“Did he let you enter his room?”
At Lorenz’s surprised question, Margaret answered with a clouded smile.
“It took two days though.”
“Still, he let you in anyway.”
Unless it was someone who had continuously interacted with him, the child wouldn’t let anyone into his room. Because of this, Lorenz had even prepared for the worst-case scenario. An ending where the counselor couldn’t even set foot in Lucas’s room and left the estate like a defeated soldier. Fortunately, it seemed that such misfortune had been avoided.
“At first, they stayed in the hallway in front of the door with the door left open.”
A faint smile appeared on Margaret’s lips as she recalled.
“What kind of treatment can be done in a hallway?”
“You can’t force it. They said it’s important to gradually make him comfortable from the distance Lucas allows.”
“Hmm…”
Lorenz’s expression wasn’t good.
While preparing for the worst-case scenario, on the other hand, he had also held optimistic hopes. The expectation that if they were a psychological counselor who specialized in children, they might be able to capture the child’s heart at once upon meeting. But it took several days just to enter the room.
However, even thinking about it himself, it seemed like somewhat excessive expectations.
“Lucas spent time in his room’s sitting room, and the counselor spent time in the hallway outside the open door, each reading books or drawing pictures.”
“Lucas is drawing again?”
At Lorenz’s pleased question, Margaret shook her head.
“He showed interest in the counselor’s drawings.”
“So that became the opportunity to let them into the room.”
“Since he’s not antagonistic toward the counselor, I think we can have optimistic expectations going forward. He let a stranger into his room and is spending time together… For now, that alone is something to be grateful for.”
“I’d like to see directly how they spend time with the child.”
The two got on the elevator.
“Then let’s stop by for a moment.”
Margaret pressed the button for the 2nd floor, not the 3rd floor where Lorenz’s bedroom was located.
“I understand counseling is generally conducted like play. They naturally interact with the child while observing their behavior and environment. Perhaps because of that, Lucas seems to be adapting well without resistance.”
“Are they with the child all day? The other lessons should proceed as usual.”
“Yes, I told them that. They said they could observe Lucas’s lessons as needed. The counselor’s work ends at 5 PM every day.”
Having finished speaking, Margaret looked back at Lorenz, who was pressing and circling his temples. Pity rose in her eyes.
“Should we postpone the interview with the counselor that I mentioned on the phone?”
“I think… we’ll have to.”
After returning home today, it had been planned to conduct a guardian interview with the counselor. But in this state, it didn’t seem possible at all. The pain was excruciating, as if someone were holding a chisel against his temple and hammering it.
“Is your level high?”
“It shot up to 100 during the business trip.”
Margaret’s eyes darkened with surprise and worry upon hearing the number. Realizing his mistake upon confirming this, Lorenz hurriedly added.
“It’s dropped to the 70 level now.”
But she didn’t seem relieved at all.
If the level exceeded 80, external contact had to be blocked immediately. So 70 wasn’t a level to be reassured about either.
“70 is still a high level. You should go see Dr. Carver…”
Lorenz gently but firmly interrupted her words.
“Getting intravenous suppressant injections too often isn’t good either. You know very well how toxic they are, Margaret.”
Feeling Margaret’s pitying gaze, Lorenz tried to smile.
“I’ll be fine if I take sleeping pills and get some sleep.”
Margaret’s expression was still dark, but knowing she couldn’t persuade Lorenz, she didn’t try to urge him further.
“Oh, and Margaret, have the car ready at 8 AM tomorrow morning.”
“But Lord Lorenz, it’s the day after your business trip. I thought you’d be going out late.”
Usually, after a business trip of several days, Lorenz would delay his departure time by about half a day to adjust his condition. Even now his physical condition wasn’t good, so Margaret couldn’t understand why he was rushing to work earlier than usual.
However, Lorenz seemed to have made up his mind about this as well.
“There’s a place I must stop by.”
The elevator door opened and the two crossed the 2nd floor hallway.
Lucas’s room was opposite the master room that his father Damon Lockhart had used.
Beyond the large entrance was a private sitting room, with the bedroom and bathroom to the right of the sitting room, and a study to the left. It was a structure where one could live without much inconvenience even while shut up only in their room. Even so, they couldn’t let him remain forever only within that small world. It wasn’t a matter of convenience or inconvenience.
When Margaret knocked, a response was heard from inside.
Margaret, opening the door only halfway, first explained the situation to the counselor, who was invisible to Lorenz.
“Mr. Bellotti, excuse me. Lord Lorenz has returned home.”
“Then, should I greet him now?”
A voice that seemed to be rising from their seat was heard.
“He says he just wants to see how the counseling is conducted for a moment. Would that be alright?”
“Yes, of course.”
After the counselor’s answer, Margaret this time spoke to the child in an affectionate tone.
“Lucas, Lorenz hyung has returned from his business trip. Shall we greet him together?”
The image of the child hesitating to answer with a reluctant face was drawn.
Even before his father passed away, the child had been wary of strangers. Even though he was his older brother, to Lucas, Lorenz was also just a stranger he didn’t know well.
It was the same for Lorenz.
He didn’t even know much about Joshua Lockhart, with whom he shared half the same blood. So there was no need to mention Lucas.
Margaret glanced back at Lorenz behind her and opened the door wider inward.
The counselor and Lucas, sitting side by side on the carpet in the sitting room, had sketchbooks in front of them, using the sofa table as a desk.
The child’s appearance, clearly tense, was seen first, followed by the counselor’s appearance.
A cheerful young man with bright blond hair stood up.
For a moment, it was as if the sun had risen inside the room.
Sapphire blue eyes looked at Lorenz.
It was as if stars were embedded in the sun.
“Hello, Mr. Lockhart. It’s nice to meet you for the first time. I’m Elian Bellotti.”
“……”
Even though the other person greeted him first, Lorenz couldn’t respond.
In business, at social gatherings, he had lived exchanging this kind of greeting at least thousands upon thousands of times. Yet he was frozen like someone who had just started learning a foreign language and couldn’t get the greeting to leave their lips.
It was unmistakably that man.
8:43 AM. East 46th Street.
An Adonis who looked as if he were made of ivory and rose petals.
There can’t be two people with this appearance.
“Lord Lorenz?”
Only after Margaret urged him in a small voice did Lorenz finally collect himself.
“Lorenz… Lockhart.”
His own voice seemed to be coming from somewhere far away. For instance, perhaps he was dreaming now, and his voice was being heard from outside the dream.
The transparent eyes that seemed to show through to the inside were burdensome to meet for long. Avoiding the eyes looking directly at him, Lorenz spoke to the man while keeping his gaze on Lucas.
“Don’t mind me and continue. I was just curious about how it proceeds.”
“Yes, then.”
Before sitting back down, the man encouraged the child who was looking up at Lorenz, stroking his small shoulder.
“Lucas, shall we greet your hyung, and then continue drawing after that?”
With his frightened gaze fixed on Lorenz, the child stood up. As expected, he was clutching his doll tightly in his arms.
Although his father had been quite fond of him, Lucas was a child who had been properly educated about etiquette and manners. Yet instead of opening his mouth to speak, he only bowed his head in greeting. Lorenz also responded by briefly nodding his head.
