MTLNOVEL Chapter 645: You are the rule.
Selene was already about to sit down on the chair when she paused, hearing Aiden's voice. Glancing up, she offered him a sweet smile.
But Aiden barely looked at her. His gaze glanced at her for the briefest second before returning to look at Arwen. His brows furrowed when he saw Arwen pulling a chair to the far distant corner of the dining table.
"Why are you sitting here?"
His gaze then darted back to look at Selene, noting the presence of an old woman standing a step behind her. She wasn't unfamiliar to him; he recognised her as her nanny at once. But what he didn't like was the expression she was wearing on her face.
The moment Carla was pinned by Aiden's cold eyes; she felt a shiver freeze her spine. Her soul almost betrayed her, leaping to fly off if given a chance. Quickly casting her eyes down, she didn't dare to look up again —scared to her core.
"Aiden, don't look at me like that," Selene spoke quickly after. "I told Arwen to sit here, it was just —"
Before she could complete or present the reason that would prove her innocence, Aiden took away her chance. As if that chance was never there for her.
Instead, he turned to look back at Arwen and asked, "What's happening here? Shouldn't you be sitting there?"
Arwen didn't make haste to answer him. She took her time, deliberately and slowly turned to look back at Selene. Her expression was kind, and it meant no harm, yet that calmness on her face was enough to prick Selene's nerves.
"Is there anything wrong if I change the chair?" she slowly asked, before turning to look back at Aiden. "I didn't want to sit there today, so I thought to change." She then patted the chair that was close to her. It was also the last chair of the table —with no further chairs to the left. "Don't tell me I can't change my seat here. I can, right?"
Aiden stared at her for a long moment as if trying to read her. He could sense something had happened, but then, seeing her ease and calm demeanour, he couldn't quite tell.
"What? I can't? Is there a rule in the house that I don't know?" Arwen asked when she didn't see him responding.
Aiden smiled at her dotingly before reaching to brush away a strand of hair behind her ears. "You are the rule of this house," he said, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear. "Anything you say or decide would go. Not just people working here, even I am obliged to follow."
She knows that, but still, hearing him phrase it like that warmed her heart. He has made many promises when they were alone. She never expected him to be so unhesitant when doing it in front of others.
Selene, on the other side, felt the burn of jealousy again. Her eyes stared at Aiden as she heard him. His gentle gaze was like that … she had wanted it on herself. However, once again, Arwen had had it snatched from her.
Why can't Aiden look at her the same?
Wasn't she beautiful enough?
How was she any less than Arwen?
Her fingers curled into fists, and her nails dug into her skin, almost piercing it.
"Ms. Selene, please calm down," Carla spoke from the side. "Don't lose your calm. You have already gotten the chair. And now, it would be you sitting beside young master Winslow. As long as you sit with him, you would win, and that woman would lose."
Selene heard her, and those words calmed her down. She thought to herself that Carla was right. As long as Aiden sits with her, nothing else matters.
Arwen briefly looked in the direction of Selene and Carla, and couldn't stop her lips curling in a known smile. Although she couldn't hear what the two were discussing, she knows it well.
For it was just too obvious to miss.
Then, why not end the chase for them?
Returning to look back at Aiden, she softly clapped her hands. "Then, that's it," she said, nodding in quiet acceptance. "I am not sitting on that chair anymore. I don't like it. I will sit here, instead."
Arwen pulled the chair before settling on it. Her hands moved to set her plate and cutlery, before glancing at Aiden in confusion. "Why are you still standing here?" she said as if she couldn't understand his reason.
Jutting her chin, she gestured him to where Selene was standing. "Go to your chair and sit. Once you are there, we can start the dinner. It's getting late."
Selene perked her. She didn't know how Arwen could be such a fool. She was pushing Aiden away. Wasn't she making things easy for her?
"Aiden," she called sweetly. "Come and sit."
However, Aiden kept his eyes on Arwen. She also stared up at him unfazed, gesturing for him to simply follow and go back to his seat. "Go on," she said, pressing an eager smile on her lips.
Aiden narrowed his gaze subtly at her and then called out. "Mr. Jones." He didn't look away; his eyes remained on her as if promising something that he would settle with her later.
"Sir!" Mr. Jones responded from a distance.
"Bring me the chair," he ordered.
And Arwen asked, deliberately. "Wait, you would sit here? I thought you preferred your chair there," she pointed to the other corner where he was used to sit.
But Aiden pressed a smile. "I prefer to sit beside you. The chair, the direction —doesn't matter. It's you who matters. If you are sitting in here, I am sitting right next to you, because that's where I belong."
She nodded, making her lips curve in an 'oh'. She then slowly turned to look at Selene, pressing her lips in sympathy, unmasked.
What could she do? She clearly tried her best to send Aiden to her.
Now, if Aiden wants to stick to her … could she do anything?
Selene met her gaze and couldn't help but grit. The taunt was clear in Arwen's eyes, which she didn't even try to hide.
"Sir," Mr. Jones came with the chair and placed it to Arwen's left, which was also the lower head of the table.
Aiden was about to nod to him when Arwen spoke, "Why do you have to trouble him? There are chairs here; you could have sat on this side." She meant on her right side.
However, he simply settled on the chair on her left and then answered, "Seeing on your right wouldn't have been comfortable."
"Huh?" She didn't understand.
What was the difference between right and left? She didn't have the chairs on the left, but there was an empty line on her right. He could have easily sat. Why did he have to make a big deal out of it?
Aiden thought it differently. Leaning forward, he glided his finger knuckles on the line of her nose to tease her. "I need to make sure you eat properly," he said, explaining. "Only by sitting on your left can I have access to your plate freely. I can serve the dishes better."
Arwen was speechless.
Was that his logic? Really?
Though it made sense … it was simply too … sweet.