Dusk In Moorea

HR#23

"Good morning, Uncle Xander ! Good morning, Leon !" Hello Claire who just arrived. The beautiful woman smiled so gracefully to Duke Xander and Leon, her future husband.

"Good morning, Jane." Duke Xander replied flatly as usual. Not because he did not like Claire, it was the man who had been so for a long time.

Leon who was smearing strawberry jam on top of his bread looked indifferent. Not at all concerned with the arrival of his own future wife. For Leon, his relationship with Claire is limited to the public and his father.

"Follow breakfast with us, Jane !" Duke Xander's orders were still in his flat tone.

"Good, Uncle." Claire smiled, then took a seat next to Leon. The beautiful girl seemed to smile at Leon before she landed a kiss on the handsome man's cheek.

"What's up ?" Claire asked in wonder as Leon suddenly stared intently at her.

Leon did not answer. The man simply put the finished bread he gave jam on the plate then stood up and turned to the room.

"Where are you going ?" Duke Xander's voice stops Leon.

The young man turned around while sighing. "To the room, dad."

"Who told you to just walk away ? Finish your breakfast !"

"I'm full, Dad." Answer Leon carefully.

"Leon ! Sit back in your seat !" Call Duke Xander without looking. He was still focusing on the breakfast he ate.

"I told you, I'm full, Dad !" Back, Leon repeated his words.

Duke Xander put down the knife and fork he used to eat his pancakes. His sharp eyes slowly fixed on Leon with a gaze so piercing.

"You dare to refute daddy's orders, Leon ?"

Leon bowed. A low voice full of warning from the father was enough to explain the threat contained in it. Trouble he set his breath not to be provoked by emotions and even more cloudy atmosphere this morning. He knew, even though his father was currently still showing his flat face, but Leon could already guess how furious the old man was right now.

Eventually, Leon gave up. He pulled back the chair he had left and sat on it again. His red face held back the annoyance of never being able to refute anything Duke Xander said. Meanwhile, Claire next to him seemed happy that Leon had obeyed the order that Duke Xander had said. Evidently from a thin grin that is attracted at the end of the red lipstick lips.

"Eat together, Jane ! Daddy's still got business." Duke Xander wiped the corner of his lips with a napkin and left Leon and Claire behind.

"Take Jane out for a date, Leon ! You two need to get closer from now on because your marriage won't be long." Duke Xander added before his feet carried the owner into the reading room.

Leon was silent. The bread that had been made did not even intend to touch anymore. The young man sat back down not because he wanted to. He only obeyed his father's orders which he could never deny.

"Honey, why is your face like this ?" Claire snaps her body at Leon, holding the man's chin.

"Stop, Jane !" Leon protested that immediately brushed Claire's hand off her chin.

"What's up, Honey ? You're mad at me ?" Claire laughed cynically. Although her face looked fine, but the woman's heart was slightly offended by Leon's blatant rejection.

"Don't try to act like a romantic partner, Jane ! I don't like it very much. Act as usual. Granted, and don't care about each other."

"What's wrong with you ? Why are you suddenly saying that ?" Ask Claire wonder.

.

"I just want you to remember your limits, Jane. Remember, we will marry not because of love, but only because we are forced by arranged marriages. You understand ?"

Claire chuckled as she grabbed the bread Leon had made and ate it. The woman's attitude seemed to care nothing at all about what Leon said. After the bread ran out, Claire began to respond again to Leon's words.

"Well, we might get married because of an arranged marriage. But, I don't think it's any harm if we start learning to love each other, do we ?" Claire looked at Leon's face with a smile.

This time, Leon who chuckled heard Claire's words that felt quite impossible to happen. Leon has more than memorized Claire's wild behavior out there. The woman is never satisfied if she is in a relationship with only one man. Never mind getting married, dating Claire can never commit.

"You're kidding me, Jane ? Learn to love each other ? Is that a new joke you learned ? Or the dialogue in the movie you're gonna work on next ?" Leon's talk is so sarcastic.

"It's up to you to think about it, Leon ! But, it's better if you start learning to love me from now on. Isn't the only choice you can make ?" Claire is relaxed. He knew full well that Leon would absolutely not be able to argue against anything Duke Xander wanted, including marrying her.

The beautiful woman reached for a glass of warm milk near Leon and drank it. Shortly after, Claire exits the mansion while winking one eye at Leon. Tempting for the man to get even more annoyed at him.

* * *

"You're not taking Jane out ?" Duke Xander asked as he fixed the location of his tie. Leon's father is leaving for work in a moment.

"Jane's got an early-morning filming schedule, Dad. He can't."

"really ?" The lyrics of Duke Xander.

"If Dad doesn't believe me, ask Jane directly." Leon really meant it.

Duke Xander continued to tidy up the suit he was wearing. The 55-year-old man seemed silent and had no intention of continuing the discussion about Claire again. Because, looking at Leon's face now, Duke Xander believes that his son is not lying. After all, since when could Leon lie to her ? From childhood until now, his only son never once dared to do such an unworthy thing.

"Daddy is leaving now. Do you want to come with Daddy, or go alone ?"

"Leon can go alone, Dad." Leon smiled.

Duke Xander nodded then stepped out of the room. Leon was still sitting on his father's bed with his eyes closed after his departure. How's Leon now ? Yesterday when he was with Arumi, he had forgotten that he already had a wife. And now, he doesn't know what to do.

Between Arumi and Claire, Leon can't choose. Honestly, Leon loves Arumi. However, Claire is the woman chosen by her father. And Leon knows, both in the past and now, he is still the same Leon. Leon is weak and cannot voice an opinion. Leon's the good boy who never said no to every father's will. Sick ? Of course Leon's sick. But not to Duke Xander, but to himself.