At Matthew’s words, Riu finally let out a short “Ah.” It seemed the problem had been how warmly he’d smiled at Mason after not seeing him for a while.
“The world is wide and beautiful. Isn’t it a shame to be shut up in a birdcage? Don’t you think so?”
Matthew’s green eyes rippled thickly, like someone ready to snap a leg and shove it back into the cage. Feeling a chill, Riu hurriedly nodded and answered,
“Yeah, it is.”
At Riu’s answer which meant to get him out of the situation made Matthew’s eyes fold smoothly. Smiling as bright as a flower in full bloom, he gently stroked Riu’s cheek.
“I’ve reserved a restaurant nearby. We’ll eat there first and then head out. You must be starving after two days without food.”
Cutting off Riu’s suggestion that they go home, Matthew neatly tied off the conversation. In the end, Riu followed Matthew’s lead and nodded.
The carriage gradually slowed; they must be near the restaurant. A fresh fragrance of flowers reached them. There must have been blooms everywhere nearby.
“Shall we get out?”
“Yeah.”
Taking Matthew’s offered hand, Riu carefully stepped down from the carriage. In that moment, at the sight before him, he couldn’t close his mouth.
Between waves of purple wildflowers, daisies bloomed in profusion. The stone steps laid among them were like something out of a fairy tale.
“When I saw you at the villa last time, you seemed to like things like this.”
“Matthew…”
“How is it? Do you like it?”
“Yeah, a lot.”
Unable to hide his delight, Riu beamed from ear to ear. Watching him, Matthew tugged the brim of the hood down to Riu’s brow.
“The sun’s strong.”
“Ah… thanks.”
He hadn’t forgotten that Riu had a sun allergy, it seemed. The way Matthew looked after him made the tips of Riu’s ears redden although the cloak hid it.
Following the maître d’ who had come out to meet them, Matthew went up to the second floor. Whether he’d rented out the entire restaurant or it was always this empty, the quiet space made Riu feel awkward.
“Come here, Riu.”
Avoiding the patch of warm sunlight pooling on the floor, Matthew pulled out a chair in the shade. Knowing exactly what that meant, Riu thanked him with a look and sat down.
“What do you want to eat?”
Looking at the menu Matthew handed over, Riu suddenly felt shy. Sitting like this, it really felt like they were on a date.
He quickly took the menu and raised it to cover his face that kept flushing like someone who thinks that will hide his embarrassment.
Seeing this, Matthew gave a small laugh and propped his chin on the table.
“What, embarrassed?”
At Matthew’s words, the tips of Riu’s ears went even redder. Forgetting even to take off the cloak, he studied the menu intently, then closed the booklet and held it out.
“…I’ll have the same as you.”
“Yeah?”
With a thoughtful “Hmm,” Matthew smiled in a way that hinted at something. Whatever he had in mind, he beckoned to the maître d’ waiting at a distance and curved his lips smoothly.
“We’ll have everything on the menu.”
“Yes, sir.”
In a tone that didn’t sound particularly polite, he placed the order and handed back the menu. The maître d’, used to this, took it and quickly went downstairs.
“What do you mean… everything on the menu?”
Once the maître d’ had gone, Riu quietly asked Matthew. But Matthew only smiled, fresh as ever, unfazed.
“Eat plenty. When I was holding you, you were all skin and bones. It hurt.”
At the sudden lunge of Matthew’s words, Riu’s neck flushed scarlet in an instant. Deciding he couldn’t handle this, he grabbed the water glass on the table and downed it fast.
“I like this. It feels like we’re on a date. Right, Riu?”
Coughing, Riu set the glass down. He wanted to smooth things over somehow, but Matthew’s shameless flirting only made the heat rise in him again.
Unable to stand it, Riu fanned himself with his hand, and Matthew rose from his seat.
“Where are you going…?”
Riu tracked Matthew’s movements with his eyes and felt him approach. Whatever he was planning, Riu hunched reflexively, wary.
“Riu.”
“Yeah?”
“It’s pretty warm, isn’t it?”
In a voice laced with intimacy, he stepped behind Riu. Placing both hands on Riu’s shoulders, he whispered at his ear so Riu could hear him better.
“Then shall we take something off?”
Tugging on the neatly tied ribbon of the cloak, Matthew curled his lips.
“I… I’ll do it.”
“I dressed you, so I should be the one to undress you.”
As if that were only logical, he slipped off the outer garment and ran his hand over the mottled nape of Riu’s neck.
“Seeing this gets me excited again. Makes me want to kiss you.”
“This is a restaurant…”
“There’s no one here. And I ordered so much. There’s no way they’ll be back quickly.”
At Matthew’s blunt words, Riu ducked his head. But the moment Matthew’s hand tilted his chin up again, their lips met.
He’d already kissed Riu in the carriage before they came. Like a man endlessly hungry, he stirred Riu’s mouth. Just when Riu thought his lips would swell like balloons, Matthew’s face slowly drew back.
“Sweet. Your lips.”
“…”
“Still hungry enough to ache.”
In a voice that sounded oddly soaked, Matthew tapped Riu’s cheek. Wearing a handsome smile, he returned to his seat.
Thanks to that, peace returned to the table. As if nothing had happened, in the loosened atmosphere, the dishes they’d ordered began arriving one by one.
“Go on, eat.”
Maybe because he hadn’t eaten for two days, Riu’s stomach growled. At Matthew’s urging, he said, “I’ll eat well,” and quickly picked up his utensils.
Staring at the abundance of dishes, he decided to start with the tomato soup. Warm and easy on an empty stomach, he spooned it in—and then he worked his way slowly through the dishes.
“Why aren’t you eating?”
Feeling Matthew’s gaze on him again and again, Riu asked. Matthew, mischief at the corners of his mouth, gave a quiet chuckle.
“I ate just a moment ago. You.”
“…”
“Eat up. I drained your protein. You should replenish it, don’t you think?”
“Stop teasing me…”
Like a shy blossom, Riu’s cheeks flared red. Mortified, he speared a piece of fruit from his plate and popped it in his mouth.
“Seeing that mouth makes me want to put something in again.”
Watching Riu chew so adorably, a sharp gleam flickered at the corner of Matthew’s eyes. The gaze was so intense it sent a chill down Riu’s spine, and a hiccup slipped out.
“How about getting home a little late today? There happens to be a room upstairs.”
With everything flowing smoothly as if intentionally planned, Riu’s eyelids trembled faintly. In his past life and this one, adults had always said not to follow someone just because they offered something tasty. He was learning firsthand they were right.
Feeling somehow conned, Riu looked at Matthew with tear-bright eyes.
Before he knew it, a week had passed since he and Matthew had parted that day. Matthew came to Riu’s house every day. Each time, the Count was away, and Riu spent clandestine hours with Matthew.
It seemed about time to sort things out with Matthew… and with Rene. As it was, what he’d been doing to Rene as a friend was unforgivable, but neither did he want to keep seeing Matthew in this half-baked state.
“Haa…”
He really needed to choose a lane now. With a small mutter, Riu set down the pen he’d been scribbling with.
“Young master. The Count has arrived.”
He’d gone out at dawn, so Riu had wondered if something urgent had happened—but the Count returned earlier than expected.
Riu nodded to Nick and quickly went downstairs.
“You’re back?”
“Yes.”
The Count had grown gaunt with work lately, but today his complexion looked bright, as if something good had happened.
“Did something good happen?”
At Riu’s question, the Count beckoned to the attendant behind him.
“These are the supplies provided by the Imperial Foundation this time.”
“By the Foundation?”
The attendant carefully set down the items he’d been carrying. There were quite a few pricey things.
“They’ve given so much…”
“I hear formal sponsorship on this scale is rare.”
“These are things so expensive I didn’t even dare to dream of them.”
Seeing Riu unable to hide his delight, the Count wore a faintly bitter smile. Riu, not noticing, peered at the items with shining eyes.
“If it pleases you, it pleases your father. While you’re at it, what say you send the Foundation a gift one of your good paintings?”
“Would my painting be to their liking?”
“If they see potential in you, that must be why the Foundation has chosen to sponsor you.”
Looking as if to tell him to have confidence, the Count spoke, and Riu bit his lip.
“Okay, I will.”
Riu thought of the house he’d visited before… Matthew’s. The crown prince’s hobby paintings were magnificent, far superior to his own.
Even to another artist’s eye, the level of completion had been high. Recalling those paintings, Riu kept his gaze fixed on the supplies before him.
“But I heard you were away from home for several days. Where did you go?”
Leave a Reply