Soul Nexus. Volume 1: Before Dawn

7

The plan was proceeding smoothly. I managed to sneak into the party and pretended to be a regular waiter who was fortunate enough to serve at the main table. I negotiated with the original waiter for the task, and I must admit that he easily yielded his position. It was enough to make him a little nervous by making him imagine what would happen if he made a mistake, such as hypothetically tripping and spilling a hot soup dish on the king or, even worse, on the princess; he would be sentenced to hanging for his clumsiness (though in truth, he would only be fired and banished..., maybe).

The dinner took quite a while to begin and end. All the guests took their time to savor and enjoy the colorful dishes meticulously prepared by the chefs below. There were a total of four courses: from corn soup to a cabbage and carrot salad, then to an extravagant loin bathed in sweet and sour sauce, and finally, a massive slice of fruit cake with lots of white icing. Lidia's expression said it all, just serving her the dish made her heart burst out of her mouth. She left the soup unfinished, barely managed the salad, and struggled even more with the main course and dessert.

The dinner concluded and all the waitstaff were instructed to clear the dirty plates and glasses. We were also tasked with removing the tablecloths and promptly replacing them with new, clean ones. Lidia appeared utterly defeated at her table. She let out a deep sigh filled with pessimism and discomfort. It seemed as though she had barely survived a grueling battle against the food, leaving her sprawled on the canvas.

Queen Mireya: 『 Lidia, are you feeling well? It seems like you had no appetite today. Are you perhaps unwell? 』

Lidia: 『 Oh, don't worry, Mother. I just wasn't very hungry, that's all...』

King Van Laar: 『 Well, let's hope it's just that. It would be catastrophic if you were not ready for your presentation... Veronica, come here. 』

Veronica: 『 Yes, my lord. 』

At that moment, I wasn't paying attention to what was happening at the kings' table, as I had to collect more dishes from other tables. I tried to keep an eye on Lidia from the corner of my eye, but my fellow waiter kept distracting me every time he piled more and more plates onto my hands. Of course, it was annoying to carry them, so I got rid of them as quickly as possible, taking them to the kitchen sink. I think I missed a few lines of conversation, maybe nothing important. However, as I was coming back to the grand dining hall, I saw my mother next to the king, giving instructions to her and Lidia.

King Van Laar: 『 Find Ruffus, ask him to give you the catalyst. We need to continue with the itinerary. 』

Veronica: 『 Understood, my lord. 』

King Van Laar: 『 You heard me, Lidia. Go get ready. 』

Lidia: 『 ... Yes, father. 』

Lidia got up from her seat heading towards the dressing table, and my mother was walking in the direction I was going. I had forgotten that she was also present because her job was always to stand by the king. I think I accidentally ignored her while performing my act every time I served Lidia. So, I practically acted like a fool in front of her, which undoubtedly must have annoyed her a lot; it was also very likely that she was stunned and embarrassed at first, just like Lidia.

Still, it wasn't necessary to confirm it; when she looked at me, her serene and calm face transformed into a dark and sinister expression that would send shivers down anyone's spine. I stopped in my tracks and made a quick half-turn while feeling a sweaty chill run through my entire body, pretending like I hadn't seen anything, wanting to distance myself from mom as soon as possible. However, I felt the strong grip of a hand on my right shoulder. I stopped again and carefully turned my neck while hearing a terrifying voice.