Chapter 36: Rouge
Maya carefully folded the last dress. It took her until nearly sundown to finish mending all of the dresses. She had grossly underestimated the amount of work needed.
She stood from the wooden chair and stretched her limbs. She felt stiff from staying in the same position for hours. Her shoulders felt sore, especially her right shoulder.
She tried to ease the pain as she watched the setting sun through her open window. She would have to head for the dining room soon, else she risked Keenan’s wrath if she was late.
She stifled a yawn as she prepared to make herself look more presentable. It was hard without a mirror, she moved her hand over her face to be sure nothing was amiss.
Her hair was the hardest part. The last time it had been brushed was the wedding two days ago. She ran her fingers through it to try to brush the hair and gathered it in a bun to make it presentable.
Maya was worried about it getting tangled and having to lose some hair, but she couldn’t exactly ask for a brush. She would have to risk it. When she returned the needle and thread, she would request a hairbrush.
Satisfied with how she looked, Maya stepped out of the bedroom. She instinctively looked at the spot where she had dropped the tray after she was done eating, and it was gone. She hadn’t even heard footsteps when it had been picked up.
She shut the door behind her and headed for the dining room. She walked briskly, keeping her gaze straight ahead to avoid any eye contact or interaction.
Getting to the dining room on the first floor, she was grateful she didn’t run into Keenan or, worse, Alaina. As soon as she opened the doors, Maya realized she might have been a little early.
She let out an embarrassed sigh but didn’t turn around and leave. She would rather remain in the dining room. In her room, it would be hard to tell the passage of time now that the sun had set.
She walked to the table and took her usual seat. The table was laid with a white tablecloth, and the empty plates and cutlery were arranged decently.
Maya chose "decently" because the cutlery was placed incorrectly and slightly crooked. None of the staff in Father’s mansion would dare make such a mistake.
She found it a bit ironic that she had not noticed this before. She instinctively reached out to correct it but ultimately stopped herself. It felt like she had no right to make any adjustments.
No sooner had she sat down than the doors opened and two maids walked in. Bess and Palmer; they both held trays and approached the table. Bess noticed her first and let out an audible gasp. Palmer pretended not to notice.
It was no news that she joined them during meals, so none of the young women asked her what she was doing there—not even Bess, though she looked tempted to.
As Maya sat, the maids would often whisper amongst themselves, coming and going as they brought food. Palmer didn’t seem friendly with the other maids and avoided their gossiping.
When the table was set with the cooked meal, Winnie was the first to walk through the door. She was dressed in a sunflower dress that brought out the color of her hair and eyes.
It was different from the one she had worn this morning. The dress had a wide-cut neckline, drawing attention to her collarbone and shoulders. She wore a simple pendant necklace and matching earrings.
Maya couldn’t help but think she was beautiful. It wasn’t until Winnie sent a glare in her direction that she realized she was staring. She watched out of the corner of her eyes as Winnie joined her on her row.
Awkward silence settled, and Maya adjusted in her seat at the discomfort. Winnie kept her gaze straight, refusing to look at Maya once.
Maya noticed some color on her lips—a little red. It highlighted her features, not in a glaring manner, and Maya wouldn’t have noticed the color if she wasn’t staring so intently.
Winnie adjusted the neckline of her dress as though she were self-conscious, and Maya forced herself to look away. She didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.
She looked down at her dress, unable to stop herself from making comparisons. Compared to Winnie, she looked very drab. Maya twisted her hands in her lap, unconsciously tracing her thumb over the healing scar.
The doors cracked open, sounding louder than usual, but it still wasn’t as loud as the sound of laughter as Alaina walked into the dining room hand in hand with Theo.
Winnie stiffened slightly before turning around to glance at them. She turned her gaze away immediately. The two of them approached the table, walking around to take their seats.
"Winnie," Alaina said with a high-pitched voice as she took her seat, still hanging on to Theo. "Is that rouge?"
Maya flinched. Alaina wasn’t speaking to her directly, but it was hard not to react to the tone she used with her sister.
Winnie instinctively hid her lips; her gaze fluttered toward Theo and then back to Alaina. She shrugged and leaned back. It was obvious to Maya that she was putting up a front.
Alaina laughed. "A little too much, don’t you think? It’s a simple family dinner. One would think the Alpha King asked you to join him."
"I don’t think it’s too much," Theo interrupted. "You look pretty."
Winnie’s face immediately lit up, and Alaina visibly dug her fingers into his arm.
"B-but not as pretty as my mate," Theo forced out and turned to look at Alaina, who was glaring at him.
She didn’t look satisfied and was about to speak her mind when the door opened and Keenan burst in. The air immediately changed, and even Alaina was affected by it. She let go of Theo’s hand immediately and brightly smiled at the door.
Keenan scanned the room with his eyes until his gaze rested on the back of her head. Maya felt her heart stop; she didn’t have to look back to know he was looking at her.
