Woes Of A Villainess

11. Passing Ships in the Night (4)

The dining room, despite the short notice given to the servants, had been immaculately prepared in such a short time; the candlelight and flowers lining the long table served as a pleasant distraction from the heavy silence permeating the dinner table as the group awaited their food to be served.

Layton, sitting beside Olivia hadn't seemed to have let go of the day's earlier incident since the carriage ride. His green eyes narrowed at every single movement made at the table. Arabella swallowed slightly, fearing the scolding she would receive after this. Meanwhile, Olivia had a tight smile fixed on her lips as she tried to look anywhere but at Layton. Arabella's eyes shifted to the spot at the table, directly across from her, where Alistair seemed to be sitting none the wiser to the fact that he was currently the star of this show. Either that or he just didn't seem to care. She stared perplexed at the boy who seemed entranced by the dancing flames in the candles; the yellow flame reflecting in his violet eyes.

As though he could sense her stare, Alistair's eyes flicked up in a split second to meet hers, startling the girl. Her lips straightened into a nervous line as he stared straight back at her before his lips curved into a small smile. Just how was he so calm right now?

The opening of the double doors wrenched the attention of the four away as the food finally made its arrival and before long, the table was completely set. Olivia seemed to perk up the slightest bit and brushed her warm brown locks behind her ear, offering an awkward smile to the table in a bid to salvage the atmosphere, "Everyone, please enjoy the meal!"

Arabella winced looking down at the food laid out before her. The knots in her stomach right now made eating an impossible task, but in order to keep up appearances she picked up her knife and fork regardless, subtly pushing the meal around the plate. To her relief, the sounds of scraping cutlery soon filled the empty silence of the room and it started to feel like an actual dinner scene at last.

"...Is the meal that our staff prepared not to your liking?"

Arabella jumped at the cold sound of Layton's voice that sliced through the atmosphere like a knife. Afraid that she had been caught toying with her food like a child, she winced preparing to create an excuse only to pause upon the realisation that Layton's pointed glare was aimed not at her but at the seat across from her. She followed his line of sight to Alistair, who for the first time that day looked like a deer in headlights. She watched as Alistair who still had his hands rested in his lap beneath the table startled at the question, "...H-Huh?"

Unamused, Layton set down his knife and fork, opting instead to interlace his fingers under his chin while never removing his heavy stare, "You were the one who agreed to come to dinner, was it not? Have you suddenly lost your appetite or have we wasted a plate on you?"

"Brother!" at his words, Olivia scolded Layton and narrowed her blue eyes at him. "He's our guest. Don't put him on the spot."

"He is your guest. I had no say in the matter." Layton finished, not even sparing her a glance.

In the middle of their argument, Arabella took notice of Alistair's slightly shell-shocked expression. An air of anxiety encompassed his wide violet eyes as he stared unblinkingly and distrustingly at the glass and plate of food laid out before him. He opened his mouth as though to say something but seemed to opt against it, swallowing nervously. And as Arabella watched him, she was suddenly reminded of a familiar image. The moonlit romantic dinner scene laid out in the palace garden she had found, tainted by a white-haired corpse, the distinct memory of a face that looked as though it was still seeking desperate final gasps for air despite its eery stillness, forever frozen in torment. And the spilt glass laying at his feet.

"Hey."

The sound of her voice seemed to snap Alistair out of his trance and he looked up at her, eyes still wide. With a heavy sigh, Arabella stood and leaned across the table pinching at a vegetable from his plate and tossing it into her mouth with her bare fingers. To the bewilderment of her siblings, she then made a reach for his glass taking a long and hearty sip at the juice before wiping at her lips. The knots in her stomach only worsened at her impetuous actions but as an act of goodwill, she triumphed through her stomach pains to stare Alistair straight in the eye. His anxious expression seemed to have dissolved away into a look of astonishment instead, causing her to sigh in slight relief. "It tastes good. You should have no issue with the taste, even if you're not used to it."