Ruby sat on her seat as usual, raising a brow when she noticed Milo staring at her.
"You want something?" she finally asked, her voice calm but curious, as his gaze lingered.
Startled, Milo bit his pink lips, his honey-brown eyes locking onto hers, a glimmer of frustration flashing in them. He couldn’t believe it.
Can’t she see feel the difference in taste?
He had made the food! He had put extra effort into preparing it, carefully considering her preferences, hoping to impress her.
Milo crossed his arms, trying to maintain his composure, but his heart betrayed him. He didn’t want to be angry at her—not his wife.
But when she didn’t even acknowledge his efforts, let alone compliment the food he made with such care, he felt a small, Very Small amount of anger building.
She didn’t even notice...
For a moment, he toyed with the idea of acting cold towards her, just to make her realize. But deep down, he knew he could never stay upset with her for long. Still, the disappointment lingered as he continued to stare.
Ruby glanced at Milo again, his honey-brown eyes still fixed on her with an intensity she couldn’t quite understand. For a moment, she thought she saw something flicker in his gaze. Was it... anger? No, that couldn’t be right. She had never seen Milo truly angry before, and the thought seemed almost absurd. But the way he was looking at her now like a deer.
"You want water?" she asked, motioning to the mug beside her plate. It seemed like a simple enough question, something to break the odd silence that had settled between them.
Milo blinked, surprised again, as her voice brought him back to reality. He didn’t reply right away. Instead, he bit his lip, his frustration clear, even though he said nothing.
He wasn’t really mad—he didn’t even know how to be mad at his wife,but he couldn’t help the sting of disappointment.
Does she really not see the effort I put in? he thought, his heart sinking a little. He wanted to say something, to drop a hint that he had been the one to make lunch, but the words refused to come out.
All he could do was shake his head slightly, avoiding her gaze.
Meanwhile, Karl nervously biting his finger as he watched them.. His stomach churned, and not because of hunger. No, it was the weight of his own guilty conscience. He wanted so badly to speak, to join the conversation, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
His heart raced as he thought about what had happened, about what he and Adrian had done. The memory played in his mind like a storm he couldn’t escape. If he opened his mouth, even just to comment on the weather, he knew the truth would come spilling out.
I can’t keep secrets... I never can. If I start talking, I’ll confess everything, Karl thought, his face pale as he glanced at Ruby.
Ruby noticed Karl’s fidgeting out of the corner of her eye. She turned slightly, her brows furrowing as she observed him nibbling on his finger, his expression troubled.
"You okay, Karl?" she asked casually.
Karl flinched, his hand dropping to his lap as if she had caught him doing something wrong. "Y-yeah, I’m fine!" he said quickly, his voice a little too high-pitched to be convincing.
Ruby raised an eyebrow but decided not to push him. Something was definitely off, but she figured it was better to let it go for now. Instead, she turned back to her plate, leaving both Milo and Karl to stew in their own thoughts.
Milo, still sulking, glanced at Karl, and their eyes met briefly. Karl quickly looked away, the guilt in his expression almost too much to bear. Milo sighed, wondering what was eating at his brother now.
Ruby finished her lunch, savoring the meal. The taste was slightly different than usual, but she didn’t pay much attention to it. She ate with relish, appreciating the effort someone must have put into preparing the food.
Once she was done, she got up, carried her plate to the sink, and rinsed it off. Humming a light tune under her breath, she glanced around and noticed the others had already finished eating too.
As she made her way back to her room, she felt a presence behind her, the soft sound of footsteps echoing in the quiet hallway. Curious, she stopped and turned, only to find Milo standing there.
He looked... angry? His honey-brown eyes, usually warm and playful, were narrowed, and his lips were pressed into a pout. His arms were crossed tightly against his chest, his frustration almost tangible.
"Something wrong?" Ruby asked, raising an eyebrow at his unusual expression.
Milo didn’t respond right away. He just stood there, staring at her like she had done something unforgivable. Ruby blinked, confused by his silent glare.
"Milo?" she prompted again, her tone softer this time, as if trying to coax an answer out of him.
"You didn’t even notice," he finally blurted out, his voice tinged with both hurt and annoyance.
"Notice what?" Ruby tilted her head, genuinely perplexed.
Milo huffed, his cheeks puffing up slightly in frustration. "The food!" he exclaimed. "I made lunch today! I thought you’d at least say something, but you just ate like it was nothing special!"
Ruby’s eyes widened in realization. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it, unsure of how to respond.
"You... made lunch?" she asked slowly, her voice careful.
"Yes!" Milo exclaimed, throwing his arms up dramatically. "I made it for you! I wanted you to like it! But you didn’t even say anything about how it tasted. Do you know how much effort I put into it?"
Ruby blinked, a faint smile tugging at her lips. She hadn’t expected this. Milo’s outburst was almost endearing in a way.
"I didn’t realize," she said honestly. "It tasted good, though. Really good. I guess I just didn’t think to ask who made it."
Milo’s glare softened slightly, but he still looked upset. "You should have noticed," he mumbled, his voice quieter now.
—To be continued...🪄