Chapter 277: Reason Of Royalty
Leon blinked. "Milk?" he wondered under his breath, puzzled.
Sofia’s lips pressed into a tight line. "Two glasses of milk," she said coolly. There was care underneath—an old habit of taking care of her little brother, even if she wouldn’t admit it.
Sofia dunked the cookie again, swirling it thoughtfully in the milk before taking a small bite.
The look she gave him over the rim of her glass was careful—like she was bracing herself to be disappointed. She didn’t say anything, but Leon knew that silence better than any words: Get to the point.
He watched her chew, feeling the nervous heat climb up the back of his neck. All the grand apologies he’d practiced in his head seemed to evaporate. He grasped for anything that would sound halfway sincere and not pathetic.
He cleared his throat. "I guess...I don’t even know how to begin." He rubbed the condensation from the milk glass with his thumb, trying to buy himself another moment. "Let me start with a thank you. Thank you for...for being willing to hear me out."
Sofia set her glass down with a quiet clink. Her expression barely changed. "I only agreed to listen," she said calmly. "Don’t mistake that for forgiveness. I haven’t decided if you deserve it."
Her voice wasn’t angry, not exactly—it was worse. Disappointed. Like she’d already grieved the brother she lost, and he was just a ghost showing up late to his own funeral. That hurt, but it was fair.
He swallowed hard and nodded. "I know." The milk he’d gulped settled in his stomach like a cold stone. "I don’t expect anything else."
Sofia rested her elbows on the table, folding her hands. "Then say what you came to say."