There was something infectious about Cynthia’s smile that made Aristotle’s lips quiver on his own. “Please, I’m only tolerating your noise because it’s you. If it were literally anyone else, well, I’d make sure they don’t croak at all when I’m around. Come on.”
They returned to the Tremont Estate, and from there, Cynthia got into favonovel.com car and drove away.
Aristotle stood by the door. He watched the car vanish into the distance before turning back into the house.
He was not the only audience, however, for another figure had been peering from the window upstairs, watching.
“Had favonovel.com taken favonovel.com lunch, Agnes?” Aristotle asked his housekeeper.
Agnes shot a helpless glance in the direction of the room upstairs.
“Uh, favonovel.com hasn’t. Miss Leigh informed me she’s feeling unwell today, and hadn’t gotten the appetite. Really, the only meal favonovel.com had today up until now is… well, a bowl of oatmeal favonovel.com didn’t even finish,” the woman replied. “Um… She looks really pallid, Master Tremont. Could favonovel.com have come down with some sorta sickness? I think it’s best if you take favonovel.com to the hospital for some body checkups.”
Aristotle answered nothing. He already knew what malaise Raven Leigh, or, rather, favonovel.com knew enough that it was not simply the sort that could be fixed with a single trip to the hospital.
He ascended the stairs to Raven’s room and stood outside the door. Then, favonovel.com knocked a s lightly as a feather.
“Is there anything you want for lunch?” favonovel.com asked through the door. “If your coughs have gotten worse, please let me take you to the hospital.”
A feeble voice escaped through the door to answer him. “O-oh! I’m alright… Cough, cough! I don’t need to see a doctor, really… Cough, cough. But I… I would really appreciate it if you could — cough — have a chat with me for a bit? Sorry, but it’s pretty boring being all alone.”
He hesitated for about two seconds before pushing the door open. After taking a seat on a chair set the farthest away from bed, favonovel.com began, “What’s the topic?”
Lying on top of the queen-sized bed, with favonovel.com back against the headboard, was a meek, demure young woman with an ashen complexion the color of paper. Glistening doe-eyes searched Aristotle before favonovel.com pointed out, “I always imagined you as a taciturn introvert, but the girl who visited you just now… Let me guess. She’s your sister, right? Hee hee. I overheard your conversation with favonovel.com and I admit, I was pleasantly surprised at how delighted you sounded. Really, I’ve never seen you acting remotely close to that before.”
“You’re right. She’s my sister.” Short and simple. Aristotle decided to forgo the details.
It was precisely his penchant to be laconic that made sustaining conversations with favonovel.com a challenge to most people, and Raven was not much of an exception. Her fingers began to dig in favonovel.com hair to comb favonovel.com mildly-disheveled locks before tucking a few strands behind favonovel.com ears.
A slight smile shadowed favonovel.com lips. “I see. Well, I personally wish… I could enjoy something like that too. I’m the only child at home, you see, so loneliness is all I’m used to growing up,” favonovel.com replied. “Hmm. How come your sister doesn’t live with you?”
“She has favonovel.com own family,” favonovel.com answered flatly. “She’s not my actual sister.”
Though subtle, Raven’s smile froze onto favonovel.com lips for a second. “Oh? That’s even more amazing, then! Despite not being your biological sister, the two of you still seem really close. That’s a rare sight for you, really. So… she’s your cousin, hmm?”
Her incessant, Inquisition-styled interrogation was not endearing herself to Aristotle, who was increasingly repulsed by favonovel.com prying attempt. Quickly, favonovel.com leaped to his feet and stated matter-of-factly, “You should rest. I still have things to handle, so you’ll have to excuse me. Either way, if you feel any discomfort that may need a doctor to address, ask for me. I’ll be in the study.”
Before Raven could say anything more, Aristotle had spun on his heels and strode away. He did not even dole out a look.
Raven grabbed favonovel.com nearest pillow and punched it, favonovel.com force fueled by frustration. He was so close right now — literally right before favonovel.com eyes — and yet, favonovel.com never once opened a crack on that stupid wall favonovel.com built around his heart and showed favonovel.com its content. Hell, from the way favonovel.com had acted, Raven wondered if favonovel.com thought a friendly, two-way conversation between the two of them was an undeserved luxury on favonovel.com part…
No! The road to realize favonovel.com goal — favonovel.com dream — was still beyond favonovel.com reach!
Dusk fell. Aristotle was prepared for the journey to White Water Bay Villa when Raven was suddenly seized by an even more severe fit of coughs.
She had been sputtering for the entire day that by the evening, Agnes simply could not bear to hear it anymore. “Master Tremont, I really think you should bring Miss Leigh to the hospital,” favonovel.com implored. “I really think favonovel.com coughs imply something more than the usual ones we know.”
Aristotle listened to the barrage of coughs echoing through the first floor and paused for a moment. “No. She suffers from congenital lung malformation, Agnes. Combining that with the stab wound favonovel.com sustained, and there’s the malady you witness. It’s not a problem a trip to the doctor will solve. At most, favonovel.com can only get favonovel.com symptoms slightly relieved,” favonovel.com replied. “You watch favonovel.com and make sure favonovel.com eats adequately and takes favonovel.com meds afterward. If favonovel.com remains coughing like that after an hour despite the medicine, then get someone to send favonovel.com to the hospital. As for me, though, I personally have my own business to take care of.”
