Chapter 16: Chapter 16

As soon as Raymond returned to the apartment, the sun was up. Hazel had already gone to work because he could not find her anywhere. Leaving the cooled porridge and some of the medicine he had to drink on the table, with a Post It on top of the bowl lid.

I've prepared the porridge. Don't forget to take the medicine.

Hazel

He pulled the Post It from the lid of his bowl, put it on the other side of the table. Forcing himself to open the lid of the bowl, smelled the porridge which somehow could not whet his appetite.

‘A hitman who didn’t hesitate to kill anyone, but desperately hides his identity from you so you won't hate him.’

Martha's words came back to his ears as he scooped a bite of the porridge into his mouth. Tasteless. He felt nothing.

‘Why? The person Arnold loved was you, right?’

‘No, Ray. It was you.’

Arnold, had a crush on him? And his friend died not only because he wanted to protect his younger sister, but also to protect him? Did Arnold think he would just accept his death and continue to live just like he used to be? His life has been empty, messed up, since Arnold's death. He desperately came to this city to protect Amanda. And now, he realized that all he did was waste Arnold's sacrifice?

‘Who asked to be protected by you, Arnold …’

Raymond stopped eating the porridge. Taking his medicine, and laying down on the sofa chair. He took out his smartphone he stuffed in the pocket of the trousers he was wearing.

9 AM. That means there are four hours left to visit Amanda at school. He called the virtual assistant on his smartphone to set the alarm, then closed his eyes.

***

‘It's all my fault. I'm sorry!’

Raymond bowed his head repeatedly to Amanda when he arrived at the teahouse near Amanda's school. Next to the girl who repeatedly asked him to stop doing it, Amanda's friends sat beside the girl with a wary gaze, especially Thyme.

‘You just intend to protect me, so I'm the one who should apologize for being a bother to you,’ said Amanda.

‘No! This dirty scumbag man is the wrong one,’ said Gerald, sarcastically. ‘Because of you, Thyme lost their precious brother!’

‘Calm yourself, Gerald.’

Thyme's deep voice—in contrast to their short and cute physiqueーimmediately calmed the situation. Raymond did not dare look into Thyme's blue eyes, which looked like crystal. They looked him up and down.

‘To be honest, I don't really care if Amanda was safe or not,’ Thyme gulped at Priska who was already throwing her glaring at them. ‘But because Priska will beat me for sure, I accepted Gerald's request to accommodate and protect Amanda, and now this is the fruit of my kindness?’

‘I'm really sorry,’ Raymond lowered his head again. ‘I’ll do anything to make up for my mistake.’

‘Anything?’

‘Yes.’

‘Then, be my confidant. Replacing my brother’s position. You seem to have a lot of potentials, I can see it. How about that?’

‘Thyme!’ Gerald shouted, grabbing Thyme by their collar. 'Why did you even recruit a scumbag like him!? He killed your precious brother, remember!?’

‘Why? He didn’t kill my brother on purpose. I live by the principle of 'value the old and welcome the new one’. That’s all.’

‘Those two are different things!’

‘You are full of enthusiasm. Don’t you think so, Gerald? I feel amazed every time I see you.’

‘Why did I have someone weird like you as my friend, to begin with?’ Gerald massaged his twitching temples, reacted to Thyme's nonsense answer.

‘Don't you think you really get too deep to play the role of Amanda’s mother? The person who will marry you in the future must be lucky.’ Thyme cleared their throat, clearing their throat, looking at Raymond, who was still confused about what they had said. ‘What’s with your face? Should I repeat my words?’

Raymond shook his head quickly.

‘I will soon have to take my father's position. Sooner or later I have to find a confidant, right? Just think of it like give and take. I will keep protecting Amanda in my house, and you will be my right hand in return. Easy as that.’

For people with a cute face, Thyme was the type that looks calm and mature compared to the children at their age.

‘I accept.’

Thyme seemed satisfied with the answer. They gave him a sign to move to a table far from their friends, then leaned over as they sat down at the table they were aiming at. ‘I heard that the people from Morozov city really value data, don't they? It would really help me if I had someone like you as my right hand.’ Thyme rested their head on their hands propped up on the table, smiling faintly. Their hand played their drink with a bamboo straw, then took a sip of their hazelnut tea. ‘There's someone I want to find if you don't mind?’

This little fox…

It seemed this was the real reason they asked him to be their confidant.

‘Who is the person you want me to find?’

‘Verdict Walter.’

‘The reason?’

Thyme grinned at the answer. ‘You seem familiar with that person.’

‘You could say like that,’ Raymond had to confess. His current position was not one where he could evade Thyme's question. ‘Do you have a grudge against Verdict?’

‘No, no. It’s not like that.’ Thyme laughed, waving their hands. ‘I just want to collaborate with Walter. As you know, Simon Clive attacked my mansion yesterday, and I think now is the right time to establish a partnership that has been delayed.’

‘You mean, join forces with Walter?’

‘Not knowing their group doesn't mean I'm not interested in joining up with them. From the information I received, Walter is the strongest in Morozov. Am I right?’

Raymond nodded.

‘What about Arnold Walter? Do you also know him?’

His heart stopped beating for a moment when Thyme mentioned that name.

‘Yes,’ It was a little difficult for him to answer Thyme's question which he thought was too sudden. He bitted his lower lips, before continuing his words. ‘He was Amanda's brother.’

Thyme raised an eyebrow, confused. ‘Amanda’s brother? I've never heard of that.’

‘That's also the reason why I asked Amanda to stay at your place. Wait a second. Do I need to call you 'Young Master' too?’

‘No need. Thyme is more than enough,’ Thyme's forehead frowned as they said that. ‘It's bad. Now I understand the situation. Leave Amanda to me. If you don't mind, you can start your job tomorrow. No problem, right?’

‘Of course not.’

‘Oi, Thyme! How long do you plan to talk there with that scumbag?’

They rolled their eyes when they heard Gerald's voice calling them with a voice that echoed loudly because this teahouse was very quiet and was supported by classical music played by the teahouse owner.

‘We’ll be there in a minute,’ Thyme got up from their seat, carrying their drink that was now half-left. ‘Sometimes I get an urge to cut off his tongue. I really mean it.’

He could not help but laugh at Thyme grumbling at the thing that had just crossed his mind.

***