After talking with them for a while, Lucian stepped out of the house. He saw Rina stirring the soup boiling on the clay stove in the front yard while cutting vegetables on the side.
He approached her. "Give it to me. I'll help you cut the vegetables."
"I can do it," she replied politely. "It will be ready soon, and I'll serve it to you."
He noticed the change in her behavior—unusually polite.
She put the knife aside and proceeded to lift the lid from the soup pot, but Lucian held her hand. "It's hot," he said, grabbing the cloth from the side and lifting the lid for her.
She checked the soup. "It's ready. Do you want to eat some?"
"I will eat together with you all."
She didn't insist and continued her work.
"Do you want to talk to me about something?" he asked.
"I'm not sure," she replied.
"I know you heard everything while standing outside the room," he commented.
Her hand, busy cutting the vegetables, paused.