Chapter 2093 Undercover (Part 3)
Lith and Tista took a table near the glass wall looking out on the city hall and placed their order. Lith had never been to Zehnma so he picked dishes that according to Soluspedia a local would take, avoiding looking like a tourist.
"I'll take your most expensive meal course and wine." Tista said. "Today we are celebrating. We're having a baby."
The waiter congratulated them and clapped his hand, quickly followed by the rest of the room.
"So much for anonymity." Lith grumbled while looking through the menu to assess the damage. "Who's we, by the way?"
"You, Solus, Kami, and the rest of the family. We can't leave you to raise a little munchkin alone or they'll grow up grumpy and obnoxious." She said with a chuckle.
"I don't know, you seem to have turned out okay to me."
"Oh, please, you are not my father." She replied with a snort.
"Indeed, but I was the one who spent the most time with you until you recovered from the Strangler, remember?" Lith said, and this time his smile was sincere. "I still remember how happy you were when I made you the swing and when I brought you your first fur clothes.
"How during winter I kept you company whenever your illness resurfaced, telling you stories until you fell asleep."
"How could I forget?" Tista replied with a nostalgic smile. "Back then you were my hero. A kind brother who took care of me and who gave his all to make my life better."
"Back then?" Lith furrowed his brows. "What about now?"
"Now you're a patronizing jerk who doesn't give me the time of day unless it's to scold me." She pouted. "Can you believe that I had to come here to spend a few hours alone with you?"
Tista wasn't Phloria, but her words were no less true and hurt the same.
"I'm sorry. My life has been-"
"Everybody's life has been a mess since Meln's attack on Lutia." She cut him short. "But you were like this since way before that. The only moment you give any of us your attention is when we're ill, like it happened with Dad.
"Once we recover, you forget about us and go back to your latest project."
An awkward silence fell between them and they spent the time before the waiter's return staring at the window. The Eyes of Menadion scanned the magical formations surrounding the city hall, identifying the bundles of runes that acted as the bearing walls of Zehnma's defensive system.
"With the compliments and congratulations of the chef." The waiter gave Tista a bow, serving her fist and pouring her an abundant glass of fruit juice.
The wine came only with Lith's dish and the waiter had the care to put the bottle away from her to avoid any accident.
"Poetic justice." Lith smacked his lips, appreciating the rich flavor of the wine and its fruity aroma. Also, he hoped to move to a less thorny issue. "It's really worth its price. Too bad you can't enjoy it. We don't want to harm the baby."
"See what I mean? A total jerk." She sighed.
The food was excellent and the ambiance nice, but they soon became too engrossed by the study of the arrays to keep any conversation. Their silence stuck out amid the chattiness of the room and the waiter came to their table multiple times asking if everything was alright.
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