Ding, dong.
“What is it now?” Jesse had finished microwaving his breakfast, which was still steaming hot. It let out a scent of food, which wasn’t that pleasant.
He put the food down and pushed the wheelchair towards the door. However, before opening it, he pushed himself to stand and peeked through the eyehole of the door.
To his utmost surprise, the smiling goth girl was staring directly at the eyehole; her beautiful face had that same teasing smile that he remembered from their brief encounter.
‘Shit, what does she want?’ Jesse planned to return to the kitchen and act like she didn’t exist.
“I know you are there. I heard your wheelchair rolling down the carpet~”
‘Fuck!’ Jesse gritted his teeth and asked. “What do you want?”
“Open the door~” A gentle knock reverberated across the small apartment. “I will tell you when you have opened the door~”
With a click, Jesse removed the lock and narrowly opened the door. He peeked outside through the narrow gap and asked.
“What do you want?”
Nyx leaned forward, showing her cleavage through the fishnet blouse. Her smile was seductive and teasing.
“What do you think I am here for~?”
Jesse felt his lips turn dry, as did his throat. He suddenly felt like he wanted to empty a whole bottle of water down his throat.
Nyx suddenly burst into laughter. “Hahaha, just joking! The landlady told me to come to invite you for breakfast. Wanna come?”
“Huh?” Jesse looked past Nyx and towards the five-story building. “She did? Who are you?”
“I am her grandniece.” Nyx said with a smile. “Since you are a new tenant, she invited you to have breakfast with her. Well, do you want to?”
“Uh.” Jesse turned back to his kitchen, where the steaming hot microwave waited for him. It didn’t look tasty in the slightest. He then turned back to Nyx and nodded. “Alright.”
He thought that declining the invitation from the landlady wouldn’t make him look good. Also, he didn’t mind getting to know her better.
“Mm, good.” Nyx said and turned around to start walking back to the house. However, then she heard the young man behind him grunt in pain. She turned around again, and her eyes widened in surprise.
Jesse took a deep breath and stood up from the wheelchair. He felt a slight amount of pain on the soles of his feet, but it was bearable.
“…” Nyx didn’t say anything and instead turned around and headed back to the house.
Jesse followed after her, and soon they reached the house and entered through an open door.
A pleasant scent of baked goods lingered in the air, making Jesse let out a satisfied sigh.
Nyx walked to the open kitchen that was connected with the front lounge and saw Matilda wearing a pink apron while baking something in oven. There was also food cooking on the stoves.
“He is here.”
“Alright.” Matilda turned around and smiled gently as the young man walked into the kitchen right behind her grandniece. “Jesse, was it?”
“Yes, madam.” Jesse nodded, not surprised that she was aware of his name since his full name should be on the rent papers.
“Take a seat; food will be soon ready.” Matilda said with a smile and returned to making the food.
Jesse nodded, pulled a chair from underneath the table, and sat down. He let out an inaudible sigh of relief, as standing alone was sometimes quite a pain.
Nyx sat right beside him, even though there were six other available chairs. She crossed her legs and leaned her chin against the palm of her arm, which was on the table. She swayed her foot back and forth, then touched Jesse’s leg with it.
Jesse flinched and pulled his leg back. He only heard a soft giggle beside him.
After a while of dodging Nyx’s teasing attempts, Matilda finished making the food and put it on the table. She then sat on the other side of the table with a bowl full of food in front of her.
Nyx and Jesse grabbed a bowl and filled it with the delicious-looking food. They both started eating their meal while Matilda watched them from her seat at the table.
As they all started eating, Matilda wiped her lips with a napkin and asked. “Jesse, I heard you have a disease called Humanoid Imperfecta. Is that correct?”
“Ah, yes, madam.” Jesse nodded and glanced sideways at Nyx, who innocently ate the food without returning the gaze.
“It can only be inherited. Is it your mother or father whom you inherited it from?” Matilda asked while dipping the spoon in the nourishing soup.
“Neither.” Jesse said while moving the spoon out and in of his mouth as he felt immense satisfaction eating such delicious food. “I am the first person in my family to ever have this.”
“Huh?” Nyx raised her gaze from the soup and looked at him with a stunned expression. “You know that Humanoid Imperfecta can only be inherited, right?”
Matilda’s hand froze, and she forgot to resume eating. She looked at Jesse intensely and noticed the bandaged hand as if he had recently gotten severely injured. It made her frown all more deeper.
“Yes, I know.” Jesse twirled the spoon over the soup. “Even the doctors were stunned. In their opinion, Humanoid Imperfecta is still a very rare disease, and there might’ve been some complications during my birth that caused this. They aren’t certain.”
“Such foolishness.” Matilda grabbed a napkin and wiped her lips. “Humanoid Imperfecta can only be inherited. Those doctors you talk about are novices.”
“Are you absolutely certain that none of your grandparents had it?” Nyx asked and she saw Jesse nodding. She stopped eating and frowned. “Then, are you adopted?”
“Not that I am aware of.” Jesse said with a shake of his head. “I have the same birthmark as my mother, though. Her father also has it.”
“Then, perhaps your father had affair? Your mother found out, but instead of abandoning you, they decided to keep you?” Nyx tossed a wild guess.
“Nyx!” Matilda shouted at her grandniece, but she had also stopped eating and was staring at the face of the pale young man with an intense stare. A certain face soon overlapped with the pale face, causing her aged eyes to widen in shock.
“My father? An affair?” Jesse let out a hollow chuckle and shook his head. “He would never. He values his reputation too much to do that. Even if he was younger back then, there would be no way.”
“Maybe your mother, then?” Nyx said.
“Excuse me?” Jesse looked at the goth girl with a slight anger in his eyes.
“Nyx, be quiet.” Matilda said and looked at Jesse with a sorry look. “I apologize. She is rather blunt when it comes to conversations. I hope you don’t hate her.”
Nyx pouted and stabbed her fork to potato that was sunk on the bottom of the bowl.
“It’s fine…” Jesse pulled out a phone from his pocket and checked the time. He turned back to the soup and looked alarmed. “I am sorry, but I have to leave now.”
“Already? You hadn’t even finished half of the food.” Nyx said in surprise.
“I am really sorry.” Jesse stood up and he couldn’t believe he had forgetting something very important. The wagons, leaving for the quest, would leave in half an hour’s time.
“It’s fine. Thank you for coming.” Matilda smiled. “Nyx will bring the food with you. You can eat it at later date.”
“I will?” Nyx looked at her grandaunt with a stunned look, but only received a sharp gaze from Matilda. She pouted and went to get a small bucket to store the food.
“Thank you.” Jesse nodded as thanks and once Nyx was ready to leave, they both left the house, leaving Matilda alone in the kitchen.
Matilda looked at the seat, which Jesse used, silently.
She slowly pulled out a phone and dialed a number. 𝑜𝗏xt.𝗇t
After few seconds, the phone call connected.
“Hello, is it you, mother?” A man’s pleasant-sounding voice came from other side of the phone.
“Hey, Jacky.” Matilda smiled fondly while using her son’s nickname. “Sorry to call you suddenly, but I have a question to ask you.”
“Oh, what is it?”
“Do you know anyone from Kraham family?”
“…” The voice on other side of the phone turned silent. After a moment, the man spoke. “A faint memory. That was long time ago, though.”
“I think we should meet.” Matilda said. “Come meet me.”