Chapter 10: Family Lunch 1/2
In the sunlit garden, where gentle waves of wind occasionally appeared, Adam, Kafka, and Elara were calmly chatting while enjoying their afternoon meal. Then suddenly, "I wonder what abilities you have?" Kafka asked with her teasing and charming smile.
"I can only use basic abilities related to fire and light. Of course, nothing impressive," Adam replied calmly while continuing to lie. In fact, it was not a complete lie, he truly could use abilities of fire and light.
He knew Kafka would not fully believe that lie, but that was not the purpose of his half-true answer. The goal was to show that he was answering "honestly," so as to open a more "honest" discussion between the two of them. After all, he also had questions he wished to ask her.
Upon hearing his answer, Kafka's gaze deepened for a second before returning to normal. She was skeptical of the truthfulness of his response, but she said nothing and only reflected on the meaning behind it.
"He seems honest, but not completely" Kafka thought. "So he is only half-honest. That means he also has questions and wants "honest" answers from me."
After understanding the meaning, her smile widened.
She uncrossed her legs and switched their position, placing her left leg over her right. Then she leaned over the table, resting her elbows on it and supporting herself with her hands. Sitting beside her mother, Elara heard the question and her father's answer, and stars immediately filled her eyes. She looked at Adam in surprise.
"So it's true!" she exclaimed. "You really can use magic! I heard the sisters at school say that you had powers."
Adam simply nodded while smiling at his daughter. Kafka, seated beside them, said nothing, but her smile revealed a hint of joy on her mature and charming face. After all, she had just received a small confirmation thanks to her dear daughter. But now that she had obtained that information, she became curious about what questions Adam might ask.
"My dear husband, I noticed your clothes are different today," Kafka remarked, suddenly changing the subject. "You are dressed more nobly. White suits you well, and those gloves covering your arms give you a refined appearance."
As she spoke, Kafka looked at Adam's face, especially his golden eyes. They did not shine like ordinary eyes, they were brighter. When she lifted her head to look at the sun, she could see no difference between his eyes and the sun itself. Both shone equally.
"Did you dress like this for me?" Kafka asked. Her voice carried a playful and charming tone, as though she found it adorable that he had dressed specially for her. "You know, it makes me happy that you pay so much attention to me. After all, we haven't seen each other for about five years."
As Adam listened to her remarks, he showed no sign of nervousness or embarrassment in the face of her teasing. He simply continued smiling and looked directly into her eyes.
"You are right. I dressed especially for you today," Adam said calmly. "After all, as you said, it has been a long time since we last met, and I wished to please my dear wife."
He deliberately used the word wife as a form of provocation in response to her use of husband.
Kafka showed no reaction to Adam's lack of reaction toward her teasing, nor to the intimate title he had used for her. She simply took a strawberry cake, cut it neatly with her knife, and ate it. Though she showed little outward reaction, her smile deepened.
Silence returned to the garden. The sun high in the sky shone upon the three people around the table, creating a sense of warmth. The gentle wind played with the hair of the mother and daughter. Adam, seeing that Kafka had not reacted, was not bothered. After all, if such a simple phrase could stir Kafka's heart, she would not be one of the infamous Stellaron Hunters today.
Seeing her father and mother suddenly stop talking, Elara was puzzled. She did not understand what was happening, but hearing her father call her mother his "wife" filled her with joy. She lowered her head to hide the smile brightening her face. It seemed her parents were having a serious discussion, and she did not wish to interrupt them.
The silence did not last long. After all, neither Kafka nor Adam had yet asked for what they truly wanted from the other. Adam remained silent and calmly drank his tea. His gentle demeanor and warm smile gave the impression of a noble, considerate, and benevolent man.
Kafka decided to break the silence with a question that seemed ordinary at first glance.
"So, my dear husband, when will you propose to me?"
She watched Adam's reaction, only to end up disappointed by the lack of one.
After her question, there were two very distinct reactions. One came from Elara herself. Her reaction was the strongest, with surprise and hope written across her face, her mouth slightly open.
The other came from Adam. Unlike his daughter, he did not react outwardly. Instead, he brought a hand to his chin and assumed a thoughtful pose, as though he were seriously considering the question.
Kafka, with her sunglasses resting on top of her head and her violet eyes fixed on Adam, continued sipping her tea. She did not interrupt his false contemplation, but waited patiently. Seeing her mother look at her father, Elara quickly regained herself and also looked at him with hope, as though silently urging him to say yes today.
Unconsciously, she gripped her dress so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
Seeing Elara's expectant gaze and Kafka's calculating one, Adam gently tapped the table with his finger in a slow and steady rhythm. Each tap only heightened Elara's nervousness, and unconsciously she held her breath. Kafka continued eating, but her eyes glare secretely on Adam, as though even she herself had become curious about his answer.
Whether the question was sincere or not, both women were deeply curious, one out of curiosity, the other out of hope. The silence stretched longer, and the only audible sound was the wind rustling through the hair of the three people.
Within the vast and otherwise empty church, apart from the three of them, everything seemed strangely peaceful and silent, far removed from the invisible tension surrounding them.