Chapter 38 The Dishes Micah smiled in her direction . " Want to try ? " " Sure . " : Finished Oriana was genuinely curious . She had eaten pre - made meals before , but never food prepared entirely by machines . She picked up a fork and took a bite . The next moment , her expression became complicated . Micah couldn't see her , but he heard her breathing deepen slightly and noticed her faint frown . " Not good ? " Oriana swallowed quickly , unable to chew any longer . " It's okay . " Hearing the hesitation in her tone , Micah pursed his lips . " Be honest . " Oriana admitted , " Too salty . " It felt as though she had eaten a mouthful of pure salt . She hadn't said it earlier , not wanting to discourage Micah . Micah said nothing further . Instead , he took a fork and tried the other two dishes himself . " These two should be fine , " he remarked . " Let me try , " Oriana said . Seeing that he could eat them , she tried the remaining two dishes . She felt even worse . One was extremely sour , and the other far too sweet . The key was , Micah ate them all with a straight face ! Oriana suddenly understood why Micah could live alone , relying entirely on these machines- he wasn't picky at all . After waiting a long while without any feedback from Oriana , Micah seemed to sense something . He looked slightly guilty , almost apologetic . " Stop eating . I'll have Kieran order takeout and get him to find a maid to cook soon . " 1/4 8:30 Fri , Oct 10 Chapter 38 The Dishes Finished " No need . These dishes aren't terrible . I'll just make some pasta . Toss it together , it should be fine . " She paused , recalling the questions she had asked Kieran about Micah on the way back .. Looking at Micah's impeccably handsome profile , she spoke softly , " I know you're not used to interacting with others , and your cleanliness habits are extreme . Having a maid cook here would probably make you uncomfortable . Why don't you endure a few days while I learn to cook ? Once I get the hang of it , it might work out . " Micah's fists tightened slightly . After a moment , he relaxed his grip weakly , his face tinged green with a hint of defeat . " Sorry , that's my fault . " Seeing him so down , Oriana quickly reassured him . " It's just cooking . No big deal . I should even thank you for giving me a chance to test the food . " " Besides , I'll need to learn these life skills eventually . In two years , I'll have to fend for myself anyway . " She had meant to comfort him , but instead , his expression darkened further , dipping even lower . In the end , Micah said nothing and retreated to his room . He looked like a lonely little puppy that had been abandoned . Oriana's heart tightened . " Chubby , did I say something that upset your dad ? " Chubby nodded . " Daddy's upset , but it's nothing serious . " Oriana looked down , confused . The little guy blinked . " Daddy won't stay mad at you , Oriana . " Really ? But he had just stormed off because of her . That afternoon , Oriana squeezed in some online classes and prepared all the documents she would need to report to Jindiwood University . Afterwards , she started looking up cooking videos to warm up , at least to familiarize herself with the process . After watching for a while , she felt confident enough to try cooking. However , the ingredients left in the fridge didn't match the recipes she had seen . 2/4 0.01 Chapter 38 The Dishes As a complete novice , Oriana hadn't realized that she should choose dishes based on the ingredients available . She only knew how to imitate . Finished Feeling a bit awkward , she asked Chubby for the nearest supermarket address , changed into a different outfit , and got ready to go out . When Oriana opened the door , the man at the other end of the hallway happened to be stepping out . He wore a deep gray tracksuit , as if he were going out . " You're going out ? " Oriana asked hesitantly . " Yes , " Micah nodded . " With you ." " With me ? I'm just going to the supermarket . You're coming with me ? " Oriana was surprised . " How come- " " You're unfamiliar with the place . I'll go with you , " he explained , and it sounded reasonable . But Oriana couldn't help noticing the dark lenses covering his eyes . Was he really more familiar with the supermarket than she was ? As it turned out , not at all . His life was unusual - he usually traveled with a personal car and special access . In the noisy , crowded store , when strangers brushed against him accidentally , Oriana could clearly feel Micah tense instantly . She instinctively reached out to steady him . " It's okay . I'm here . " " Yes , " Micah responded , his voice hoarse . Oriana immediately regretted bringing Micah along . Not because he was a burden , but because she felt guilty seeing him uncomfortable . He was stiff , resisting instinctively , yet forced to adapt . When Kieran had mentioned he wasn't good with social interactions , Oriana had thought it was because he couldn't see . A little exposure would help . Seeing him like this , she completely abandoned the idea of trying to get him more used to going out . He must be feeling terrible .