"You remember, right? I drove the car this morning?
It was clearly a rejection, and Thea felt embarrassed hearing it. She moved awkwardly, uncomfortable. She did want to spend a little more time with Alaric, but she didn't expect Alaric to refuse her invitation to have tea.
She moved her hands nervously, hoping her cheeks weren't red with embarrassment. "Haha, that's right, you drove your car this morning." Thea laughed softly, scratching her cheek nervously. At the same time, the dryer emitted a ding, signaling that Thea's clothes were dry, as if helping Thea escape from this awkward situation.
"Well then, see you again, Mr. Grayson." Thea bowed her head slightly to Alaric, then turned to grab the laundry basket and move her dry clothes into it.
Thea thought Alaric would leave after saying goodbye, but why was he still standing in the doorway, watching Thea struggle with the pile of clothes that filled the basket? She turned off the dryer and lifted the basket. It wasn't heavy, but Thea had a little trouble walking because the pile of clothes almost blocked her view.
Alaric smiled as he watched Thea's small body seem to drown behind the pile of clothes. "Let me help you. You'll have trouble climbing the stairs with a basket this full."
"... It's not necessary, I'm used to it this way." But Alaric clearly ignored Thea's subtle refusal, easily taking her basket.
"Come on..." Alaric nodded his head for Thea to walk with him to her apartment.
'I already refused,' Thea thought to herself, a little annoyed. She hadn't expected Alaric to be so stubborn, just like Selene.
They walked together up the stairs to the second floor. Thea's gray eyes secretly glanced to the side, at Alaric who was walking right next to her. This man was very tall, Thea couldn't even reach his shoulder. Come to think of it, Selene and Julius were also tall like their father, or maybe their mother? From her current position, Thea could smell the aroma of tea mixed with woody notes from Alaric's clothes.
When they reached the second floor, right in front of the door to Thea's apartment, number 20, the girl immediately took the key out of her shorts pocket.
"Please... come in?" said Thea hesitantly. Alaric had already refused her invitation for tea, so it felt strange to invite him into her apartment.
"Thank you." But Alaric didn't seem to hesitate at all. He entered Thea's modest apartment, both hands still carrying a basket of clothes.
As Alaric entered, he could smell the sweet aroma of fruit, but it gave a fresh impression, truly characteristic of Thea.
"Sorry it's a little messy." Thea preceded Alaric, who was taking off his shoes. Thea tidied up the living room table, which was littered with papers and her college books.
"It's okay." Alaric glanced at the title of the book before Thea took it to the bookcase. "You study hard, huh?"
"Isn't that normal for college students?" Thea smiled.
Alaric chuckled and nodded, his gaze scanning the photo frame in the living room. It was a photo of a young Thea, probably seven or eight years old, with her parents and possibly her older brother, who appeared to be in junior high school.
Noticing how quiet the apartment was, a question slipped out of Alaric's mouth. "Do you live alone?"
"Uhm, yes. I'm from Asterleigh. I live alone, far from my village, since I got a scholarship at Rosenvale."
Alaric nodded in understanding when Thea mentioned her college. He already knew from Selene that his daughter had a friend on a scholarship at Rosenvale. But Alaric had not known that Thea lived alone, far from home.
"Asterleigh, huh... I've been there. It's a beautiful village full of wheat fields and green landscapes covered with flowers and clear streams." Alaric recalled the time he had visited that beautiful village.
Alaric could see Thea's gray eyes staring at him curiously, as if asking why he had visited Asterleigh.
"I only went there for a short vacation when I felt tired of my work. I heard from my client that the village was a good place to find peace."
Thea nodded in understanding. She knew that even though her village was quite remote, many people came there, and it was not uncommon for her to see unfamiliar faces in her village. When she was a child, her mother explained that the people who came to vacation in her village were city dwellers who were tired of their routines and sought peace and quiet in the village.
"If you come to Asterleigh again, I will welcome you warmly." Thea realized that her words sounded quite strange because Alaric's movement of placing his clothes basket on the sofa paused for a moment. "Hmm, what I mean is, you've already allowed me to come to your house, so allow me to welcome you and Selene next time you come to Asterleigh, oh, and Julius too, of course."
"I understand." Alaric smiled. "Asterleigh is a beautiful village. Selene would definitely like it, even though she seems like a party girl, she actually prefers a quiet, peaceful atmosphere. As her friend, you must know that."
"You're right."
From the outside, Selene did seem like one of those party girls at her college who loved to go to parties and shop. But in reality, Selene also likes to find peace and quiet when she is studying or reading books, so it's no wonder she is close to Selene. They have several things in common, even though the other students see Thea and Selene as polar opposites.
Suddenly, the apartment lights flickered, and Thea panicked, looking at Alaric in confusion. Then the lights went out completely, plunging the room into total darkness.
"Sorry, lately the lights in my apartment go out when it rains. You know, it's an old building." Thea explained, trying to sound calm even though she felt panicked and embarrassed that the lights had gone out while Alaric was in her apartment. She felt poor in front of this man.
"It's okay, didn't you report this problem to the apartment owner? Or call a technician?" Alaric took out his cell phone and turned on the light, making the room bright.
"Not yet... I haven't had the chance." Thea answered hesitantly. The truth was, she didn't have any extra money. The scholarship she received only covered her tuition, not her living expenses in Calvenhart. She had to be content with living in a simple apartment and saving on food and transportation costs. To buy a new book, Thea had to save money for two or three months, so she would certainly have difficulty paying the technician, especially since she didn't know how much it would cost.
Thea couldn't ask her mother for more money. Her family's finances had been tight since her father died. She couldn't really rely on her brother either. That's why Thea was trying to find a part-time job, even though she hadn't found one yet.
"Hmm, I see." Alaric nodded in understanding, not asking any further questions, noticing the girl's uncomfortable expression as she tried to avoid his gaze. But in truth, he was growing more curious about Thea.
"Well, I'm going home now. It looks like the rain is letting up." Alaric realized he had no reason to linger there any longer. He had already helped Thea carry her basket of clothes, and with the power outage, he didn't want to make the girl feel even more awkward.
"You're right." Thea glanced out the window. "Thank you for your help today, Mr. Grayson."
"No problem. If you need help again, you can ask me or Selene." Alaric smiled kindly as he put his shoes back on, realizing that this girl was living alone in a big city like Calvenhart for some reason made Alaric want to protect her.
"See you again, Thea Elwood."
Then the apartment door closed behind him.