149: Welcoming her in (part 3)

Welcoming her in (part 3)

"Step inside, Tian," Egon motioned, creating space for his brother to enter the house.2

Bastian's expression shifted, clearly taken aback by Adela's presence. "You were here?" 

A wide smile spread across her face as she greeted him, "Hello, Tian."

As he advanced a few steps, his eyes scanned the table and the ambiance that had been carefully arranged. A touch of wistfulness seeped into his voice as he inquired, "Am I intruding?"

"Not at all!" Adela exclaimed, turning to Egon who wore an apologetic smile. "In fact, the Baroness is waiting outside for me. I should invite her in!"

Bastian furrowed his brow. "I didn't see anyone outside."

"Oh," Adela mirrored his frown, wondering where the Baroness had disappeared to. "Well, please have a seat! Egon cooked!"

Bastian let out a laugh. "Egon cooked! Well, that's an occasion I wouldn't miss!" He walked over and settled himself in Egon's chair, grabbing his brother's fork and playfully spearing a piece of fish, exaggerating his appreciation with theatrical sounds.

Adela cast a quick glance at Egon, who stood near the table, his dark eyes radiating warmth as he looked at his brother.

"You know, Adela," Bastian said between mouthfuls of fish, "Growing up in Kolhis, Egon would always leave me and go to the mountains to hunt. But the best days were when he returned with a load of fish for Lotus to cook."

Adela suppressed a grimace as Lotus's name resurfaced considering the recent conversation she had with Larissa at the lodging house. Nevertheless, the chance to explore Egon's childhood was a rare one, and she maintained her attentive demeanor as Bastian took the reins of the conversation.

"Most toddlers would stick to milk and softer foods, but this guy always went straight for the biggest piece of meat on the table," Egon reminisced, shaking his head with a fond smile and fists pressed to the sides of his waist, "He was a handful from the start, constantly pushing the boundaries and surpassing his age. He even walked and talked before he turned one, making it quite a challenge to keep up with him."

Bastian cleaned his hands with the discarded handkerchief, stood up, and grabbed a chair from the coffee table. Placing it next to the one he had claimed earlier, he patted Egon's back twice before both of them settled back into their seats.

"I had to keep up with my older brother. I wanted to become strong like you," he glanced mischievously at Adela, "To beat him up and eventually surpass him, of course."

Egon let out a scoff. "You wish."

Adela couldn't help but laugh wholeheartedly at their playful banter, enjoying their lightheartedness, something she rarely experienced in the presence of noblemen.

"Of course, I'm better than you now," Bastian turned to Adela. "You should see how animals react to him, it's quite something."

Adela paused for a moment, recalling how both Kannen and her young falcon had reacted aggressively towards Egon in the past. "Why do you think that is?" she inquired, her gaze shifting between the two brothers.

Egon's expression suddenly became uncomfortable, while Bastian chuckled. "It's because of his dreadful personality and how he's always antagonistic towards living beings,"

She tilted her head, studying Egon intently.

"...I've never seen a rider so in harmony with his horse before though."

Bastian rolled his eyes. "That horse has a nastier temper than Egon, that's why."

Adela maintained her gaze on Egon's eyes, observing their wavering focus. "You should have witnessed him that day when the epidemic broke out. He sat beside a woman who was experiencing early labor... I could tell that she felt secure with him right there by her side."

Bastian's expression darkened as he locked his gaze onto his older brother's inscrutable face. "You never mentioned that to me,"

Egon's head drooped, and Bastian rubbed his eye forcefully with his thumb and index finger before looking up at Adela. "You know, I killed my mother, right?"

Shocked by his words, Adela was at a loss for words.

"What nonsense are you spouting, Bastian?" Egon said in a low, emotional tone.

Bastian's eye glistened as he looked at Adela. "I don't know, I just feel like talking to her, brother. Is that forbidden too?"

A wave of desolation washed over Adela, her heart sinking like a stone into an endless abyss. 

"You can speak to her, but don't fabricate stories. Our mother passed away from natural causes," 

"Those natural causes being me. I killed her," 

"Bastian!"

Egon's voice thundered as his fist struck the table, startling Adela in her seat. In a state of panic, she observed Egon forcefully grabbing Bastian by the collar, and in the next moment, their foreheads pressed together.

"I've told you countless times, never utter such words," Egon's voice trembled with intensity.

She clutched the armchairs, witnessing the veins bulging on their foreheads, their hands firmly clasping each other's arms. Neither of them released their grip.

"I can't stay there anymore... Andreas is gone, and so are you... It's so suffocating," 

"Shh... It's alright," Egon consoled, patting Bastian's shoulder. "I'll always be here for you."

Adela inhaled deeply, recognizing the intimacy of the moment that demanded her absence. Carefully, she picked up the shawl left on her chair and wrapped it around her shoulders. Rising from her seat, she silently made her way to the door, refraining from bidding them farewell.

As she stepped outside and closed the door behind her, the radiant sunlight greeted her, but its warmth failed to alleviate the chill that lingered in her heart.

Her arms rubbed against each other as she scanned her surroundings. The thought of their mother's fate being potentially avoidable gnawed at her conscience. The image of the grandfather she had never met dominated her thoughts, for he held the power to change the course of that woman's life.

"...Perhaps the Baroness has already retreated to the carriage," Adela murmured to herself. With that in mind, she retraced her steps, heading back to where she had come from.

Whether it was the emotional resonance of witnessing the bond between two siblings or the familiar inclination to seek solace in Arkin during moments of distress, her longing for him grew more pronounced.

pqdm.com