The Alpha King's Mind Reading Maid (Cecilia) novel Chapter 162

Chapter 162

Leopold’s POV

Annoyance lingered at the back of my mind throughout the entire lunch.

Sophia was too loud. Too eager. Too… performative.

It was difficult to tell whether she was trying to get under my skin or simply playing a role she thought I wanted to see. But either way… it was exhausting.

And then it happened.

The wine tipped.

The stain spread farther than expected…a deep red against pale fabric, bleeding into the folds of her dress as she gasped and pulled back from the table.

“I’m so sorry,” she said quickly, though the words felt rehearsed as if she had already decided how she would sound before the moment occurred. “I didn’t mean to…”

I exhale slowly, dragging a hand over my face as I glance at the overturned glass. My brows twitch with irritation.

“It’s fine< “I said, though my patience was already thinning. “You should change.”

She hesitated.

Just long enough to be noticed.

“My room is quite far,” she said, frowning slightly. “And I don’t think I can walk through the halls like this.”

Her fingers brushed lightly against the stain, drawing attention to it in a way that felt… intentional. I studied her for a moment. There were servants nearby and other options. Better options.

Still…

I stood.

“Come,” I said. “You can clean up in my room.”

Her smile came too quickly, as if she had expected that answer. The irritation only grew from there.

The walk back was quiet. She stayed close… closer than necessary… her pace slowing just enough to keep me from feeling her gaze on me more often than not, lingering, studying, calculating.

It was subtle, but not subtle enough.

She tried to fill the silence with meaningless conversation, but when I didn’t respond, she eventually stopped.

My thoughts kept driving back to Cecilia; it was uninvited.

The way she had looked at me earlier. The way she had tried to hide it. The pain she hadn’t quite been able to conceal.

My jaw tightened at the very thought.

I needed to speak with her. Clarify things before assumptions settle into something worse. But I knew I couldn’t do it now. It wasn’t fair to her.

We reached my room, and I opened it only briefly before unlocking the door and stepping inside. She followed without hesitation, as though she belonged there, which she didn’t.

“The bathroom is through there,” I said, gesturing toward the adjoining room.

1/3

She nodded and disappeared inside. The silence that followed settled heavily.

+15 Bonus

I ran a hand through my hair exhaling slowly as I tried to stretch myself. For a moment, I remained still… then moved further into the room, my steps measured and deliberate.

My thoughts returned to Cecilia for what felt like the hundredth time today, and once again, I pushed them away. When the door opened, I stilled.

Sophia stepped into the room.

Her dress was no longer stained, but it was barely fastened. The fabric sat loosely against fer frame, the front still damp from where she had attempted to clean it. Her hair fell freely around her shoulders, framing her flushed expression.

It was a deliberate move, and something inside me snapped.

It wasn’t desire, far from it.

It was something darker. More volatile.

My vision dimmed at the edges, and a low and dangerous pressure built beneath my skin.

“Control it,” I muttered under my breath.

Now is not the time.

“You should go,” I said, my voice sharper than intended as I turned my gaze away.

She frowned, taking a step closer.

“You don’t want to talk more?” She asked.

“It’s late,” I replied..

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