Afternoon. After Robert revealed his true identity, he suddenly vanished like a bubble. I searched every corner of his blue house but couldn’t find him. So I crossed over to the neighboring house to look for him there, but still no sign of him.
I scratched my nape and scanned the quiet street. Despite Robert calling it a subdivision, it felt more like a small village with the houses spaced apart. It was spacious, with a playground and even a chapel.
“Robert!” I shouted across the street.
I wasn’t sure if anyone in the neighboring houses could hear me; my voice wasn’t particularly loud. I was mostly venting my frustration.
Even though my mind was preoccupied with Robert’s earlier demeanor, I couldn’t shake off thoughts of the strange man from the supermarket. His eyes were filled with curiosity and surprise. It was as if he knew who I was and why I was there in that place.
Just earlier, I had a gut feeling that Robert knew who that man was. They both knew Skylar. Although I hadn’t had the chance to ask that man if he knew the Clasisos, his eyes suggested he did. And Robert, he just admitted to his involvement with the Clasisos.
I sighed in resignation and walked back towards the small gate of Robert’s house. The sky had streaks of orange from the setting sun. It was past five in the afternoon. The surroundings were still bright, but there was a chill in the air, maybe because the sun was low in the horizon or because December was approaching.
“Robert!” I yelled once more before heading towards the open door of his house.
I slumped my shoulders. I really wanted to see him. I had skipped lunch when I dozed off earlier on the patio. When I woke up, Robert was gone. The cup of tea he had made was cold, confirming he left after I fell asleep watching the leaves sway in the trees.
I had wanted to request chicken fillet for dinner. Since he knew how to cook, he should know how to make chicken fillet, right?
But where was he? He couldn’t just leave me alone here. He knew that fact well, so where was that guy?
I stayed in the living room for hours, humming out of boredom. Darkness had long engulfed the town outside the house. The lights in the living room were already on.
Despite the house being quite large, it felt empty and melancholic. I was alone in that house, waiting for someone whose return was uncertain.
Well, after discovering his identity, I was stunned. But when I revealed that I knew his true self, he disappeared immediately. I didn’t want to think badly of him, but it felt like he was avoiding me.
“Mmm.”
“Who are you waiting for?” someone suddenly asked. When I turned to the voice, Robert’s eyes met mine.
I swallowed hard. “I guess… you went to the supermarket because you needed to buy something?”
There was a pause between us. He had just entered the house; I could tell from his flushed face, like he had been running for hours. Although his breathing wasn’t normal, he stood upright and walked towards me.
“Here. Eat this,” he said, placing a few small bags of donuts on the center table in front of me.
I raised an eyebrow at what he said and did, then smiled. “You could have gone back to town. Now that I know what kind of person you are.”
“What kind of person?” he asked, smiling. “Just eat,” he said, then went to the kitchen.
I breathed a sigh of relief as I watched him walk towards the kitchen. I picked up a donut from the center table and took a bite. It was delicious, so I almost finished it.
Suddenly, I felt thirsty. I stood up and went to the kitchen. There I saw Robert, busy preparing food. He was wearing an apron that suited him. But it was a children’s apron, because his body was so large.
He probably felt someone was staring at him from behind, so he turned around and looked at me. “You’ve been staring for a while,” he teased, a smile playing on his lips.
“Not really.” I went over to the fridge and grabbed a pitcher. I poured water into an empty glass.
I leaned against the wall next to the fridge and looked at Robert while he slowly sipped water from the glass.
He had this sturdy figure that was common among knights. But seeing him in an apron and bustling around the kitchen made him look cute in my eyes.
“You’ve been staring for a while,” he pointed out again. This time, there was a slight crease in his forehead. He seemed annoyed.
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “I was just standing here,” I defended.
He paused slicing the condiments and glanced at me. He had a deep gaze that made me grin broadly.
“Azora,” he warned.
I raised an eyebrow at his call. “Now you call me Azora? Before, you always called me Miss Azora.” I shook my head for dramatic effect. “People really change that fast, huh?”
“Go back to the living room. I’ll call you when dinner’s ready.”
I smiled at his gentle tone, but it faded quickly. I didn’t know what had come over him or why he suddenly seemed kinder to me.
I placed the empty glass in the sink on the side and sighed. “You’re acting strange,” I said.
He raised an eyebrow but kept his gaze on the cutting board. “Don’t you want me to cook something else?” he asked.
“Strange,” I murmured. “You really are acting strange. What are you up to, huh?”