Yavi arrived at the Oak Restaurant ten minutes early. It was a cozy little place tucked away in an alley outside the academy's north gate. As he pushed open the door, warm light and the faint scent of rosemary greeted him.
"Good evening, sir." A waiter wearing a checkered apron approached him. "Do you have a reservation?"
"Miss Morgan booked a table." Yavi adjusted his shirt cuffs a little nervously.
The waiter opened the reservation book. "Ah, the private room reserved by Miss Mel Morgan. Please follow me."
Crossing the main dining room with its hanging copper chandeliers, the waiter led Yavi to a semi-private alcove surrounded by bookshelves. Silver candlesticks stood on the dark brown solid-wood table, their flames dancing in Yavi's surprised blue eyes.
"Miss Lin specifically asked us to prepare this spot," the waiter said as he pulled out a chair. "She said it has the best view of the garden. Would you like to order now, or wait until Miss Morgan arrives...?"
Before he could finish, a commotion came from the restaurant entrance. Mel strode over in high heels, her red hair gathered into a casual bun at the back of her head. Her dark green student council uniform set off her snow-white complexion.
"Sorry I'm late. The student council meeting ran far too long this time..." Mel practically slid into her seat, a few loose strands escaping her red bun to hang beside her flushed cheeks.
"It's all right. I only just got here myself." Yavi told a little lie, filled the glass in front of Mel with ice water, and pushed it toward her. "Besides, it's lovely here. Waiting a little while wasn't boring."
Mel took the glass, drank half of it in one go, and let out a long breath. "Thank you. Goodness, I've been spinning like a top all day."
An older waiter appeared at just the right moment, carrying a thick leather-bound menu. "The usual tonight, Miss Morgan?"
Mel's eyes lit up. "Of course, but today, add..." She turned to Yavi, a mischievous smile lifting the corners of her mouth. "Honey cake for dessert."
Warmth welled up in Yavi's heart. He hadn't expected Mel to remember that-whenever he had been sick or unhappy as a child, Mel would secretly bring him a slice of honey cake from the kitchen.
"You still remember," he said softly.
"How could I forget?" Mel replied with a wink and a smile. "You weren't a picky eater as a child, but you didn't particularly like most foods. Honey cake was the only thing that made you smile like a child, though you were a child yourself back then."
The waiter smiled as he noted their order: cream of mushroom soup to start, roast venison with juniper sauce and buttery mashed potatoes for the main course, and a bottle of fine red wine from Toussaint. When he asked about dessert, Mel repeated "honey cake" without hesitation.
After confirming the order, Mel began chatting with Yavi.
"How have you been all these years away? You must have suffered quite a bit." Mel looked at Yavi with some heartache.
"It might have been a little hard at first, since I had to do physical training as well as study, but once I got used to it all, it wasn't so exhausting. The worst part was the trial to become a witcher. I really almost thought I wouldn't make it... but fortunately, I succeeded in the end." Yavi took a small sip of red wine, his expression calm. "That's all in the past. Now I can protect others and take care of myself. That's enough." He picked up his napkin and wiped the corner of his mouth, smiling with a sense of release. "Hardship is like the scars I've gathered over the years. It stopped hurting long ago."
Mel watched him for a moment, then suddenly picked up her fork, separated out one of the tenderest pieces of venison, and placed it on Yavi's plate. "You're too thin," she said with a frown, though her voice was gentle. "No matter how slow a witcher's metabolism is, you still need to eat properly. I specifically asked the chef to cook this piece a little more tender. Try it."
Yavi looked at the extra piece of meat on his plate, warmth filling his heart. "Sis, I'm not that scrawny little boy anymore." Despite his words, he obediently cut off a small piece and put it in his mouth.
"You always will be in my eyes." Mel rested her chin on her hand and watched him chew, then set down her wineglass as though she had suddenly remembered something. "Right... there's something I should have told you long ago." Her fingers unconsciously rubbed the edge of her napkin. "Two years after you left home, we got a little sister. Her name is Amy."
Yavi froze, the mashed potatoes on his fork suspended in midair. "A little sister?" His voice rose half a pitch above its usual register.
"Yes. She's twelve this year, with blond hair and blue eyes, the spitting image of you as a child." A gentle smile filled Mel's eyes. "Except she's much livelier than you were, chirping away all day like a little skylark." She paused. "She absolutely idolizes you. She's always pestering me, asking, 'When is my witcher brother coming home?'"
Yavi slowly set down his fork, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Father, Mother, and our brother... are they doing well?"
Mel gently swirled her wineglass, the amber liquid shifting in the candlelight. "Father has gotten quite a few more white hairs these past two years, but his temper has mellowed. The other day, he was even playing hide-and-seek with Amy in the garden. Gave the old butler quite a fright." A smile lifted the corners of her mouth. "When it comes to affairs of government, though, he's relying more and more on our eldest brother Jace."
Yavi's fork stopped in midair. "Can he handle it now? I remember he used to hate paperwork more than anything."
"Ha!" Mel suddenly laughed aloud. "He's different now. Ever since he married that talented woman from the Northern Kingdoms, he's become much more cheerful. The last time I went home, I even saw him reviewing documents in his study with our little niece in his arms, humming as he stamped them." She winked. "Honestly, I almost wondered whether someone had switched him out."
Yavi couldn't help laughing too. "That's hard to imagine... wait, did you say 'our little niece'?"
"Oh, I haven't told you yet." Mel leaned forward excitedly. "Jace has twin daughters now, almost three years old. They're just like two little angels. Every time I go home, they each grab one side of my skirt and ask for sweets." Her expression suddenly turned mischievous. "The one named Lilian is especially like you were as a child. She even has the same habit of biting her lower lip when she stares off into space."
"As for Mother..." Mel's voice softened. "She still goes to the greenhouse every morning to tend those rare flowers. It's just..." Her fingertip gently traced the rim of her wineglass. "Every year, on the eve of the Winter Solstice Festival, I always find her alone in your old room, sorting through the things you left behind. When I passed by last year, I found her staring at the family portrait you drew as a child."
Hearing how his mother missed him left Yavi a little distracted, but he soon collected his thoughts and came back to himself.
"I've missed my family all these years too, but I can't go back yet. I still need to become stronger. Once I can truly control myself and no longer pose a threat to my family, I'll come home..." Yavi's fingers suddenly tightened, the silver fork bending slightly in his palm. Candlelight danced in his abruptly dimmed blue eyes, like a candle flame flickering in the wind.
"I believe in you, little brother. Once you've grown stronger, we'll all be together at home! We will!" Mel took Yavi's hand, still clenched tightly around the silver fork, and looked firmly into his clear blue eyes.