novelraw Chapter 369 - 370: Buying Roast Duck in the Middle of the Night
Chapter 369 - 370: Buying Roast Duck in the Middle of the Night
Chapter 369: Chapter 370: Buying Roast Duck in the Middle of the Night
Late at night, Sienna Johnson suddenly woke up. Her first sensation was hunger. Adrian Desmond was lying next to her. Adrian was a light sleeper, so he woke up almost immediately when Sienna did.
"What’s wrong? Another nightmare?" Adrian pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to wake himself up more fully.
Sienna shook her head and, touching her stomach, said petulantly, "Adrian, I want to eat roast duck—Sileria roast duck! I want to eat it now; I’m really craving it. Can you go buy it for me, please?"
"Alright, I’ll go buy it!" Adrian replied indulgently, not at all finding her request difficult or thinking she was being unreasonable.
"Thank you."
"I’m just relieved you’re eating. I was truly worried you wouldn’t eat anything."
"..."
"You lie down and go back to sleep. I’ll go buy Sileria roast duck for you. I’ll be back soon."
"Mhmm."
Sienna was still drowsy and didn’t realize it was currently 2:00 a.m. Even if Adrian went, the shops wouldn’t be open. She also didn’t understand how pregnancy could make her crave food so intensely; she felt a bit embarrassed herself.
"Sleep now," Adrian said, tucking her in. Once he saw she had closed her eyes, he got dressed and left.
「...」
After her prenatal checkup, Sienna Johnson temporarily moved into the duplex in the Dragon Court Residence Complex. A doctor and a nanny were available, and Rose Collins also stayed by her side. Adrian Desmond went to work during the day, so he no longer needed to travel to the suburban manor at night.
Adrian knew Sienna was being considerate of him. Whenever he thought about it, he would grin like a fool for a while.
And because Adrian had more time to spend with Sienna, her nightmares became much less frequent.
Rose Collins was older now and slept very little. Hearing a noise, she came out and saw Adrian Desmond about to leave. Understanding at once, she asked, "Are you going to buy food for Sienna again?"
Adrian smiled. "She suddenly got a craving for Sileria roast duck."
"But it’s just past two in the morning. Even if you go, the shops won’t be open."
"There’s always a way."
"Sienna is too willful. If you keep spoiling her like this, you’ll spoil her rotten." Rose Collins looked at Adrian, her heart aching for him. "You have to work tomorrow; this is so hard on you. I’ll talk to her tomorrow."
"Mom, I’m not tired. She’s finally able to eat something, which is a great relief to me. Please, don’t say anything to her. If she goes back to how she was before, unable to eat anything, then that would truly be a headache for me."
Watching Adrian leave, Rose Collins sighed. This wasn’t the first time he’s gone out in the dead of night to find food for Sienna on a sudden whim.
Pauline Briggs didn’t like Adrian and said he wasn’t good to Sienna. But if he truly wasn’t good to her, what man would repeatedly go out in the middle of the night to find food for his pregnant wife who had such cravings?
During this time, Sienna was being thoroughly spoiled by Adrian, who indulged her every request without question.
「...」
In the dead of night, even the bustling Sileria City was asleep.
There were hardly any cars on the road, only drunks passed out by the roadside. Because there was so little traffic, Adrian drove quickly.
Sileria roast duck was one of Sileria City’s famous specialties. The ducks chosen were plump, meaty lake ducks. To enhance the flavor, chefs roasted them over charcoal. The resulting dish was crispy and fragrant, rich but not greasy. Not only did Sienna Johnson love it, but Adrian Desmond did too.
The best roast duck shop in Sileria City was hidden in an inconspicuous alley; most people would never find it.
Adrian often said Sienna was a foodie, though she denied it. But if she weren’t a foodie, how would she know about all the delicious specialty foods hidden away in corners of the city?
The car couldn’t enter the alley, so Adrian Desmond parked on the roadside and walked in.
The shop door was tightly shut. Adrian, not caring if he disturbed the neighbors, started banging on it—THUMP, THUMP, THUMP. He had been to this shop with Sienna Johnson a few times. It was a family-run business, and the husband and wife slept in the shop at night.
He knew someone was inside.
"Who is it?" a man’s disgruntled voice called out. Anyone woken at this hour would be annoyed.
"Your shop’s on fire!"
Those words were more effective than any others. Adrian Desmond heard rustling sounds from inside, and a moment later, the man ran out, still pulling up his pants. Seeing Adrian standing at the door, he looked around frantically. "Where? Where’s the fire?"
Adrian Desmond took the opportunity to step inside. The shopkeeper looked around but saw no sign of fire. He turned back, furious. "You lied to me?"
"My wife suddenly has a craving for your roast duck. Go roast one for me." Adrian pulled a thick wad of cash from his wallet and placed it on the greasy, stained table that looked like it hadn’t been properly cleaned in ages.
The shopkeeper stared. "You wake us up in the middle of the night... just so I can make roast duck for your wife?"
"Yes."
The man waved his hand dismissively. "The shop’s closed. Come back in the morning."
"If it’s not enough money, I can add more."
"I don’t want your money! Just get out! If you dare disturb my sleep in the middle of the night again, I’m calling the police!"
"Call the police? Heh..." Adrian Desmond smirked and called towards the doorway, "Brett, come in."
From the darkness outside, a burly man entered. Seeing these menacing arrivals, the shopkeeper flinched.
"W-what do you want?" The shopkeeper was terrified now. These men all looked fierce and brutal. Even the handsome one—his smile was bone-chilling—was clearly not someone to provoke.
"Sixth Master, your orders?" Brett Jacobs asked.
"Give me the gun!"
"You’re going to kill me?" The shopkeeper tried to bolt, but Brett Jacobs grabbed him with one muscular arm, dragged him back, and forced him down in front of Adrian Desmond.
Brett pulled a pistol from the back of his waistband and handed it to Adrian. Adrian was an expert with firearms; a gun in his hand felt like an extension of his own body. He inspected the weapon, then aimed it at the terrified shopkeeper.
"Don’t kill me!" the man shrieked.
Adrian fired. BANG! A bullet tore a hole through a nearby pot.
"I’ll ask you one last time: will you make the roast duck or not?"
The shopkeeper’s wife rushed in from the back room. Seeing the scene, she immediately pulled her husband to his feet. "Are you stupid? Hurry up and make the roast duck!"
"Yes, yes! I’ll do it! I’ll do it right now!" the shopkeeper stammered, but he remained kneeling, too terrified to stand.
Adrian Desmond’s patience wore thin. He pressed the gun to the man’s forehead. "If you keep dawdling, I’ll put a hole right through it!"
"Sir," the shopkeeper’s wife said—surprisingly, she was quite brave and managed to speak calmly—"my husband is timid; he’s just terrified. Please don’t kill him. We’ll make the duck for you right away."
"My legs... they’re weak. I can’t get up," the shopkeeper mumbled.
His wife sighed, helped him to his feet, and led him to the kitchen prep area.
Adrian Desmond handed the pistol back to Brett Jacobs. Brett put it away and retreated, his form melting into the shadows outside as he kept a discreet watch.
The shopkeeper’s wife asked, "Do you want a sweet-glazed one or a spicy one?"
"One of each."
"Certainly."