Chester Sawyer leaned against the headboard, legs crossed and swinging as he flashed Sydney Sawyer a toothy grin.
"Sis, you've got good taste. My brother-in-law seems so gentle and refined, and he's smart and caring, too. You can tell at a glance he's a good man."
Refined?
Only later would Chester realize just how shallow and ignorant his perception of him had been.
Sydney Sawyer kept a constant watch on the door, terrified that Sebastian Lockwood might suddenly return.
"Sis, need any help?"
"Right now, I just need you to shut up!"
"..."
Chester pouted but said nothing.
'He was in a precarious position. Better to just lay low.'
**
Sebastian Lockwood was gone for a while, returning about half an hour later with some fruit. He also handed a PSP to Chester.
"This… is for me?" Chester asked, stunned.
'This show of concern… is so sudden.'
"To help you pass the time."
Chester took it with a word of thanks, then shot Sydney a look, waggling his eyebrows.
'This brother-in-law is awesome.'
"Why did you buy so much fruit? He's only going to be in the hospital for a few days. He won't be able to eat all this," Sydney said.
"Patients need their nutrients."
'He's a doctor, so of course he's right.'
"And what about the game console…?"
"It's Mr. Shaw's," Sebastian Lockwood said matter-of-factly. "He's been busy lately and has no time to play. It's a waste to let it just sit there."
"This belongs to that Mr. Shaw from earlier today?" Chester asked, eyeing the PSP.
"Mr. Shaw?" Sebastian Lockwood arched a brow.
'It was bad enough that this guy was stirring up trouble, but now he was trying to pull rank and get a leg up on him?'
"Mr. Shaw has been a huge help with Chester's hospitalization," Sydney said. "My head was a complete mess when I arrived at the hospital, so it was a good thing he was there. We should take him out for a meal to thank him properly when we get the chance."
Sebastian Lockwood said bluntly, "I'll set it up for you."
"That would be perfect. You're colleagues, so you'd know when he's free."
"Yes, we really should thank him properly…"
Sebastian rested his fingers on his knee, tapping them lightly as he fell into thought.
——
Barely five or six minutes later, the door to the hospital room was pushed open.
"Chester, I'm here—"
Donovan Sheridan appeared with dinner in hand, beaming.
But when he saw Sebastian Lockwood, his smile froze on his face.
'What the hell?!'
'It's not even dark out and I'm already seeing ghosts?'
"Se-Sebastian?"
"Long time no see." Sebastian grinned at him, scaring the soul right out of Donovan Sheridan.
'Long time no see, my ass! We just saw each other two days ago!'
"Mr. Shaw, you brought us food again? You're making me feel bad," Sydney said. She hadn't known he would be bringing them dinner.
"Don't mention it. I happen to be on duty tonight, and I figured you hadn't eaten yet, so I grabbed something on the way."
Out of the corner of his eye, Donovan Sheridan spotted the PSP in Chester's hands and immediately recognized it as his own.
'Sebastian Lockwood, you really are something else. Regifting my stuff to win over your future brother-in-law?'
Sydney was busy taking the food containers from Donovan Sheridan, but Chester was watching the interaction between the two men. This strange man seemed to be quite afraid of Sebastian.
'He was certain of it now: this future brother-in-law was definitely a powerful backer!'
'And it's always important to latch on to a powerful backer.'
...
The dinner Donovan Sheridan had brought was sumptuous, and thankfully, with Sebastian Lockwood there, nothing went to waste.
The moment they finished eating, Donovan Sheridan turned into a busy bee, helping clean up the food containers and asking if Chester needed hot water, offering to fetch it himself. He was desperate to get away from this hornet's nest.
How could Sydney let him do all the work? She insisted on helping, and after some polite back-and-forth, they both ended up heading to the hot water dispenser room.
Only Sebastian Lockwood and Chester were left in the room.
Chester sized up the man before him. As smart as he was, he was still just a kid. He lacked life experience and couldn't read Sebastian at all.
'It would be great to have Sebastian as a brother-in-law, and most importantly, his sister liked him. He definitely had to help, but he couldn't be too obvious about it.'
'He couldn't just come right out and say his sister liked him, could he?'
'If Sebastian rejected her, how would his sister save face?'
'He had to keep his sister's secret while also playing wingman. This was a tough gig.'
Chester was young, and within his limited scope of understanding, he felt like he was facing a world-class dilemma. He sighed.
'Helping someone else with their love life is so hard… harder than the SATs.'
"You're sighing. Are you feeling unwell?" Sebastian asked.
"It's nothing." Chester shook his head, looking exceptionally well-behaved.
"Want an apple?"
"Okay."
Sydney had been worried the whole time that Chester would start running his mouth the moment she left.
But when she pushed open the door, she found one of them with his head down, peeling an apple, while the other was silently munching on one.
When Chester finished one, Sebastian handed him another.
Sydney frowned.
'Have these two declared war on apples or something?'
Chester wanted to play hard to get, to put on the airs of a future brother-in-law, but he was too chicken.
Usually, he could run his mouth all he wanted, but the man in front of him held his sister's future happiness in his hands. He wouldn't dare act rashly until he had a better read on the situation.
It's always the way: the more you care, the more cautious you become.
——
After dinner, the conversation naturally turned to who would be staying with Chester overnight.
"Sis, I'm fine. I don't need anyone to stay with me tonight. You should go home and get some sleep."
Just as Sydney cared for him, Chester knew how to look out for her.
"Are you sure you'll be okay on your own?" After last night's emergency, Sydney was naturally worried.
"Mr. Shaw is on duty tonight. He can look after him."
Donovan Sheridan was floored.
He had just made that up so Sydney wouldn't feel bad. He wasn't actually on duty tonight.
'Your future brother-in-law gets sick, and I have to run around after him, bringing him food and fetching hot water. And not only do you not thank me, you want me to stay the night with him?'
'What kind of person does that?!'
With Chester worried about his sister and Sebastian pushing hard for the idea, the end result was…
Donovan Sheridan, who had only dropped by to deliver dinner, somehow became Chester's overnight chaperone.
**
「The Emperian」
When the elevator reached the 10th floor, Sydney glanced at the man beside her. "Mr. Lockwood, are you taking your cat home?"
"I'll go check on him first."
And just like that, Sebastian Lockwood stepped into Sydney Sawyer's apartment.
The moment Timmy Lockwood saw him, he began meowing excitedly.
"Please, have a seat. The place is a bit of a mess."
She'd rushed Chester to the hospital last night and had only come back today to hastily grab some clothes before returning. There had been no time to clean. Add in all the fur Timmy Lockwood had shed, and the place was definitely cluttered.
Sydney wanted to make a good impression on Sebastian Lockwood, so she scurried around tidying up. After bustling about for a while, she realized she hadn't even offered him a glass of water.
"Mr. Lockwood, what would you like to drink—"
She turned to ask, but the words caught in her throat.
Sebastian Lockwood was asleep, leaning back on her sofa. Timmy Lockwood was sprawled across his lap, dozing with his eyes lazily closed…
'He must be exhausted after running around for two days straight.'
Sydney moved quietly, switching the bright living room light to a softer, gentler glow.
The days were sweltering this time of year, but the nights could get chilly. She tiptoed into her room, retrieved a thin blanket, and gently draped it over him.
She bent at the knees, leaning down to get a closer look at him.
His breathing was deep and even; he seemed to be sound asleep.
An impulse she couldn't explain made Sydney reach out and tentatively touch his glasses.
She'd been wanting to for a long time…
'I wonder what he looks like without his glasses…'