Husband With Benefits-Chapter 810: Truce

The next morning, Lily hurriedly freshened up, eager to start her day. After a long night of reflection, she had finally come to a clear decision. First and foremost, Cai Frost was a guest of her boss, Princess Isidora, which meant she needed to fulfill her duties as the housekeeper, as underlined by her contract.. Establishing clear boundaries was important, and keeping things professional would be perfectly manageable in this scenario. She did not have to see him as someone she had went out with, even for a short time.

Secondly, she owed him an apology for her behavior the previous night. He had come here for a vacation, likely expecting solitude just as much as she had. After all, she knew how the last month had been one of the most exhausting time for him with his project having succeeded. Her unexpected presence might not have been the most convenient for him. And yet, he had accepted it gracefully, even going so far as to make sure she was comfortable.

Her first task of the day was to check the pantry, as she’d been instructed. If they were going to be stuck here for an extended period due to the weather, she needed to know what they had to work with. As she opened the pantry door, her eyes widened in relief. It was well-stocked, even better than she’d expected—shelves lined with canned goods, dried pasta, grains, fresh vegetables, meats, and jars of spices. They wouldn’t go hungry, that was for sure. Even if they ended up snowed in for weeks, there would be more than enough to get by.

"Thank goodness for small miracles," she muttered to herself, running her fingers over the jars thoughtfully. "Now... what on earth should I make for breakfast?"

She stood there, hands on her hips, staring at the ingredients in front of her as if they would somehow decide for her. Cai hadn’t mentioned what he liked to eat when they’d been out on the date, and she had no idea what time he might wake up. Would he want something light after sleeping in? Or maybe a hearty breakfast, especially in this freezing weather?

At the all-night diner, he had been eating pancakes and those baos...

Her eyes drifted to the window and the snow piled up outside. Somehow, it seemed that the snow from last evening had doubled by this morning. So whatever she made needed to be something that would keep well, just in case he didn’t wake up for hours. The cabin was heated but even so, the last thing she wanted was for the food to go cold and unappetizing before he even made it to the table.

"Okay, Lily, think," she mumbled under her breath. "Eggs? They’re fast, but they won’t hold up in this cold. Pancakes? No, they’d turn into rubber if they sit too long..."

She tapped her chin, pacing a little as she mentally sifted through her options.

Before she could react, the door swung open and someone stepped into the pantry. Startled, Lily jumped, whirling around, her eyes wide in surprise.

Her gaze landed on the figure before her, and her eyes widened even more, if that were possible. Cai stood there, looking... different. Very different. Not at all like the polished and collected man she’d been mentally preparing to face. He barely seemed to register her presence at first, his expression dazed, his eyes bleary with the remnants of sleep.

"Morning," he muttered in a deep, raspy voice as he passed her, heading toward the shelves without sparing her more than a glance.

Lily blinked, momentarily at a loss for words. That voice—why did his voice sound so much... sexier in the morning? Rough, with a deep timbre that sent an unexpected flutter through her stomach. It was like a whole different person stood in front of her.

And it wasn’t just his voice.

Her eyes trailed over him as he moved past her, taking in the sight of his rumpled appearance. His hair stuck out at odd angles, tousled from sleep, giving him a disheveled, boyish look that only made him appear more appealing. The usually neat and buttoned-up Cai Frost now stood before her in a simple t-shirt that clung to him in all the right places, showing off broad shoulders and a lean, toned torso. A pair of athletic shorts hung low on his hips, revealing muscular legs that she hadn’t quite expected to see in the middle of winter.

He looked completely... messed up. And not in a bad way.

Lily’s breath caught, her mind scrambling as her previous thoughts of professionalism crumbled before her. How was she supposed to keep things professional when he looked like this?

"Uh... good morning," she managed to mutter, her voice coming out a little more strangled than she intended. "What would you like to eat."

For a moment, his hand froze, half raised and he turned around to look at her as if she had asked him to reveal some unimaginable secret.

"You are going to cook?" He asked slowly and she nodded her head," Yes. I was thinking pancakes. Since you are up, you can have them hot..."

He seemed to ponder for a moment before he shrugged and walked straight out back... I’ll be in the living area. Just call me when you are done."

With that, she watched him as he turned around and left, leaving her standing there still.

As soon as he was out of sight, she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She set the flour down on the counter with a soft thud, glancing toward the door as if to confirm he had really left.

A faint thud echoed from the other room, followed by the unmistakable sound of leather creaking under a weight.

Lily winced. Did he just throw himself onto the couch face-first?

She tiptoed over to the doorway and peeked out, curious. Sure enough, there he was, sprawled out across the couch in a way that could only be described as... dramatic. His arms dangled over the sides, his face buried in a pillow, and his legs stretched awkwardly behind him, one foot still hanging off the couch.

For a moment, she wasn’t sure whether he was still awake or had already fallen back asleep.

Then, as if the scene couldn’t get any more absurd, Cai let out a low, barely audible groan, shifting slightly before settling into an even more awkward position. His left arm twitched, the movement causing the leather beneath him to squeak again.

Lily clamped a hand over her mouth, stifling the giggle that threatened to escape. This—this whole thing—was too much. Here she was, trying to keep things professional, and Cai was out there looking like a sleep-deprived mess, completely oblivious to the chaos he was causing in her brain.