“Nothing…just came to deliver this,” Damian answered, clearly unbothered by whatever she might be thinking.
It was only then that Sylvia noticed something sitting on his lap as he wheeled himself farther into the room.
Her gaze dropped to it suspiciously.
“And what is that?” “How would you know what it is when you are standing there?” Damian asked calmly.
Sylvia blinked, momentarily caught off guard by his response.
She snapped out of her daze and hurriedly closed the door behind him.
Then she walked over, stopping a few metres away, her gaze lingering on him a little longer than necessary.
There was something about his unexpected appearance that made her wary..
“You didn’t eat much there…so my grandfather had the kitchen make this and let me deliver it,” Damian lied with a completely serious expression.
Hearing that it was from Valen, Sylvia’s expression softened visibly.
‘At least it was still the kind old man.’ She couldn’t deny that Valen had been the only person in the Evercrest family who had shown her genuine kindness since she arrived.
She closed the distance between them and carefully took the tray of food from his lap.
The dishes were still warm, and the pleasant aroma immediately filled the room.
She carried the tray to the bed and carefully set it down.
Though she would have been perfectly fine without the food, it would have been wrong to waste such a kind gesture from an old man.
“Please thank him for me,” Sylvia said gently while waiting for Damian to leave.
Her eyes shifted toward the door.
‘Shouldn’t he be leaving now that the food has been delivered?’ But surprisingly, Damian made no move to leave.
Instead, he leaned back comfortably against his wheelchair as though he had every intention of remaining there.
“You eat up.” Sylvia stared at him.
“Eat?” she asked, genuinely surprised.
“Of course, eat…or are you planning not to eat at all?” he sneered.
Sylvia swallowed.
She didn’t know why, but everything about him irritated her, and getting under her skin seemed to be something he accomplished with almost no effort.
Just like now.
Maybe it was because of the circumstances surrounding their marriage.
She had never chosen to marry him, and he had never chosen to marry her.
Yet somehow, they were now forced to share the same house and deal with each other.
Sylvia forced herself to remain calm.
“I will definitely eat…so you should go back to your room.
It’s getting late.” Damian scoffed.
“It seems you don’t get it…the old man asked me to see you finish it.” Sylvia nearly choked on her own spite.
“Wait for me…to finish?” She stared at him incredulously.
‘Is there still such a thing?’ But when she thought about how he had apologized on his behalf at the table earlier, she wondered if perhaps this was some form of punishment for him.
Thinking of it that way made Sylvia feel slightly relieved.
At least she wouldn’t have to deal with him because he wanted to stay.
She reluctantly walked over to the bed.
Sitting down, she set out the dishes one by one.
Everything was simple and light, exactly the type of food she preferred for dinner.
A smile slowly curved across her lips.
It was the most sincere smile she had managed to wear throughout the entire day.
She picked up her spoon and slowly began to eat.
The food was warm and comforting, and for a brief moment, Sylvia allowed herself to forget about the unpleasant conversation with her mother.
After a few spoonfuls, however, another thought crossed her mind.
Her eyes unconsciously darted toward Damian’s lips.
She had left the dining table without considering whether he might have eaten again afterward.
A faint sense of guilt settled in her chest.
He was blind and crippled…certainly, it was difficult for someone in his condition to avoid feeling frustrated or finding faults with others.
Perhaps she had been too harsh with him.
“Do…do…you mind joining me?” Her voice came out smaller than she intended.
After all, she was the guilty one.
Damian’s eyes widened slightly behind his glasses.
For a brief moment, he couldn’t believe what he had heard.
‘Is it really possible that I heard her right?’ Sylvia immediately felt awkward under his prolonged silence.
“You might forget about it…besides…” she began, already preparing to take back the invitation.
“I will.” Damian answered before she could finish.
He immediately wheeled himself closer.
With his movement relying heavily on instinct and blurry vision, he was always cautious.
Every movement had to be deliberate because one wrong turn could cause him to collide with something.
He stopped several metres away from the bed.
Sylvia looked at him for a moment before climbing down from the bed.
She walked toward him and placed her hands on the handles of his wheelchair.
Then she pushed him closer to the bed.
Neither of them said anything about the awkwardness of the situation.
And just like that, they ended up eating the food together, with Sylvia feeding him while he ate obediently.
The silence between them seemed less heavy than before.
For once, Sylvia didn’t feel as though she had to constantly guard herself against him.
Likewise, Damian remained unusually quiet, allowing her to feed him without making any of his usual sarcastic remarks.
The simple meal somehow created a strange sense of peace between them.
At the end of the meal, Sylvia carefully gathered the dishes together.
She intended to return them to the kitchen and then call Mark over to help Damian back to his room.
She carried the tray toward the door, already thinking about finally getting some sleep.
But when she reached the door and turned the doorknob, it refused to budge.
Sylvia frowned.
She tried again, twisting the handle harder this time.
Nothing happened.
Her eyes widened slightly.
She looked over her shoulder at Damian, who was still sitting quietly in his wheelchair.
“Damian…” Her voice carried a faint note of suspicion.
He slowly lifted his head toward her.
“Yes?” “The door…” Sylvia tried the handle once more, but it remained firmly locked.
Her heartbeat suddenly quickened.
She had locked the door when Damian entered.
But she distinctly remembered turning the key to unlock it.
‘So why wouldn’t it open now?’ She stared at the door for several seconds before slowly turning back toward Damian.