At the long breakfast table that morning, silence fell in a way it never usually did.
Not the comfortable silence of people enjoying a meal together, nor the stiff silence born of unresolved conflict—this one was different. It was the awkward, astonished stillness of people who were witnessing something so unexpected that words simply refused to come.
Every pair of eyes in the dining hall was fixed on the same sight.
Kazien, the youngest son, proud of his calm authority and gentle yet firm self-control, tilted his chair to the side—casually, without a hint of embarrassment—just so Ritalia could sit comfortably on his lap. One of his hands wrapped around her waist to hold his sister's body steady so she wouldn't fall, while the other hand held a spoonful of warm food, patiently raised toward her lips.
He treated Ritalia, his younger sister, as if she were royalty.
With a tenderness that seemed out of place at a formal family breakfast, he waited, smiling softly, his eyes devoted only to her reaction. The way he brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, the way his tone softened when he spoke—it was all far too familiar.
Far too similar to how he always treated Alvin.
Alvin, the handsome yet endearingly cute male high elf who now sat right beside Kazien, his future spouse, merely observed the scene with a relaxed expression. He showed no irritation, no jealousy, no discomfort whatsoever. If anything, there was something gentle and approving in the way his gaze lingered on both siblings.
"Ritalia, aaaaa..." Kazien said softly, his voice warm and coaxing as he guided the spoon toward her mouth.
Ritalia opened her mouth obediently.
"Hap!"
She accepted the bite with a satisfied hum, her eyes lighting up like those of a child being praised.
Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, she giggled and picked up her own spoon, scooping food carefully.
"Brother, now it's your turn. Aaaaa....."
"Hap!"
Kazien accepted the spoonful without hesitation, laughing quietly as he did.
The room remained frozen.
Forks hovered midair. Cups remained untouched. The closeness between the two siblings was undeniable, and to the rest of the family, it felt… questionable.
Duchess Larina, sitting at the end of the table, furrowed her brow slightly and stared intently with her violet eyes. She was a calm woman, accustomed to maintaining her composure even in shocking situations, but even she was confused by what she was seeing now.
She cleared her throat.
"Do you two," she asked carefully, her gaze sharp yet inquisitive, "have a special relationship?"
Kazien and Ritalia paused at the same time.
They looked at each other.
For a brief moment, their expressions mirrored one another—then both of them burst into laughter.
"Of course we do, Mother!" Kazien said cheerfully, still holding Ritalia securely. "Our special relationship is that we're siblings. Brother and sister!" He laughed openly, completely unbothered.
"Yes, that's right, Mother!" Ritalia chimed in, nodding enthusiastically. "Our special relationship is being brother and sister!"
They were perfectly synchronized, their voices overlapping with the same rhythm, the same confidence.
Instead of easing Duchess Larina's curiosity, however, it only deepened it.
She leaned forward slightly, her fingers interlaced on the table. "But I'm becoming more and more suspicious when I see the way you two act. What are you hiding?"
The laughter faded.
Kazien's smile softened, losing none of its warmth but gaining a quiet sincerity. "There's nothing I'm hiding from you, Mother." he said calmly. "Alvin and I will be leaving for the capital today. Ritalia simply wants to enjoy what little time we have together before we depart."
At his words, Ritalia nodded firmly, pressing herself just a little closer to her brother. The truth, simple as it was, carried a weight that settled in the room.
Duchess Larina exhaled slowly, but she still wasn't entirely convinced.
"Kazien," she said, her voice gentler now, "what you're doing now… it's exactly the same as how you usually treat Alvin."
Before Kazien could respond, Alvin spoke up. "Mother," he said politely, addressing his future mother-in-law without hesitation, "I have never minded."
Every head turned toward him.
His face remained calm, his mint green eyes clear and honest. "If anything," Alvin continued, "this allows them both to part without carrying sadness in their hearts. They don't need to suppress their feelings, and that matters."
Duchess Larina fell silent. There was nothing she could refute in his words.
"I love Ritalia deeply, Mother," Kazien added quietly. "And she loves me as well. I want her to send us off to the capital with a smile, not tears."
At last, understanding dawned. Duchess Larina relaxed, her shoulders easing as she nodded slowly. The tension in her eyes faded, replaced by acceptance.
"I see..." she murmured. "Then I won't pry any further."
The breakfast resumed soon after, the air lighter than before, though not everyone's thoughts were at ease.
Raliana, seated slightly apart from them, stared down at her plate, her appetite long gone.
Regret gnawed at her chest.
I shouldn't have refused her invitation last night.
Her grip on her spoon tightened. If only I had gone with her… I could be sitting there too. On his lap.
The image formed vividly in her mind—Kazien's steady arms, the warmth of his presence, the carefree laughter they shared now.
Her heart clenched painfully.
Why had she hesitated?
Why had she turned away?
...
...
No! No! No! Raliana scolded herself sharply in her thoughts. What would Father and Mother say if I actually sat on Kazien's lap?
Heat rushed to her face. They'd assume the worst. They'd think I betrayed Dave.
She clenched her fists, forcing herself to look away from the siblings. Ritalia is different from me.
The realization cut deep. She doesn't have a fiancé yet.
That was the truth. Ritalia was free to express her affection openly. Free to cling to her brother without consequences. Free from expectations, free from obligations.
That was why no one objected.
That was why no one stopped her.
Raliana swallowed hard.
And that was why Raliana could only watch.
From her seat, she forced a smile onto her face, pretending that everything before her was perfectly normal, even as her heart wrestled with emotions she dared not voice aloud.
The warmth of the morning sun filtered through the tall windows, casting golden light across the dining hall—a gentle reminder that time did not stop for anyone.
Soon, Kazien and Alvin would leave.
And what remained behind would be unspoken thoughts, quiet regrets, and feelings carefully buried beneath responsibility.