Mr. Hephephobias

CHAPTER 48 - Shellfish Soup

Lucia had already returned home from the Cafe and had returned to the Villa, she heard a noise in the kitchen as she was about to enter her room. He put down his bag and went to the kitchen to check. He saw Rayn was busy stirring something in the pot. An unusual sight like a husband cooking for his wife.

"What are you doing?” tanya Lucia approached.

“Prepare dinner for you” he replied as he tasted the food in his hand.

"Forku?" lusia asked closer and took a peek at what cuisine Ryan was preparing for her.

“Wah…. Soup Shellfish” said Lucia with a smile sumringah. “What is your business with Mickey today?" Tanyanya. Rayn simply replied with a nod and a smile.

“But what is it with you that suddenly cooks?” ask Lucia again.

Rayn turned off the stove. “What do I say if I'm cooking? Setting it up doesn't mean I made it. I just just heat it to warm when you eat later” Rayn answered honestly so that it damages the feelings of Lucia.

"What do you expect Lucia" murmured Lucia speaking to herself inwardly. Though he was already very flattered if the Soup Shell made Rayn for him.

In front of Rayn Lusia just nodded hearing Rayn's reply. With a slightly disappointed heart he helped Rayn prepare another. The menu presented by Rayn made Lucia remember and miss her mother. He told Rayn that he really liked Shell Soup. Her mother's soup was always her favorite.

“I still don't understand why you're preparing dinner? Even you also prepared breakfast for me this morning” asked Lucia.

“You just need to spend it, don't be too hard thinking about unimportant things. Eat, before I ask Arka to spend it” Rayn orders after putting everything on the table.

Rayn cleaned her hands and then stepped up. “You don't want to eat together?" Ask Lucia.

“There are paintings that I need to finish soon.” Finish your meal, after that you can meet me in the painting room after eating”

“What does that mean you let me into that room? Wahhh... .” The face of Lucia who felt very happy to hear it.

Rayn went upstairs. Lucia was preparing to eat the food at the table. Not long after the message came in. Lucy's mother sent him a message.

[Mom has met him. He's a good guy and I don't know how to repay him. I can only tell her to work well and sincerely with him. Right now that's all we can do. I've also left your favorite Soup Shellfish. You can share with him. Mom could see she was very greedy eating mommy scallop soup at the tavern]

Lucia looked at the mussel soup in front of her after reading the message from her mother. He realized that Ryan was the man his mother meant and the man who had paid off the debt. The Shell Soup Rayn prepared was Shell Soup from her mother.

Lucia rushed upstairs to meet Rayn. Rayn had just come out of her room and was about to enter the painting room. Ryan was surprised to see Lucia already standing at the door of his room. “ Since when were you there?" asked Rayn to look around.

"What's wrong? Are you lightning quick to finish your food just for not being able to wait to come here?" ask Rayn.

“So it turns out you did it?" ask Lucia. "Why do you know about my mother's debt?" tanyanya.

Rayn sighed,” just.. happened just like that” replied Ryan.

Lucia looked up at Rayn, clearly if she was not satisfied with Rayn's answer. "You don't want to tell me?" ask Rayn again.

"I heard from Arka if you ever asked him about loan sharks. After that, it wasn't long before you decided to look for an extra job with more pay at a bar. I'm sure there must be something pressing on you. That's why I asked Mickey to find out.

"You even know I used to work at a bar?" ask Lucia.

“Eemm. And I also asked Mickey to come to the bar. You know, if my limitations don't allow me to go help you.

Lucia smiled cynically in disbelief at what she had just heard. "Waahh, you seem to know a lot about me" he said.

"Why? you feel disturbed?" ask Rayn.

“Compared to everything you know and did for me, the reason why you did it behind my back is more disturbing to me right now. Wh why? Why are you doing it?” ask Lucia.

“Don't ask me anything I can't answer. Just let me do it" Rayn replied.

"You also didn't tell me that your business with Mickey today was to see my mother" Lucia said.

Lucia was downcast, her eyes began to glaze over. He did not understand why he wanted to cry. "Why should I hate you?" asked Lucia to look back at Rayn.

Lucia bowed her body in thanks to Rayn. "My family and I owe you a lot. Thank you" he said.

Rayn wanted to put her hand on Lucia's shoulder, but she abandoned her intention because she had gotten back up to look at herself.

"You don't need to be like that. This is too much" Rayn said.

"I just can't believe you helped ease that burden. And when I found out it was you, I didn't know why I was so happy to know. I'm sorry, if I had thought that it was a person who actually had bad intentions by taking advantage of our family's difficulties. Because I was too scared" Lucia said.

"You've done well Lucia. Your struggle for your family will all pay off later. That sincerity of yours, I'm sure will lead you to happiness. You can take a break and enjoy your own life without having to think about anyone else. You can do it" Rayn said.

Lucia could not hold back her tears. No one has told him that he has done his best. A word he wanted to hear when he felt tired, and it was spoken from Rayn's lips.

"Come down, finish your dinner. After that you can go up to the painting room" Rayn said.

Lucia nodded . "I'll pay for everything. I will work and devote my life to helping you" Lucia replied.

Rayn approached Lucia and hugged her. Lucia's eyes widened, she was shocked by what Rayn had done all of a sudden. "There's an easier way than that why choose a more complicated way to pay me?" ask Rayn lirih.

Lucia frowned in Ryan's arms. "Whatdidyou say? The easier way? What do you mean you asked me to model your adult painting?" ask Lucia.

Rayn released her embrace and immediately flicked her finger landing on Lucia's forehead. "I don't understand what makes the contents of your head always perverted like that" said Rayn astonished.

"God..." Lucia looked in pain and stroked her forehead. He then went down to the first floor after saying goodbye by bowing his body once again thanking Rayn.

Rayn looked at the back of Lucia who left her. "Rayn, as soon as you expect him to remember you that might just wind up for him then" he muttered to himself.

#flashback

Epilogue CHAPTER 2.

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Rayn's second meeting with Lucia was actually before the night of the incident where Lucia was helping her in Galery.

On that day, Ryan was about to leave Galery when he found out that Mickey had not obeyed his order to empty Galery. He has decided to leave Galery, but Rayn accidentally sees a woman who is not foreign to him.

The woman was Lucia, a girl standing looking at the Lotus painting with David. Rayn who was going back home broke her intentions after seeing someone she nicknamed as Girl Ponytail One.

At that time Rayn was the man whom Lucia suspected when going to take the elevator. The man who kept watching him until he got into the elevator.

Rayn wanted to make sure if she was right, she decided to follow Lucia up to the 2nd floor. But it is unexpected, if his decision to follow Lucia brings bad things where his hobby Rayn relapsed.

As fate would have it, he had no idea that the girl who helped him was Lucia. Rayn has yet to find a reason why Lucia touched her that night. While in their first meeting 10 years ago, Lucia could not touch him like the others.

When Mickey's decision gets him further involved with Lucia. Ryan felt that was not true. He did not want to bind Lucia by involving her into a shield for the rest of his life.

Although he is very curious and wants to know more about the girl who has stolen his attention, but Rayn does not want to waste the girl's youth just for the sake of his selfishness. That's why Rayn rejected the deal that Mickey made with Lusia.But the match was different from Lusia who actually chose to lend a hand to Rayn.

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*** To Be Continued***