The family of Zachrono went to a fine dining restaurant to fill their hungry stomachs while the Knights and servants who were with them was eating at a famous club house not too far away from the restaurant -with the Duke's treat.
Everyone inside the restaurant was eating in a fine manner.
Some were muttering while eating, claterring of the utensils were to be heard inisde the whole place. The aristocatrs were having delightful lunch when the restaurant's grand double doors swung open and emitted the unfamous Zachrono family members.
Duke Zachrono and his children were too noticeable to be ignored. Their auras screams destruction and they were too intimidating to look directly into the eyes of the members of the Ducal House.
The restaurant screams grandiose, Maxine could see well different personas from noble houses and aristocrats and they were already all familiar to her, thanks to her knowledge from her past life.
Almost all of them stopped midway and were rooted to their seats while looking at the group of God incarnate. There was a defeaning silence at the moment, the family led by Maximus stood up in the middle gracefully.
Maxine could somehow feel how starstrucked the people around them were just by looking at them. Maximillian and Maximo were standing beside the Head of the House and infront of them were their younger siblings.
Maxwell was holding Maxine's hand since they left the botique a while ago up until now. They look like twins but not because Maxwell was a little taller than his sister.
The head of the servants together with the waiters and waitress immediately approached them and greeted them with their outmost respect. Overly joyed that one of the Ducal House visited their restaurant.
The head servant lead them in a private dining room, far from the noisy crowd.
After hearing the closing of the door from the hallway the Duke's family entered, everyone in the public dining let their restrained breathes out. No one noticed that they have been holding their breathes while looking at one of the most powerful family and pillar of the Empire.
The noise slowly came back until the whole restaurant suddenly bustled with murmurs.
The Duke and his family's arrival became a very hot topic because every person in every table were talking about the handsome Duke and his children.
"Did you noticed the little girl?" one of the respectable noble ladies asked to her five companions sitting with her on the round table.
"You mean, that cute little girl of theirs?" the Lady who was wearing a red hat asked back while her face was a little red.
"Of course, we saw her." one of the men in the table responded.
"She is lovely." the man beside the latter cleared his throat. He even covered his face with his hand while thinking about the angelic child.
"My word! Indeed she is!" the third Lady on the table giggled while cupping her own two cheeks because of the warm feeling.
It was not only the aura of the family that was being a talk but also the youngest daughter of the Duke that shone too brightly on their eyes despite the gloomy presence of the family. It was none other than Maxine.
They believed, she shone right in the middle of the darkness, beautifully and without restrain. Some of them even clutched their chest while thinking about Maxine's fluffy red cheeks and her ruby eyes that seemed to be alive.
They all feel like they were melting. They were giggling on the child that did not do nothing but to walk in the middle of the hall. Just by imagining Maxine's face, a thought of pinching and kissing her fluffy round cheeks bombarded their minds.
They were exaggerated but it was really what they felt upon seeing Maxine.
The Zachrono siblings stood up infront of the round table, Maximus first sat on the edge before the siblings went on their respective seats just like their arrangement on the rectangle table in their own Castle.
Maxine was the last one who found a seat. She did not know where she should sit because back on their house, she would always eat on her father's lap and she would also be fed by His Grace that she forgot her place so easily.
She needed to walk around the big and round table before she could even find a vacant chair. She even walked behind her father's seat that made her smiling lips secretly twitched.
'Ugh. How rude, sorry.' she discreetly apologized in her mind. She was about to reach her designated chair when a pair of large hands grabbed her to her waists and she immediately levitated from the ground.
Her eyes blinked twice before looking to her back where she saw the long arms of her father, the Duke were reaching to her. She could not believe her father could reach her from this far. Or was she just really small to to think that she was already far?
Curiousity was written on the employees' faces who were standing on the corners of the room while the brothers nodded their heads in agreement of their father's move. It was like their minds were syncing and only Maxine has no idea on what was happening just like the servants.
'Nice.' Maximillian silently cheered.
'That' s right, she should stay with Dad.' Maximo thought secretly while looking at Maxine with a smile on his face.
'Tsk. She almost got herself to danger again.' Maxlein tsked with a relief on his chest.
'Gaahh! That was close!' Maxillary gritted inside his mind.
'She almost hurt herself! What if Dad forgot to pick her up and she accidentally pierce her tongue with the fork?! Or she stab herself with the table knife? Or she choke herself? Or she spill the soup to her dress?!' Maxwell was exaggerating on his mind while showing an indifferent expression. He was clenching the table towel tied on his neck, frowning.
"Dad?" Maxine asked curiously when her father's arm retreated back with her. The Duke put her to his lap and the servant's eyes widened in shock.
Did they just saw the rumored coldest person in the whole Empire made his daughter sit on its lap?! Were they just hallucinating? Or dreaming perhaps?
Maxines hair on her nape stood up. She smiled awkwardly while looking at her father with a cold expression painted on his face but despite the cold facade, Maximus eyes were shining while looking at his daughter.
'Eeek. Was he still thinking to let me sit on his lap and feed me here, in this kind of place?' Maxine's face flushed because of embarrassment.
What would the other nobles say if they would see her sitting on the Duke's lap? Moreover, the perceptions of their Vassals in the Estate?
"What?" his father asked on her call, Maxineirah's tongue retreated and could not say anything.
The seravants dropped their jaws at the scene. Amusement was printed in their eyes as they look at the father-daughter infont of them.
The door opened and the waiters entered simultaneously, pushing the cart where the dishes were.
They started to dig in and because they were in a private space, Maxillary, Maxwell and Maxlein ate a mouthful, like a hungry beast who stuffed their mouths continuously almost without needing to chew the food.
Instead of being irritated to his three sons' manner of eating, he focused his attention to his youngest daughter that was sitting on his lap.
The reason he booked for a private room was because he know how his kids eat withouth minding the manners.
Maximus brought the spoon infront of Maxineirah’s mouth. Maxineirah could not do anything anymore now that she was sitting in her father’s lap. She was already starving after her unfateful encounter with the heartless Prince as if her strength was sucked up by him.
She immediately opened her mouth and accepted the spoonful of food from the Duke.
“Maxine, here. Try this one!” Maxwell reached out a shrimp to her with a gleeful voice. Maxine ate happily what Maxwell has offered to her.
“Thank you brother!” Maxine thanked her brother, smiling. The shrimp was too alluring to the mouth, it easily torned apart inside the little girl’s mouth by just moving her tongue.
“Baby, also try your favorite salmon in garlic sauce.” Maxlein said holding the salmon rolled on the lettuce and dipped in a garlic sauce infront of his sister’s mouth. Maxine widely opened her mouth to receive the foor but she was stopped midway after she realized something.
Her Brother Maxlein know her favorite dish? How? When? She does not eat salmon in lettuce and garlic sauce back in the Estate because the cook only cooks it oftenly and she did not show how she likes it when eating. So, how did Maxlein know?
Maxlein looked at her confused because of how she acted.
“What is the matter? Do you not like this?” Maxlein asked hesitantly. Maxlein felt his mood decreasing. Was he wrong about Maxine’s favorite dish? He had been watching his only sister since he was 5 and Maxine was 3 years old so how come he would be wrong?
Maxine looked at his brother with a glittering eyes of awe. Their father was just watching them as they talk. Maximillian was taking short glances at them for a while now while eating his food silently while Maximo was wiping the side of his mouth with the table cloth tied to his neck in a discreet expression and the two, Maxwell and Maxillary were busy eating what was infront of them.
“Hmmm.” Maxine shook her head. “It is indeed my favorite, Brother Lein, that is why I am wondering how did you know.” Maxine asked unconsciously that her brother would think it on a very different way.
“Are you saying that I do not care about my sister at all?” Maxlein asked coldly as he put the spoon down to his plate with a loud clatter. A sudden change of atmosphere.