20 – Cypress Mosaic

Since ​the ​day ​he ​had visited the ​room ​a ​few ​days ​ago, Elian had not ​crossed ​paths with Lorenz ​Lockhart again. Despite ​living ​under ​the ​same ​roof—one ​on the lower ​floor ​and ​the other on ​the upper—it was possible ​to go ​days without ​seeing each ​other’s faces. ​It ​was ​entirely different from ​his life ​in Brooklyn, where he ​had seen and spoken ​with the Bellotti family ​several times ​a ​day.

The mere thought of dealing with ​him made Elian uncomfortable.

The ​emotionless ​face ​that ​spoke ​of Lucas as ​if he ​were ​a mere tool ​to ​achieve a goal, and the ​arrogant face ​that ​looked down on ​Debussy ​played ​on ​a ​cheap turntable.

The ​man ​clearly didn’t ​even realize what he was doing wrong. ​Elian had met ​quite a few ​dogmatic guardians or arrogant ​wealthy patrons, ​but he had ​never ​encountered someone so ​poorly socialized.

Could Margaret ​just receive ​it ​and pass ​it ​on for ​me? ​—But he ​couldn’t ​bring ​himself to say ​something ​so childish. ​Lorenz ​was ​the ​guardian of the child in counseling. For Lucas’s sake, it was a problem that had to be resolved sooner rather than later.

“Around what time will I be able to see him?”

Margaret checked the wall clock and gave a short smile.

“He should be home by 7:00 today.”

Unless something special came up, Elian usually rode his bicycle for about an hour after work. It was for exercise, but he also needed a moment to breathe and escape the solemn, authoritative atmosphere of the mansion.

Central Park was right on his doorstep, so he didn’t have to go far. Surrounded by grass, trees, and the lake, it was a decent place to clear his head. Every now and then, he would stop to take photos and videos to show Lucas.

From the park entrance to the mansion, it took only five minutes even at a leisurely pace. Elian passed the main building, turned the corner, and headed toward the annex. The small side door there was for employees, and it was also the only passage through which one could enter the mansion with a bicycle.

As he entered through the side door, a man unpacking a box in front of the annex entrance came into view.

Short hair, tanned skin, and faint freckles across his cheeks. Though they had never formally introduced themselves, it was a face Elian had seen a few times from a distance.

Unlike those who worked inside the mansion, the man was always dressed in work clothes instead of a uniform. He seemed to be an employee who managed the gardens, the parking lot, and the exterior of the buildings.

Pushing his bike into the rack, Elian greeted him first.

“Hello.”

The man, who had instinctively looked over, recognized the owner of the voice, and his face immediately brightened.

“Hello! Looks like you’re on your way back from a bike ride.”

“Yes.”

“The weather’s been so cool lately, it’s a great time for cycling.”

“It is.”

“I went out to Hudson Park last week, and it felt completely like autumn now.”

“You went quite far. That must have taken two hours round trip.”

“I just love riding so much…”

The man trailed off, glancing at Elian. He seemed to be hoping for an invitation to ride together. However, Elian was not particularly sociable. While he wasn’t so awkward that he felt alienated at gatherings, he wasn’t born with the gregariousness to get along with anyone easily or make friends quickly. There was no way he could suggest a ride to someone he had only just properly greeted.

However, he did need to build rapport with the people here.

Because if he tried to get close to Lorenz Lockhart to dig out the truth through him, he felt that the remaining time in this life would not be enough.

After securing his bicycle, Elian shifted his gaze to the detergent the man had taken out of the box.

“Are you planning to wash the cars?”

“Oh, this? Yeah. It’s a new product, so I thought I’d try it. They say it minimizes damage while keeping the shine for a long time. Apparently, you don’t even need a sponge; just wiping it with a soft cloth is enough. Ah, you’re probably not interested in this kind of talk…”

The man, who had been explaining excitedly, [Read on Read BL Novels]rubbed stolen contenthis flushed cheeks with his palm and looked away.

Elian wasn’t so dull that he failed to realize the man was shy. However, since it was an affection he couldn’t reciprocate, he didn’t welcome it. This man’s interest was likely nothing more than a light curiosity sparked by his appearance. Such feelings were fleeting.

“If you don’t mind, could I watch you wash the cars?”

“Yes, of course… Wait, what??”

The man, who had answered reflexively, looked up and questioned him as the meaning of Elian’s words sank in. His reaction was as if he had just received an unbelievably incredible offer.

“If I’m not in the way…”

The man waved both hands vigorously.

“Not at all! No way! You’re not in the way!”

Elian stepped closer to the man and offered a handshake.

“I’m Elian. Elian Bellotti.”

“I’m Noah Carter.”

The man rubbed his palms against the waist of his work clothes several times before finally reaching out. The touch that met his was excessively polite and cautious.

Noah, holding a basket, towels, and brushes, led the way, and Elian followed behind. This was his first time descending into the underground parking lot. Elian calmly looked around.

The space extending from the entrance where cars entered and exited stretched long in a rectangular shape, with cold white LED lighting covering the entire ceiling. Not a single shadow fell on the floor. Thanks to this, despite being underground, there was no gloomy or suffocating atmosphere.

Under the blindingly white lights, magnificent cars were lined up. There were about twenty vehicles, all rare models that any car enthusiast would rave about.

“Feels like the Batcave, right?”

“…Pardon?”

“The movie The Dark Knight. Ah, you’re probably not into that kind of thing.”

Noah, who had asked with eyes sparkling like a child, scratched his head awkwardly.

“There are so many Batman series… I’ve seen one or two.”

“In Batman Begins, Wayne Manor—the mansion where Batman lived with his parents—gets heavily damaged. So in the next series, The Dark Knight, the setting is that the mansion is being rebuilt. They set up a temporary Batcave, too.”

Listening to his excited explanation, the image of the white lights filling the ceiling seemed to align.

“Ah… yes. I remember.”

“This place is just like that Batcave!”

There was a sense of pride in unauthorized copyNoah’s stolen contentvoice. It was a pride for the work he was in charge of and the objects he cared for.

Batman’s secret base.

Now that he mentioned it, it made sense.

Rather than simply being a place to park cars, it was a space with a cinematic touch, reflecting the owner’s intention to make the collection stand out.

Elian imagined Lorenz Lockhart choosing one of the cars worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and driving out of the underground parking lot under the white lights. To Noah, that image must have looked like Batman, the lonely hero of the city.

Elian nodded vaguely.

“It certainly is impressive. It’s an amazing collection.”

“Master… I mean, Mr. Damon’s cars are still here.”

“Are Mr. Lockhart’s cars not here?”

“Which Mr. Lockhart?”

Elian paused for a moment at Noah’s question.

Because he had been calling Lorenz Lockhart “Mr. Lockhart,” he had asked the question without thinking, but naturally, Lorenz was not the only Lockhart.

“Ah, Mr. Lorenz Lockhart.”

“There are about four of Mr. Lorenz’s cars here.”

Stopping in his tracks, Noah pointed to the cars one by one.

“The one he drove out in today, that Bentley over there, the Aston Martin in front… and this one.”

Noah tapped the hood of the car parked behind him. Like patting the back of stolen contenta dog that had visit our sitecompleted difficult training.

In that instant, Elian could hear his heart beating wildly.

A Rolls-Royce Wraith in a color close to burgundy, like wine mixed with blood.

The wheel cap at the center of the car’s wheel was decorated with the family crest.

The Lockhart family crest, consisting of a shield, a crescent moon, and a griffin. Symbolizing authority and wisdom, fate and protection…

It was a car and a crest he could never forget.

And it was right there before his eyes.

The realization that he had finally entered the inner circle of the Lockhart family made his palms sweat. Along with his heartbeat, his breathing was becoming ragged.