Lord Theodore's Favorite Ritual
Chapter 128: Recognising Gabriel.

Chapter 128: Recognising Gabriel.

Parlour, Theodore Mansion.

Critic Arley, Critic-Ishire.

******************

"Do not thank me lady Theodore, this mansion has made me significantly improve" he responded sweetly.

Lydia chuckled before she glanced at the maid. Joyous had been on the sidelines since. "Are you the nice one, Joyous was talking about?" she directed her question to Gabriel.

"No, he is a menace" Joyous spat, out of turn but in her defence she was furious.

Gabriel chuckled, his curly hair bouncing.

"I see," Lydia said with a smile of her own.

She took her seat on the couch, picked back her book and tried to resume her reading but then she recalled.

"Joyous give them more food, they should grow into fine men for Critic Arley" she pointed out.

Joyous suddenly appeared, betrayed. "Lady Theodore-" Lydia cut her off, she had already noticed there was something off about these two but she’d been busy with herself and now she needed to reward Gabriel, they’d talk about their problems later, she thought.

"Please Joyous, they are men after all," she said.

He was still looking at Joyous with a smirk. The smirk on his lips is a contrast to the emptiness in his eyes.

She turned to him with a glare before she bowed and marched towards the kitchen.

"Thank you, lady Theodore I shall be outside"

Lydia nodded in response, already drifting into the world of fantasy.

"I am sorry for your loss, my lady" she heard Gabriel over the veil.

"Thank you" she whispered, her head lowered now, she watched the glasses he bought as though nothing was more precious than it.

Gabriel nodded, he knew the feeling she was going through well but he couldn’t tell her that so he turned away to his brother.

Her brows rose. "Oh and Gavriel?"

He met her eyes when he turned so she continued to give her order. "They’re some ivy’s climbing up the southern wall please help but them off"

"Yes lady Theodore" he agreed respectfully.

Before he could turn again she started. "Can you call up Dorothy for me... oh never mind" she waved him off after catching the sight of Dorothy.

Gabriel could finally leave with his arms behind him.

"Where is Red?"

To Lydia’s question, Dorothy turned and pointed at a corner under the stairs. "It is over there, he has been sleeping since morning" she gave out.

Without overthinking it Lydia handed the eyeglass to Dorothy.

"Okay, please put this on a shelf in my office, I am happy I made Solomon make an extra office for me the last time" she whispered.

After delivering what the carpenter had made for Theodore, she had made him set up an office for her, talking about that. Her mind suddenly pulled out the memory of the work he had delivered for Theodore, she had completely forgotten.

She sighed.

"Maybe I should keep a small book for whatever I need to do" Lydia let out, her thoughts bleeding into words.

Dorothy who was still beside her appealed to her. "A journal?"

The lady shook her head. "No, a to-do book" she enunciated matter-factly.

Dorothy started to laugh before she noticed Lydia was serious. "Oh, I apologize, I shall get you a new book" she confirmed.

Lydia nodded. "My hand fan please" She was looking at the fan on the other seat but couldn’t reach for it, Dorothy reached and handed it to her.

As Lydia began to fan herself she spoke out. "Hound is yet to come back?"

"Yes, Lady Theodore, I hear if he does not find Mira he will not come back" Dorothy informed solemnly.

Lydia frowned. "That is absurd, I shall have to talk to... go, do not let me interrupt your day" she trailed off.

"Thank you, Lady Theodore, I shall refill your kettle" Dorothy offered before leaving.

As Lydia flipped through the book, her mind whispered and drew out designs and styles but then she fell short on how she could sell them after she was done making them.

Marketing was different from having a product, she shall have to talk to Theodore about that.

*

* *

*

Afternoon.

Kitchen

Critic Arley, Critic-Ishire.

*******************

Gabriel followed Joyous into the kitchen, and with ease, he rested his left shoulder on the wall. Joyous glanced at him and his posture was so interesting yet casual, she gulped, refusing to meet his eyes before she continued her work.

"How did you know?"

His hoarse voice met her, chilling and commanding, he was only a young boy but his voice was already edgy and sure.

"I will bring the meal out soon," Joyous replied, stylishly evading the question.

"How.did.you.know?"

She turned to him as the chill from his question ran down her spine. "I have never looked into your brother’s eyes," she confessed, her eyes clear.

He took his body away from the wall. "So what do you see in mine?"

She gulped. "Nothing, an abyss so empty I start to lose myself" she confessed.

They stared at each other for a while before he looked away.

"Do not do it again," he advised.

She scoffed. "Do not ignore our masters again" she pointed out.

"Leave the meal, I was just going out" he countered and off he went, with a frown, Joyous turned to the direction.

"But ..." she trailed off.

He was gone and she wondered if he was enraged by the fact that she recognised him. She also genuinely disliked him if that mattered so he didn’t have to act like a mighty asshole.

She rolled her eyes and continued to set up the tray. Whether he liked it or not, her lady had ordered her to deliver him something and she would.

Meanwhile,

As Gabriel marched outside, his face held a frown as he regarded his conversation with Joyous. Then to top it his mind drifted to his little conversation this morning with his brother.

In the sprawling corridors of Theodore’s mansion where they worked, Gabriel and Tom, the caramel-skinned, brown-eyed twin boys, moved with synchronized precision, their identical features mirrored in every step they took. The more steps they took away from the dining hall earlier, Gabriel was still silent while Tom grew curious.

"What just happened in there?"

Tom asked without a pause in his step.

Gabriel sighed. "Whatever do you mean?"

"She recognised you" he pointed out, there wasn’t mischief in his tone but respect.

"Through my eyes, yes" Gabriel deadpanned.

Tom paused in his steps, held his brother’s eyes and asked. "What have both of you been up to?"

"What are you insinuating Tom?"

"Gabriel, She knew you"

For as long as they could remember, they had revelled in the mystery of their indistinguishable appearance, finding joy in the perplexity it caused among the people around them.

Their mother, with her keen intuition and maternal bond, had always been able to tell them apart, much to the amazement of everyone else.

Even their younger sister had struggled to differentiate between them, her attempts often resulting in playful confusion and laughter.

But now, in this new and unfamiliar setting, their world has seemingly turned upside down.

Because now in this mansion, a seemingly ordinary maid, Joyous had cast a discerning gaze upon Gabriel, her eyes narrowing with recognition as she had recognized him.

"I told you she was something" Gabriel spoke softly.

Gabriel had felt a shiver of unease creep down his spine when he met Joyous’s gaze earlier, a sense of foreboding had settled over him like a dark cloud.

"She really is something, avoid her" Tom retorted after a moment of silence in their walk.

For the first time in their lives, someone had pierced the veil of their identical facade, seeing through the illusion that had always protected their individual identities.

When Joyous was approaching earlier her expression had been unreadable, Gabriel had braced himself for the perceived inevitable revelation.

Would she recognise him to the world, or would she also fall behind like the rest of them? He had mused.

They weren’t like a precious treasure to be guarded but they treasured the mystery.

Gabriel smiled. He didn’t see that happening so he voiced it. "Now that is not possible, we live in the same building" he relaid.

"You do not intend to avoid her," said as he realized that through his brothers’ expression.

"I believe I have no reason to, Tom" Gabriel countered softly.

He liked the energy she gave, she made him feel more than he had been able to for a few months now despite seeing emptiness in his eyes.

In that moment of uncertainty, Gabriel and Tom walked side by side, their bond stronger than ever as they faced the unknown together.

For even as their identical appearance had always been a source of mystery and intrigue, it was the unbreakable bond between them that would ultimately define who they were, both as individuals and as brothers.

"Mmm I shall be at the gates after the stables do not look for me" Tom alerted.

Tom strutted towards the stables, his steps firm and sure.

"Have fun, I need to see our Lady Theodore’’ he had said before he left to get his gift for the lady of not just her mansion but the city, Critic Arley.

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