Chapter 3 After This, I'll Protect You

• Violet danced around the kitchen for about twenty minutes, and soon a plate of freshly made alfredo pasta and cheese croquettes were ready. She had even purposely made a child-sized portion since her 'customer' was a child. When she served them piping hot on the dining table, she called out, "Little Dan, come over! The food is ready."
• Danny checked the time and saw that there were still fifteen minutes until his curfew. So, he didn't hesitate to jump off the couch, strolled gracefully on his little legs, and sat at the dining table.
• Meanwhile, David had to wipe off his drool from the corner of his mouth as he sneered, "It does smell rather good, but it doesn't look delicious at all."
• "It's delicious."
• As if Danny had overheard his brother upstairs, he had just taken a tiny bite from each dish before he calmly announced his approval.
• Violet looked at him with a smile. "I'll continue to cook for you as long as you find my cooking delicious." Then, something popped into her mind, and she couldn't help but question curiously, "By the way, why are you still here? It's already so late! Where is your family? Are you the child of Henry's friend?"
• Before she had promised to marry Henry, she hadn't caught any rumors about Henry being a father.
• Danny furrowed his brows slightly as he nodded and cautiously answered, "You can say that."
• "That's what I thought." Violet nodded in acceptance before she quietly remarked, "Henry might be ugly, but he's very kind-hearted."
• Judging from how his friend's child could act so freely as though this was his own home, that just showed that he wasn't as hot-tempered as he was rumored to be.
• Danny swallowed his food and reminded her again softly, "He's not ugly."
• Meanwhile, the man upstairs glanced calmly at the drooling boy next to him with a look of disdain in his eyes that said, 'Look at your brother and then look at yourself.'
• One was trying his best to defend his appearance while the other was practically shouting at the rooftops that he was a monster.
• David pouted and sulked, "I just don't want a stranger to be my mommy."
• Henry frowned slightly, turned around, and walked away.
• Danny was still relishing his food downstairs. By the time he was finished with his meal, it was already 8.10PM. He had indeed taken his time as he chewed each bite carefully.
• In the end, he placed two leftover cheese croquettes on a small plate and wanted to bring them upstairs with him. Regardless, he did stop for a moment before saying, "Rest early."
• Just when he was about to reach the final step of the stairs, he turned his head around, took a good look at Violet, who was standing in the same spot in a bewildered daze, and said composedly, "Don't worry. After this, I'll protect you."
• Although he was a tiny lad, he managed to exude a distinguished regal haughtiness. So, when he made a promise, the gallantry in his eyes didn't seem fitting for a five-year-old at all.
• Violet was slightly shocked by his proclamation. Nonetheless, she quickly snapped back to her senses and glanced at his little figure. Although she thought it would be amusing to be protected by a child, she didn't make it known to said child.
• Even if it was a little difficult for her to adapt to this environment, she didn't need such a young child to protect her, right?
• With that thought in mind, she started to clean the kitchen and dining area to get her mind off… Things. When everything was spotless, she finally couldn't put off returning to that nightmare room straight from the gates of Hell.
• Finally, she sighed and lay on the couch, covering herself with her jacket.
• In the children's room upstairs, Danny placed the delicious-smelling croquettes on David's bedside table.
• David stubbornly faced the wall and refused to look at Danny as he muttered, "I'm not eating it."
• "Okay."
• So, Danny nonchalantly shifted the croquettes to his own bedside table.
• David immediately pouted as he started to grumble, "Didn't we agree to work together and not let strangers be our mommy? You betrayed me so quickly, traitor!"
• Danny returned to his own bed, glanced at his brother's back, and said, "She cooks very well."
• "Even so, she's not our mommy!" An aggrieved David picked at the wallpaper with his finger. "I want my real mommy… The one who gave birth to me!"
• David sighed from the opposite bed. Finally, he stared at the ceiling for a long time before he said softly, "But that mommy is dead."
• He had always been the more mature one of the two, so he was aware that their biological mother wasn't ever coming back. Their father also shouldn't remain single for the rest of his life.
• The woman downstairs was not bad.
• "She's not dead." David clenched his tiny hands into fists. "She's definitely alive, just waiting for us to find her!"
• Danny closed his eyes and ignored him. Soon, a tense silence fell over their bedroom, with only the delicious scent of the croquettes wafting in the air.
• In the end, David climbed up from his bed, tip-toed carefully to Danny's bed, and sneakily tried a piece of croquette.
• The second he took a bite, his eyes lit up in delight. This is too yummy! It's hundreds of times more delicious than the ones our cook has made before!
• "Return the plate downstairs." When David was eating the second piece with relish, Danny's childlike voice echoed from the bed. "Also, don't scare her anymore. She's under my protection."
• David pouted and harrumphed, "Dan, you're acting weird."
• Danny had never cared about his pranks, so why was he defending that woman? Is it only because she's a good cook? David wondered, taking another bite from the croquette. It is really delicious.
• After David finished the croquettes, he went downstairs to put the plate away. When he arrived, he immediately caught sight of the woman sleeping on the couch—curled up like a cooked lobster and even shivering.
• He walked over and stared at her delicate face. She's quite pretty and a good cook as well. It would be fantastic if she's our real mommy…
• Violet wasn't having a restful sleep, so she soon felt a pair of eyes on her. Thus, she instantly snapped her eyes wide open, fearing another attack. Yet, she was only greeted with the sight of the little boy from earlier.
• She blinked a few times as her vision cleared, and she saw that he was holding a plate and staring at her with unblinking eyes.
• She pushed herself up, rubbed the sleep away from her eyes, and asked, "Are you… Still hungry?" Why is he staring at me with a plate in his hands?
• David pursed his lips with slight displeasure and knew that she had mistaken him for Danny. But when he thought of the delicious food… He nodded anyway. "Yeah."
• It was true that he was still hungry.
• Violet's heart softened at the sight of his adorable little face, and she pinched his cheek. "I'll make you more food, then."
• As she walked toward the kitchen, she thought, Didn't he say that he wouldn't be eating after 8.00PM? Also… I made quite a big portion earlier…
• Still, she whipped up something simple yet suitable for children to eat, and David licked the plate clean, giving Violet a shock.
• This kid… Isn't his appetite a little too big? She thought, especially when he passed the plate to her, asking for seconds.
• When he was done with his meal, she couldn't help but inquire, "Little Dan, don't you think that… Your appetite is a bit…?"
• A startled David then chuckled sheepishly. "Yeah, I can eat a lot." Finally, he stuck out two of his tiny fingers and added, "In the future, make double portions of delicious food for me!" As he was worried that Danny wouldn't save any delicious food for him, he emphasized, "Two identical portions, okay?"
• This made Violet stare at him in shock, but she quickly composed herself as she nodded and smiled at him indulgently while keeping the dishes away. "Well, a child your age has to eat more to grow."
• Before she arrived, she had prepared some gifts for Henry. Since Henry wasn't around, she decided to give David a box of cookies she had baked herself. "This is for you," she said, smiling sweetly as she ruffled his hair. "Be sure to grow big and strong, okay?"
• David blushed under her tender ministrations as he grabbed the cookies and bolted upstairs. Only then did Violet release a breath of relief and return to sleep on the couch.
• Meanwhile, an expensive and luxurious cell phone vibrated twice on the desk in the upstairs study. A man's slender fingers picked it up and tapped on the notification.
• It was a text message from 'Baby Danny'. 'Passed,' it wrote.
• The message from 'Baby David' was a voice message. He was clearly munching noisily on the cookies as his muffled voice sounded, "I'll give her a pass for now. I don't like her, actually, but she's an excellent cook. So, for the sake of my belly, I've decided to give in once."
• The man placed down the cell phone, raised his hand, and tapped on the desk. "Make the arrangements. We'll register the marriage tomorrow."