Chapter 16: poison in the food

Nodding at them, I stood up. Walking out of the door, I entered the dining room, just at the time he was entering. I wanted to smile amiably at him, but looking at his cold reaction, it came out a little stiff.

He was looking better now, his allergy had left marks on his skin which would still take a few days to go, but still, his complexion was normal. I thanked God for the improvement.

When we reached, the maids pulled our seats, sitting together, he greeted me.

"Your highness," he bowed his head a little in courtesy.

I nodded and asked, "how are you feeling now, lord Killian?" trying my best to fill my voice with the concern I looked into his eyes.

He bowed his head a bit, though it wasn't necessary. Was he avoiding eye contact now? I tilted my head to see his face, but his face stayed there looking down.

"I am fine, your highness. You didn't need to worry about these minor things," he replied without making eye contact.

"It was not a minor thing lord Killian, you could have been hurt. I apologise for my ignorance." my apology was genuine, though I knew about his allergy, my maids did not, and it led to the current condition.

"It didn't look like you were ignorant of my allergy, your highness," he replied, finally looking at me.

I could see his cold eyes now, When I encountered his cold eyes, I felt a cold sweat breaking out on my back. On the one hand, my body felt hot. On the other, I suddenly remembered the last few moments of my life. his expressionless face when he had ordered to kill me.

Did the wind blow over me? I felt cold on my neck. I trembled because I felt the same feeling as when my neck was cut by the axe blade in my past life. My eyes began to burn black. The eyes of the boy who I just encountered in my darkened view came to mind. His eyes that I had met for the last time were overlapped with the boy's.

Right at that moment, my blood was frozen. The cold energy that began to spread from my heart ran all over and bound me tightly.

I wasn't able to react, as if my voice was lost, so I continued to look into his eyes.

'He thinks I did it intentionally. But how did this happen? The condition wasn't that bad in the morning. Did he ponder over it and then come to this conclusion or did someone instigate this thought in his mind?'

I was so lost that I forgot about dinner, forgot about the mission, just the pain I felt.

He finally looked at the table where the food was decorated like a piece of art. Each dish was his favourite, I knew from the past. I had ordered them to make them just as he used to eat when we go to parties together.

"I hope the food is to your liking lord Killian," I asked him.

I was hoping to get his forgiveness, hoping to make him realise I was trying to improve, hoping to explain I meant no harm, hoping to melt the ice that had frozen his heart.

He nodded his head in affirmation and replied, "the food is looking delicious, your majesty."

'Then why is your voice so bland' I wanted to ask but gulped down the words back.

I nodded and replied, "let me serve you, lord Killian"

He nodded but I felt a sneer escaping his mouth, but when I looked at him his face was stoic like always. I blinked and looked again. But no, it was the same as frozen.

I shook my head, thinking my past was making me imagine things that were not there.

Carefully putting every favourite dish of his, I waited for him to start

"Your majesty," he said, putting the same dishes on my plate. "You should be the one to start your majesty."

'Was he thinking I had mixed poison now? How much does he distrust me?'

I smiled, but I knew it was looking worse than crying, talking the fork close to my mouth, I tried my best to nibble the piece of meat, that was tasting like rubber to me.

To stop me from getting more emotional I looked around. That's when I found the sympathised and worried faces of my maids and contempt filled faces of his maids.

'Am I so weak that even the maids feel pity for me now?' This passing thought-filled new energy in my body and I felt rejuvenated.

I smiled brightly that bewildered Killian too as he tilted his face a little to look at me.

"Now you can have your meals without worry Killian, I had tasted the dishes," I told his thoughts blatantly to him to gauge an expression out of him.

I heard gasps again, and his pupils were constricted but the rest of the face was still frozen.

Before I could say anything else he nodded and started having dinner, we royals would not talk while having dinner as if someone had died.

So I waited, waited for him to finish his lunch so that I could complete my next mission for today.

I was ready to throw the bomb, my eyes were filled with determination.

So, just when he put the fork down and wiped his mouth, I spoke without even waiting for the maids to clean the table as the decorum.

"Lord Killian, I have a proposal for you," I said with the best serene face and voice.

"A proposal, your highness," he asked looking at me.

His eyes were much more normal now, not warm enough but at least the coldness had dissipated. Everyone would think he still had some expressions but I could see the subtle changes. He was looking a bit more relaxed in his posture. Food really goes to the heart.

"Yes, I wanted to go out on a picnic with you," I said, getting all the courage but my palms were getting sweaty.

'What would be his reply?'

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