When the Villainess Died, the Male Lead Went Crazy - Chapter 142.1
“Kylian?”
“Oh, yes. I was just thinking about something else for a moment.”
Kylian said this while quickly averting his gaze. His fork was now bent in a wavy shape.
Anais watched him closely to see if he had truly been distracted, but when their eyes met, Kylian just smiled brightly. For a moment, Anais watched his smile and unknowingly smiled back.
While Kylian, sitting at the head of the table, and Anais, seated to his left, exchanged smiles, Phileal, who sat next to Anais, was quietly observing the tableware.
“This is the first time I’ve used so many utensils.”
“Really? Haven’t you had meals at the palace before?”
“Well, I have, but this is the first time I’ve had a meal where everything has to be arranged properly.”
“In that case, I’ll have to teach you.”
“Okay.”
Kylian noticed that Phileal was blatantly lying. Phileal had been treated like royalty in the previous life.
Kylian understood that Phileal’s behavior was meant to catch Anais’s attention, but he didn’t want to spoil Anais’s mood, especially since she saw Phileal like a younger brother.
He knew it in his head, but his heart was boiling with anger. His mind was bubbling, like molten lead.
Kylian wanted to confiscate all of Phileal’s forks and knives and tell him to eat with his hands. However, he knew that would make Anais sad, so he refrained.
“You start from the outside, and work your way in. Simple, right?”
“Yeah.”
When Phileal made eye contact with her, he gave a bright smile. Anais smiled back in the same way. Kylian felt like an outsider. Anais was almost turning her back to him, explaining the tableware to Phileal.
“This is used for dessert. It’s smaller than the others, right?”
“Some of these utensils look like toys.”
Kylian treasured the times when Anais would meet his eyes during meals, talking about the day’s events and reaffirming their feelings for each other. This situation made him even more uncomfortable.
For the first time, Kylian felt how vast the Emperor’s dining room was.
The bustling servants, and Anais, with her back to him, were laughing and chatting with Phileal.
“What’s this?”
“Oh, that’s a finger bowl.”
A small bowl of water was placed in front of them. When Phileal gestured as if asking if it was for eating, Anais laughed and pretended to wash her hands.
“Here’s how you do it.”
“Aha.”
Phileal mimicked Anais’s actions and shook the water off his hands.
“Don’t shake it.”
“Why?”
“If you shake it, it looks uncouth. After washing, just dry your hands with the towel next to you.”
“Got it.”
Phileal laughed and put his hands back into the water bowl, this time not shaking them but instead wiping the moisture directly on the towel.
“Well done.”
“The water’s warm, so it feels nice.”
“Right?”
As the two of them interacted, Kylian couldn’t help but think of the dining experiences at the Duchy when he was a child. He recalled the young Anais, who had always been kind to him despite pretending otherwise. Just as he was lost in thought, the water bowl was cleared away, and the appetizers were brought out.
“Is today a day for just greens?”
Anais laughed at his question. Appetizers typically consisted of simple dishes, mostly vegetables. Seeing that Phileal seemed clueless, Anais explained.
“The main dish will come out shortly. This is just to appease the stomach for now.”
“Oh, I see. I thought you only lived on greens, so I was a bit shocked.”
Anais laughed again at his comment.
It wasn’t often that Anais laughed so freely, and Kylian felt left out, realizing that Phileal seemed to be closer to her than he was, her husband. However, he kept his feelings in check. If Anais was happy, that was what mattered most.
Kylian continued to watch her intently, waiting for her to glance his way. Yet, even as the main course arrived, Anais didn’t look back at him. Instead, it was Phileal, teasing him with a smile, who met his gaze.
“This is veal steak.”
Phileal said as the main course was served, after the appetizers had been cleared away.
“You know your food.”
“Yes, I’ve had this before.”
Phileal grabbed his fork and knife awkwardly, then began hacking at the steak.
“That’s not how you cut it. Hold it like this, and cut it this way.”
“I’ll do it like that next time. Can you cut this for me?”
“Sure.”
Kylian couldn’t hold back anymore.
“Kylian?”
Using his sword energy, Kylian neatly sliced Phileal’s steak with precision, cutting it exactly at right angles.
“Isn’t it dangerous to use the sword energy at the table?”
“It’s better than making the Wife do it.”
“Still…”
“I’ll be more careful next time.”
“Alright.”
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