Too Peaceful

She didn't do anything wrong. Luca was the one who forced her to sit there. It wasn't like she could reject him forcefully. If she really did that, she would ruin the dinner for sure.

The cold atmosphere gradually got better when Luca decided that the dinner was too peaceful.

"Dear, why don't you try this?" Luca said as he took a marinated beef tenderloin and put it on Ayana's plate, making the girl look at Luca with a smile but eyes full of hostility.

Ayana was not in the mood to enjoy the food since Luca's odd behaviour some time ago. All she did since the dinner start was just push down the food in her belly. She didn't even know the taste of the beautiful dishes in front of her. Ayana was sure that the meat must have tasted great on different occasions.

A pin-drop silence and a heavy atmosphere overflow the dining hall.

This time, not only the Winter couple, but the Baynes couple also looked surprised at Luca's antics. After a minute, the surprise was changed into disbelief and anger. They did not expect Luca would be straightforwardly showing his interest to the human in front of them. Weren't Baynes supposed to be his real in-law?

"What is it?" Luca asked like he finally sensed all the gazes of all the people there. 

"You are so affectionate today, dear," Bridgette said as her eyes tried to hint to Luca about the Baynes couple.

"Isn't it normal for a husband to take care of his own wife, mother?" Luca asked calmly, observing everyone who was staring at him.

Ayana looked at Luca, trying to understand what the man was going to do. At first, she did not pay much attention to the family affair, but now, Luca's strange behavior seemed to drag her inside the parent-child confrontation she definitely did not want to join.

Ayana looked at the Winter family, pondering in her heart if she could gain something from this family matter. If she has to choose someone's side in this confrontation, she would rather be on Luca's parents' side. She knew that they hated her, but their reaction was observable and understandable. She would never worry because she knew since the beginning that they are her enemy. And as for the man beside her, until this exact moment, Ayana knows nothing about him. Everything he did confuses her.

On this point, everything that Ayana knew about this man was just a tittle-tattle from others. The only thing she can confirm until this point was this man can be a handsome swindler, a great actor.

Was his relationship with his parents that bad? Did he dislike his betrothal with the Baynes' daughter? or he wanted to deceive me to think that way. Maybe I should look at the rumour about Luca and his parents.

A lot of unanswered questions pop up in Ayana's head.

Ayana sighed as she remembered Luca's offer. An unknown ally is no different than an enemy.

Taking the man's side provided more risks than standing to his parent's side. She wouldn't even know how she died if the man was actually an enemy who wanted to push her to the depth of hell after taking advantage of her.

"My God, we are just stunned to see your odd antics. Also, it is not like she is a baby and cannot even help herself," Quin spoke, trying to lighten the mood.

"I am a little worried since she looks lethargic. Moreover, she could be a bit shy since this is her first time visiting her in-law," Luca said as he reached out his hand and stroked Ayana's hair.

Ayana froze for a moment since her mind was occupied by something when Luca touched her hair.

Her fist clenched the knife tighter, although nothing changed from her expression. Luca is the only one who noticed the girl's tight grip on the knife and smiled in amusement. 

Both of them seem to live in their own world to notice the dark expression on Mark's face. He despised Luca's closeness with the lowly human girl. He thought he had prepared everything. He chose the best vampire, Skylar Baynes, to be his son's wife, but this political marriage ruined everything. Luca's wedding gave him the greatest shame.

He was known as the last pureblood vampire, but his son married a low-bred human girl just for a political agreement. He would have sabotaged the marriage if his wife did not come and beg on his foot. His wife said that Luca's marriage was just a stepstone for their district's wealth, but he thinks that this marriage will be his greatest disgrace. Although everyone was acting normally, Mark knew that all of them mocked him behind his back because of this marriage.

He would only tolerate this marriage for two years. No more than that. If they haven't finished their plan in two years, he will be the one to wipe out the girl's existence from this world.

Bridgette looked at her husband and then at Luca and Ayana with a face full of worries.

The Baynes family was taking their leave not long after. They apologize since they have to take care of some urgent matters and left the castle hurriedly after that. Everyone on the table knew that they were uncomfortable since Luca totally ignored them.

Bridgette also foresees the couple's attitude after she caught their gloomy face looking at Ayana and Luca's lovebird scene on the dinner table.

Normally, the Winter and the Baynes family will spend some time after dinner to talk about various topics until midnight, but they seem embarrassed to do that now.

Quin just went to her bedroom directly when she felt the suffocating atmosphere. She never wanted to be involved in her father and brother's argument.

Mark looked at Luca who was sitting beside his wife. Luca seemed to whisper something in his wife's ears as he smiled a little.  In reality, the man was just whispering something nonsense in Ayana's ears. Ayana kept a straight face while listening to Luca rambling about the food and some random topics and facts about the Winter Residence. He could say something like, 'the cook that makes the dishes is one of the best when making pasta' Or 'there is a big garden behind the residence, my mother's favorite spot. It is filled with a lot of roses.'

Ayana only nodded her head because she did not appear rude in front of her in-law. If she really wanted to worsen the situation, she could turn her head to face Luca and said directly to his face to shut up.