At the dining hall, steaming hot dishes were served on plates and placed on tables with seats for six people.
The aroma of the food filled the air while the three people seated around were waiting for one more person to arrive.
“Mom, who was the person sleeping in the guest bedroom?” Emma asked in her timid voice.
“Hmm?”? A blue-eyed, handsome young man lifted his eyebrow and tore his gaze away from the book in his hand.
His blue eyes behind silver-rimmed glasses shone with curiosity. He had jet black hair with a well-combed hairstyle, giving him an intellectual look.
A beautiful woman with long, flowing hair and an eternally gentle smile sat at the end of the table.
She hadn’t allowed anyone to take food yet because they were waiting for her husband to arrive.
“You will know shortly, sweetie.” Anna replied while keeping her eyes peeled on the door of the dining hall, expecting her husband to arrive at any moment.
“Hmm?” Zach, the handsome young man, nudged his glasses up his nose bridge and returned his focus to the book.
He didn’t look like he cared much about the guest.
The doors opened, and in walked Jack, pushing a wheelchair forward.
The person in the wheelchair looked sickly yet surprisingly athletic.
A few of the strands of his hair fell on his forehead, giving him a slightly disheveled look.
Emma and Zach glanced in their direction. Their gazes landed on the person in the wheelchair.
They both wondered who he was, as rarely their father brought a guest so young.
Anna smiled and stood up.
She returned to the kitchen and soon brought another plate with silverware.
Jack rolled the wheelchair to the end of the table and then patted Jesse’s shoulder before getting seated next to Zach.
He filled up his plate with lasagna and salad before filling his cup with water.
Anna walked over to Jesse and placed the plate and silverware before him on the table. She then moved her hair over her ear and asked.
“Would you like anything to drink?”
“Water is fine, thank you.” Jesse replied with a small smile. He looked at everyone at the table with a nervous gaze.
Emma sent glances in his direction, while Zach looked at him once before returning to his book.
Jesse looked down at his trembling hands and then clenched them into a fist. The trembling stopped.
He took a deep breath and then filled his plate with food. Then Anna handed him the cup of water with a gentle smile.
He accepted the cup of water with a nod, grateful for her kindness. He then took a sip while scanning his surroundings.
The dining hall wasn’t as big as imagined, but it was still vastly larger than an ordinary house’s.
However, he thought it was because this was used by the family to eat together, as there was also a kitchen connected to the hall.
He expected them to have another dining hall, which would be much bigger and could fit more people and accommodate larger gatherings.
Anna got seated on another end of the table and put her hands together for a quick prayer before starting to eat.
The sound of silverware clanging against the plate sounded across the dining hall.
No one was speaking, but Emma and Zach were feeling a strange sense of tense atmosphere.
Emma, at first, looked at her mother before turning to her father. She then pouted and looked at the strange, black-haired youth.
She opened her mouth and timidly whispered.
“U-uh, y-you…”
However, her whisper was silenced by the sound of silverware clanging against the plate.
She was too quiet to be heard over the noise.
“Zach, close the book and eat.” Jack said while taking a bite of the food.
Zach sighed, closed the book, and placed it beside the plate.
He picked up the fork and knife, then began eating.
Anna glanced at her husband before rolling her eyes. She then smiled and looked at the person at the other end of the table.
“Jesse, do you also enjoy reading?”
Zach lifted his eyebrow and looked at the sickly-looking young man.
Jesse responded with a nod. “Yeah, I do. I rarely read these days, though.”
“Hmm, what is your favorite book?” Zach suddenly struck up a conversation and crossed his arms. “I believe that one’s favorite book reveals a lot about the person.”
“It’s Ambrose, the Immortal Man.” Jesse replied. He had read it many times but never grew tired of the story’s timeless wisdom and captivating characters. 𝑜𝒱xt.𝒞𝑚
Unfortunately, it never got sequel for some reason.
“Oh, that. I have read it too.” Zach cut a piece of the lasagna and stuffed it into his mouth.
“I think that book is nonsense. Ambrose is a very frustrating main character with lots of flaws—I couldn’t understand why the author made an otherwise good book with such a main character.
“Also, it frustrates me the most that there are many good characters with kind personalities, yet it is Ambrose who reached immortality.
“Overall, the book would have been much more enjoyable if the main character had been better developed, because I couldn’t cheer for him after acquiring immortality. I even wished for the book to have a darker ending!”
Zach became very passionate about the topic of that book.
Jesse looked at the blue-eyed young man and shook his head. “I have to disagree with that. Those things you called “flaws” aren’t flaws; they are simply emotions, and Ambrose was a person with complex emotions.
“Emotions should never be seen as flaws. They are a fundamental part of being human, and in my opinion, Ambrose was the most human-like character in the whole book. He was the most developed and relatable character, with layers of emotions that made him captivating to read about.”
Zach scoffed and firmly shook his head. “I have to disagree. Ambrose was a very angry, jealous, and sad individual. It was hard to sympathize with him.”
“That’s where you are mistaken.” Jesse took a bite of the lasagna and said. “The author did not want others to sympathize with him. In fact, Ambrose’s negative traits were intentionally portrayed to evoke a sense of dislike and frustration in the readers.
“When he finally overcame those frustrating qualities, he finally stopped being a human. He became an immortal—a person who had abandoned the humanity that once chained him with emotions.”
Zach opened his mouth, but he wasn’t sure how to reply.
He stopped eating and nudges his glasses with a deep frown.
‘Did I misunderstand the message of the book? I still have that book; should I read it again?’
Anna smiled at the fiery conversation and then looked at her husband, who was still eating without having any intention to speak.
She then narrowed her eyes and tapped her finger against the table.
Jack looked away from the food and saw his disgruntled-looking wife.
He knew he was in trouble if he tried to delay it any longer.
“Ahem.” He cleared his throat and attracted everyone’s attention. “Emma and Zach, I have something to talk to you about…”
“Hmm?” Zach shook away the thoughts about the book and looked at his father with a raised eyebrow.
Emma took a very small bite of the food while keeping her ears perked up.
She couldn’t really keep up with the conversation about the book, but after having her name mentioned, she also turned to look at her father with a curious look.
“This is Jesse.” Jack pointed at Jesse before continuing. “Your grandma, Matilda, called me one day about a certain young man who had the same condition as me, Humanoid Imperfecta.
“As it is known, it can only be inherited. I thanked the gods that neither of you got it. However, a long time ago, I did something very foolish before I married your mother.
“I had tried to forget about that stupid time of my life, but then.” Jack patted Jesse’s shoulder and took a deep breath. “That past created something that I got to know only a few days ago.
“I found out that I have a long-lost son. Jesse here is my first-born son and your new sibling.”