RS 05

Chapter 5

Xavier’s studies abroad had been accompanied by all sorts of rumors.

There were rumors that Xavier had gotten himself into an incident too difficult to clean up after and fled the country, rumors that the Bransen family was laying the groundwork for moving its base of operations to another country, and rumors that Xavier was preparing to inherit the family business…

In other words, all sorts of pointless speculation.

Yet among the people desperately trying to find out more about him, Dolores was one of the few who had desperately tried to forget him.

…Because the relationship between Xavier and her had become such a complete mess that she no longer even knew what to call it.

But, as always, Xavier had caught her off guard and made her fail.

With nothing more than a single meeting of their eyes, she had no choice but to admit that she was the person who had thought about Xavier more than anyone else.

It had been that way since they were children.

“I can’t say nothing has changed… but seeing you two makes me glad I came.”

As Xavier walked in, casually waving an elegant bouquet of flowers, a forgotten pain began throbbing above Dolores’s knees.

Claudia couldn’t contain her excitement and fired off questions one after another.

“How did you know? Did you know and come here on purpose? Did you come back because of me?”

“It was a coincidence. I had just gotten back, but no one was home. So I wondered where everyone had gone and went looking for them. Then I found a flyer announcing your retirement performance. I didn’t even have time to unpack my luggage and came straight here. How could I not come?”

“Ah! Right, I heard Mr. Luca and Mrs. Angelique were going somewhere today. Your mother and father also said they had an appointment with the union members in Coulomb, didn’t they? But isn’t Damien at home?”

“Why do you know my family’s whereabouts better than I do?”

“I invited them to come today, but they all said they were busy and declined.”

“It’s only natural. Even their own son gets treated like an afterthought.”

Claudia giggled and threw her arms around Xavier just as she had hugged Dolores.

“I thought I was leaving like this and would never see you again for the rest of my life.”

“Were you really planning to abandon your homeland completely?”

“You never know what the future holds.”

“You’re making me sad.”

“You disappeared for almost two years and barely kept in touch, and you’re saying that? How was Triabell?”

“First of all, there’s an excessive amount of something smeared all over your face. Glitter. It’s everywhere.”

Xavier spoke like a gentleman as he effortlessly lifted Claudia by the waist before setting her back down. It was as natural as a move from a dance performance.

If only he hadn’t immediately started dusting off his clothes and grumbling afterward.

“These are expensive clothes. Are you going to pay for them?”

“I hope you die.”

Claudia turned toward Dolores, pointed her thumb at Xavier, and deliberately put on an exaggeratedly stern expression.

Watching the two of them, Dolores gave a slight shake of her head and stood up. She carefully adjusted her grip on the handle of her cane.

“I have somewhere to be today, so I’ll be going now.”

Claudia’s eyes widened as she looked back and forth between Dolores and Xavier.

Only then did she realize that there was something wrong between them.

“What happened to you two? Did you have a fight or something?”

“It’s nothing like that.”

Dolores answered briefly and tried to leave.

But Xavier’s hand swept smoothly around her shoulder and forcibly pulled her back toward the sofa.

“Lolly, that’s a shame.”

“Don’t.”

“Didn’t you miss me?”

“Judging by how you started picking a fight with me the moment you came back, I see you haven’t matured at all.”

With his chin raised and his long eyelashes lowered, Xavier’s green eyes scanned Dolores from head to toe as she stood leaning on her cane.

Then, oddly enough, he stretched out the hand holding the bouquet and offered it to Claudia. His gaze remained fixed on Dolores.

It didn’t seem particularly sincere, but since he was giving her flowers, Claudia was about to accept them when the bouquet suddenly darted away the moment she reached for it.

“Thank—”

Xavier teasingly pulled the bouquet back again, plucked several sprigs of baby’s breath decorating the roses, and casually tossed them toward Claudia.

“Those are yours.”

He handed the remaining bouquet to Dolores.

“The roses suit this side better. A peace offering.”

A red rose with fresh, vivid petals stopped within Dolores’s peripheral vision.

Flowers from him.

There had been a time when she had wanted them. Back when she had imagined seeing his name among countless bouquets, even a flower like this would have held meaning.

“I’ll pass. I have too much luggage.”

Dolores firmly refused. Claudia subtly furrowed her brows.

“Hey.”

“Yeah?”

“You didn’t buy those for me?”

“I did.”

“Then?”

“I changed my mind. Giving a bouquet to a woman who has a fiancé would be rude. A gentleman’s consideration shines brightest at times like this, don’t you think?”

“Are you serious? You don’t have ulterior motives, do you? You do, don’t you? You totally have ulterior motives.”

Xavier gave a low laugh and shook his head.

“To make a more honest confession, you haven’t even been in the profession long enough to call this a retirement. So it would be excessive for you to accept Xavier’s roses.”

“So you’re saying it’s okay for Dolores but not for me? That’s what having ulterior motives means.”

“Who knows.”

Xavier’s shameless smile eased the tension.

Suddenly, an unpleasant emotion she had buried deep inside rose to the surface.

Dolores really decided to leave. She reached for the door, but someone beat her to it.

A voice calling Claudia could be heard from outside.

“Wait! Hold on!”

After asking them to wait, Claudia hurried out with light, almost skipping steps.

Soon, the sound of people laughing and chatting began drifting in from outside the door.

The only people left in the waiting room were Dolores and Xavier, sitting awkwardly across from one another.

“I’ll go, too.”

“Clody told you to wait.”

“Exchanging greetings is enough.”

Without looking at Xavier, Dolores tightened her grip on her cane. Concentrating on not limping as much as possible, she walked past him.

But almost at that exact moment, Xavier twisted his upper body and seized her cane.

“Didn’t you miss me?”

The inside of Dolores’s knee throbbed sharply.

She twisted the cane, trying to pull it free, but Xavier didn’t budge.

He sat there like a solid rock, looking up at her.

“Lolly.”

“Can’t you hear me telling you not to call me that?”

He set down the flowers and stood while still holding onto her cane. The subtle scent of perfume, musk and lime, reached the tip of her nose.

“Then, Mademoiselle Etoile?”

Dolores spun around like a bolt of lightning and shoved his shoulder without mercy.

Her face flushed with faint embarrassment.

The cane struck Xavier’s elbow and rolled across the floor with a cold clattering sound.

Xavier didn’t retreat.

Instead, he stepped closer.

The distance between their noses became dangerously small.

Dolores didn’t back away. She stared straight at him. Just meeting his eyes made her stomach churn.

Her heart beat unpleasantly fast.

Xavier asked in a teasing tone,

“Why are you so prickly? Our cute little Lolly.”

“Are you really asking me that now? Stop provoking people so much.”

“The kindness you show Clody.”

He tilted his head ever so slightly, the corners of his mouth lifting lazily.

“Give me half of that. Then I think I could behave myself quite well.”

Dolores clenched her jaw. With her teeth tightly pressed together, she spoke coldly.

“I’m sorry, Xavier, but if you feel good because of me, then I won’t feel good. Let go of this.”

Xavier stared intently into her eyes before obediently releasing her.

The sensation of his fingers, which had been wrapped warmly around her, slowly spreading apart and moving away lingered like an electric current, traveling up her spine.

“Ah… I came back after so long, but no one is happy to see me.”

“There are more than a few people who would be delighted to hear that you’ve returned. Even your false modesty isn’t very amusing.”

“Triabell killed my sense of humor.”

“Did it only kill your sense of humor? What a shame.”

A quiet laugh escaped Xavier’s throat.

“What are you doing tonight?”

It was such a casual question.

“You haven’t eaten yet, have you?”

Dolores’s gaze immediately sharpened.

“I have no reason to eat with you.”

“Do you really have to put it that bluntly? I’m just asking you to have dinner with me.”

He took one step closer.

The distance between them narrowed in an instant, and his tilted face almost completely filled Dolores’s field of vision.

He was close enough that she could feel his breath.

“You’re already thinking about how to avoid me.”

The boy she had once looked up to with admiration had now become a young man whose thoughts she could no longer read at all.

Dolores’s fingertips trembled slightly as she curled her hand into a fist.

In the end, she couldn’t hold it in any longer and snapped,

“You’re the one who disappeared without a word. Why are you acting like this now?”

She had tried not to let her feelings show, but that question, more than anything, was perhaps the answer she had desperately wanted to hear.

But Xavier did not answer.