Anna looked up at Alith.
I noticed that his features were calm… but his eyes held a hint of annoyance.
"I saw him in the hallway."
She paused for a second, then said
"What about him?"
Alith replied in a steady tone:
"He bumped into my daughter… and she fell."
Elisa didn't move… she remained silent.
He paused briefly before saying:
"But he didn't help her up and didn't say a word when I spoke to him. He ignored me."
Anna looked at him calmly.
"Did Ryan do that? Hmm, so do you want an apology from him, Alith?"
Alith looked at his daughter.
"Not for me, but for Elisa."
Elisa looked annoyed.
"Dad, I don't need an apology. I said I was the one who bumped into him."
Serene looked at her husband.
"This conversation is pointless; we don't know the boy, and he's our guest."
Then she looked at Elisa and an idea struck her. She looked at Anna:
"Anna, join us for dinner in a little while, and also bring that boy with you."
Anna said nothing, she just nodded in agreement.
____________________
A servant opened an ornate wooden door and gestured respectfully,
"Please come in."
Ryan and Anna entered a room, away from the noise of the guests.
Ryan's gaze remained calm and expressionless.
'This is annoying.'
He didn't want to have dinner with this family; he knew the reason he was there was because of his previous neglect of Alith.
The room was spacious yet quiet, its walls paneled in dark wood, adorned with antique paintings, and in the center stood a long polished wooden table.
Candles, carefully placed along the table, cast a warm light that reflected off the silverware.
The door closed behind them…
And silence fell.
Sid Aleth sat at the head of the table, with Serene Valcora to his right, while Elisa sat next to her mother.
Across from her sat Anna Froster… and next to her, Ryan.
The place was so quiet that the sound of their breathing could be heard.
The food was placed before them hot soup, fresh bread, and simple but luxurious dishes.
Everyone started eating except Ryan.
Ryan looked at the soup in front of him for a few seconds.
They looked at him, then Serene spoke:
"Isn't this food to your liking, boy? It's the best soup in town!"
Ryan looked into her eyes, then at the soup with disgust, before speaking in his cold, quiet voice. It was the first time the family had heard the boy's calm voice.
"I've been eating it for one year."
Then he thought for a moment.
"Ah, I think it's four years."
The group looked at him in surprise, but the only one who understood was Anna.
Anna thought Ryan was just a boy her sister had asked her to look after because he was her sister's teacher's brother.
But seeing his burns the last time made her think that something bad or terrible had happened to him, and with his statement now she was certain of it.
She knew that his family was not poor; he had three sisters, all of whom were famous throughout the kingdom for their strength.
But in recent years, a rumor has emerged that they were doing any dangerous job that earned them money to pay for the treatment of a sick family member. Even the strongest person in the army, his older sister, wanted to resign because the army wasn't paying her much, until they gave her a bonus and raised her salary, so she decided to stay.
Finally, Anna discovered from her sister Serissa that Ryan had been in a coma for three years and was paralyzed after waking up.
Anna looked at Ryan.
'He looks like he's suffered a lot.'
After saying that, Serene looked at the servant and gestured to him.
Minutes later, the waiter returned with a grilled steak and placed it in front of Ryan.
Serene spoke
"If you need anything, tell the staff and they will prepare it for you."
Ryan thanked her politely.
"Thank you."
During the meal, Alith glared at Ryan, but his tone remained calm.
"I heard you're going to take the entrance exam for the academy."
Ryan nodded.
"Yes."
Then he cut a piece of the steak with a knife and ate it.
'This is delicious.'
"My daughter will also be going through it and will be traveling with you, so I hope you will take good care of her, not like what happened in the lobby a little while ago."
Ryan looked at Elisa and then said something unexpected:
"Why do I have to do that?"