Recently, the desserts made at the restaurant have been quite large. The shock of the pound cake taught me a valuable lesson. So I immediately asked the chef to make more, especially for me.
"Isn't it too much for you, sir?"
"He keeps inviting me to eat with him, saying he feels lonely eating alone. Even when I tell him it's fine, he keeps insisting... How could I refuse his request? If this can comfort his loneliness, I'm willing to eat with him, even if it means overstepping my bounds."
I raised my hands to my chest and blurted out a shameless lie. The chef, moved, promised to make something delicious. That's how I got this result. Thanks to that, I now look forward to his desserts even more. Since coming here, I've experienced firsthand just how many delicious things there are in the world.
The cake plate was soon empty. Delicious things disappear quickly. I looked at the empty plate with regret and smacked my lips.
"Have this too."
Lucas, after taking just one bite, offered me the remaining cake. An angel! I asked if it was really okay, but my hand was already reaching for his plate.
Vincent's gaze immediately fell on me. His plate was also empty. I brought the plate closer to me and watched him warily.
"This, this is what Lord Lucas gave me."
"Who said so?"
He said arrogantly, throwing down his fork. Instead, he picked up his teacup, but then frowned and pulled it away from his lips. He then turned the cup upside down, but nothing came out. I had been so focused on the cake that I forgot to pour the tea.
His dissatisfied gaze landed on me. I was startled. Lucas, in my place, picked up the teapot and poured tea into his cup.
"Brother, drink."
"Who's serving whom here?"
Vincent brought the cup to his lips. I put down my fork.
"Suddenly, I don't have much of an appetite. Do you want more?"
"Don't lie, just finish it."
"Didn't you want more? I thought you might be upset if I ate more."
"I'm not that petty."
"Sure you aren't."
Vincent likes sweets, and I only recently developed a taste for them, so I always felt the amount of dessert was insufficient. The taste and size vary depending on the type of dessert, which sometimes made my desire even stronger.
Whenever this happened, a subtle battle of nerves would ensue between us. Of course, Vincent always started it, but sometimes I would take more. Just a little, about the length of a finger, without him noticing.
But with his lost sight and heightened other senses, he never let his guard down. He would send me a look that said, "I know you took more," which was honestly a bit scary. How much does he love sweets?
The more he did this, the more brazen I had to be. Whenever he gave me that look, I would offer to let him have more, knowing he would refuse. His pride wouldn't allow him to take back what he had given to a maid.
So this time, I pushed the plate toward him, saying I would give him more if he wanted. Vincent waved his hand, refusing to eat anything that had my saliva on it. But how much saliva could there be? I insisted it was just a little, but suddenly Lucas burst out laughing. His gaze was fixed on the plate, which was already clean.
"The more I look at you, the more interesting you become."
Lucas said something that sounded like a compliment, but I wasn't sure. I pretended not to notice and put the plate down. I had momentarily forgotten there was another person with us. Vincent gave him a questioning look. I silently prayed Lucas would keep quiet.
Fortunately, Lucas, still laughing, brought up a different topic.
"You two seem to get along well."
"There's no way."
"There must be some misunderstanding."
We answered simultaneously. We looked at each other. I blinked, and he, unable to see, opened his eyes wide as if he could.
Lucas added that this was a sign of a good relationship. Vincent, without a word, took a sip of tea, and I cleared the empty plate. Only Lucas's laughter echoed through the garden.
I quietly took out a book. I decided to ignore the strange comments. Vincent seemed to agree, and the conversation naturally moved on.
When I sat up straight, Lucas gave me a curious look.
"What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to read a book to you."
"A book?"
Lucas's gaze fell on the book in my hand. I cleared my throat. Vincent calmly sipped his tea. Lucas's gaze shifted from Vincent back to me.
"Are you really going to read it?"
"Yes."
It was obvious I was going to read it, but he asked anyway. I opened the book and started reading fluently. Despite the sudden start, Vincent listened as if it were routine.
Today's book was a short children's adventure story. Difficult books are hard to read, and long content can be distracting. I recently realized that short and simple stories are easier to read and better to narrate.
I had put a lot of thought into choosing this book. Lucas was amazed by the story conveyed through my voice. He openly looked at Vincent, but Vincent paid no attention to him, focusing only on my voice. This made me even more focused on reading. I had to, because any lapse in concentration would invite criticism.
Lucas's amazement gradually faded. At some point, he subtly pulled his chair closer to Vincent.
"Why are you getting so close?"
"I want to listen too."
The two men sat side by side, listening to my voice. Usually, it was just Vincent, so I didn't notice, but the thought of reading to someone else made me a bit nervous. This affected my voice, and I stumbled a few times. I saw Vincent frown but quickly continued reading, pretending not to notice.
Lucas's eyes sparkled like a child's. I wasn't sure if he was amazed by the situation or by my ability to read, but he sent me a gaze that made my skin tingle. It felt like reading a fairy tale to younger siblings.
Moreover, he was very participative.
"So what happens next?"
"Excuse me? Oh, so what happens next is..."
He didn't just listen quietly. He would ask questions or seek my opinion from time to time. Sometimes he would ramble on about stories he had heard elsewhere. Though the conversation was trivial, he seemed to enjoy it. Vincent only frowned but didn't stop him. This made me feel a bit awkward.
"Comradeship and love gained through adventure. It's a story that gives good lessons."
After finishing the book, he didn't forget to add his thoughts.
"Yes. Did you enjoy it?"
"I enjoyed it very much. Your reading made it easy to follow, and it really sank in."
"Thank you for the kind words."
Thanks to you, I've learned a lot. I glanced at Vincent. If anything displeased him, he would sigh heavily and make me feel uncomfortable, but now he calmly sipped his tea. The tea was already cold, but he drank it well. And he pretended not to notice my gaze.
Moreover, his words were another matter.
"Better than before."
"Sure, sure."
I knew he would say that. At this point, shouldn't he at least say I'm reading well, or that there's nothing to criticize? His praise was too stingy.
But on the other hand, Lucas's praise was too excessive.
"No resistance at all, and you read so smoothly. I never knew a story could be so enjoyable when someone reads it to me. I could feel your consideration for the listener, and your voice was so good... No, everything was just great."
"I'm just reading. If you have a good book, let me know."
"Really? I'll pick one next time."
I laughed. Lucas subtly secured another opportunity to join us.
"Brother, it's fun, isn't it?"
"Maybe."
The only problem was that the other participant was too cold. But Lucas, used to his attitude, didn't mind.
"I didn't know you liked sweets so much, brother. How did you hide it all this time?"
"I didn't hide it."
"You never ate like this before."
"I didn't eat like this, but I didn't stop eating them."
Lucas nodded. I see.
"Still, if I had known, I would have brought a few cakes. I know many good places."
"There's no need."
Vincent rejected him bluntly, adding that he wouldn't trust him enough to accept anything. Though his words were open to misinterpretation, Lucas only laughed. He subtly countered that he knew Vincent would enjoy them if he brought them.
A peaceful atmosphere suddenly filled the room.
"By the way, I ordered your favorite tea leaves. They'll arrive here tomorrow. You still enjoy them, right? The red tea from Novelle."
"Yes."
"Will you accept them?"
"Your effort is commendable, so I'll accept them."
I was running out of the golden-lettered tea leaves I had received. I was thinking of asking Isabella for more, but this was perfect. I remember how disappointed he was when the Novelle tea ran out. I also know the joy hidden in his gruff attitude.
Is he doing this because he's my brother?
The oblivious Lucas was just happy.
"Brother, I'm honestly relieved."
"What are you talking about?"
"You look comfortable. When I only heard about it, I was worried. Even when I saw it with my own eyes, I thought it couldn't be true. But now that I've been here, I can see you're really doing well. I'm glad."
"..."
"I didn't know you liked sweets. I didn't know you went for walks, listened to books, and lived so peacefully."
Lucas laughed softly. He seemed happy, but I could sense a hint of bitterness. His gaze on Vincent was poignant, and his eyes glistened with moisture, as if a single blink would make them overflow.
"I'm really relieved."
Relief was evident in his voice.
Then, I saw Lucas differently. His gaze on the floor, lost in thought, was somewhat... touching?
But the moment of emotion was quickly shattered. Unfortunately, his sadness didn't reach the other person. Vincent clicked his tongue.
"Disgusting."
"Is it?"
His sadness vanished quickly. It was a rapid change, almost like a mirage. No, wasn't that sadness too brief?
Seeing Lucas smile broadly again made me feel uneasy.
"It's all because of her, isn't it?"
This time, Lucas's attention was on me. Surprised by the sudden compliment, I blinked. Me?
"Thank you for being by my brother's side."
"No, no, it's nothing."
"Thanking me for something so obvious is unnecessary."
His rebuttal was quick. What? I looked at Vincent in disbelief. He didn't correct himself. Well, it's true. It is obvious, but... couldn't you be a little grateful?
Ha! I openly snorted. But Vincent ignored me. Bastard. Annoyed, I roughly sipped my tea. My throat was dry.
"Of course, with such a beautiful person by your side, you must feel energized."