The Alpha King's Mind Reading Maid (Cecilia) novel Chapter 146

Chapter 146

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Cecilia’s POV

The doors to the banquet hall opened shortly after Sophia’s name was called. The silence in the foyer was deafening as Sophia walked up the stairs with the other girls, all eager to speak with the King in the parlor.

I felt like I was going to get sick, but I swallowed it down and forced my expression to be neutral.

I wondered how many of them I was fooling.

The banquet hall was brighter than it had been in the past.

Candies lined the long table, their light reflecting off polished surfaces and delicate glassware. The scent of rich food filled the air, warm and inviting, a sharp contrast to the tension that seemed to cling to everyone in the room.

Music played softly in the background; it was just right between too soft and too loud. Or maybe that was just the ringing in my

ears.

Regardless, I had to admit that it was beautiful here. Everything was so carefully arranged, and everyone found their footing fairly fast. Concubines stayed with concubines, and the Alpha’s daughters all mingled with one another, though even I could see the tension radiating off them.

Nobody was here for social hour; they were here for the chance to become a queen.

We also weren’t the only ones at the banquet. There were noblemen and noblewomen already in the banquet hall when the doors were opened for us. They were already mingling with their glasses of red wine and dancing without a care in the world, because their worlds were unaffected by the decision the King was about to make.

Their hearts weren’t on the line.

The banquet hall was huge and had always seemed like one of the prettiest places in the palace. I’ve only been here a couple of times during my lessons, but I’ve never truly had a chance to look around before,

I looked up and noticed how the chandeliers above reflected on the marble floors, casting fractured light that shimmered with every movement. The way the slaves moved along the edges of the room, silent and efficient, refilling glasses before they were empty, clearing plates before they were finished.

Anna was amongst them, though she didn’t seem to notice me.

I found a place along one of the tables, not quite at the center, but not completely hidden either, and settled into the space with practiced ease. My hands rested lightly against the edge of the table, fingers curling just slightly as I steadied myself.

The noise around me continued… laughter, conversation, music-but none of it reached me.

It felt distant; maybe even muted.

Like I was standing just outside of it all.

I watched as Jasmine spoke to one of the Alphas, or rather, he was speaking to her. He was clearly interested in getting to know her better, but from the look on her face, speaking with him was the last thing she wanted to do.

And then I felt the shift; a cold feeling creeping up the back of my neck, and my entire body tensed.

“Did you really think you’d be chosen?” My father asked, stepping in front of me and narrowing his eyes. “That only proves that spreading your legs will only get you so far.”

His words didn’t make me flinch, but inside, a storm of conflicting feelings churned; longing for approval, yet. at the same time, feeling trapped.

I lifted my head towards the spiral stairwell on the other side of the room, leading up to the second story. There was an indoor

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