It was time for dinner.
"Madam, dinner is ready," Mr. Williams, who had been working for the Palmer family for thirty years, said. She made excellent dishes, and Rhianna especially loved her Meatloaf.
The table was filled with Rhianna's favorite dishes, which made her feel a bit embarrassed since it was Mrs. Palmer's birthday today.
Rhianna had a metabolism that prevented her from gaining weight. She wasn't picky about food and enjoyed everything, but she also knew the Palmer family had strict dining etiquette. Mrs. Palmer understood Rhianna's personality well and spoiled her, often disregarding the formalities to pile Rhianna's plate with food.
There was a dish of boiled shrimp that Rhianna was eyeing eagerly.
Mrs. Palmer spoke up, "Rylee, as her husband, peel those shrimp for Rhianna."
Rhianna's heart tightened at those words, and she hurriedly said, "It's okay, Mom, I can peel them myself."
She nearly called her "Mrs. Palmer" out of habit and felt uneasy about Rylee peeling shrimp for her. She doubted she could eat them without feeling awkward.
Before she could stop him, Rylee, who was sitting next to her, had already started peeling the shrimp methodically.
Rylee seemed very focused on peeling, and Rhianna kept giving him pleading looks, but he ignored them.
Soon, a plate full of shrimp meat was placed in front of Rhianna.
While eating a piece of rib, Rhianna nearly bit her tongue.
Rylee seemed to notice her clumsiness and said in a low voice, "Eat slowly, no one is going to take it from you."
Rhianna's face turned red with embarrassment. Mrs. Palmer watched the couple's interaction with a smile, clearly enjoying their playful banter. Rhianna quickly placed the peeled shrimp in front of Mrs. Palmer.
"Mom, you worked the hardest today. Rylee should peel this shrimp for you," Rhianna said, feeling proud of her quick thinking. Considering her tumultuous past with Rylee, she couldn't bring herself to eat the shrimp he had peeled.
"Rhianna, you're always so thoughtful."
The two men in the family, Mr. Palmer and Rylee, simply observed without commenting.
In the afternoon, Rhianna accompanied Mrs. Palmer in arranging flowers, while Rylee played chess with his father in the study.
Rhianna knew only the basics of flower arranging and mostly imitated Mrs. Palmer's actions, rarely capturing the essence of the art.
Rhianna's attention kept drifting to the large clock in the living room. She wanted to leave at the right time. It wasn't that she didn't want to spend more time with Mrs. Palmer—after all, her parents were busy with business abroad—but she feared staying overnight at the Palmer house.
"Rhiana, focus on the flower arrangement," Mrs. Palmer reminded, noticing Rhianna's distraction.
Rhianna quickly brought her attention back, causing Mrs. Palmer to chuckle.
"I know it's boring for you to stay with me like this. You and Rylee rarely have time together, so you should spend more time with him."
The study was at the other end of the living room, and Rhianna's frequent glances in that direction might have been misunderstood. Mrs. Palmer knew Rhianna had liked Rylee for many years.
"Mom, I was just being impatient," Rhianna quickly changed the subject, not wanting Mrs. Palmer to misunderstand. Now, she wanted to avoid Rylee as much as possible, similar to how he had avoided her in the past. At least in front of their parents, they should maintain a respectful appearance." But once Rylee met Arely, their nominal marriage would come to an end.
Even though it was a military marriage, Rylee would find a way to resolve it.
Rhianna's thoughts wandered far. She planned to save money during this time so that when they divorced, she could do it with dignity. And after that, she would never see Rylee again.
Lost in her thoughts, she accidentally cut her finger with the scissors.
"Ah—" Rhianna finally felt the pain, noticing the bright red blood bubbling from her fingertip.
Before she could react, a tall figure loomed over her.
Rylee had just finished his game of chess with his father and saw Rhianna's careless mistake upon entering the living room.
He couldn't stop her in time, but seeing her finally react to the pain, he quickly took her hand and retrieved the first aid kit.
"This will sting a bit. Bear with it," he said.
Rhianna tried to withdraw her hand from his firm grasp, the skin contact transmitting his warmth and causing her heart to race.
He was too close, and she could smell a faint scent of tobacco.
Rhianna silently cursed herself for being so weak. The alcohol stung her finger, making her close her eyes in pain.
She was still as stubborn as ever, gritting her teeth through the pain. Rylee, seeing her eyes fill with tears, knew she was hurting badly.
Suddenly, Rhianna felt a cool breeze on her finger as Rylee blew on it gently to ease the sting.
"Just a moment." he said, carefully bandaging her finger.
Mrs. Palmer watched this scene with relief. She had always worried that her son wouldn't know how to take care of his wife, but seeing his concern eased her mind.
Rhianna looked at her bandaged finger, avoiding Rylee's gaze. She saw Mrs. Palmer smiling at her, and it became clear that, regardless of Rylee's indifference, they needed to keep up appearances in front of their parents to avoid criticism.
"Thank you." Rhianna said softly.
For some reason, hearing those words made Rylee feel an unfamiliar sense of distance.
She had rarely thanked him in their previous life.
But in this life, she would probably say those words to him more than any others.
