Chapter 90
Contrary to popular misconception, whenever Lavian returned from a business trip, it was rare to see his men lined up at Rojas Station shouting, “Welcome back, boss!”
There were a few reasons for that.
First, the city guards would obviously chase them away if they did.
Second, Lavian often went off course halfway back—usually to meet a new lover.
Third, it would be a nuisance to other passengers.
And lastly, even if they did come to greet him despite all of the above, they never heard anything nice in return.
So today was quite an unusual day.
For some reason, everyone and their dog wanted to tag along to meet him.
“No. You’ll just bother the other passengers. Get back to work!”
Thanks to Kiss—who still hadn’t shaken off his “club waiter” mindset and ruthlessly rejected the volunteers—only four people went to the station: Nina, Messi, Katya, and Kiss himself.
But the mood of this so-called welcoming party was anything but warm.
“Tch, we’re just giving him something else to brag about. I can already see his smug face! And I bet he didn’t even buy us any souvenirs!”
“Right? I doubt he even thought about us,”
Katya quickly agreed, echoing Kiss’s grumbling.
Messi, meanwhile, shot Nina a sideways look and said dryly,
“You sound like a kid, whining about gifts. And do you know what you look like right now?”
“What do I look like…?”
“Like a wife waiting to nag her husband the moment he gets back from a business trip.”
“You little brat! You really are Merce’s brother, huh?!”
While Kiss tried to grab Messi in mock outrage, Nina kept glancing up at the big clock in the center of the station.
Lavian’s train was scheduled to arrive at 5:10 p.m.—just a few minutes away now.
‘I wish he’d hurry up and get here.’
It had only been about two weeks, yet it somehow felt like over a month.
‘Come to think of it… did Cheshire know Lavian was coming back today?’
“Nina, stop staring at the clock and have a drink.”
“Huh? Oh, thanks.”
“You must be really excited. Missed him that much?”
Katya teased, and Nina blushed a little before nodding shyly.
“Yeah.”
“Huh. You’re strange sometimes…”
“But you’re the same way.”
“Me? What do you mean?”
“You said you missed Uncle Lavian too.”
Nina tilted her head with a smile.
Katya froze for a few seconds, then her face flared red as she flailed her hands.
“W-What are you talking about?! Are you crazy?! I told you a dozen times I can’t stand that man! Okay, maybe I’ve gotten slightly used to him, but still—”
At that moment, the whistle of the incoming train echoed through the station, followed by the hiss of steam.
The two girls immediately jumped to their feet.
“He’s here…!”
Kiss and Messi also stopped their scuffle and moved to stand beside Nina more properly.
As the train gradually came to a halt, Kiss suddenly exclaimed,
“Wait—are we even at the right platform for first class?”
“What?!”
“Ah—w-wait, let me check again—!”
Classic Kiss—never failing to fumble at the worst possible time.
By the time the group hurriedly relocated to the correct platform, Lavian had just stepped off the train.
“There he is! Boss! Booooss!”
Lavian flinched at the creepy, almost tearful shout.
“What the hell…?”
He was still wondering what bizarre group this was when a clear young voice rang out.
“Uncle!”
Golden hair fluttered in the air.
Nina had already sprinted ahead of the others, breathless but determined.
She didn’t have to run—she knew that—but her heart told her that if she didn’t reach him fast enough, he might disappear again.
Lavian’s eyes widened.
“Hey, you—wait—”
“Uncle, I—!”
Just as she reached him, Nina suddenly stumbled forward.
Lavian dropped his travel bag without hesitation and lunged.
“Nina!”
“Ahhh!”
Katya and Kiss screamed as Nina fell straight into Lavian’s arms.
“You okay?”
“Mm-hmm…”
Panting lightly, Nina looked up at him.
To her surprise, Lavian was staring down at her with an expression of genuine shock.
“You’re not hurt?”
She shook her head to say she was fine—then, overwhelmed by emotion, broke into a bright smile.
“I missed you, Uncle.”
His absinthe-colored eyes trembled.
Something smooth and solid that had always existed within him seemed to crack, shaking violently beneath the surface.
For a fleeting moment, Nina thought he looked… pained.
“…Yeah.”
His voice was low and rough.
Lavian gently brushed a few strands of hair from her face and muttered softly,
“I’m back, kid.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Nina smiled again, radiant.
That’s when Katya butted in.
“Ahem, excuse me, we’re here too, you know.”
“Yeah, and boss—did you come back empty-handed? No gifts?”
“Kiss, do you ever do your job instead of dragging these kids around? Do you ever stop fooling around?”
“See?! I knew he’d say that!”
Kiss flailed dramatically, making a scene until they were all promptly kicked out of the station.
Even outside, he kept muttering like a cursed spirit, pestering Lavian—who was clearly exhausted from travel.
“Seriously, nothing? Not even a little something? We actually came all this way to greet you—!”
“If you whine about gifts one more time, I swear you’re dead.”
Lavian’s growl was so sharp that Kiss finally shut up.
Outside, the sun was just beginning to set.
The golden light dimmed, giving way to shades of red and pink that painted the world in twilight.
“The weather’s nice. Should we take the tram back for a change?”
Messi suggested, and Lavian nodded silently.
So the group climbed aboard the tram to return to their hotel.
Since it was evening and near the end of the festival, the tram was packed full.
“Come here, kid. Don’t get swept away.”
“Huh? Oh, okay.”
Don’t get swept away?
The phrasing was odd, but Nina obediently sat on Lavian’s lap without complaint.
‘Come to think of it, this is my first time riding a tram.’
It felt completely different from a carriage—modern, almost exciting.
Through the window, she could see the lively festival streets still glowing with energy.
When she glanced sideways, she noticed Lavian staring out the window too, lost in thought.
‘He feels… different somehow.’
Nina swallowed hard.
She’d been so happy to see him that it took her a while to notice, but something about the air around him had changed—subtly yet unmistakably.
It wasn’t just about his mood.
If she had to put it into words, the feeling reminded her of standing at the entrance of a vast, dark cave.
‘What happened in the Imperial Capital?’
It was only natural that Nina—his hostage and contract partner—would be curious about what had happened during Lavian’s trip.
She truly was curious.
And yet, part of her didn’t want to know.
That contradiction came from one painful truth she’d been hiding from him all along.
‘My parents don’t care whether I live or die.’
They hadn’t before, and they didn’t now.
The fact that no one had raised a fuss about her disappearance said it all.
And knowing that made it unbearable to ask about them—to hear his voice tell her they were fine.
Especially since Nina knew exactly how skilled her mother was at acting.
“Why are you staring at me like that…?”
Lavian finally spoke, breaking her thoughts.
