Throughout the morning, Jasper had barely acknowledged her, speaking to her in less than a few words, and none of them were kind. Zachary hadn’t been this warm toward her, either.
Natalie didn’t care about Sophie’s expression since she was merely there to repay a debt of gratitude. Noticing that the dishes were all served, she remembered the seafood she had brought and quickly opened her lunch box.
“My relatives made two dishes to thank you. This is lemon garlic prawn, and this is a seafood platter. Give them a try. It’s a bit spicy, so I’m unsure if you can handle it.”
She gently pushed the lunch box toward the center of the table.
Jasper’s gaze fell on her fingers, resting lightly on the box. Her fingers were fair and delicate, but several noticeable scars marred their beauty, and there was a bit of swelling around the cuts–quite an alarming sight.
Zachary also noticed and asked, “Ms. Talia, how did you hurt your hand?”
She hadn’t expected both of them to notice her hand. Feeling a bit shy, she withdrew it and dismissed it lightly. “I accidentally cut myself while handling the prawn and crab. My skin shows every little scratch, but it’s nothing serious.”
Jasper averted his gaze and picked up his cutleries, grabbing a crab claw for his bowl, while Zachary took a prawn
Suddenly, Sophie spoke seriously to both of them. “No, you can’t eat that! This marinated raw seafood might carry parasites and cause unpredictable bodily harm. Also, these dishes look too spicy and could irritate your stomach.
“You’re pilots, and you might have missions at any time. If something happens to your health, the consequences would be unimaginable.”
While her concerns had some ulterior motives, her reasoning was valid.
Zachary paused with the prawn halfway to his mouth. “Ms. McClure, it’s just prawn. It won’t be a problem, right? Besides, I usually eat a bit of spice, so my stomach isn’t that week.”
She maintained her serious expression. “If something goes wrong, it’ll be too late. I once encountered a soldier during my internship who drank spring water while on a field mission and ended up swelling all over when he got to the hospital.
“That spring water looked clear, but it contained many parasite eggs. Once ingested, the parasites develop and harm the organs.”
He gasped, feeling both alarmed and disgusted. He immediately set down his cutleries and instinctively looked at Jasper.
Knowing the seriousness of their work, Jasper responded coldly, “Our profession is special. We should indeed pay attention.”
Upon hearing this, Sophie shot a triumphant glance at Natalie. So what if they were homemade dishes? No one would eat them anyway.
Natalie wasn’t inclined to argue back. Instead, she felt grateful to Sophie. It was true that pilots needed to take care of their health, and if something happened because of the seafood she provided, she couldn’t bear that responsibility.
She moved the lunch box in front of herself, pushed the other dishes to the center of the table, and explained, “The seafood was marinated only after being boiled and cooled, but I indeed didn’t consider that you’re pilots and need to be careful with your diet. For sautery’s sake, you shouldn’t eat it ”
