On my way home, I obtained a flowerpot. It was a flowerpot with cherry tomato seeds planted in it. Anne-Marie was the first one to get interested in the flowerpot outside the store as we were walking by.

The florist said they were doing a two for one special today, so Anne-Marie bought it and gave me one as a gift.

“I’m interested in indoor gardening these days. I planted some herbs and lettuce a while ago and when I get more used to it, I want to grow things like strawberries or blueberries.”

Anne-Marie held her flowerpot in hand and shyly revealed her ambitions.

“Can you grow things like blueberries at home?”

“Yes, I saw them selling seeds like that too.”

Buying seeds for fruits and vegetables and growing them at home would definitely reduce the cost of food so it seemed like a good idea. I looked at Anne-Marie and nodded in agreement.

That said, I didn’t know Anne-Marie was interested in indoor gardening. I guess after quitting the clinic, she had more free time and opened her eyes to a new hobby. As expected, if she didn’t have to work, it was better not to do it.

A while later, Anne-Marie and I said our goodbyes in front of the house and separated.

Click.

When I opened the door and entered the house, a delicious smell entered my nose.

“You’re back?”

A familiar greeting rang out and Lakis poked his head out of the kitchen. His shiny blonde hair shook with his movements and scattered gently.

Today as well, Lakis was turning the kitchen into a sacred place. The sight of a man in a white shirt cooking with his sleeves rolled up…it definitely made him look 1.5 times as handsome as usual.[1]

Then I realized Lakis was wearing the same thing he had on when I left the house earlier so I asked:

“Mr. Lakis, you didn’t go out today?”

“I’m only going out in the evening today.”

After giving that reply, Lakis studied my face. Somehow, I felt like he was waiting for me to say something more so I tilted my head. But maybe it was my imagination because the next moment, Lakis looked away and changed the topic.

“You have a flowerpot.”

I followed his gaze and looked down at the flowerpot I was holding.

“I got it as a gift.”

“From the friend you met today?”

Lakis asked, coming out of the kitchen and walking up to me.

I didn’t tell Lakis I was working for the Crawfords. So I just told him I was going to meet a friend since today was my today off from the coffeehouse.

Maybe it was because they were the ruler of the East and ruler of the West respectively, but the atmosphere was oddly never good when Lakis and Kalian Crawford met. It was less with Kalian since he didn’t know Lakis’ identity but I could tell Lakis disliked Kalian considerably. Even when I ran in Kalian Crawford, he didn’t seem happy about it.

“Yes, it has cherry tomato seeds. If I grow it well, it should bear fruits.”

“Hm, I see.”

Lakis gave a passive response then he took the flowerpot from me. The flowerpot was so big that I had to carry it in my arms, but he picked it lightly with one hand.

After that, Lakis roughly put the cherry tomato flowerpot on the shelf then he reach out of me. As his fingers took off my jacket, I unconscious trusted him with it.

“Go change and come out.”

Lakis then placed the jacket he took off in my hand and gave me a light peck on the forehead. Following that, I was led by the gentle hand pushing my back and went into the room.

After I was done changing my clothes, I sat down opposite Lakis at the table.

“Mr. Lakis, I know it might be boring to hear it every time but your food is really delicious as always.”

I was usually amazed by Lakis’ food when I ate it and today was no exception.

“Did you learn cooking on its own?”

Then I felt curious enough and asked. Of course, if you thought about it with common sense, there was no way the king of the dark world would go and learn cooking…But no matter how hard I thought about it, wasn’t his skill practically at a professional level? It felt like a deepened taste that had been tempered with experience, didn’t it?

Lakis sat at the table, watching me eat with his chin loosely leaning on his hand. And when he heard what I said, his eyes curved and he gave a lazy smile.

“Well…I’m usually good at everything physical.”

I instinctively realized Lakis was using his beauty trap right now. There was cutlery in my hand at the moment and I was naturally not in contact with him, so the effect was miniscule.

Hmm…or maybe not? Maybe it was a bit more effective than miniscule?

“There’s some on you.”

Right then, Lakis’ hand drew closer to me. The moment, his finger touched my mouth, various emotions seeped into me. Lakis’ hand ticklish swiped my lips.

As I looked into his eyes, I realized something.

“Mr. Lakis.”

So I grabbed Lakis’ hand which was on my face and asked.

“Are you ambidextrous?”[2]

I had implicitly learnt about this fact as I kept living with him, but I figured I’d use this chance to confirm it. Of course, the realization I made was not about Lakis being actually ambidextrous.

Lakis raised a brow slightly at my question. He looked like he didn’t understand why I was suddenly asking about this.

“I am ambidextrous, yes.”

But he soon nodded his head and gave me an answer.

Indeed, that’s what I thought.

I put Lakis’ hand down on the table and spoke.

“Then hold hands with me while I eat. For some reason, the food tastes better once you touch me.”

“Is that so…?”

“Yes.”

If he was right-handed like me, I wouldn’t be able to hold his hand and eat so this was good.

After hearing what I said, Lakis gazed at me with a odd look in his eyes. But either ways, he didn’t refuse my request. And so, I was holding Lakis’ hand the entire dinner. Maybe it was just my imagination, but the food felt more delicious and I was satisfied.

After I was done eating, some time passed, and it was time to go to bed.

“Ms. Yuri, come over here.”

Lakis called me once I came of the bath and got me to sit in front of him then personally dried my hair. It all flowed so naturally that I didn’t even feel anything out of place.

Earlier, he was like a chef and now, Lakis was showing off his skill as a masseur. His hands felt so nice drying my hair with the towel that as I entrusted him with my hair, my body gradually relaxed and my eyelid began to droop.

Then suddenly, a question flashed through my mind.

‘Come to think of it, isn’t it weird…?’

I definitely thought that after taking Lakis in, I would be the one feeding him and putting him to sleep, so when did it become the opposite?

While that question swirled in my head, Lakis took my hand, put me in bed and even tucked me in with the blanket.

“I’ll be here until you fall asleep.”

A low voice suitable for the quiet night tickled my ears. I peered at Lakis’ face as he lay beside me. The body temperature on my palm was warm.

He said he was going out this evening, but I guess he planned on going out after I fell asleep. As I looked into Lakis’ eyes, somehow I felt a bit ticklish inside.

So I simply closed my eyes then I felt Lakis taking my hand and pressing his lips against it. I acted like I didn’t notice it.

Somehow, it was a strangely peaceful night.

* * *

“You’re late.”Dominic Crawford coldly spoke to the man who just stepped into his office.

“I’m, I’m sorry, sir. I was looking into something else for a bit, so I got the message late.”

The person making excuses in front of him was the dog trainer who took care of the dogs in the Crawford family.

Dominic looked at him and curtly ordered.

“The dogs that came into the annex last time. Bring them to me.”

At that, the dog trainer’s bent over back stiffened. He reflexively looked up to check Dominic’s face.

Dominic was currently looking over his last document. His face was glued to the paper without any hint of warmth.

The dog trainer was filled with an ominous sense of foreboding and swallowed drily.

“Master…the eldest young master cherishes these dogs.”

“Is that so? And what does that have to do with my order right now?”

Who knew why Dominic ordered him to bring the dogs, but he said that because he hoped Dominic could take that into consideration. However, Dominic only retorted in a cold voice, his tone and expression not changing at all.

Squeak.

Soon enough, Dominic finished signing his last document and stood up from his seat.

“Bring them to the empty lot in front of the annex.”

After repeating his order, he left the office first. In the end, the dog trainer had no choice but to follow Dominic’s order.

And a while later.

Baang! Bang!

A loud noise suddenly rang out in the middle of the night. Everyone in Crockford mansion heard it.

Kalian was no exception. He had just gotten home and entered his bedroom then he heard the sound booming outside his window and his eyes glinted sharply.

“That scared me!”

“What was that sound?”

When he left his room, he saw the employed servants asking questions in surprise.

Kalian left the mansion and dashed in the direction the sound came from. And when he finally arrived, the dog trainer was there.

“Y-Young master Kalian…”

The man looked up when he heard Kalian’s footsteps and spoke with a trembling voice.

“Master, he…”

The dog trainer was hugging something in the darkness. The vivid smell of blood flitted past the tip of his nose.

Kalian stared at the scene in front of him, frozen for a while. Then he realized that was the trainer was holding right now, were the dogs he had been raising.

Soon, Kalian’s feet moved from where he stood. And a while later, his hand touched the body of the dog being held by the dog trainer.

It was obvious that the cause of the sound that ripple through the quiet night earlier was the new weapon that was being tested in the Alchemist Tower nowadays.

Kalian felt the sticky blood at the tip of his fingers and clenched his teeth.

The very next moment, just when Kalian rose to chase after Dominic who made the dogs this way.

Hk….

A small breathing sound could be heard from below.

“Y-Young master! One of them is alive!”

The dog trainer felt the same thing and quickly called out. Kalian hurriedly moved into action. And he changed his goal and ran off to get the vet right away.

Translator’s Corner:

[1] I don’t know why this number is so specific, but it is what it is.

[2] Ambidextrous: Someone that can use both hands fluidly at approximately the same efficiency. You may google for more information.