Chapter 142: Brother and Sister Bonding [3]

Chapter 142: Brother and Sister Bonding [3]


The plates had long been cleared. Afternoon light streamed through the tall windows, catching in dust motes that drifted lazily above their table.


Elina dabbed her lips with a napkin and leaned forward, her smile bright as ever.


"Why don’t we explore together?" she suggested, her tone light, though her golden eyes lingered a little too intently on Livia.


Across from her, Livia set down her cup with a faint clink.


"I..." She hesitated, fingers curling over the rim.


Her gaze flicked toward the window where the streets bustled with strangers, her composure faltering for a moment.


"I’m not sure that’s necessary."


Elina’s lips curved in a knowing way.


"Not necessary?" she repeated sweetly. "Come now, it’s a day off. You can’t just hide away after one meal. Besides..." she clasped Livia’s hand across the table, squeezing gently, "I’d much rather spend the day with you than wandering alone."


Livia’s eyes softened at that, though her posture remained guarded. She looked down at their hands, then at Caleb sitting beside her, his expression unreadable, arms loosely folded as he watched without comment.


A quiet breath slipped from her lips.


"Alright," she said at last. "Together, then."


Elina’s smile brightened instantly.


"Perfect."


From the other side, Alaric leaned back in his chair yawning and stretching his arms over his head.


Then after a little arguments and bets, they decided who will pay for the whole lunch.


Caleb settled the bill, sliding the coins across the counter without fuss.


Livia adjusted her gloves while Elina practically tugged her toward the door.


The moment they stepped into the streets, the city greeted them with sound mixing different activities. Merchants called out their wares, children darted between stalls with sticky fingers clutching sweets, and the air smelled of roasted nuts and spiced bread.


Elina slipped her arm through Livia’s with ease, pulling her into the current of the crowd.


"Look, look! That ribbon shop has the prettiest silks," she chimed, tugging her a little closer.


At first Livia kept her eyes lowered, shoulders stiff against the cheerful tugging, but Elina’s laughter was strangely disarming.


Each time she paused to point out something, a carved trinket, a tray of candied fruits, a tiny jeweled brooch, it chipped a little at Livia’s guardedness.


Eventually, Elina stopped before a small hat stall, its awning lined with neat rows of fabric sunhats. She plucked one up, a soft cream shade with a delicate ribbon trim, and without asking slipped it over Livia’s head.


"There! Absolutely perfect."


Livia blinked, raising her hands as if to remove it, but Elina caught her wrists with a grin."No, no, don’t even think about it... It suits you far too well."


Her reflection in the polished glass of a nearby shop made Livia pause. She almost didn’t recognize the woman looking back at her. Her lips parted, but no protest came.


Elina, satisfied, grabbed another in pale rose color for herself and pressed both purchases into the merchant’s hands.


"Two, please."


Elina looped her arm back through Livia’s, their new hats perched.


"Now we match," she said brightly.


Elina adjusted the brim of her new hat, then spun lightly on her heel to face the boys. Her arm still looped through Livia’s, she tilted her head with a teasing smile.


"Well? How do we look, brother?" she asked, savoring the moment as though awaiting applause.


Livia on the other hand wasn’t nearly so bold.


She kept her gaze lowered at first, fingers brushing the ribbon of her hat.


Yet every few heartbeats, her eyes flicked up toward Alaric, quick, shy glances tinged with an almost imperceptible expectation.


Alaric stood there. For a moment it seemed he might shrug it off with one of his usual careless remarks. Instead, he exhaled softly, shoulders dropping as he gave them both a steady look.


"You both look beautiful," he said simply.


Elina smirked, clearly pleased with herself, while Livia’s cheeks flushed red.


She lowered her gaze, didn’t dare meet his eyes, fingers toying with the ribbon of her hat as she murmured, barely above a whisper, "Th-thank you..."


Caleb, however, noticed everything. His jaw tightened, and when he looked at Alaric, his expression hardened, eyes narrowed, as though he was hurling daggers at the back of his head.


Elina either didn’t see it or chose to ignore it. And with a bright hum, she tightened her hold on Livia’s arm and cheerfully tugged her forward. "Come on, there’s still more to see!"


The group walked on, weaving through the bustling streets until the shops thinned and the cobblestones gave way to a quieter avenue.


At the end of it lay a park.


They soon found an empty bench beneath the shade of a broad oak tree. Elina settled in first, gently pulling Livia beside her. Naturally, the boys took the outer ends—Alaric on one side, Caleb on the other—leaving the girls nestled between them.


Elina leaned forward on the bench, her skirts swishing as she turned to Livia and nudged her lightly with her elbow.


"You’re awfully quiet, Livia. Don’t tell me a little stroll through the market wore you out already?"


Livia blinked and gave a faint shake of her head. "No, I’m fine. Just... it’s been a while since I’ve had this much company."


"Mm-hm." Elina squeezed her arm and tilted her head. "Still the same Livia, trying to disappear when I drag you out."


That drew the faintest smile from her friend.


Then Elina’s gaze flicked to Caleb, lounging at the far end of the bench, arms crossed. She arched a brow.


"And you, what happened to you? You used to trip over your own boots chasing us down the alleys. Now you sit there like some grumpy knight."


Caleb’s eyes narrowed. "People change."


Elina snorted. "Change? Don’t make me laugh. I still remember you bawling after falling in the river. You were convinced the fish were biting your toes."


Livia covered her mouth, stifling a laugh. "Elina, don’t."


But Elina was already leaning back, satisfied. "See? Still works. You can’t glare the memory away."


Caleb’s jaw tightened, and he turned his head aside.


Livia shook her head, smiling despite herself. "You never change, Elina. Always stirring trouble."


"Of course," Elina said, lifting her chin proudly. "That’s why you love me."


The chatter between them slowly tapered off, until the hum of the park and the chatter of other passersby filled the silence.


Livia shifted in her seat, fingers brushing over the small satchel in her lap. After a hesitant pause, she pulled out a neat bundle, a set of brushes wrapped in cloth, and a sketchbook with its corners worn soft.


She opened it, flipping past a few older pages before settling on a blank one.


Her hand hovered, then dipped her brush into a tiny vial of pigment. And then began to paint.


Elina leaned in, her chin propped in her hand, watching with patient curiosity. "Still as graceful as ever," she murmured when the first strokes began to take form.


Minutes passed, the air filled only with the faint scrape of brush against paper. Finally, Livia set the brush aside.


"Finished," she whispered.


Elina clapped softly and cooed, "Livia, it’s wonderful," before slipping the book from her hands without asking.


At the far end of the bench, Alaric, who had been leaning back with his arms crossed and eyes closed, cracked one open. His gaze flicked toward the page.


"You really are talented," he said, voice low but steady.


Livia’s blush deepened instantly, her grip fidgeting on her skirt. "Th-thank you," she mumbled, eyes darting down.


Elina grinned like a cat that had caught a mouse.


She flipped a page back casually, and...


"Wait, don’t!" Livia gasped, lunging to grab the book.


But Elina angled it away, lips curving with mischief. "What are you hiding in here?"


She flipped again, but what she saw made her eyes widened.


The teasing smile froze on her lips. She blinked once, then twice, staring down at the sketch that covered the paper.


Drawn with patient lines and subtle shading, a familiar figure stared back from the page, obsidian hair, sharp lines of a jaw, shoulders squared with quiet strength.


Alaric.