He touched his tongue to the inside of his cheek and turned back to look at her. "You bit me when we were kids, and now you slap me. Sienna Everett, you’re my own personal little tyrant."
This was the first time in his life anyone had slapped him across the face.
He wasn’t angry, though.
After all, this was Sienna Everett.
In fact, he rarely got angry at Sienna Everett.
Sienna, woozy with drink, was oblivious to the fact that she’d just hit someone. Thinking it was all a game, she giggled, her eyes crinkling sweetly, and even gave her own cheek a light pat.
Julian quickly grabbed her hand, stopping her from slapping herself.
Thankfully, he was quick enough that she didn’t leave a red mark on her own face.
Seeing her adorable, oblivious expression, Julian couldn’t help but chuckle and shake his head in resignation.
’There’s really nothing to be done with this little drunkard.’
The old butler brewed a pot of sobriety tea and brought it in.
Julian told him to put it on the table, explaining he would wait for it to cool before giving it to Sienna, so she wouldn’t burn herself.
The old butler set down the sobriety tea and excused himself.
’It seems the Master will be staying here to look after Miss Everett.’
Julian sat on the edge of the bed and helped Sienna sit up, letting her lean against his shoulder. He picked up the nearby sobriety tea and tested the temperature. It wasn’t hot anymore; it was just right.
"Here, drink this."
Sienna looked at the dark, murky bowl, frowning in disgust. Her speech was a little slurred. "Wh... what is this?"
Julian’s lips curled into a smile. Without a shred of guilt, he coaxed her in a low voice, "This is Sienna’s favorite drink. Want to try it?"
As he spoke, he brought the bowl to her lips.
As soon as Sienna heard him say it was a drink, she leaned forward and took a sip from the bowl in his hands. It was actually a little sweet.
She giggled, her eyes curving into crescent moons. "Sweet!"
"Since it’s so sweet, have another sip."
"You drink too!" Sienna, acting like a three-year-old, pushed the bowl towards him, wanting to share the tasty treat.
Julian’s gaze fell, his eyes sweeping over the sobriety tea she had just sipped from.
After a two-second pause, he lowered his head and took a small sip.
The two of them drank from the same bowl.
"I’ve had a sip. The rest is for Sienna," he said, bringing the bowl to her lips again.
Sienna obediently took the bowl and drank, sip after sip, until it was empty.
Julian took the empty bowl from her, placed it aside, and let her continue to lean on his shoulder. "Does your head hurt?"
"Nope!" To prove she wasn’t in pain, Sienna even shook her head.
The girl’s soft, fine black hair brushed against his neck, tickling his skin with a sensation that seemed to travel right down to his heart.
Julian’s eyes darkened, and just as he was about to speak, Sienna’s phone rang.
She picked it up to see a spam text.
Sienna’s mind was sluggish. She puzzled over the message for a moment, didn’t understand it, and returned to her home screen. Seeing her wallpaper, she held the phone to her cheek like a precious treasure, rubbing it and muttering something.
Julian leaned closer to listen. ’Did she just say... ’Big brother is so handsome’?’
Julian frowned and took her phone. The wallpaper was an anime character.
Julian was so incensed he almost laughed, his tongue pressing against the roof of his mouth.
’She calls me her mortal enemy or that ’dog of a man’, but she’s calling an anime character ’big brother’ and saying he’s handsome?’
Julian’s eyes narrowed dangerously. He placed her phone face down on the bed and suddenly called her by her full name, "Sienna Everett."
Sienna looked over at him in a daze.
Julian lowered his gaze, his pupils unnaturally dark as he asked, "Who grew up with you?"
Sienna blinked, her mind too fuzzy to comprehend.
He asked again, "Who told you stories every night when we were little?"
Sienna blinked again, trying to search for the answer in her muddled mind.
He continued, "Who helped you with your homework and skipped class with you when we were kids?"
Sienna’s long, curled lashes trembled. Her clear eyes grew moist, shimmering like water.
After a moment, she finally remembered. She raised her hand excitedly. "It was you!"
Julian caught her hand, the slightly calloused pads of his fingers gently rubbing the delicate, fair skin of her wrist. "Then what did you call me when we were little?"
Sienna proudly puffed out her chest and chirped, "Big brother!"
He was utterly charmed by her adorable display. His Adam’s apple bobbed as a low, sultry chuckle escaped him. He picked up Sienna’s phone; it was password-protected.
He raised an eyebrow and typed in Sienna’s birthday.
It unlocked.
Julian opened the camera app and held the phone up in front of them. "How about Sienna and her big brother take a photo together?"
Sienna immediately tilted her head and leaned in, her red lips curved into a charmingly languid smile.
Julian pressed his head close to hers, aimed the camera, and tapped the shutter button.
After taking the picture, his slender, fair fingers tapped on the screen. Without a shred of guilt, he changed Sienna’s wallpaper to their new selfie.
He only changed the wallpaper; he didn’t look at anything else on her phone.
Putting Sienna’s phone on the side table, Julian helped her lie back down. "Feel like sleeping?"
Sienna reached up and rubbed her temples. She was a bit tired. She gave a small nod. "Yeah..."
"Then go to sleep. You’ll be sober by morning."
Sienna’s cheeks puffed out. She mumbled something under her breath, hugged the comforter, and closed her eyes.
Julian remained seated by the bed. When he heard her breathing deepen into a light, steady rhythm, he knew she had fallen asleep.
He reached out and gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. His voice was low and magnetic, laced with a lazy drawl and an indescribable tenderness. "Good night."
...
「The next morning.」
Sunlight shone through the curtains into the room, revealing the fine dust motes in the air.
As the beam of light shifted, brilliant sunshine spilled across Sienna’s face. Her fair skin was like fresh snow in the sun—pale and translucent, so delicate it seemed flawless.
Sienna’s eyes stirred, and she awoke from her sleep, raising a hand to shield her brow from the sun.
She stared dazedly at the ceiling for a moment, then it hit her. ’Last night, I went for a late-night snack with Julian... I think I got drunk. How did I get back?’
Sienna tended to have blackouts when she drank; she couldn’t remember a thing, no matter how hard she tried.
Confused, she got out of bed to wash up.
Walking downstairs, she saw Julian on the living room sofa. He was holding a document and looking down at it, his well-defined fingers flipping through the pages with a soft rustle.
Hearing footsteps, the man looked up at her. "You’re awake?"
"Mhm," Sienna responded lazily, still a bit sleepy. As she pulled her gaze away from him, she suddenly froze, her eyes widening. "What happened to your face? Why is there a red handprint? Did someone hit you?"
Julian put down the document and looked at her without a word.
Sienna urged, "Say something."
The man still said nothing.
’Wait, why is he looking at me like I’m some... heartless cheater?’
Sienna scratched her head, bewildered. A horrifying thought suddenly surfaced. "The slap mark on your face... it wasn’t me, was it?"
Julian looked at her, his voice tinged with a hint of pity. "Drop the ’wasn’t’."
Sienna: "..."
’No way!’
’I hit him when I was drunk?’
’D-d-does this count as domestic abuse?’
Just as Sienna was cringing with embarrassment, her phone’s alarm went off. She silenced it automatically, but then she noticed... ’What’s with this wallpaper?’
’Why is it a picture of me and Julian?!’
’And I’m grinning like a complete fool!’