29 – Cypress Mosaic

Since ​Lorenz ​mentioned ​the ​car no more, ​Elian ​brought ​up ​another ​topic.

“I heard from Margaret ​that ​you’ve been coming ​home earlier lately.”

“Does ​Margaret ​talk ​about ​me ​to ​you?”

“Just the usual ​amount.”

Hmm. ​Lorenz ​tilted his head, ​as if savoring Elian’s ​answer. Then, ​with a ​satisfied expression, ​he spoke.

“It’s ​because ​I’ve ​been feeling in ​good condition ​when I come home ​lately.”

While the appetizer plates ​were being cleared and ​they waited ​for ​the pasta, Elian moistened his lips ​with champagne before tentatively ​speaking.

“The ​car…”

“Hmm?”

“I ​saw ​it ​earlier, and it ​looked very ​impressive.”

That ​car was one ​of ​the reasons Elian had come ​this far.

A ​blood-red ​burgundy Rolls-Royce, with ​the ​Lockhart ​family ​crest ​engraved on ​the ​center cap ​of the wheels.

The corners of Lorenz’s mouth ​twitched slightly. Fortunately, ​he didn’t seem ​to take the question ​as an ​offense.

“It was a ​gift ​from my father ​to commemorate my ​appointment as ​team ​leader and ​my ​responsibility for ​my ​first project.”

That ​particular ​backstory ​was something Elian ​hadn’t ​discovered during ​his ​research ​phase.

“Then ​you must hold it in high regard.”

Lorenz tilted his head, as if he had never harbored such feelings.

“It is a flawless car. I occasionally take it out when I feel like driving myself.”

After taking a sip of champagne, Lorenz shrugged and [unauthorized copy]stolen contentchuckled, stolen contentas if another memory regarding the car had surfaced.

“After that, my brother bought the exact same model in the same color. I have no idea what goes through that fellow’s head.”

Elian gripped the napkin on his lap tightly.

Joshua Lockhart had followed suit and purchased a Rolls-Royce Wraith, the same model and color as the one owned by Lorenz Lockhart. This was something Elian already knew. It was a story anyone interested in celebrity gossip would know, requiring no personal investigation.

With their immense wealth and striking looks, the two Lockhart brothers had been objects of interest since childhood, as much as—or even more than—the children of Hollywood stars.

As the alcohol in Elian’s glass ran low, an attendant approached and refilled the champagne. Watching the golden liquid bubble up, Elian asked Lorenz, pretending not to know.

“Do you get along well with your brother?”

“……”

Lorenz Lockhart’s lips curled playfully.

“Isn’t that a personal question?”

“Ah…”

It was a response that mirrored exactly what Elian had said during their first meeting not long ago.

Whether it was merely a joke, Lorenz soon let out a short laugh at Elian’s reaction.

“I’m kidding. It’s not exactly a secret; in fact, the whole world knows. That the two sons of Damon Lockhart are estranged.”

Speaking the truth plainly, without a hint of bitterness, Lorenz finished the rest of his champagne. Likewise, his glass was refilled.

“You don’t seem interested in such things. Did you like the car?”

“It’s true that I’m not particularly interested. I just asked because it looked cool to the eye.”

“A Rolls-Royce is a car driven by vulgar rich people who want to show off. I imagine you’d think that.”

“I’m so uninterested that I haven’t even thought that far.”

“Want to try riding in it?”

“…Pardon?”

As if he knew Elian would ask back with such a surprised face, Lorenz smirked again.

Until now, they had only clashed whenever they happened to cross paths. A face with creases between the eyebrows had become the representative image of Lorenz Lockhart in Elian’s mind.

But today, he smiled often. It wasn’t a loud, boisterous laugh, but he cracked jokes and chuckled frequently. He clearly seemed to be in a good mood.

Just then, the pasta was served.

It was ravioli, as easy to eat as the olive allascolana from the appetizers.

The champagne glasses were removed, and Sauvignon Blanc took their place.

The ravioli, filled with soft ricotta cheese and spinach, satiated Elian’s hunger with a variety of textures.

Allascolana that could be popped into the mouth in one bite, ravioli that was less fussy to eat than spaghetti, and champagne and white wine that didn’t require the caution of red wine. Come to think of it, it was a combination perfectly suited for a date.

■

Two cozy armchairs in front of a large floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the courtyard.

Behind them stood a large fireplace that could be lit when the weather turned cold. The plush carpet on the floor seemed to absorb every tiny sound. A cozy, yet somehow desolate space.

“I didn’t know there was a place like this on the third floor.”

“If you like it, feel free to use it. It should be a good spot for reading quietly.”

It didn’t sound like mere politeness. After all, someone like Lorenz Lockhart would have no need to say things he didn’t mean just to win someone’s favor.

“My room is already good enough.”

Surprisingly, the meal with Lorenz wasn’t particularly uncomfortable, to the point where it was hard to believe how rude he had been on the first day. Contrary to Elian’s expectation that he might bring up Lucas as soon as they sat down, he didn’t touch upon any heavy topics until the meal ended.

He was indeed like someone who had learned business from an early age. Elian recalled reading somewhere that many businessmen consider it rude to bring up business in the middle of a meal.

After finishing the meal with gelato accompanied by various berries, the two had moved to the small living room on the third floor.

The sun had completely set, but lamps were lit here and there in the garden. Because of this, a fantastic and secretive atmosphere lingered, different from the daytime.

Elian recalled what the media had babbled about regarding this mansion.

Considering the murderous land prices of the Upper East Side, a TV show host had argued passionately, providing specific figures, that the Lockhart family could earn astronomical profits if they built a high-rise building on this plot. The conclusion was that choosing this mansion and garden instead of those profits was proof of overwhelming wealth.

However, sitting here in person, the fact that this was modern Manhattan felt distant. It felt as if he had visited the mansion of Count Dracula, filled with gloomy secrets and mysteries.

Count Dracula, having taken a sip of red wine, finally brought up the main point.

“Have you looked over the materials I gave you?”

Elian let out a breath that sounded like a groan and nodded heavily.

“How was it?”

“Did you also see the materials, Mr. Lockhart?”

This time, Lorenz nodded. It was just as Elian expected.

If this had been immediately after the first meeting, Elian would have thought there was no way he had seen the materials. He had been quite skeptical about whether Lorenz was genuinely interested in Lucas. But now, his impression of him had changed to some extent.

“Then as you already know, the reasons for the two disruptions were different.”

“They were.”

Lucas had entered the facility around the age of three. He had already passed the most popular age for parents looking to adopt. However, thanks to his cute and intelligent appearance, an adoptive home was found quickly. It was a bitter truth that a child’s adoptability is heavily influenced by their looks, but that was the reality of adoption.

However, both times, the child was returned to the facility without lasting six months.

To be precise, Lucas had not been ‘disrupted’ in the sense of a failed adoption after finalization, but rather the adoption process was disrupted before it was legally completed.

The adoptive family had already been living with Lucas when they decided to terminate the adoption process before the court gave final approval.

In the materials Elian had first received, the reason was simply listed as ‘due to the child’s unresolved past emotional issues.’ Elian wanted to know more detailed information if possible.

The materials he received from Lorenz Lockhart were internal reports managed separately by the facility, and they contained more specific reasons.

According to the documents, the first adoptive parents cited the reason that Lucas expressed emotions far too rarely compared to his peers. They claimed there was no cuteness or loveliness to be found in the child, making it impossible to form an emotional bond.

The reason for the second disruption was the exact opposite. They found it uncomfortable and unnervingly calculating that Lucas tried too hard to be loved, which was unlike a child. During the consultation for the disruption, the prospective parents had even used the expression ‘creepy.’