41 – Cypress Mosaic

After ​some ​thought, ​Elian ​nodded cautiously.

He recalled ​the ​changes ​Lorenz ​Lockhart ​had shown recently.

The night ​he ​had been invited ​to dinner, Lorenz ​had ​treated ​him ​with ​ease. ​He also realized ​that ​Lorenz ​wasn’t taking Lucas’s ​issues lightly. In fact, ​as promised ​to Elian, ​he was ​consistently spending ​thirty ​minutes ​every day with ​Lucas—even though ​it was clear he ​felt uncomfortable and awkward.

“At ​the very least, he ​tries to ​fix ​things when I point them out.”

“You ​pointed things out? To ​Lorenz ​Lockhart?”

Vincent ​raised ​an ​eyebrow.

“His attitude during ​the interviews ​was ​a mess. To ​improve ​the child’s situation, it was ​something that ​absolutely ​had to be ​corrected.”

“And ​Lorenz ​Lockhart ​actually ​does what ​you ​tell him ​to?”

“I don’t know how he feels inside, ​but for now, ​he at least ​pretends to try in ​front of ​me.”

Vincent looked as ​if ​he couldn’t believe ​his friend’s words.

Elian ​recalled Lorenz ​Lockhart’s ​face and ​words.

“Is ​it because ​of ​the fear ​that ​I ​might have him ​put ​up for ​adoption… ​that ​the ​child has stopped speaking?”

He hadn’t shown his emotions directly. On the surface, he seemed calm. However, he clearly felt guilt or a sense of responsibility toward Lucas.

“He’s more serious about the child’s problems than I expected.”

“Serious? No way.”

Vincent snorted.

“I’m serious. It doesn’t feel like he’s just dumping it on a counselor because it’s a nuisance. He was uncooperative at first, but since then, he’s been faithfully following my advice.”

“You sure he’s not actually his own son?”

Elian frowned at Vincent’s half-joke.

“You should stop watching those sensational dramas, Vince.”

Vincent burst into loud laughter, tossing potato chips into his mouth. By the time his laughter subsided, his expression had become quite serious.

“Anyway, have you found out anything?”

Elian shook his head, his expression heavy. Vincent clicked Read on Read BL Novelshis [Read on Read BL Novels]tongue stolen contentand brought the beer bottle to his lips.

“I guess so. You didn’t marry into the family; you just moved in as a counselor. How much could you possibly find out in that time?”

“It feels like Lorenz Lockhart is almost entirely consumed by work. He shows no sign of enjoying leisure, and he returns home quickly after finishing work.”

“Is he actually impotent?”

“He avoids eating out and hardly ever seems to go outside.”

“What? Is he actually a Dracula? Does he burn to death in the sunlight?”

“I don’t know. In the original Dracula novel, that wasn’t the setting. His powers weaken, but he can still be active during the day.”

After a brief pause with a bewildered look, Vincent pointed at Elian with his fingertip and grinned.

“If I weren’t your childhood friend, I wouldn’t have noticed that was a joke.”

Elian let out a faint laugh in return.

“So far, there hasn’t been anything particularly suspicious about the atmosphere. But there are things you can’t know just by observing from this distance.”

“They’re one of the greatest families in the US. They’d be masters at hiding their true intentions.”

Elian agreed with Vincent.

“There are quite a few employees who have worked at the mansion for a long time. So, I’m trying to get close to them.”

“People who’ve worked there for a long time might know something. Even if they don’t know specifics, they’d probably have a sense that the people in this house are hiding something.”

Nodding, Elian hesitated, took a deep breath, and spoke.

“And, I saw that car.”

“That car?”

“The Rolls-Royce Wraith.”

“Ah…”

This time, Vincent inhaled and stopped for a moment. He shifted his posture.

“It was at the house?”

“Yes. Same model, same color. Of course, the emblem on the wheel hub caps was identical too.”

Vincent crushed his lower jaw with his large hand. Then, he muttered with a dazed face.

“It’s real… I mean, I knew it, but it really was a Lockhart car.”

Elian smiled bitterly at his friend’s mutterings, which mirrored the exact emotions he had felt.

Even though it was a fact he already knew, the shock of seeing it with his own eyes at the Lockhart mansion was not insignificant.

Elian’s gaze shifted from his friend’s face to the window. The wind blowing through the open window was chilly. Not a trace of summer’s warmth remained.

Before going to the Lockhart mansion, he had shared conversations with Vincent in this room just like this. Nearly a month had already passed. Although he was now staying in the most luxurious mansion on the wealthiest street in Manhattan, the glittering night view of the island outside the window still didn’t feel real.

I wonder what Lucas is doing.

Did Lorenz spend time with Lucas today, as I requested?

I heard there was an important family gathering at the suburban estate; did he skip it using the excuse of being busy?

“What about Joshua Lockhart? Is he still not contacting you?”

Elian, who had been lost in thought while staring at the scenery, turned his head at Vincent’s question.

“Actually, I’m debating whether I should try contacting him.”

“Ho, really? I thought he was a discarded card.”

“Because there hasn’t been much progress even after moving into the mansion.”

“It’s not like you thought you’d find out easily.”

“That’s true, but…”

Elian’s fingertips were anxious as he rubbed the beer label, which had become soggy from the condensation.

Vincent looked at his friend with concern.

Watching Elian lost in thought with a complicated expression, Vincent hesitated before speaking cautiously.

“Hey, Elian, even now, why don’t you just…”

Elian shook his head firmly.

He could easily guess what his friend was about to say.

“I can’t. Even if the whole world forgets about it—no, even if they never knew in the first place… I can’t be like that too.”

“The opponent is Lockhart. It could get dangerous.”

“I didn’t start this without knowing that.”

“But… there must be some other, less dangerous way…”

“Vince.”

There was no room for compromise in Elian’s voice as he called his friend.

“You saw how hard I’ve worked all this time to let the world know about it.”

“Yeah, I did. And I saw how useless all that struggling was.”

Muttering bitterly, Vincent gulped down the beer in his bottle.

People had died.

Elian’s mother, who was a scientist, had participated in the early clinical research of a new pharmaceutical company. It was a decision made out of goodwill, hoping it would help people suffering from Pheromone Dependency Syndrome, like Elian. However, the end that awaited his mother at the conclusion of that choice was a mysterious death.

Elian had screamed at the world until his throat was raw, begging for the truth to be revealed, begging for attention. But that cry, which Elian had created by pouring his entire being into it, was very simply muted by someone invisible.

The only clues Elian had were that car engraved with the Lockhart emblem and a badge with a crescent moon.

He had steeled his heart, deciding that if no one would listen to his story, he had no choice but to dive directly into the heart of the Lockharts.

Looking at Elian’s solemn face, Vincent let out a heavy sigh.

“Right, I misspoke knowing your determination. Whatever Read on Read BL Novels[visit our site]decision you make, I’m on your side. You know that, right?”

Only then did Elian’s expression lighten slightly. He nodded with gratitude, looking at the man who was both a reliable brother and a friend. Vincent grinned back.

Opening a new beer, Vincent spoke even more playfully on purpose.

“Joshua Lockhart is probably itching to find you by now.”

“Maybe he’s already lost interest. It’s already been a month.”

“From what we’ve investigated, Joshua Lockhart isn’t the type of guy to let go of someone he’s set his sights on that easily.”

Vincent guaranteed it with a confident voice while munching on potato chips.

“And it’ll be hard for him to forget your face after just one month.”

Elian let out a short laugh at his friend’s baseless confidence.

He took a few more sips of beer. He could feel the cool temperature and the carbonation tightening his throat, but as expected, he could hardly detect the characteristic bitter yet nutty taste.

I hope I won’t lose my sense of smell forever.

Once everything is settled safely, I’ll be able to meet someone I love and regain my sense of smell.

To prevent his friend from unauthorized copynoticing [visit our site]he had [visit our site]fallen into heavy thoughts, Elian asked a question first.