The room the twins stayed in was never meant to be permanent.
It wasn't the first time they stayed at their Uncle Franz's place, but it was clearly not suitable for young children like them.
The place was too clean, the decor too neutral and not functional, unlike the ones they had back home. Their clothes were folded neatly in drawers that had belonged to no one before them, and every morning a different member of the staff asked the same careful question.
Did you like the food?
Did you sleep well?
Did they need anything?
Leo would have nodded and shaken his head in response, having lost his voice since the accident, while Lily would have answered politely but watched the staff closely.
She noticed how often the adults would use the same words when they thought she and Leo weren't listening. Their discussion was a couple of feet away, their voices hushed.
"It's just a short-term arrangement."
"But they would need something more stable. Young Master can't look after them for too long."
"Good thing the Young Master isn't married yet, but if one day he decides to marry, he wouldn't be able to take care of them."
"But how could Young Master find a wife if he prioritizes Master Alex's children?"
"If his fans found out he's raising children, I cannot imagine the scrutiny he might face or the scandal that may follow.
Lily sat on the floor with Leo, pretending to focus on a puzzle before them. She understood what the staff were talking about. Their Uncle Franz was unmarried. He didn't have a wife, yet he was forced to do child rearing after his brother died.
Obviously, the twins didn't want to cause their uncle any trouble.
That evening, Franz decided to make them a snack.
It seemed simple enough. Popcorn didn't require skill, only attention. He followed the instructions on the packet carefully, set the heat, and waited.
But he waited too long.
By the time he realized something was wrong, the scent of burning kernels had already filled the kitchen. Smoke arose toward the ceiling. Franz opened the windows in a hurry, waving the air with one hand while staring at the blackened pan in disbelief.
But this wasn't enough to discourage him. He didn't want to ask a servant for help.
Franz attempted to make popcorn a couple of times until he ran out of kernels.
Lily grimaced at the burned popcorn her uncle placed at the counter. She didn't say a word, but didn't dare to give it a taste. How come her uncle still burns popcorn when the only thing he should do is watch out for heat and how long to cook it? Even their father could do it without breaking a sweat.
"Don't eat it, Leo," she told her younger brother in a hushed tone when she saw him pick up a piece of popcorn from the bowl. "You might get an ouchy tummy if you eat that."
Leo blinked but listened to his sister. He glanced at their uncle, who now looked exhausted and defeated as he placed another burned pan on the sink. The boy knew better not to risk a stomachache just for a snack.
"Uncle, can't we just order a pizza?" Lily asked, trying to save her handsome uncle from the humiliation of burning popcorn.
Looking at his uncle's handsome face, Lily was reminded yet again that no one was perfect. One was bound to have a flaw, and for their Uncle Franz, it seemed it was cooking.
After living in their uncle's place for two weeks now, Lily was starting to miss authentic home-cooked meals, as no one from Franz's staff was capable of preparing a decent meal for them.
Franz slumped his shoulders in defeat. He realized that ordering pizza was the best option for a late-night snack.
Lily smiled in relief, thinking she and her brother wouldn't have to endure yet another failed attempt by their Uncle Franz in the kitchen.
–
Half an hour later, the pizza finally arrived, much to the twins' delight. As they munched on their cheesy slices of pizza, Franz had a moment to check his email on his laptop.
Franz pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. He initially thought his older brother was a workaholic because whenever he visited Alex at the company, his brother was always swamped with work. However, since taking over as CEO of Rochefort Group, Franz found himself drowning in reports, endless commitments, and long meetings.
He lost count of how many times he found himself staring at the documents and emails, waiting for his response. The board was requesting a comprehensive strategy presentation on the ongoing merger Alex had engineered before his sudden passing. Franz had no idea where to begin.
Alex's personal assistant was capable, but the reports that he brought to Franz looked as if they had been written, just for him, in a foreign language. He was born to perform and read scripts, not to balance and interpret a financial sheet.
"Uncle?" Lily called him, pulling him back to the present.
"Yes?" He shut his laptop down, thinking he'd enough work for the day.
"Uncle, when can we see Aunt Arianne again? Leo and I want to thank her." Lily replied, her round eyes looking at him expectantly.
Franz was taken aback. He never thought Lily would remember being saved by Arianne.
"I'm not sure," he answered, "but I can ask when she would be free to meet you later."
"Is she really Arianne Summers, my dad's best friend? Why didn't we meet her before?"
Franz wasn't sure why Lily was suddenly interested in Arianne.
"She lives in another country and hasn't been here for a while."
"Do you have her number, Uncle? Can we give her a call?"
Franz laughed awkwardly. He had Arianne's number courtesy of Alex, but he never dared to give her a call before. He also had her on his messaging app, where he could only send her occasional greetings. Even his recent meeting with her was arranged by Alex's assistant.
"Let's see," he hummed, "I'll send her a message first and ask her if you can give her a call. We don't want to disturb, especially if she's already sleeping."
Lily didn't argue, but she continued to barrage him with questions.
"Grandpa said Aunt Aria is working with you. Why isn't she working for the company?"
"Your Aunt Aria is just here for a short vacation. I doubt she would want to work for us for too long."
"But Dad said she's very capable. He said to Mom that if he were in a fight, he would want someone like Aunt Aria to be on his side."
"Ah, yes. Your Aunt Aria knows how to fight, but you know, Lily? Some people don't need to stand in front to help. Sometimes choosing not to step forward is a way of protecting things."
Lily frowned. "Protecting what, Uncle?"
"Herself," Franz said. "Others."
Lily seemed unconvinced, but didn't press any further.
"Dad said Aunt Aria is your white moonlight. I understand now."
Franz stiffened. Why would his brother say such things to his child?
"It's bright," Lily went on, "But far away. You can see it, but you can't touch it."
Franz looked at his niece, really looked at her, and realized how much she had already understood.
He didn't correct her.
He did not need to explain.