Chapter 2295: Chapter 2295

“Those who spend all day either eating or drinking are just little piglets.”

Ivy shot him a glare. “You!”

Alyssa came over and immediately suggested that Mara should take a break too. “Ms. Lewis, you are our guest, how could we possibly let you do such chores?”

Besides, Mara clearly lacked the knack for it. The pies she tried to make were almost bursting at the seams.

Pies like that would fall apart the second they hit the oven.

Mara blushed with embarrassment, yet she stubbornly insisted, “Oh, Alyssa, just let me practice a bit.

You know, practice makes perfect with cooking. Once I get the hang of it, I’ll be able to make some for Balfour back in M State.”

Hearing her say this dimmed the smile on Ivy’s face.

Balfour noticed her mood shift and, and trying to lighten the atmosphere, he playfully dabbed some flour on Ivy’s nose and said, “Why don’t you take a break over there? Or maybe you could help me get some more flour?”

“Hmph, I thought you told me to rest. You go get it yourself.”

Relieved that she was still interacting with him, Balfour let go of his concern.

“So, do you still want to try the pies I make? Huh? Mine are going to be huge and flavorful, stuffed to the brim!”

Ivy chuckled, “If you won’t let me have yours, I’ll just have Alyssa’s. And Dean’s too. His look so round and full.”

Alyssa chimed in, “Exactly, Ivy can have mine or Dean’s. Why would she pick your ugly pies?”

The family laughed together, conveniently ignoring Mara’s earlier comment.

Feeling her face burn with embarrassment, Mara wished she could just disappear into the ground.

These old folks were taking Ivy’s side and ignoring her, weren’t they?

And Mara just couldn’t understand what Balfour was thinking.

Why was he sticking so close to Ivy?

Couldn’t he hear what she’d just said?

Taking a deep breath, Mara tried to join the conversation again.

“Balfour’s first attempt is actually quite impressive. Not like me, I’ve been trying for ages and still can’t make them right. It’s a miracle I can even pinch the dough together.”

Balfour glanced at Mara’s handiwork, which was indeed a bit of a mess and falling apart. Pies like that just couldn’t be baked.

“Stop trying, Mara. These pies are a waste if they can’t be baked. Just take a break like Ivy,” he said.

Mara pouted. “Balfour, you’re just as dismissive of me.”

He shook his head. “Do you honestly think your creations are fit for the oven? If they aren’t, then isn’t that a waste of the filling?”

Ivy looked over and felt a twinge of regret too; Althea had mixed that special filling just for her.

Mara clenched her jaw in frustration.

Was it really necessary to make such a big deal over some dough and filling?

“I’m sorry, I just wanted to learn and help out a bit. I didn’t mean to cause any waste,” she said, her voice tinged with a sense of being ganged up on by the family.

Alyssa’s eyebrows twitched in annoyance.

Couldn’t Mara express herself without pouting?

Barely a few words in and she was already pouting.

“It’s not really a waste. Althea could just fry it up in a pan, and we could have a nice pancake,” Ivy suggested, giving Mara an out.

It was true, Althea had made something similar before, and it was also a way to save Mara’s face.