Len stared at the amount of snacks, there was no way it was for a single person. And the two cups of tea with a warm glass of milk.
He smiled softly when she was about to turn and leave, "I never knew that her majesty had the habit of using so many cups.
If I did not know any better, I would have thought that you had prepared all those for her." she had! But she was not going to accept it!
Her eyes went to the door where Luci had already left and then turned back to Len.
"I feel alone if I eat by myself. Can you give me company, your majesty.`` His voice was soft and kind that she did not have the heart to refuse him.
She nodded awkwardly. Wiping the sweat from her dress, she sat again when he smiled brightly,
She sat down when the maid came forward to brew the tea but she shook her head indicating that she would do it herself.
She picked up the pot and poured the hot black tea in her cup when Len wanted to hold the cup and forward it, she picked up the glass of warm cup and forward it making his smile stiff.
He started with the sweet snacks and then a warm cup of milk in his hands. Was he treated like a child? He had thought that it was for Luci.. had she mistaken his age?
But when he raised his head and opened his mouth to tell her that he did not like this kind of stuff, his eyes fell on her brightening face. She looked so happy, a little trembling on her hands and the corner of her lips had lifted upwards while she stared at him anticipatedly that made his mouth close again.
He brought the glass closer to his lips and took a sip. The milk was awfully sweeter and the cookies, they have a good amount of Jam and macrons.
"You should taste this one too. It is the specialty of my chef!" her eyes were twinking and filled with a bit of nervousness, when he nodded his head giving her an assuring smile.
He picked up one macron and took a bite. The soft taste of the sugar and icing filled his mouth. It was sweeter and awful than he had thought. He felt his mouth getting sticky. He felt his tongue glued with the upper part of his mouth.
"That.. tastes sweet!" he could not think of any other word when she did not stop staring at him.
"I am glad. I will make sure that you have a lot of sweets available during your visit here. But if you still carve for some, you can always come here and have these macarons with me.'' Why? Was it a way of tormenting him here!
He felt like two horns made of chocolate grew out of her head and the plates of macrons started to flow in front of him. She looked like a sweet witch that would torment him by feeding and he gulped. He hated sweets since childhood like his father. Who would have thought…!
"That.. that is very thoughtful, your majesty." The awkward smile on his face was a sight to behold but the dense woman who had spent her life alone did not understand and nodded her head with relief.
She continued to stare at him while holding her face on hands and smiling. She was looking like a little kid who had done a good deed and now was waiting for appreciation from her family.
This was the first time he had seen this kind of look on her face. She looked so different from the cold woman he knew that he felt she was a different one.
In the end, he could not have more than three of the macrons and it took all her endurance to finish the glass of milk. It was not food but a sweet poison.
"You should have some more. You are a growing kid who needs to have a lot of food to gain nutrition.`` What nutrition could be there in this sweet food? He wanted to ask and taunt but he just smiled when he saw the worry on her face.
He may be hallucinating again but he felt touched by the warmth. He did not remember his mother at all. But would she have starred with the same look in her eyes while she would see him eating?
"No! I am full. Thank you for the care." her eyes softened and she raised her head.
He held his breath in anticipation. Was she going to pat his shoulder or stroke his hair or was she going to pat his back. His hold on the corners of the table tightened when she laughed awkwardly again and tucked her hair behind from her forwarded hands.
"......." he was sure that it was not her intention. But was she nervous like him?
It was first for both of them to show emotions on their faces. So, it was so awkward that the maid wanted to smack her head. She wanted to shout at her to stroke his hair. He was looking like a puppy who was waiting eagerly for the pat of his master yet the woman was fidgeting with her expressions.
"Then, I should be leaving. It is already too late." Katherine nodded and stood up but just when he took a step away, he looked back at her and then hugged her.
With his good height, the boy had already reached her shoulders. His hands barely touched her waist as he whispered goodnight to her and left. While she stood there frozen as if her soul had left her body.
She heard him leave with a chuckle and only then did she blinked and touched her arms he was holding with surprise.
"Does it mean that I performed well?"