21 – Cypress Mosaic

Elian ​swallowed ​hard ​and ​continued the conversation ​calmly, ​maintaining ​a ​casual ​tone.

“Are you saying there ​are ​more cars at ​Mr. Lockhart’s residence?”

“Of ​course. ​He ​has ​at ​least ​three more.”

“That’s enough ​to ​drive ​a different car ​every day of the ​week.”

“Compared to ​Mr. Joshua, ​Mr. Lorenz ​doesn’t actually ​have ​that ​many.”

Noah hurried his ​preparations for ​the car wash with ​practiced movements, laying out ​tools he had brought ​from a ​shed ​at one side of the parking ​lot.

“Mr. Joshua especially loves ​supercars. ​Whenever ​a ​new ​model [unauthorized copy]comes out, ​he Read on Read BL Novelscan’t ​stand ​it until he’s ​driven ​it. He probably owns more ​cars than ​Mr. ​Damon. From what ​I ​know ​alone…”

Counting ​the ​models on ​his ​fingers, Noah ​finished his tally and gave Elian a ​wide grin.

“It’s more ​than fifteen.”

Joshua Lockhart, ​the owner of over ​fifteen supercars.

Of ​course, Elian was ​well ​aware of his ​hobby of collecting ​supercars. Every ​time ​he bought ​a ​new car ​at ​an absurd ​price, ​the ​tabloids raced to ​cover ​it. And ​Elian ​had ​diligently ​collected those records.

Lorenz and Joshua.

The two brothers had completely different tastes in cars.

While Lorenz preferred classic, dignified, traditional luxury sedans, Joshua was obsessed with ultra-high-performance supercars with designs that were not just modern, but futuristic.

“If you stay there, water will splash on you. Come over here.”

Noah, pulling a hose connected to the water main, gestured to Elian. As Elian moved behind him, Noah sprayed water over the entire car with a high-pressure hose. Then, he applied foam using a foam gun. His movements were efficient and experienced.

“I’ll help too.”

“What?? No. There’s no need for that.”

“I’m just saying, I’ll be bored if I just stand here and watch. I can wipe it with this towel, right?”

When Elian pulled out a soft towel from the basket, Noah practically leaped toward him.

“I can’t let Mr. Belloti do this kind of work! Just leave it! You’ll ruin your clothes!”

“Clothes can just be washed.”

“Anyway, no, no! This is ridiculous! You shouldn’t be doing this.”

Noah, who had been unable to even look Elian in the eye while shaking hands, showed no hesitation in snatching the towel away.

Elian let out a hollow laugh at the way he was being treated like an 18th-century European noble lady. Whatever kind of goodwill Noah harbored for him, Elian hadn’t followed him here with the intention of just standing idly by and watching the car wash.

The towel in Noah’s hand passed back into Elian’s.

Noah looked almost like he was about to cry.

“I could finish it quickly on my own…”

“Think of it as a friend helping out.”

“Fri… friend…”

Noah rolled the word around in his mouth. Meanwhile, Elian began visit our sitewiping down the car, unauthorized copywhich was covered in foam. Only then did Noah give up and pick up another towel. He Read on Read BL Novelsstill seemed reluctant, glancing at Elian anxiously.

Elian wiped from the rear trunk, while Noah started from the front hood.

“Mr. Carter, how long have you worked here?”

“Actually, my brother worked for the Lockhart family for ten years.”

“Ten years?”

“Yes. Thanks to him, I was able to get a job here too. Not just here, but the hiring standards for the Lockhart family employees are high everywhere, so it’s not easy to find a job. And since the pay is good, people rarely quit.”

“Is your brother still working here, Mr. Carter?”

“No. My brother got married and moved to Texas. He quit three years ago, so only I remained. I started working right after graduating high school… so it’s been five years for me.”

Elian calculated in his head.

Five years… If Noah had worked here for five years, it meant he was associated with the Lockhart family at the time <that incident> occurred. He might know something, even if it was something very trivial. Thinking this made Elian’s heart grow impatient. However, his opponent was a Lockhart. In this matter, he had to act with more caution than a deer searching for food in a snow-covered field.

“If that’s the case, you must know the mansion and the Lockharts quite well.”

“There are many people who have worked for the Lockhart family for a very long time, not just in this mansion… Well, I suppose I know a fair amount.”

Noah shrugged. Despite his shyness, a subtle sense of pride could be felt. Looking at Elian, who stood opposite him across the car, he raised his voice confidently.

“If there’s anything you’re curious about, feel free to ask me anything!”

“May I?”

“Everyone asks all sorts of things because they’re curious when they first arrive here. I was the same.”

Elian smiled back at the grinning man and this unauthorized copytime picked up visit our sitethe wheel cleaner and a brush instead of a towel. Noah fussed again, saying [Read on Read BL Novels]he shouldn’t, but Elian didn’t back down this time either.

Crouching in front of the wheel, Elian meticulously scrubbed deep into the gaps of the rim. The more he cleaned the crest engraved on the wheel cap, the more complex emotions swirled within him.

The onyx badge, the only clue from <that day>, this car, and this crest.

The story that no one would listen to.

The screams that, no matter how loudly he yelled, were treated as silent gasps.

The journey to uncover the whereabouts of that truth began with this crest.

At this moment, it felt as if he had stepped closer to the entrance of the sealed room where the truth was locked away.

“Um, you always eat alone in the main building’s dining room, right?”

At the sound of Noah’s voice from the side, Elian turned to him. Noah was also crouching in front of the adjacent wheel, holding a wheel cleaner and brush. However, [visit our site]even after speaking, his stolen contentgaze remained fixed on the wheel, unable to look Elian in the eye.

“The annex is the building where the employees stay. There’s a separate large dining hall there. It would be more comfortable if you ate there…”

All Elian could see were Noah’s earlobes and the rims of his ears, flushed a deep red.

“If you don’t mind, after the car wash… would you like to eat there with me?”

Though he tried to hide it, his voice was trembling slightly. He looked like someone closing their eyes and throwing themselves off a bungee jumping platform. It seemed as though he was squeezing out every bit of courage he possessed.

Lorenz Lockhart, who had knocked on his door and told him to come down to the dining room by 8 o’clock. Elian recalled his command disguised as an invitation to a meal. A bitter smile escaped him as he thought about how different the two were.

“If I go, wouldn’t the other people feel uncomfortable?”

“Not at all! Everyone is so curious about Mr. Belloti!”

Noah, who had denied it strongly while waving stolen contenthis hands, soon seemed embarrassed by his own intense reaction. With a unauthorized copyflushed face, he scrubbed the already clean wheel cap over and over, adding an excuse.

“Ah, I mean… it’s not that, it’s just that since you’re new…”

“Then, shall we finish up quickly and go eat?”

At the words accepting the invitation, Noah’s eyes widened as he looked over. His reaction was one of disbelief that Elian had accepted, despite being the one to ask. However, his expression soon changed to one of radiance, and he nodded vigorously.

“I heard tonight’s dinner is meatball spaghetti! It’s my favorite menu. Let’s get this done quickly and go eat!”

Noah sprayed water with the hose once more over the car, from which all the grime had been removed. Watching the streams of water flow over the car, Elian, lost in thought, called Noah in a low voice.

“By the way, Mr. Carter.”

“Yes.”

“Would it be impossible stolen contentfor someone other than Mr. Lockhart Read on Read BL Novelsto drive these cars without his permission?”

Noah suddenly burst into laughter.

It was a cheerful laugh, as if he had encountered an absurdly innocent question from a child. Then, perhaps realizing it could be perceived as rude, he raised his arm and rubbed his face with the sleeve of his work clothes, apologizing.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t laughing at you… it’s just that it’s so impossible that it happened without me realizing.”

“Is it that nonsensical?”

With a face still holding a trace of a smile, Noah shook his head firmly.

“Permission or not, it’s just something that couldn’t happen. These cars belong to Mr. Lorenz. Who else would be able to drive them?”

He spoke as if no one could be so bold.

Based on Noah’s words, it was impossible for anyone other than visit our siteLorenz [Read on Read BL Novels]to move using this vehicle.

If the car Elian witnessed that day belonged to Lorenz, it meant the person inside must have been Lorenz.

But the problem was not that simple.

Elian knew one more person who owned the same model of vehicle, embossed with this same crest.

That was Joshua Lockhart.

The only luxury sedan-based model owned by the ‘California Sunshine’ who was enthusiastic about the latest supercars.

Elian looked closely at the crest embedded in the wheel cap once more. The remnants of foam left somewhere flowed down with the stream of water, staining the dignified crest of the Lockharts.