Sothing in her instantly responded to the almost feral look in his eyes.
Each step brought her closer, and she held herself stiffer.
Then, he held out his hand. Andon joined him.
A lady dressed in a shimring gold lace gown took the offered hand.
Claire stopped walking.
Her face was burning. He had not been waiting for her? Was Andon her escort?
She watched him walk away from the foot of the stairs with the lady in his arms.
Another lady, although much younger, claid Andon’s arm.
Claire touched a hand to her hair to ensure that the pin the maids had done still held. But she felt like her hair would crumble back into its natural state before the evening was over.
Holding her head up with pride she didn’t feel, she sauntered down the stairs.
Terrence followed at a careful distance, joining the rest of the guards at the bottom of the stairs.
Yeren was pulling out a chair for the woman he had escorted, smiling.
Smiling?
Why wasn’t anyone acknowledging his sudden eye colour change? Was it normal for Lycans to change eye colour? The book she had been reading would have ntioned it.
All eyes fell on her as she entered the hall fully. How embarrassing would it be to be dressed up like that only to stand by his side as a Cupbearer?
He took his seat at the table and addressed the much older man on his left.
"Thank you for coming, uncle Casre."
His uncle laughed slightly.
"Thank you? Even if you’re determined to keep at the other edge of the world, I cannot miss the day of your birth for any reason."
The day of his birth?
His uncle patted him affectionately on the shoulder.
"We are happy to be here with you." The older woman on the table said.
Andon took a seat beside the woman he had escorted.
She reached the King’s side and took her stance.
One of his hands was beneath the table, she noticed.
"And who is this pretty damsel?" His uncle asked.
The won glanced at her.
"The King’s Cupbearer." Andon said when Yeren was not forthcoming.
The uncle nodded, still not taking his eyes off her.
"Are you sure she’s just a Cupbearer? If I had her as a Cupbearer, I could think of a few things she could do for aside from serving wine." He grinned widely.
The woman at Yeren’s side cleared her throat, her lips thinning.
"Respect yourself, Casre." She said, her voice shrill and impatient.
The man lowered his head, pretending to be chastened.
Claire could feel her face heat up further.
Yeren didn’t even spare her a glance, but his hand on the table twitched slightly.
When she looked across the table, Andon was watching her.
She raised a brow at him, wondering if he was trying to communicate sothing to her.
Then, his eyes darted to the pitcher of wine very slowly.
She was to pour wine..
Why had she not realised that earlier? After all, that was her function.
She lifted the pitcher and poured him a goblet. When she handed it to him, their fingers brushed. Her eyes flashed to his slightly. He was looking at her with that sa dangerous look that made her pulse heighten.
Sohow, she didn’t release the goblet imdiately.
Claire was completely unaware that everyone at the table was watching them closely.
"How delightful. You were right, Father." The younger one said to Yeren’s uncle.
That was Yeren’s cousin? Then, the older woman had to be his aunt.
"Right about what?" The mother’s curt voice cut in.
The daughter’s smile vanished imdiately.
The servants trooped in with the food.
"Ah, finally. After a tedious journey of ensuring Adisa’s company, I can have food!" Casre exclaid, picking up dishes of food to help himself.
Adisa rolled her eyes, but smiled warmly at Yeren when she realized he was looking at both of them.
"You’re a bit quiet, Yeren."
Claire looked at the woman. She was the first person she had heard address with his first na.
They had to be close.
"He’s tired, Eliza." Andon told her, also helping himself to so choice servings.
Eliza cast a long glance at the King before returning her attention to the food before her.
Claire stood there with the pitcher firmly in her hand.
"Are you not eating, dear?" Adisa asked, pausing to give him the full weight of her concerned glance.
Yeren nodded, reaching for a dish containing roasted chicken.
His hands were shaking.
"Let help you." She volunteered without thinking, setting the pitcher on the table and taking the dish out of his hands.
He let her.
Then, he looked up at her. Claire could swear her heart lurched with the way he kept looking at her.
Gratitude.
She had seen many things in his eyes - lust, admiration, respect, contempt... but not for once had she earned his gratitude.
The feeling was...
Shaking her head to clear her distracting thoughts, she pushed a small amount of the roasted chicken into his plate.
Deciding to do all the work, she added sauce and a vegetable salad to it.
"Thank you." He whispered, barely audible.
When she stepped back, everyone was staring.
His uncle’s mouth was hanging open, while the wife’s hand was resting on her chest as if she was having a heart attack.
"Who is this girl?" Adisa asked, leaning closer. Her eyes were bright with curiosity.
"Lord Stenly’s daughter." Andon chipped in.
"Why doesn’t Yeren marry her?"
Claire stopped breathing for a brief second.
Casre looked at Yeren as if the perfect wife had just been presented.
"Why not her instead of all those other girls? I knew her father, she’s from a very respected family."
Yeren struggled to pick up his fork with his shaky hand. He still didn’t remove his left hand from beneath the table.
What was wrong with him?
After taking a bite of chicken and swallowing, he took a drink of his wine.
"She has no wolf, no family na and is destitute. You should understand that such a bride would add no value to the Crown or the King."
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