Chapter 35: Now, This Time

Chapter 35:
Now, This Time

 

YULAN’S WORDS ECHOED her father’s that morning, but they couldn’t feel more different. Violette blinked in the darkness behind his hand as Yulan waited for her tense lips to relax.

He’d grown so big. He was still that kind, gentle boy who’d followed her teary-eyed, but he’d grown into a physique that could wrap around anyone. It was a little bittersweet, knowing that little crybaby was gone forever.

I…never thought I’d feel like this, watching a younger sibling grow up.

If this was Maryjune, she wouldn’t be feeling any of this loneliness or delight. She’d assumed the “older sister” part of her was broken somehow, since she couldn’t bring herself to feel this way about her blood sibling.

Once again, Yulan gave her exactly what she needed.

She’d wanted to pay him back for all his generosity, but here he was, giving again. She felt a twinge of frustration, knowing she’d never catch up to him, but it seemed their relationship would never change. Yulan may have outgrown “cute,” but she would still treat him as her precious little brother.

“Thank you…” Violette said softly.

“Are you feeling better?”

“Yes, I’m sorry for worrying you.”

“I’m glad. But let’s take a break, okay?”

The darkness of Yulan’s hand was removed, and the light blinded her for just a moment. Yulan didn’t mention her wet eyes or stuffy nose; she’d managed to keep the tears from falling, but she’d come close. Violette was grateful to him yet again. He must have sensed she didn’t want to draw attention to it.

“There’s a café up ahead that’s supposed to be really good. I’m sure you’ll love it!” Yulan said cheerfully.

“Does it have anything you can eat?” Violette asked.

“Yeah, they serve some savory food, too. It’s fine.”

“Then that sounds perfect.”

“Okay!”

Without any awkwardness, Yulan took Violette’s hand and began to walk.

He’d always stayed beside her, but this time he led the way. Violette could see his ears peeking out from his auburn hair. Even though he walked with a spring in his step, he didn’t pull or move too fast for her. Occasionally he turned to look back, and his expression grew even sweeter.

His footsteps resounded with delight each time they struck the ground, like he was dancing.

For what might be the first time in her life, she felt truly blessed.

 

***

 

“Mhm…!” Violette couldn’t voice her happiness properly.

“Ha ha, is it that good?” Yulan asked.

“Unngh…mm-hm!”

When she enthusiastically nodded again, Yulan burst out laughing.

It was freeing, talking with her mouth full and really appreciating her meal for once. At a casual café like this, she finally got to let loose a little.

Round, fluffy pancakes sat in front of Violette. She’d wanted to ask how many were piled up to get a stack this tall, but when she cut into them, she discovered there were only two huge, puffy ones. They were covered in cream, and collapsed a bit over time, but every bite Violette put in her mouth was pure bliss.

“I’m glad you like them! I was a little worried, since you’ve never had pancakes before.”

“Soooooooo good,” Violette moaned.

“Yeah, I can tell. I guess this café was the right call.”

Across the table, Yulan was eating a simple ham sandwich with lettuce. The café did serve some savory dishes, but desserts were clearly their specialty. He’d ordered his food so that Violette wouldn’t feel bad eating alone, but he wasn’t that interested. Of the four triangles of sandwich on his plate, he’d only eaten one.

“Instead of watching me, you should eat your food. Your sandwich will get stale,” Violette admonished. This café wasn’t a bakery, so the bread wouldn’t last long. It was the kind of place where orders came out quickly and were enjoyed immediately, so they weren’t made to last long.

“I want to watch you eat. I’ll eat mine in a bit,” said Yulan.

“Hey. Don’t look,” Violette said with mock annoyance.

He threw her some lighthearted apologies. She wasn’t really mad at him, although it did make her a little self-conscious. The utensils in her hands stilled, and she stared at Yulan until he finally surrendered. With a pout, he grabbed a section of sandwich and finished it in one bite.

His expression was different; less gentle than normal. He hadn’t completely left manners behind or anything, but when he wiped his mouth with his thumb, he looked no different from ordinary boys. He seemed like a different person—less refined, more rough-and-tumble.

“Vio…?” Yulan asked.

“Ah… I’m sorry. You’ve just never done that before, so I…” Violette said, trailing off.

“Never, huh…? But we eat lunch together all the time.”

“At the academy, you’re always minding your manners. Seeing you like this is…unusual.”

The academy taught etiquette, so the students were on their best behavior all the time, even during breaks. Yulan and Violette had eaten together many times, but always either at the academy, or at some high society function. They went very few places where they didn’t have to put on airs. If someone saw how he was eating now, they’d say he was rude.

“I guess so. We’re always watching ourselves, and it’s a hard habit to break,” said Yulan. As the children of aristocrats, they’d had it drilled into them all their lives that there was always someone watching, so they’d better act above reproach. But no one could stay on guard twenty-four hours a day, every day. Aristocrats were always on the lookout for places where they could let their guards down.

This café was a spot like that. It would be rude, really, to use high society manners in such an informal, everyday restaurant. People said, “when in Rome, do as the Romans do,” after all.

“We’ve been so careful our whole lives…it doesn’t hurt anyone to let loose a little. It’d be a worse mistake to miss out on a chance to relax,” Yulan explained.

“Sometimes you have a crude way of thinking,” said Violette.

“Really? But hey, I’m not the only one who’s showing a different side today.”

“Huh…?”

Yulan slowly extended his large hand and slid his fingers across the edge of her lip. Then, he plucked off a long strand of gray hair.

“You’re eating your hair,” said Yulan.

Violette blushed deep red. It took her a moment to understand what Yulan was doing, but when he grabbed the stray hair, she was horrified. No matter where she was, she shouldn’t have let herself slip so badly. She was always so careful of her hair! She must have let her guard down even further than she realized.

“It’s rare for you to mess up like that…it’s pretty cute,” Yulan said with a grin.

“I-It was an accident…!” Violette stammered in response. His teasing voice tickled her eardrums, and his broad, cheerful grin poked at her. Her cheeks went hot, but instead of coming up with a retort, she focused back on the pancakes in front of her.

“They’re good?” he asked.

“Delicious,” Violette replied. Truthfully, she was eating too fast to really taste them, but they were still satisfying.