Announcement at the dinning hall

Slowly, Ave made her way to the empty seat beside him and sat down. Then, she leaned toward him when no one was looking and whispered, "Thank you..."

He ignored her, sitting still like a statue, not even blinking. Ave was tempted to talk more with him, hoping to appease him with her words and make him see that she had no bad intentions against him or any of his family, but just then, the servants began walking in with trays of dishes and setting them on the table.

The sweet aroma that wafted to Ave's nose was enough to distract her from Lucian for the moment. Since she'd arrived here, she hadn't eaten anything good—just grain soup and bread. From the scent, she could tell there was chicken among the dishes and many more delicious meals. But, remembering the rules from last time, she clenched a handful of her dress to stop herself from reaching out to open the trays while she salivated.