Lys carried the pan to the table and dished out the warm veggie scramble onto everyone's plates. Steam curled up from the eggs, mixed with bits of carrot, onion, and greens. It looked simple but smelled comforting, like a home.
He gave Sara and Mira generous helpings, then served Elara before sitting down with his own share.
"Thanks," Sara said with a quick smile, picking up her spoon and digging in. But she kept her eyes mostly on her plate, a faint pink on her cheeks.
Last night still hung in the air like a secret everyone knew, but no one wanted to mention.
Mira nodded quietly, chewing her first bite slowly. "Yeah... it's good, brother." Her voice was soft, and she avoided looking straight at Elara, fidgeting with her spoon.
Elara took a small taste and looked up at Lys with a warm but slightly strained smile. "This is really nice, son. You did a good job." Her hand trembled just a bit as she held her spoon, and she glanced quickly at Sara and Mira before looking away.
Lys shrugged, trying to act normal, but he felt the awkwardness too. His neck felt hot. But he still managed to reply, "Glad you all like it."
After that, he focused on his food, the group eating in a quiet that felt way heavier than they thought it would be. Spoons clinked against plates, and outside, birds kept chirping like nothing was wrong.
After a few bites, Lys cleared his throat and turned to Sara, hoping to break the silence. "So, uh, Sara... what kind of rank does Lady Elowen's father have among the nobles? Like, is he pretty high up?"
Sara paused mid-bite, her spoon hovering. She glanced at Elara quickly before answering, her voice a little too bright. "Oh, yeah. Not just a high rank, he's a count, also super-rich and powerful in this region. Their family controls tons of land and trade routes. So, you know, you can probably expect a solid reward for saving his daughter. Gold, maybe even a favor or something. You can look forward to it."
Lys shifted uncomfortably in his chair, poking at his eggs. "I, uh, wasn't really asking about any reward. That wasn't why I did it. It honestly didn't cross my mind."
Elara and Mira both froze, their spoons stopping halfway to their mouths. They stared at him with wide eyes. Elara set hers down first, her face clouding with worry. "Saved someone? Lys, honey... what are you talking about? When did this happen?"
Mira leaned forward a bit, her flushed cheek, which was deeper red before quickly going away at the mention of this. She was also curious about this fact that she was unaware. "Brother... you saved a noble lady? When? You never said anything about that." She darted a nervous look at Elara, then back at Lys with a worried face. Getting involved with noble families was never a good thing. Especially for people like them, who were barely getting by just until yesterday.
Lys winced inside. He knew this would come up eventually, but not like this, not with everyone already on edge from... whatever happened last night. It was already gnawing at everyone present here. So adding this on top of that was too much. At least for him.
"It's, um, not a big deal. Just... something that happened. No need to worry."
Elara reached across the table, her hand touching his arm gently, but her fingers felt tense. "Son, what aren't you telling us? You were so hurt just days ago. Weak and barely able to walk with our help. When could you have saved a noble? Were you in danger? Why are you keeping so many secrets from us, honey? And... last night..." She trailed off, her voice catching, eyes flicking to Sara and Mira before she pulled back, like she regretted almost saying it.
The table went dead quiet. Sara stared at her plate, suddenly very interested in her food. Mira's face turned even redder, and she mumbled, accusing her brother of trying to shift the atmosphere a little, "Yeah... sounds suspicious. You're hiding stuff."
Sara jumped in, her voice a bit shaky but trying to help. "It's true, Lys saved Lady Elowen from some wolves. You can even say, he's kind of a hero. But, uh, yeah... maybe we should change the subject?" She gave a weak laugh, but it fell flat in this tension.
Elara's eyes widened more. "Wolves? Alone? Oh, Lys... my boy, you said, those were mostly killed by Sara's people, you just helped them. Is that not true then?!" She looked at Sara for answers, but her face was glued to the plate of food down below. Elara's gaze lingered on Sara a second too long, and Sara shifted in her seat, even eating becoming awkward for her now.
Lys rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the heat rise. "Mom, really, it's fine. I just helped someone who needed it. Let's not make a big thing out of it. I can handle myself now pretty well. Don't worry about it. Really! "
Mira was glancing between her mom and her brother, still suspicious, but her voice was quieter now, like she didn't want to push too hard with Elara right there. "If you were not in harm, then it's okay. I forgive you," she tried to shift the conversation by saying she forgave him for not telling them this big thing. Mostly, she said it because she thought if she said it out loud, then her mother might also let it go.
And it worked a little.
The group went back to eating, but the bites were slower, and the silence thicker. Everyone seemed to be avoiding eye contact.
Elara kept glancing at the girls with a mix of concern and a knowing look. While Sara and Mira picked at their food, their cheeks were still flushed.
After a few more minutes, the plates were mostly empty. Sara pushed hers away first, standing up. "That was great, but I really have to head out now. There's too much work to do."
Lys got up too, a bit too quickly. "Hmm, I'll walk you home, then."
Sara nodded, relieved. "Yeah, that'd be nice."
Before he could step away, Elara stood fast and grabbed a clean cloth. She reached up and gently wiped a smudge of egg from the corner of Lys's mouth. "Hold on, look at you, so clumsy still. Like you never grew up."
Lys blushed, frozen in place. "Ohh, Mom... I'm fine."
Mira giggled nervously, trying to lighten the mood. "Yeah, brother. Let Mom fix you. You still eat like a kid sometimes."
Lys and Sara headed to the door; the air between them felt a little lighter now. Elara and Mira followed them out to the front step, watching as the two started down the dirt path. The morning sun warmed their backs.
"Be safe, you two," Elara called, her voice soft but with a hint of worry.