“It’s almost dinner time.”
Hearing Sylvia’s words as I swept the floor, I stood up. I was incredibly hungry, having skipped lunch and exerted myself physically after a long time. It was a welcome reminder.
As I stretched my arms high for a little relief from the stiffness, Sylvia kept glancing at me, repeatedly biting her lips. She had been restless and seemed to have something to say since earlier.
“What’s up?”
“Uh… Renée.”
Hesitating, Sylvia cautiously spoke up.
“When a new maid joins, there’s a sort of initiation ritual.”
The word ‘initiation’ alone sounded ominous, and Sylvia’s expression confirmed it wasn’t something pleasant. Who would welcome me here, anyway?
‘So, even in this world, such malpractices exist.’
I inwardly scoffed.
“Probably, if you go to the dining hall now, it will start. It’s something everyone goes through once, so I hope you won’t take it too hard.”
All the way to the dining hall, Sylvia seemed worried about me getting hurt emotionally.
“Thanks for letting me know.”
I smiled at Sylvia, but given her concern, I braced myself for some mean prank.
‘I was prepared for this when I entered the palace.’
Taking a deep breath, I slowly opened the dining hall door.
The hall was already full. Every long table was occupied, suggesting that all the maids had gathered. As I entered, all eyes turned to me, cold and expressionless.
‘Really getting the full experience of being the center of attention.’
In my past life, I was just an ordinary person who blended into the crowd.
I shook my head inwardly and took a seat. The maids’ piercing stares followed my every move. Sylvia sat next to me, unsure of what to do.
‘When will they start?’
Surely they wouldn’t just keep staring.
Then, the kitchen maids placed soup and bread in front of me, and the housekeeper rang a bell to signal the start of the meal. I instantly imagined a cliché scene from movies or dramas.
‘They’re going to spill the food on me!’
I imagined being drenched in soup, looking foolish while the maids laughed. I touched the soup plate; it was lukewarm. I could handle this. But I remained vigilant, not planning to let myself be an easy target.
Yet, nothing happened. They just sat, expressionless, watching me. No one moved to eat, creating a silent pressure. It was a passive-aggressive tactic, making me feel guilty that everyone’s meal was delayed because of me.
‘Huh?’
I internally chuckled. Here I was, expecting something dramatic, and this was it? If it had been a meaner prank, I might have reacted, but this was almost trivial.
‘Let’s just think of it as a mukbang.’
I began to eat nonchalantly, causing a wave of incredulous murmurs. I spread butter and jam on the hard bread and took a satisfying bite. It tasted like honey to my starving stomach.
Despite the pressure of dozens of pairs of eyes, this was nothing compared to my earlier experience of a heart being pierced. It felt like child’s play in comparison.
‘I’ll just enjoy my meal.’
As I calmly ate, sighs of disappointment filled the room. I continued, undeterred, savoring the bread despite its toughness.
The quiet dining hall was filled only with the sound of my cutlery clinking against the plates and the noise of me chewing my food. Sylvia, who had been nervously watching me, seemed to make up her mind and picked up her spoon. This prompted Ginger and the other maids to glare at her.
“Can you believe she’s eating now?”
“Everyone’s starving because of her, and she has the nerve.”
“See, she’s really not ordinary, just as the rumors say.”
I looked over at them as I bit into my bread, eliciting exasperated sighs from the maids.
They seemed flustered that I wasn’t panicking and remained calm. I slowly blinked at Ginger, who was grinding her teeth in frustration, then picked up the teacup that came with my meal. Holding my pinky finger up pretentiously, I sipped the tea, watching her face scrunch up in annoyance.
“Ah, I’m full.”
Responding to the stares as if they were questioning if I could really swallow my food, I ate heartily until I was about to burst. After dinner, Sylvia and I went for a walk to aid digestion.
“They only harm themselves by starving.”
The thought of the maids, who had stubbornly refused to eat, made me chuckle with satisfaction. They would probably spend the night hungry.
“Renée, I was really impressed!”
Sylvia, now far from her initial shyness, bubbled with excitement.
“Being the first and probably the last to finish eating in the Silent Dining Hall! Usually, people get too scared or end up crying. Even Ginger had to run out of the dining hall.”
She seemed delighted that someone had finally broken such a childish tradition.
“By the way, you share a room with Ginger, right?”
Sylvia suddenly asked with concern. I nodded, and her expression grew more anxious.
Why She Is Still Unmoved (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: He uses various methods to seek her affection, but she remains unmoved.
Synopsis:
Si Qingyu is a doctor who has saved countless lives and enjoys tranquility.
Luo Shaoxuan is ruthless, deeply scheming, and the top young master in the capital. He admires Si Qingyu.
Luo Shaoxuan: I want to be the only one in your eyes and heart.
Features a cold and calm female lead vs A noble and scheming male lead.
There will be both sweetness and torture towards the male after their marriage.
