Page 61 of Mermaid on Heels
“Sorry.” Sessa giggled uncontrollably.
“That’s okay. Mermaid mishaps.” Cedric chuckled and rose from his seat, moving towards Sessa and positioning himself behind her chair. “Here, let me show you.”
Cedric held Sessa’s hands and instructed her slowly and patiently. “Holdthislike this andthislike this—here, and cut like this with this, and—Open your mouth,” he said, holding a forked meat piece to her mouth. Sessa obliged after stifling a giggle. “And there! That’s how you do it. No more flying carrots.”
“Thank you,” Sessa said after swallowing her bite, grinning up at him.
“You’re welcome, Your Little Highness.” Cedric patted her head, an undeniable affection suddenly taking over his eyes. “I’ve always wanted a little sister.”
“And tragically so, he got a big brother instead.”
Liriya’s head snapped towards the doorway at Luke’s voice and saw him leaning against it with arms crossed.
“Yes,sucha tragedy,” Cedric agreed with a nod and a faux-frown as he sat back down on his chair.
“But you two are cousins, are you not?” Ella asked, her eyes darting between the two men.
“Of course—because our parents couldn’t have us together. Right, Luke?”
“Absolutely.” Luke didn’t hide his smirk as he pushed himself off the doorframe and approached them.
“Therefore, we prefer being acknowledged as brothers, and not cousins,” Cedric filled in and leaned back on his chair, shooting a crooked grin Ella’s way.
“How sweet.” Ella matched his grin. Liriya’s inner eyes widened.Is she flirting with him?
A pair of hands gripping the back of her chair distracted Liriya from her thoughts, and the warmth exuding from him made her want to lean back on the chair. But she didn’t. She didn’t turn to look at him either.
“I hope my brother was no trouble?” Luke asked, and received three different answers.
“Not at all.”
“He was sweet.”
“Oh no,Ceedric here is a terrible tutor.”
“Whyis she calling me Seadric?” Cedric glanced at Liriya and then at his cousin, looking bewildered and utterly amused. “Is it because she’s from the sea?”
“Most probably,” Ella replied casually. Shewasflirting and Liriya couldn’t believe her eyes or ears. “But, what was it again?Cederic?”
“It’sCedric,” Cedric replied, sounding a little exasperated, but the amusement flickering in his eyes said otherwise. “Is my name that difficult to pronounce?”
“I am a mermaid.”
“And so is your sister but she says it right.”
“Alas, I am not my sister.”
“Oh, thanks for telling me. I—”
“Ced, seriously?” Luke laughed.
Cedric narrowed his eyes at him before grabbing a bread roll and throwing it at him. “You’re supposed to take my side!”
Liriya ducked out of the roll’s way and Luke caught it in the air. He placed it back on the dish.
“I’m not taking sides. Besides, we don’t throw food.”
Cedric rolled his eyes sarcastically. “What are you doing here, anyway? Weren’t you supposed to be at the court meeting?”