I was quite confident before in my cooking abilities but now that the time came for me to serve him food, I was so nervous that my hands shook. Endless worries filled my mind, and I doubted if the food I had made would be good enough for him or if it would suit his tastes. After placing the food in front of him, I took a few steps back and stood to the side.

“What are you doing? Sit down and eat with me,” the man said invitingly.

I hesitated for a brief moment before taking the seat opposite him from the table. He must have thought that my...