The shattered cup was still spinning on the floor, the crystalline tremor still lingering, and the air in the room seemed to have momentarily frozen.
No one sitting next to Mr. Simon said anything; it was Simon's family matter, and they had no right to interfere.
The young man snapped out of his dizziness. In that moment of darkness and vertigo, he managed to stand steadily. He ignored the warm trickle from his head and maintained his humble, cautious, and hopeful smile.
"Father, I've brought some tea and pastries for you, it's been over two hours."
Mr. Simon glanced coldly at the almost empty kettle on the coffee table in front of him and said, "Put the items on the shelf next to you and leave. Without my permission, no one can come in, including you!"
The young man carefully placed the tray, which had spilled some tea, on the shelf, a place meant for small parts. It had a base with a shallow bowl-like decoration in the middle, slightly recessed.
