"This tea is still piping hot. Let's eat first."
Laurence said, “The food has been ready for a while. Let's dig in."
He and Noelle accompanied the two elders into the dining room, while the servants hurriedly brought out the prepared dishes one by one.
Despite having been wealthy ladies for decades, the two elders did not like wasting food, so Laurence had the kitchen prepare six simple home-style dishes and one soup. This would be more than enough for four people and would not result in waste.
As usual, Noelle intended to stand by and serve them.
Jane called out to her, "Noelle, why aren't you sitting down? Come and sit here beside me. Stop standing there.”
"Mommy Jane, I'll serve you while you eat. I'll just eat something casually in the kitchen later."
Taking the opportunity to complain to Jane and Lilian, Laurence said, "Noelle is always like this. No matter what I say, she won't listen. Last time, I even called Chloe and had her scold Noelle. Only then did Noelle reluctantly sit in a corner, and she finished eating way ahead of me.
"I'd barely taken a few bites when she'd already finished eating and gone back to standing behind me to serve me. I've told her countless times that at home, she's family, but she just won't listen."
Noelle stubbornly clung to the mindset of being a bodyguard and servant.
Faced with someone this stubborn, Laurence could hardly imagine how she would react if he confessed his feelings to her.
Would she accept his love?
If she refused, he had no idea how long it would take to make her accept him.
Just thinking about it gave him a headache.
"Noelle, sit down. We're all family here. There's no need to be so formal. In our eyes, you're family, not a servant." Jane once again urged Noelle to sit.
Noelle remained standing behind Laurence without moving.
Even Jane could not persuade her.
Lilian calmly served herself a bowl of soup. After taking a sip and finding it quite good, she drank several more mouthfuls before putting the bowl down. Then she said, "Noelle, I'll count to three. If you're still standing there by then, I'll give you a certain medicine that will leave you lying in bed for the rest of your life, unable to do anything.
"One, two..."
Before Lilian could even count to three, Noelle hurriedly sat down in the nearest seat beside Laurence.
Jane and Laurence were stunned.
"Mommy Jane, let me serve you a bowl of soup."
Having been frightened into sitting down by her mentor, Noelle diligently scooped Jane a bowl of soup and then attentively served Lilian.
Enjoying Noelle's attentiveness, Lilian said, “How you and Laurence normally interact is none of my business. But while I'm here, if you don't adjust your mindset and understand your proper place, don't blame me for disciplining you.
"Outside, you're Laurence's bodyguard. But at home, you're his family member, the one he trusts most. This is your home too. A home should be warm and relaxing, not a place where you obsess over rules and formalities.
"Laurence spoils you and can't do anything about you. But I won't spoil you. If you do something that displeases me, I'll step in. When it comes to using medicine, the two of you are still no match for me."
Especially when it came to poisons, even Laurence and Noelle combined could not compare to her.
For once, Noelle forced a flattering smile and said to Lilian, "I'll change. I really will. Please don't use me as your test subject!"
She had personally witnessed Lilian's methods of tormenting people.