The father and sons gave the male servant a fuming stares who helped Maxineirah to sit that made the servant quivered. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead and he winced on his Lords’ reaction. Maxine felt the servant shivering a little and he only eyed him curiously.
When Maxineirah finally seated on her seat, the only part they can see from her that was visible was her head to her nose because the table was too high for her. Normally, when she was alone eating, Kath will feed her or she’ll try to reach the food on her plate without seeing it.
Maximus called one of the servants to fetch two pillows to elevate Maxine but when Maxine sat on the pillows, she still sank because the pillows were too soft to be seated.
The complexion of her father and brothers darkened.
“I will destroy this f*cking table.” Maximus coldly that his brothers agreed to without even hesitating to think. The servants and Maxine heard it that made all of them jolt on their positions.
‘What kind of father is this Duke?! He will destroy a f*ck -an expensive table just because milady can’t reach it?’ the thoughts of the servants were synchronized.
‘The dinner will be a mess if father will do destroy it. I should stop him.’ Maxine nervously thought. Maximus lifted his fist and his sons copied him, they were ready to destroy it!
Maxine and everyone’s eyes widened in shock.
‘They’re seriously going to destroy the table right now?!’ Maxine was frightened, unable to think what should she do.
“D-DAD!” Maxine shouted that diverted her father and brother’s attention to her. They all paused from what they were about to do.
Maximus dropped his fist but not his sons. The Duke looked at his daughter and asked, “What is it?”
“U-uhm… I-I…” She’s smiling but beads of sweat started to form on her forehead. The maids and servants silently chanting ‘Go, Milady!’ inside their heads with an imaginative motivational fist. They really want to stop their Lords from destroying the table because it’ll be a mess to clean and they’ll have more work if their Masters will really destroy the expensive table.
“L-looks like i-it’d more comfortable sitting on Dad’s l-lap.” Maxine said smiling nervously and hesitantly but to her father and brother’s ears it was a good idea than destroying the table and wasting the feast they prepared.
It really is a good idea.
A small smile flashed on her Dad’s cold face. “Come here.” His Grace called so Maxine immediately climbed down from her seat, thinking that his father’s mind might change and really destroy it if she’s a little slow.
On the other hand, Maximus thought, his daughter really like sitting on his lap that made him in joy.
While Maxineirah was changing seats, Maximus eyes his sons, telling them to drop their fist when he noticed that their fists were still lifted up and ready to destroy the table infront of them any moment.
The rationalities of the brothers went back to them and realized it. They all cleared their throats before putting their fists down to their laps and seated properly before Maxineirah could finally sit on their father’s lap.
The servants and Maxine sighed in relief. Maxine silently cried of joy in her mind for stopping her father and brothers from doing something ridiculous.
‘Good job, Milady.’ The servants wanted to cry in their thoughts.
Maxineirah is all aware that her brothers were too strong that couldn’t be compared on their father’s strength. Moreover, her Brother Maxillary who inherited their mother’s full strength.
There’s no doubt that they will become the Captains of their Knights in the near future.
Her brothers has keen senses and extraordinary strengths while their Dad is normally strong because of different difficult trainings he undergone. Maxine is the only weak member in the family.
She got nothing from her birth mother, unlike his brothers that got their mother’s eyes or hair where’d they got her strength. Maxillary is the only one who resembles their mother, from the color of his eyes ang hair that makes him the strongest from the rest of his brothers.
“Let’s eat.” Maximus stated and Maxineirah’s brothers were overjoyed hearing those two words. The dishes were immediately served, steaming hot from the kitchen. The brothers quickly got their food portions and led a mouthful of food.
Maxine wondered how she would eat. Will she be sharing only one utensils with her father? Can they give her at least a different spoon? Just by sitting his father’s lap made her embarassed and she don’t want to add more embarrassment.
Nobles eating at the same utensils are embarrassing to adults except for a father and small child relationship but because Maxine went back being a child and having a 20-year old mind, she can’t help but to be embarrassed. It’s as if her dignity being a fine lady in the past was merely happened as a joke.
Maximus looked at his only daughter who was staring blankly to her eating brothers. He thought she was just waiting for him to spoon feed her but that’s what Maxine were thinking of refusing so hard right now in her mind.
Maximus lifted the spoon and put it infront of Maxine’s mouth that made the child startled.
‘Oh… My… Graces…’ Maxine said to her said to herself unbelievably.
This is the most embarrassing. Ever.
Maxineirah stared at the spoon infront of her, contemplating if she should accept it or not. She reminded herself that the Duke could change his mind immediately if he was pissed. She looked up to her father who was waiting for her to eat what’s on the spoon he offered.
Maximus hesitantly opened his mouth. “Say ‘aaaah’.” Maximus said trying to feed her daughter in his lap by himself. Maxine’s cheeks turned flushed red but when he saw his father trying to feed her, she giggled on her thought before accepting the food offered on her mouth with a smile on her face.
Just by thinking about her cold father saying ‘aaaah’ with a straight face just to feed her beautiful daughter is just too amazing and adorable!
“The food is delicious, Daddy!” Maxine shouted in glee, looking up on her Dad. She even placed her hands on her fluffy cheeks while smiling at him that made her father dumbfounded on that look.
Maximus unconsciously covered his mouth using the back of his hand while looking at his adorable daughter.
Maxine saw how flushed his Dad was so she can’t help smiling even more.
‘How adorable.’ Maxine, Maximus and all of the people inside the dining said in their own mind about each other.
Maximus and Maxine didn’t notice that the servants and her brothers were also watching her smiled while eating. Maximus almost didn’t ate just to feed and watch her adorable daughter as her cheeks fluff whenever she chews.
Maximus stopped himself from biting, pinching and pulling his daughter’s fat cheeks. Kath saw how the Duke restrained himself from doing so and she can’t stop her self from smiling at the rare sight.
‘Oh, Miss…’ Kath said dreamily in her mind, amazed by her Little Lady’s charms.
The next day…
(Maxine’s PoV)
My mouth gaped when I saw the table in the dining room. My maid, Kathelina was smiling or should I say forcing a smile? Scratching her cheeks lightly while looking at the sight in front of us.
“Milady, the Duke asked the Butler last night to change the table.” Kathelina explained hesitantly. That’s what I’m also thinking about and have been expecting since last night, that they will change the table into a lower one for me so I can reach it but they did the other way around! My goodness!
They really changed it but to a larger and taller one that is beyond my height!
I cupped my eyes to close, trying to calm my self and believe that I was just imagining things. Why do I feel I’ll have my white hairs soon because of them? Is it a bad or good news?
“Good morning, Maxine!” I heard Maxillary and Maxwell greeted in chorus behind me. Before I could even turn around to look at them, I already felt their lips touched the both of my cheeks. When I looked at them, they were already grinning from ear to ear with their hands behind them.
I smiled at them widely. “Good morning!” I greeted back happily but I was shock when they stared at me seriously and the next thing I know was they were already attacking me -my cheeks.
“How could you have so fluffy cheeks?” Brother Maxwell asked pouting while pinching my left cheek.
“This is great! Her cheeks are like cotton balls!” Brother Maxillary said excitedly while busy rummaging my other cheek.
“Hing! Ishtapit! (Hmm! Stop it!)” I stopped them but they didn’t listened to me until someone grabbed me from behind that made the two stop what they were doing.
My cheek hurts. I feel like it will leave a bruise.
“Stop it, don’t you see that her cheeks are already…red…and swollen…?” it’s Brother Lein who pulled me back from those two. His words slowly stopped in a low voice while staring down at me.
Maybe he saw my almost swollen cheeks and teary eyes. I just realized now, how much matured I am, my body right now is still of a child’s. My instincts as a child were always kicking me in.
I saw how Maxlein gulped while staring at my cheeks.
What? Is he also tempted with my cheeks? Are my cheeks really looks that fluffy like cotton as they say?
Brother Lein suddenly kneeled to level me, he cupped my face and hugged me that made me shocked.
He rubbed his cheeks to mine like I’m some kind of a cat.