The Palace Dinner

The delicious smell of the foods served on the long dining table made me even more hungry. Because of the abundance of food in front of me, I could say it felt like a festival was being held. On top of that, the utensils were exquisite, with some made of gold and silver.

"This way, My Lord and Lady," Lydia said, politely directing us to our seats. Lydia is the maid in charge of serving us every day, from serving our food to providing what we demand and cleaning our room. She was supposed to be assigned to bathing and dressing me, but Papa objected, so Papa is the one who bathes and puts my cloth in the end.

"Thank you, Lydia."

The dining table was so large that it could seat fourteen people. When Papa and I were about to choose our seats, we noticed something odd. The Emperor, Empress, Brother Ethan, and Brother Kye seats had one empty seat beside them, and their expressions said, "Choose this seat."

"Papa, where shall we sit?" I whispered.

"Besides the one who is the least annoying." I became curious as I heard Papa's answer. I never thought that Papa had someone in his mind that was less annoying.

"Atlas, you should sit here," offered Emperor Ian, smiling.

"No, this seat here is reserved for you," objected the Empress.

"Father and Mother are the highest ranking in the Empire, so it may be quite comfortable to be seated with them. So, feel free to sit beside me," said Brother Ethan.

"I love to sit with Brielle, so could you sit here Atlas?" asked Bother Kye.

Why are you getting so worked up about a seat? Well, I'm not the one who will make the decision; it's up to Papa to decide.

Without even thinking, Papa sat on the seat beside the Second Prince, making Brother Kye happy. On the other hand, the Empress, Emperor, and Brother Ethan were sulking because they had not been chosen. First and foremost, I knew the emperor would not be chosen because Papa and Your Majesty always argue.

After our decision, the spaces were filled. They moved towards each other so it would not look like they were angry at each other. Emperor Ian on the center, Empress Helena on the right side, and to her side is Brother Ethan, on the left side of the emperor is Brother Kye, and as for me, I'm sitting on Papa's lap. We began to eat dinner and Papa, and I tried different food on the table, and it didn't disappoint our expectations!

"Try this, Brielle." Brother Kye was offering to feed me a piece of steak that smelled good. I opened my mouth and ate Brother Kye's steak. All of the flavors exploded in my mouth after just one bite. Woah! The steak is so tender and flavorful.

"You should also eat this cupcake," Brother Ethan, who sat across the table, suggested. I ate it, and all I could say was heaven! It was so sweet and filled with chocolate.

"Here, eat this as well. It is my favorite pasta," offered Emperor Ian. I finished off the pasta and liked the rest of the food. It was delicious! "This too!"

"Kye, scallop soup comes first."

"Pudding will suit Brielle's taste."

"You're wrong, Helena. Chocolate cake will suit her taste."

Wait a minute everyone I'd had enough food. If I ate any more of your food, I'm afraid my stomach would burst. But how could I refuse with those puppy eyes?

"Stop it. Brielle would have a stomach ache if she kept eating," Papa warned as he wiped my mouth. All of them stopped offering me food and that's a relief.

"You should always eat with us," Emperor Ian said.

"Yes. Father is right," agreed Ethan.

"We will feed Brielle delicious food every day,"

"If you said that, Brielle might end up being fat," replied Papa. Their faces blushed as they imagined something on their minds that was kinda weird.

"That's way too cute. A chubby Brielle!"

"I want to hug fluffy Brielle."

"She would be the cutest girl in the Empire."

"I would pinch her cheeks if that would happen."

So that was what they were thinking. It was so embarrassing to know what was in their mind, especially because it was all about me. I don't think I could live up to their expectation to be fat.

Papa scratched his head and grumbled, "You are all weird. Is it a royalty thing?" The maids and butlers in the dining hall giggled at what Papa said. Papa stood up and said, "Thank you for the food. We will be going now."

"Good night, Brielle."

"Sweet dreams!"

I just waved my hand to them as Papa walked away from the dining hall. Tonight's dinner was fun since it was my first time to have a meal with many people aside from Papa and Max. I was a little uneasy a while ago, especially when they were considering transforming me into a chubby kid, but overall, it was enjoyable.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes, Papa."

We entered our room, which was still so dark that only the moonlight rays from the balcony allowed us to see. Today was another night of mana manipulation to assist me in stabilizing my inner mana so that I could return to normal. We've been doing this every week, and I'm getting better. Maybe I'll be able to return sooner. I sat on the bed, and Papa placed his hand on my back to begin the mana manipulation.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Concentrate the mana in the core.

Allow it to circulate through your veins.

Feel it and repeat the cycle.

After three tries, I finished the mana manipulation and felt my mana stabilize. As I do it, it becomes easier and easier. Papa took his hand off my back and patted my head to show his appreciation for a job well done. We sat on the bed, and Papa kissed my forehead and said good night.

Our eyes were closed; our minds were blank. The night whispers to our ears as we enter our dreams.