NOVPUBThe music room was quiet except for the faint ticking of the antique clock on the wall. A soft glow from the chandelier cast shadows over the polished black surface of the grand piano, where Elion and Raelynn sat side by side. He had barely touched the keys, his fingers idly resting over them as he processed her words.
Raelynn, on the other hand, was watching him with an expectant look, waiting for an answer.
"How did you know?" Elion finally asked, tilting his head slightly as he studied her.
Raelynn blinked, momentarily thrown off by his response. She had expected Elion to deflect, to brush off the question with some vague or sarcastic remark—maybe even scoff at the idea entirely. But he didn’t. He didn’t deny it, didn’t avoid it. He actually asked how she knew.
That was… good.
She tilted her head, studying him right back. "You’re not going to pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about?" she asked, curiosity lacing her tone.
Elion let out a quiet chuckle, leaning back slightly. "Would you believe me if I said I’m tired of pretending?"
That made her pause. The words were spoken casually, but there was something beneath them—something unspoken yet heavy. She wasn’t sure if she should pry, but before she could decide, Elion arched a brow at her. "Well?"
Raelynn cleared her throat, snapping out of her thoughts. "Right. How did I know?" She tapped her fingers against the piano’s polished surface. She leaned back against the bench, a small smirk playing at her lips. "I saw my file on your desk earlier." Her tone was casual, but her gaze searched his face for any reaction.
Elion didn’t even flinch. Instead, he gave a slow nod, as if he had already anticipated this moment. "Yes," he admitted. "I did a little investigation. Isn’t that normal? You suddenly appeared, claiming you were pregnant with my child. The least I could do was find out who you were."
His voice was as calm and controlled as ever, but there was something entirely different in his expression. He wasn’t apologizing, nor was he trying to justify himself—he was simply stating facts.
Raelynn blinked at him, processing his words. He had a point, didn’t he? If their roles were reversed, she would have done the same. She exhaled, shaking her head with a small chuckle. "I guess that makes sense."
Elion arched an eyebrow. "Just ’makes sense’? No anger? No doubts?"
Raelynn rolled her eyes. "Oh, don’t get me wrong, I was annoyed at first. But it’s not like I have some deep, dark past for you to uncover. If anything, I should be grateful you didn’t find something embarrassing."
Elion let out a short laugh, low and amused. "Who’s to say I didn’t?"
Raelynn shot him a glare, but there was no real heat behind it. Instead, she leaned forward, propping her elbows on the edge of the piano. "Since we’re on the topic of knowing things, I want to know more about you."
Elion’s fingers, which had been lightly grazing the keys, stilled. His golden eyes flickered to her, guarded yet curious. "Why?"
Raelynn scoffed, crossing her arms. "Seriously? You know practically everything about me now, but I know nothing about you. That’s hardly fair."
Elion tapped a single key, letting the note linger in the air before speaking. "What exactly do you want to know?"
"Everything."
Raelynn stared at Elion, her eyes burning with a determination that even she hadn’t fully expected. Everything. That wasn’t an exaggeration. She wanted to know every single thing about him.
She wanted to unravel him, piece by piece, until there was nothing left hidden.
His gaze darkened, and for a brief second, something unreadable passed through his expression. "That’s a bold request, Raelynn."
She frowned. "Oh, come on. I’m not asking for classified secrets. Just simple things. Like… I don’t know, your favorite color? What you do in your free time? Basically every single thing."
Elion tapped his fingers against the keys again, as if considering her words. "That’s quite the commitment. What if you don’t like what you find out?"
Raelynn narrowed her eyes. "What, are you secretly a serial killer or something?"
He chuckled, shaking his head. "No. But people tend to prefer their own versions of things. They like the idea of a person more than the reality."
Raelynn straightened. "I don’t care about the version of you that other people imagine. I want the real thing."
Elion hummed in thought, watching her with an amused glint in his eyes. "And why does it matter to you?"
Raelynn scratched her cheek, suddenly feeling oddly self-conscious. "Well, let’s say our kid asks me about you one day. What am I supposed to say? ’Please ask your father because I might give you the wrong information’?" She made a dramatic face, mimicking a serious tone before shaking her head. "That would be embarrassing."
Elion let out an unexpected chuckle, the sound smooth and low. His lips curled at the edges, but his gaze remained thoughtful. He looked at her for a long moment, as if weighing his options.
Then, with a soft sigh, he leaned back against the piano bench. "Fine."
Raelynn raised an eyebrow. "Fine?"
Elion smirked. "One fact per day. That’s all you get."
She narrowed her eyes. "That’s suspiciously limited."
"You didn’t specify how much information you wanted at once," he pointed out, clearly enjoying her reaction.
Raelynn huffed but grinned nonetheless. "Alright, I’ll take it. One fact per day. It’s a deal."
Elion shook his head in amusement before turning his attention back to the piano. His fingers hovered over the keys again, testing a few notes absentmindedly. "Now that we’ve settled that, do you want to continue your lesson?"
Raelynn leaned forward with an eager smile. "Of course. But only if today’s fact comes first."
Elion gave her a long, considering look before finally relenting. "Fine. Here’s your first one: I was born in winter."
Raelynn blinked. "That’s it?"
Elion smirked. "That’s all for today."
She groaned. "Better than nothing."
He chuckled, pressing a few keys in succession, signaling the continuation of their lesson. And despite her grumbling, Raelynn found herself smiling. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad deal after all.
