His comment confirmed what I’d suspected—Serena had asked me to cook for him, not herself.
Even so, I only smiled faintly and didn’t respond.
Stephanie, with a mix of pride and teasing, chimed in, “Oh, you wouldn’t believe it—he got it in his head to take cooking classes recently. He was the only guy in the class, but he stuck with it anyway. I thought he’d give up out of embarrassment, but nope. Now he’s great in the kitchen and outside of it. Whoever becomes his future girlfriend is going to be so spoiled.”
Serena had been smiling faintly, but her expression shifted at that comment. Her smile thinned, and she took a slow sip of tea. Calmly, she asked, “Albion, are you thinking about dating now?”
I looked at her, confused by the sudden question.
Recalling her words from the other day, I nodded slightly. “I’m 26 now—it’s about time I started thinking about that. If you know anyone suitable, Serena, feel free to introduce them to me.”
“You’re finally coming around!” Stephanie exclaimed, clearly more excited than anyone else. “I’ve been trying to set you up for ages, and you always turned me down. Now that you’re ready, I’ll make sure to find you the perfect girlfriend!”
As Stephanie finished speaking, Serena’s lips pressed into a tight line. Her eyes locked onto mine as if searching for something in my expression.
Cyril, noticing the change in her mood, laughed lightly. “Albion, you’re lucky to have such a caring sister. I’m honestly jealous. But, you know, I think Serena’s a great match for you. What do you think?”
“Don’t say things like that,” Serena cut in sharply, her brows furrowing. Though her tone carried a hint of reprimand, her expression was more resigned than angry.
I nodded in agreement. “Exactly. I only see Serena as a sister. Please don’t make jokes like that, Cyril.”
I paused, then added, “Besides, I think you and Serena make a better pair.”
The smile vanished from her face in an instant, replaced by a thin layer of anger. She let out a short, humorless laugh. “Is that so? Then how about I introduce someone to you? Would you take the time to meet her?”
“Of course. Thanks in advance, Serena.” My smile was bright, and I answered without hesitation.
For the next few days, I didn’t reach out to Serena, and she didn’t contact me either.
Albion's POV
Instead, it was Cyril who came to find us.
When he arrived, Stephanie and I were both at my place.