With everyone's attention now focused on Sebastian Lockwood, no one noticed Sydney Sawyer's odd behavior.
"You just got off work. Have a seat. I'll go find a server. They were just outside a moment ago, where'd they disappear to..." Regina Lockwood said as she headed out.
After Regina Lockwood left, there was only one empty chair in the private room.
Before Sydney Sawyer could even process what was happening, the man had already sat down beside her.
This close, she could smell the faint scent of disinfectant on him.
Andrea Wyatt and Kiara Dillon had already risen to their feet. Perhaps not expecting him, Andrea looked somewhat apprehensive. The man merely gave the pair across from him a cool glance.
It was Kiara Dillon's first time meeting him, but that one look made her heart jolt.
His gaze was fleeting, yet carried immense weight.
His features were actually quite intimidating and aggressive, but his glasses, combined with the soft line of his brow, softened his sharp edges, giving him the air of a refined, abstinent rogue.
"Hello, Uncle." Andrea's heart pounded nervously under his gaze, and his voice caught in his throat. He continued, "This is my girlfriend, Kiara Dillon."
Kiara Dillon pressed her lips together, composed herself with a smile, and followed Andrea's lead, greeting, "Uncle."
The man only grunted in acknowledgment before tilting his head back slightly to look at Sydney Sawyer. "Not sitting?"
A jolt went through Sydney. She didn't even know what she was doing anymore.
She sat down in a flustered daze, her mind blank, as if she were in a dream.
She lowered her head and began to frantically spoon up the tofu stew.
She finished the bowl in just a few spoonfuls.
Just as Sydney was about to get another bowl, she noticed the cornstarch-thickened stew had gone cold and runny. Clutching her spoon, she silently stopped herself.
Sebastian Lockwood shot her a casual glance.
...
Just then, a server came in to add another chair, with Regina Lockwood following right behind. "Sebastian, let me order a couple more dishes. These have gotten cold. What would you like? Their beef is excellent."
"No need." Sebastian Lockwood glanced at the serving bowl of tofu stew. "Just get another tofu stew. This one's cold and doesn't taste good anymore."
Sydney Sawyer: "..."
Regina Lockwood smiled. "You certainly know how to pick. That's their house specialty."
A few moments later, a steaming tureen of fresh tofu stew was brought to the table.
Sydney also ladled herself a bowl, keeping her head down and eating her stew, quietly playing dead.
"...Is work at the hospital busy? If we'd known you were coming, we would have waited for you." Regina Lockwood's attitude toward Sebastian was less like she was speaking to a younger brother and more like she was trying to curry favor.
That's when it occurred to Sydney. 'My mother and Regina Lockwood are close, and I used to visit the Wyatt family often for holidays when I was a kid. I never heard she had any brothers or sisters. So where did this 'uncle' come from?'
'Then again,' she thought.
'Back in our hometown now, you don't even dare to casually tease a three-year-old you meet on the street.'
'After all, that kid you're teasing might just turn out to be your uncle...'
'The Lockwood family is a large clan, so even if he isn't a direct maternal uncle, it's normal to have some kind of cousin-uncle.'
She was just lamenting what a small world it was.
'I wonder if he even remembers me?'
'After all, so many people have a crush on him...'
"Being a doctor is so demanding. You have to take care of yourself, too," Regina Lockwood said with a gentle smile.
"It's manageable. I have the next two days off."
Even the way Sebastian Lockwood ate was impeccably graceful; his every move spoke of good breeding and poise.
"Oh, right. Andrea mentioned before that Ms. Dillon isn't in good health. He even made me and Syd wait a long time for her today. Since you're here—a rare occasion—could you take a look at her in a bit?" Regina Lockwood smiled benevolently, as if she were deeply concerned for Kiara Dillon's well-being.
Kiara Dillon's face paled slightly. "I wouldn't want to be a bother..."
Before she could finish, Sebastian Lockwood cut her off.
"Sure, no problem."
"..."
**
After dinner, the server cleared the table and set out fruit, dessert, and tea.
Sydney Sawyer picked at the chiffon cake on her plate with a dessert fork, watching Sebastian Lockwood "examine" Kiara Dillon.
"My uncle is amazing. He's an Associate Chief Physician and he's not even thirty. Don't be nervous."
Seeing how pale Kiara was, Andrea Wyatt assumed she was nervous and kept trying to reassure her.
Kiara Dillon forced a smile. She wasn't sick at all, and with a professional doctor sitting opposite her, she was terrified her act would be exposed.
"Ms. Dillon, tell me about your condition. What seems to be the problem?" Sebastian Lockwood asked, getting straight to the point.
"I... I just feel dizzy a lot."
Kiara knew that some people, you could tell just from their aura that you shouldn't mess with them. And the man in front of her...
...he seemed gentle and cultured, but he was clearly not someone to be trifled with.
Even Regina Lockwood walked on eggshells around him; she had to be even more careful.
"Just dizzy? Be more specific."
"I get headaches and dizzy spells... and... and sometimes there's sharp nerve pain..."
"Ever had a head injury?"
"N-no."
Andrea Wyatt suddenly chimed in, "Uncle, she once had a headache so bad she fainted."
Sydney forked a piece of cake into her mouth. 'Kiara is clearly scared out of her wits, and here comes Andrea, adding fuel to the fire. This is getting good.'
'Fainting from a headache? More like faking a faint for sympathy.'
'I can't believe Andrea actually buys that act.'
"Fainted? Does that happen often?"
As Sebastian Lockwood's eyes fell on Kiara Dillon, he seemed to be observing her symptoms, but behind his glasses, his dark gaze was piercingly sharp.
It was a look that could effortlessly pierce any facade and bore straight into one's soul.
Since Kiara was only faking, she felt a sudden panic and couldn't meet his gaze, stammering as she shook her head, "N-not often."
"What medications have you taken? Be specific. Did they have any effect?"
"Just... stuff for headaches. I forgot the names. I guess... they didn't really work." Kiara's voice lacked conviction. After all, a trick that could fool Andrea Wyatt wouldn't work on a professional doctor; her guilt made her nervousness obvious.
"Have you seen a doctor before? What was the diagnosis? Did you have any tests done?"
"N-no..."
Sydney pressed her lips together. 'If he asks any more questions,' she thought, 'this Ms. Dillon is going to perform a public fainting spell.'
"So, Uncle, what kind of illness is it?"
Andrea Wyatt asked impatiently, his face etched with anxiety, as if Kiara had been diagnosed with a terminal illness.
'Sebastian Lockwood isn't the type to be trifled with, nor is he one to help someone cover their tracks. Andrea is practically shoving Kiara into a pit of fire.'
Sydney was just enjoying the show, while Regina, who seemed to have anticipated this outcome, calmly sipped her tea.
Under Andrea's expectant gaze, Sebastian Lockwood finally spoke.
"This illness of hers... I can't treat it."
"Why not? Is it that serious? So serious that even you can't treat it?" Andrea asked, growing frantic.
"I suggest Ms. Dillon go to the hospital for a comprehensive examination."
Andrea was getting exasperated. "Uncle?"
"From what Ms. Dillon has described, this dizziness of hers has been going on for a while. Her description is vague, and medication hasn't worked. It could be quite serious. I can't jump to conclusions, so it would be safest for her to get a CT scan of her brain at the hospital."
"After all..."
"...if there's something wrong with your brain, it's best to get it treated early."
His tone was gentle and elegant, like a spring breeze caressing a clear stream...
...but every word was a razor's slice. And as he looked at her, his gaze was as sharp as a blade.
Kiara Dillon's face turned deathly pale.
The entire room fell into a dead silence.
Sydney looked at Sebastian Lockwood.
'She had never seen someone so calmly and seriously tell a person there was something wrong with their brain and not get punched for it.'
'The way he said it, it actually sounded reasonable. There was no way to argue back.'
'How savage!'
'Dr. Lockwood really is...'
'...as formidable as ever. He kills with words, leaving no trace.'
'Although she herself had been 'killed' by him before, this time...'
'...she found it incredibly satisfying.'