47 – Cypress Mosaic
“Would you like some snacks?”
Elian offered, pointing to his own plate. Lorenz shook his head, as if suddenly snapping out of deep thought.
“No, thank you. I’m fine. I’ll wait, so please take your time.”
Lorenz sat down in the chair, feeling somewhat dazed.
The chair the child had moved for him. He seemed to feel a kind of joy over this small change. It felt unfamiliar.
His thoughts and feelings toward Lucas hadn’t changed much. He didn’t possess an affection deep enough to feel joy simply because the child was opening up to him, and that likely wouldn’t change in the future. It wasn’t for any particular reason; he was simply wired that way.
Of course, he would fulfill his responsibilities and duties. However, he couldn’t imagine himself harboring affection for the child, or laughing and crying in emotion over the boy’s growth and development.
He probably just mistook the fluster of an unexpected action for joy. After all, it was an unfamiliar situation.
“Lucas, do you want a piece of my peach?”
At the gentle voice, Lorenz watched the two of them [visit our site]Read on Read BL Novelsclosely. Since Elian had his back turned, Lorenz could observe without hesitation.
The child hesitated to answer the counselor’s question. Even so, he couldn’t take his eyes off the piece of fruit revealing its yellow flesh.
Waiting for an answer, Elian placed a piece of peach onto the child’s plate.
“Here, it’s your favorite fruit, isn’t it, Lucas?”
Lucas’s favorite fruit.
No matter how lacking an attachment bond they had, Lorenz was the child’s legal guardian. Yet, Elian clearly knew the child far better than he did.
Elian Bellotti was infinitely gentle, generous, and endlessly patient—at least when it came to the child. He didn’t hold back his bright smiles, either. It was no wonder the child had opened up to him relatively quickly.
Lorenz’s eyes narrowed subtly as he looked at Elian’s back.
And yet, he’s so merciless regarding my mistakes or faults.
Even when he does smile, it’s only a thin smile that evaporates instantly.
The more he dwelled on it, the more Elian Bellotti seemed like an unfair, cold, and indifferent person. It felt certain that he was being treated unfairly. Elian Bellotti ought to treat him with more generosity.
After washing their hands with the child and returning to the living room, Elian brought out those cards as if it were the most natural thing in the world. While Lorenz had joined the game halfway [Read on Read BL Novels]through several times, this was the first time he was starting the card game from the beginning.
The child and Elian sat facing each other on the long sofa, and Lorenz took his place in the chair moved in front of the sofa. A triangular formation was established.
“Now, Lucas, shall we pick some cards again today?”
Perhaps pleased with his own arrangement, the child’s docile brown eyes darted busily between Lorenz and Elian. He was so distracted that he was slow to pick a card. Finally, the child selected the cards with his usual caution.
“Hmm… alright. I’ll put the three cards Lucas chose right here.”
As Elian lined the cards up one by one on the sofa, he suddenly turned to Lorenz.
“Would Mr. Lockhart like to try guessing first today?”
Lorenz flinched at the unexpected proposal. He felt like an audience member who had gone to watch a play, only to be suddenly dragged up onto the stage.
“I don’t know… as you know, I’m not particularly skilled at this.”
“You’ve had quite a bit of practice by now. Give it a try.”
The child’s large eyes were looking up at him. They were filled with anticipation.
Left with no choice, Lorenz examined the three cards. A closed door, a sun half-risen over the sea, and balloons unauthorized copyfloating up into the sky. To Lorenz, they were still like randomly thrown codes.
Recalling his past experiences as much as possible, he tried to think from the child’s perspective. He started with the easiest one. Red, green, blue, yellow… no matter how he thought about it, the picture of colorful balloons floating into the sky couldn’t represent a negative emotion.
He pointed to the card with his long, straight finger.
“This card… seems to represent a positive emotion. Like joy, happiness, or pleasure.”
Elian and the child looked at each other. With a thin smile, Elian nodded.
“Not bad. That’s a good approach.”
Hearing the praise, Lorenz gained confidence. He added a bold imagination to it. An emotion floating up like a balloon… waiting for something, walking faster, and even when the destination is only two blocks away, being unable to wait any longer and getting out of the car to hurry on foot…
“An excited heart?”
After tossing the words out, he looked at the child. The child’s beaming face told him he was close to the right answer.
“Is there something you’re looking forward to? Something you want to do quickly?”
The child’s smile widened. He laughed brightly, revealing his small teeth. It was the first time he had shown such a wide, blooming smile toward Lorenz. The child nodded vigorously, swaying his body back and forth.
Elian also seemed surprised. Feeling triumphant, Lorenz crossed his arms and leaned back against the backrest. A relaxed [unauthorized copy]smile played on his face as he tilted his chin up.
“I can tell by your expression.”
“What about my expression?”
“You probably thought I wouldn’t be able to guess it.”
“You barely guessed one card. I don’t think it’s enough to be so smug.”
Though it sounded sarcastic, a smile lingered around Elian’s eyes and lips. Lorenz realized he was teasing. Shrugging lightly, he responded to Elian, who was reluctant to give him credit.
“Still, I got one right, so it’s progress.”
The child’s face was full of smiles as he watched the two of them. In the face of that laughter, Lorenz couldn’t help but smile back, even if it was just a short, airy chuckle.
The child had begun to smile more often than before. That much was certain.
Had this been before meeting Elian Bellotti, he would have dismissed such a change as trivial. He probably wouldn’t have been satisfied until the goal of the child leaving his room and speaking again was achieved.
But now… he had come to understand the logic that only through this kind of process could the desired result be obtained.
The card game continued. Despite having guessed the first card relatively easily, Lorenz struggled after that. He [visit our site]didn’t get a single card right that Elian Bellotti had chosen.
As the pile of cards he failed to guess grew, Elian and Lucas seemed to enjoy themselves more.
“It seems guessing the first card was just luck after all.”
As he shuffled the cards Lorenz failed to guess, Elian continued to tease him. Because of the playful expression that looked as if he might stick his tongue out at any moment, his usual haughty impression seemed completely different.
His rosy cheeks puffed out slightly, and his blue eyes sparkled like the midday sea reflecting the light. His hair, soaking up the afternoon sunlight, fluttered in the early autumn breeze. In this moment, it seemed he had completely let down his guard toward Lorenz.
Does he even know how he’s smiling right now, or how captivating he is?
“Now, it’s Mr. Lockhart’s turn to pick the cards.”
With a face still lingering with laughter, Elian urged Lorenz.
Lorenz looked over the spread-out cards. Confusion, hesitation, conflict. The cards that caught his eye were only of those kinds. He didn’t want that to be discovered. If it were Elian, he would surely notice.
“I feel like I’ve struggled enough on my own. I’m done.”
“Don’t be like that, just pick some. Picking the cards isn’t hard. I’ll try to guess.”
The fact that I’d be revealing my current emotions to you is what makes me uncomfortable.
“You’re just picking the impression of your day. Like a diary.”
“No, I really…”
The impression of the day.
He had found a partner who was perfectly suited for marriage, with conditions that couldn’t be better. And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to agree readily.
Deviating from his usual behavioral patterns, he felt irritated that he couldn’t understand why he was hesitating even when the optimal answer was right in front of him.
And the small peace, the respite, he had found in this room.
However, he didn’t want to properly face any of those emotions.
Lorenz checked his wristwatch as if escaping.
“It’s already this late.”
The promised 30 minutes had long passed; over 40 minutes had elapsed. Thirty minutes every day spent in this room. It was a time he had started reluctantly, by force.
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