Xavier Delanor,
"Alpha is entering the dining room!"
Barbara announced as we walked inside the dining room. Everyone gathered immediately, eyes on the floor. Except the only woman sitting at the head of the table and slowly eating the steak as though she didn't acknowledge my existence. A faint shift of unease passed through the servants, as if they already sensed something was wrong.
The servants and chefs looked stiff as they glanced at her and then at me. One of the younger maids even lowered her gaze faster than necessary, clearly unsettled by her lack of reaction.
I walked toward my seat, observing the woman who for the first time dared to step inside the dining room. My steps slowed for a fraction before I continued, as though unconsciously reassessing the space around her.
As I
