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Ryan smirked, that familiar, sly glint returning. "What?" he replied, feigning innocence. "Can’t a husband kiss his wife?" There was a playful confidence in his tone, an edge that was new to her. The redness on his face betrayed him, though, revealing his own surprise at his boldness.
She laughed softly, reaching up to pat his cheek, the warmth of her hand lingering. "Why now?" she teased, arching a brow, her curiosity piqued.
But before he could respond, she grabbed him by the collar, pulling him back toward her with a fierceness that surprised them both. Her fingers threaded through his hair, and she kissed him with a newfound intensity, letting her emotions speak for her. He tensed for a mont, caught off guard, but soon his arms wrapped around her, grounding them both.
For days, an unusual quiet had settled over the house. It was the kind of calm that felt out of place, almost like a lull before a storm. Es felt it in the walls, in the stillness of rooms once filled with conversations and laughter. But this morning, the silence was shattered by an unexpected encounter.
She descended the stairs to join the others for breakfast, buttoning her sleeves as she made her way to the table. There, she spotted Ray, sitting calmly, an odd look on his face. As she neared him, he sniffed the air and looked at her, intrigued. "Did you use your perfu?" he asked, his expression curious.
She paused, surprised by the question. "I usually wear it, yes," she replied thoughtfully, "but I don’t think I put it on today. Maybe it’s on my clothes." She was slightly taken aback, not just by his question, but by his reaction to it. Her perfu wasn’t exactly delicate—it was bold, intense, sothing that had always been more unsettling than alluring. She had chosen it precisely for its sharpness, a fragrance designed to ward off, not attract. Yet Ray seed completely unfazed, even... intrigued?
Es’s eyes narrowed a bit, a flicker of unease crawling through her. She noticed more subtle, peculiar details about him that morning.
As they settled around the dining table, everyone served themselves, exchanging the usual small talk. She picked up a handful of grapes, biting into one, only to wince at the intense sourness. But as her gaze slid to Ray, she found him eating the sa grapes with an expression of sheer enjoynt. He even wore a faint smile, as though savoring sothing sweet and delectable. Not only Es noticed; Jay, who sat beside Ray, looked equally bewildered, his brows knitting in silent shock.
"Do you not find it quite sour?" she asked Ray, masking her bewildernt with a casual tone.
Ray looked up at her, blinking innocently. "Sour? Not at all. These are delicious." He gave her a questioning look. "Are you sure you don’t need these?" He held it up, offering it with a playful smile.
Es shook her head, hiding a small smile. "No, I don’t think I need it. But thank you." She handed him her hearing aid without thinking twice, wondering at his sudden excitent.
The mont he took it, he tossed a few more grapes into his mouth, a look of pure delight crossing his face as he chewed, as if savoring sothing especially exquisite.
As he continued to eat, she couldn’t shake the feeling that sothing was off.
Shaking off her doubts, Es headed to the office, intent on finishing her tasks for the day. But when she returned ho that night, an unsettling sight greeted her. There, in the early restroom, was Ray—crying. Not just a few tears, but sobbing like a child. It was a jarring image, one she never thought she’d see from him. Ray was not soone who shed tears, even in the face of tragedy.
Her heart raced as she rushed down the stairs, the echoes of her footsteps seeming loud in the tense silence. "What happened? Why are you crying?" she asked, confusion flooding her voice. The servants surrounding Ray wore worn expressions, their faces reflecting a mix of concern and bewildernt.
As soon as Ray caught sight of her, he bolted toward her, throwing his arms around her waist in a desperate embrace. "Wow!" he cried, tears streaming down his face. Es instinctively wrapped her arms around him, patting his back soothingly. "What happened?" she urged, shocked by his unexpected vulnerability.
Ray only pointed toward the table, his sobs muffled against her. Es turned her head to see what he was indicating, and her gaze landed on a solitary roasted cheese nut sitting there. She frowned, looking back at Ray, searching for answers. "What happened? You don’t want to eat it? Who put the cheese nut there? What the hell happened here?"
He remained silent, tears still flowing. Sensing the weight of the mont, one of the servants stepped forward, hesitating for a mont before speaking. "The eldest master asked for roasted cheese nuts. We brought them to him, but now... he’s crying."
"What rubbish are you talking about?" Es exclaid, bewildered. She turned back to Ray, gently pushing him away to et his gaze. "What happened? Why are you crying?"
Ray sniffled, his eyes darting from the cheese nut to Es and back again, confusion etched on his face. "The cheese nut?" he murmured, as if trying to process his own emotions. "Huh? Huh? The cheese nut?"
"Yes! What about it?" Es pressed, her concern deepening. Was it poisoned? Had sothing gone terribly wrong? Why was Ray crying like this over a simple snack?
Finally, he spoke, his voice quaking with sadness. "I wanted the sweet cheese nut. And it’s all dead."
Es froze, her heart sinking. The implications of his words washed over her like a cold wave. "What do you an, ’it’s all dead’?" she asked, struggling to grasp the depth of his sorrow. The weight of his longing settled heavily between them, the innocence of a simple treat overshadowed by mories and emotions she couldn’t yet understand.
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