Chapter 87: A Quiet Morning. (2)
The boy was outside, sitting on a stone block detached from the fort itself. The surface was irregular, with edges still marked by recent fracture, but it served as a seat. From there he had a wide view of the terrain extending beyond the damaged walls.
The sun had already gained height, and its light traveled the landscape clearly. The combat’s remains were exposed without nuances: cracks in the earth, scattered rock fragments, areas where the structure had given way without remedy. The air felt cleaner than during the night, though the trace of what occurred remained present in every corner.
Lloyd kept his gaze forward, in silence.
In his head, the plan advanced with order.
The sooner they attacked Bernard Sargas, the better. There was no point prolonging it more than necessary. Each moment of waiting played in the enemy’s favor. However, there was a clear limit he couldn’t ignore.
Lucia.
Her state had been worse than it seemed at first glance. Lloyd had absorbed the accumulation of demonic energy that had settled in her body, extracting it carefully to not aggravate the damage. Afterward, he had administered a recovery elixir, one effective enough to stabilize her.
Still, it wasn’t enough.
The body needed time.
Rest.
Forcing her in that state would have been an unnecessary mistake.
Lloyd interlaced his fingers calmly, resting his elbows on his knees while continuing to observe the horizon. If everything advanced as he expected, by the time the beast-men arrived at the fort, Lucia would be in condition to move on her own.
It was then he noticed another presence.
Noise wasn’t necessary to confirm it. Still, light steps finished indicating its direction. Lloyd turned his head naturally.
Alice.
The figure defined itself as she approached.
A girl with pale skin, uniform, with a tone reminiscent of well-polished porcelain. There were no visible imperfections, no marked variations. Her hair, white and short, framed her face with a clean cut, without strands out of place. The eyes, gray, remained fixed, without showing evident emotion.
Someone could easily mistake her for a living doll.
Her expression, as always, was neutral.
Difficult to read for anyone.
She wore her maid uniform with the same care. The dark fabric, well-fitted, fell in orderly fashion to the knees, finished with a light apron that contrasted with the ensemble. The pleats were well-marked, without wrinkles. The sleeves covered her arms to the wrists, and the collar remained closed, clean, without misalignments. Everything in her appearance transmitted order.
In her hands she held a tray.
Tea and cookies.
Nothing elaborate, but sufficient. What he always had for breakfast.
Lloyd observed her an instant and understood the origin without need to ask. Sebastian had surely sent her to bring him breakfast.
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Good morning, Alice," he greeted with a light tone. "Thank you for bringing it."
She didn’t respond. As always.
Lloyd felt it would be few times he could hear her, so he had to make sure to engrave each word she pronounced in memory.
However, while she didn’t speak, Lloyd perceived that subtle change. Barely a nuance in the gaze, a minimal variation in the way her eyes fixed on him. It wasn’t something obvious. No one else would have noticed.
But it was there. And for him, it was clear, apparently the comment had made her happy.
Lloyd took the tray carefully and placed it beside him, on the rock’s surface, making sure it remained stable.
Then he looked at her again.
"Do you want to sit and have breakfast with me?"
The question hung in the air a few seconds.
Alice didn’t react immediately, her gaze descended slightly, as if evaluating the proposal. There was a brief pause, contained.
Then she nodded. The movement was small, but sufficient to be noticed.
She approached one more step.
And, without warning, sat on Lloyd’s lap.
The gesture took him by surprise. Lloyd blinked once, adjusting his posture barely to maintain balance, but made no comment.
He simply accepted the situation as it was, while the sunlight continued falling on both, illuminating the scene with calm clarity.
Lloyd took the cup with one hand, holding it carefully before bringing it to his lips. The steam ascended in thin threads, carrying with it an intense aroma, deep, with that dry point that remained at the back of the throat even before tasting it.
He drank a sip.
The taste settled immediately. Bitter, clean, without sweet nuances that softened the whole. It remained on the palate a few seconds before dissipating, leaving a firm sensation, recognizable.
He nodded slightly.
Without doubt, Sebastian had prepared it.
No need to ask. That balance, that precision at the exact point of tea, wasn’t something anyone could replicate without practice. Lloyd lowered the cup slightly, still keeping it in hand.
He had always liked it.
There was something in that taste he found... correct. Adjusted to what he sought. Without excesses.
Still, a thought crossed his mind.
Lucia’s tea.
Not for its quality, nor for technique, but for that concrete detail that made it different. The slight trace of poison she added without fail. A lethal dose for anyone, except for him of course.
That exotic mixture of poisons was nothing more than a flavoring with a particular aftertaste, difficult to describe, that stayed at the back of the mouth longer than usual.
It was a habit.
Strange, even absurd seen from outside.
But it had repeated so many times it had ended up becoming part of his routine. Something expected, almost necessary.
Lloyd took another sip before leaving the cup on the tray.
Then, he took one of the cookies.
White, with uniform surface, slightly soft to touch. It offered no resistance when holding it, and that already seemed strange. Still, he brought it to his mouth and took a small bite.
He stopped.
The texture didn’t fit.
Too soft. The dough yielded effortlessly, with a moisture that shouldn’t be there. There wasn’t that firm point that marked the end of baking. The inside... was still raw.
Lloyd lowered the cookie slowly, observing it a second more before looking up.
He looked at Alice.
She was already looking at him.
She remained still, with the same expression as always, without visible changes. However, her attention was completely centered on him, as if awaiting a response.
Lloyd held her gaze an instant.
Then smiled.
"Did you make them?"
Alice nodded.
The gesture was small, but clear.
Lloyd smiled. Alice seemed to have added too much sugar, surely in a childish gesture wanting to make the cookies richer.
In turn, the fact they were so undercooked indicated Alice was impatient to bring them to him.
It was a tender gesture without doubt.
"Thank you very much, they were very delicious."
