Chapter 415: A Table of Smiles
A Table of Smiles
The dining hall was bathed in the radiance of morning sun. Golden rays poured through the tall arched windows, mellowing the lines of the long polished table where plates, bowls, and platters shone like a painter’s palette of abundance.
Steam rose from hot, golden, crusted bread, its aroma mixing with the heady perfume of ripened fruit—grapes, strawberries, cut pears and apples in jewel-bowled dishes. A large platter of roasted meats—crunchy bacon, bite-sized ham, and crackling sausages—filled the air with a robust scent, and buttered rice bowls, herb-filled eggs, and rich porridge kept things in balance. Honey slowly dripped from a diminutive clay jar, ready to be spooned onto warm bread.
Each moment seemed calculated, as if a meal not only to feed but to hold hearts together.
The women set the table one at a time, their conversation bearing the gentle cadence of laughter and good-natured teasing. The room held no tension now—only heat.
Lira sat beside her mother, continuing to glance over at Sona as if she was afraid that if she blinked, Sona would disappear. The silver-haired daughter kept her spoon in her hand but hadn’t dared to take a bite, her face beaming with joy that she tried to hide. Sona observed, her smile soft, her hand reaching under the table to rest lightly on her daughter’s knee for reassurance.
Sitting across from them, Rias slumped back in her seat, red hair glinting in the light. She picked a grape out of the bowl with languid grace, her lips twitching into a sneer. "I have to say," she said, spinning the grape around her fingers before devouring it, "this breakfast appears just a little too nice. Almost as if someone hoped to entice me to stay here forever."
Syra snorted, green eyes twinkling. "Oh, come on. As if you need an excuse to stay, Sister Rias. You just want the attention while acting as if you don’t."
"Guilty as charged," Rias said matter-of-factly, the comer of her scarlet eye glinting mischievously.
Kyra, the quieter one, merely shook her head but a small smile was there on her lips as she filled her cup with tea. "Eat first before the sausages are gone. Syra is merciless when it comes to food."
"Hey!" Syra pretended to be offended and took two sausages at once and a wave of laughter followed from the table.
Nova sat composed, her dark hair picking up soft green glints in the sunlight. She nudged a bowl of buttered rice toward Mia with a gentle smile. "Eat, Lady Mia. You barely ate dinner last night."
Mia, already flushing, ducked her head slightly. "Th-thank you, Sister Nova." She extended a hesitant hand toward the bowl, though her lips curved with a soft joy.
Cassidy, seated next to Leon, observed the interplay calmly. Wearing a plain white robe, she seemed tranquil, unaffected by the teasing comments directed toward her or the speculative glances that occasionally rested on her. She sliced a portion of bread with slow deliberation, spread honey upon it, and held out the morsel toward Leon.
"Eat," she murmured, with no formality.
Leon, golden eyes warm, accepted the bread with a faint smile. "You’ll spoil me, wife."
"You’re mine to spoil," Cassidy replied, tone calm but edged with quiet pride.
That earned a small chorus of muffled giggles from Syra and Rias, though Cynthia only shook her head, sipping her tea with elegance.
Across from her, Natasha raised her eyes from her plate. She looked at Cassidy for a moment before glancing in Sona’s direction. The presence of these two women here—alive, together, smiling—still pulled on her chest with disbelief. She let out a quiet breath before smiling back weakly and raising her cup. "To mornings like this," she murmured.
Sona’s lips smiled, and she leaned toward her. "Yes. To mornings like this."
The maids glided unseen in the periphery, refilling cups, setting aside vacant plates. Rui set out a tray of warm rolls beside Chloe, who was springing slightly on her chair with childlike enthusiasm. The little girl extended both hands, shining eyes, and Lilyn smiled softly before splitting a roll in half for her.
"Don’t rush, Chloe," Lilyn said, brushing a strand of brown hair behind her ear.
"But it smells too good!" Chloe’s warm brown eyes lit up as she bit into the roll, cheeks puffing adorably. The table softened at the sight, even Tsubaki’s usually disciplined expression cracking into a small smile.
Aria, as always graceful, leaned inwards, her eyes in purple sweeping across the room. "It has been too long since we have all broken bread together like this." Her words held both weight and grace, the sort of tone that rooted itself within hearts.
"Then let’s make it happen regularly," Cynthia answered simply, but her peaceful words held substance.
Leon’s eyes swept around the table. No words were needed; the slight softening of his eyes at every face was enough. But he laughed quietly when Syra just leaned over the table with no hesitation to swipe a piece of ham from Kyra’s plate.
"Go ahead, really?" Kyra grumbled, her green eyes narrowing.
"What? Sharing is caring," Syra smiled, unapologetic.
The laughter that ensued filled the hall more than the sunlight ever could.
For a moment, there was nothing but the clatter of silverware, the gentle hum of conversation, and the aroma of piping hot food. Smiles stretched, shoulders eased, and hearts—so tirelessly battered by strife, weight, and yearning—felt almost buoyant, lighter than they had been in months.
Sona leaned in towards her daughter, whispering something that pinkened Lira’s cheeks, yet coaxed from her lips the first honest laugh since their reunion.
Cassidy refilled Leon’s cup before he had a chance to ask. Mia leaned into his arm shyly when he looked at her. Natasha and Aria had quiet words with each other. Cynthia sat over the little ones like a silent column. Rias playfully teased. Syra laughed. Kyra scolded. Nova maintained the rhythm.
And Leon sat in the midst of it all, golden eyes aglow, hand still loosely entwined with Cassidy’s under the table, as if holding everything together.
It wasn’t breakfast, though. It was family.
The food was sumptuous, the table bountiful, but it was the laughter—the playfulness, the stolen looks, the warmth of being there together—that made it unforgettable.
And thus their beautiful breakfast continued, smiles exchanged, bonds strengthened, and hearts quietly mended.