Lyra returned not long after, drying her hands on the edge of her faded apron. Hao Kai still sat at the table, elbows on his knees, staring at the worn grain of the floorboards as though it held all the answers he didn't have.
He hadn't moved since she left.
She paused at the doorway, studying him in silence. There was a heaviness in his shoulders that hadn't been there before, a quiet, drawn tension that made her fingers twitch with the urge to shake him until he talked. But she didn't. She knew him too well.
Instead, she stepped softly around the table and sat opposite him, resting her chin on her palm. "You're awfully quiet."
He blinked and looked up as though surfacing from deep water. "I am, aren't I?"
"You are." Her voice was gentle. "Your head still hurts?"
"Not mich." It wasn't a lie this time. The throbbing had faded into something a dull ache.
She hummed, unconvinced, but she didn't push. There were shadows behind his eyes she didn't recognize.
A small silence stretched between them. Outside, someone shouted across the street, followed by the clatter of a bucket. Life went on beyond their walls, noisy and careless, but here the air was thick with everything unsaid.
Finally, Hao Kai shifted uncomfortably. He cleared his throat. "I shouldn't have lied to you."
Lyra blinked, startled by the admission. Of all the things she'd expected him to say, that hadn't been one of them. "Leon.."
"No, I mean it." His voice was steady, but the tips of his ears burned faintly with embarrassment. He couldn't remember the last time he'd apologized to anyone. Or if he'd ever apologized to anyone. "I didn't think. And I made you worry."
Her expression softened, though she tried to hide it by fussing with the edge of the tablecloth. "You scared me half to death," she muttered."I thought.." She bit the sentence off before it could form, shaking her head instead. "Just don't do it again."
"I won't," he said simply. And this time, it wasn't a promise made out of obligation. It was necessity. He occupied her brothers body. The least he could do was try to make things easier for her.
She nodded, satisfied, and for a moment it felt like the weight between them had eased. But then her gaze drifted downward, her fingers tightening slightly in her lap.
"Leon," she began cautiously, "about Mr. Slade…"
Hao Kai stilled. He remembered the name. He was the first person who came to Leon for a case but shortly after, Leon was pushed into the river. Hao Kai had a strong guess that whoever the opponent was, was responsible for Leon's accident.
"You're still going to represent him?"
Her tone was hesitant, and her eyes searched his face, looking for some hint of his thoughts.
He exhaled slowly, leaning back in his chair. For a moment, he said nothing, his gaze fixed on the faint crack running through the table's surface. Then, deliberately, he lifted his head.
"Yes. I'll defend." Why not defend?
She took a deep breath.
"Are you sure?"
Hao Kai didn't hesitate.
"Yeah."
She pursed her lips.
"Okay then. But be careful."
Hao Kai smiled softly.
"I'll try."
Night settled over the village slowly, draping everything in quiet shadows. The day's heat seeped into the earth, leaving the air cool enough that the patched shutters rattled faintly with each passing breeze. Hao Kai sat cross-legged on the thin mattress pushed into the far corner of the room. He wanted to learn more about the rules and laws of this world but could not find any books.
From Leon's memories, he knew that books were expensive and was a luxury a family like theirs simply could not afford.
A knock interrupted his thoughts.
Hao Kai frowned and rose, walking barefoot across the uneven floorboards. He opened the door and a slim middle aged man slipped in.
Hao Kai reconciled the man as William Slade. The merchant be was supposed to represent.
Slade sat on the low stool with familiarity. One could tell he came here often.
"I came as quickly as I could when I heard you had woken up. I'm sorry I involved you in this."
He hesitated slightly
"Lyra told me you're still willing to be my advocate... You don't have to feel troubled, you can just choose not to take my case. I definitely won't hold it against you. I didn't know they would resort to such means"
Hao Kai shrugged
"What's done is done. And I'm following through with this case not because of a sense of responsibility but because I now have animosity with your accusers. I'm already involved."
Slade exhaled softly
"Why are you so stubborn? You didn't use to be this difficult to talk to"
Hao Kai smiled
"Try dancing with death and see how you come out."
Slade sighed.
"Child, what am I going to do with you?"
"You let me do my job. I'm a professional. Plus, you've already paid an advance. I don't want to take advantage of you."
Slad tried to persuade him
"Leon.."
Hao Kai cut him off.
"I'll see it through."
Slade took a deep look at him and then gave up.
"Thank you."
Hao Kai smiled.
"You're welcome. Now run it by me again. What are you being accused of?"
"A guild accused me of selling fake potions to them and are taking me to court for damages caused."
"And did you sell them fake potions?"
"Of course not! My family has been in this business for years and we always work honestly"
Hao Kai nodded twice
"Which means you're being framed. Then why didn't you tell them?"
"They never let me speak."
Hao Kai narrowed his eyes
"So you mean to say that you have never said this sentence 'i didn't do it' to anyone since this problem started?"
Slade faltered slightly not knowing where Hao Kai was going with this but still answered
"No."
Hao Kai sneered slightly.
"Okay I've got it. You can go now. See you tomorrow."
He sent Slade to the door and closed it. Since they didn't want him to speak, he wouldn't let them get their wish.