After Mr.
Antoine finished his questions to Lily, he remained looking at her in silence for moments.
The answers were still present in his mind; the precision, the quick thinking, the organization of ideas, and the way she presented every piece of information without any confusion.
Then he turned his gaze slowly toward Nicholas.
Nicholas was sitting quietly, trying to appear natural, but he knew his father’s looks well.
He knew that the silence preceding Mr.
Antoine’s question was not merely silence, but a test.
Mr.
Antoine said: “Nicholas.” Nicholas raised his eyes to him.
“Yes, Father.” “You work in the same field.
I want to know your opinion on a simple matter.” He paused briefly, then continued: “When you have a large architectural project, do you think the initial design concept is more important, or the study of requirements and constraints?” Nicholas took a short moment to think.
It was not long, but it was longer than Lily’s.
He said: “I think both are important.
The concept gives the project its identity, but the requirements determine what can be executed.” It was a good answer.
Logical.
Correct.
But Mr.
Antoine did not seem entirely convinced.
He kept looking at him.
“And what does that mean?” Nicholas realized that his father wanted more than a general answer.
He adjusted his posture slightly and said: “It means that the architect must be able to combine the creative side and the practical side.
It is not enough for the design to be beautiful; it must also be suitable for the budget, the site, and the usage.” Mr.
Antoine nodded his head slightly, but he did not smile.
“An acceptable answer.” He said it in a way that let Nicholas know it was not praise.
Then he asked another question: “In your opinion, why do some projects fail even though the initial design seems successful?” Nicholas answered: “Perhaps because of implementation problems or poor coordination between different teams.” Silence prevailed.
The answer was correct, but it was concise.
Mr.
Antoine looked at Lily for a moment, then returned to his son.
“Perhaps?” Nicholas’s features paused slightly.
“I mean…
the reason could be several factors, such as weak planning or lack of follow-up on details during implementation.” Mr.
Antoine said coldly: “You are using general words.” Nicholas did not reply.
He lowered his gaze slightly to the table.
As for Lily, she remained sitting as she was; her back straight, her hands steady, and her features completely calm.
She did not interfere, nor did she look at her brother in a way that might increase his tension.
Mr.
Antoine continued: “An architect is not measured only by their ability to give a correct answer.
There is a difference between someone who knows the information and someone who understands the entire system.” His voice was quiet, but it became sharper.
“You work in a field that requires seeing details before the problem occurs, not after it happens.” Nicholas said: “I understand that, Father.” But Mr.
Antoine did not stop.
“Do you really understand it?” The sentence was short, but it made the atmosphere around the table grow colder.
Madame Margaret looked at Nicholas in silence, but she did not interfere.
She knew that any attempt to defend him before her husband might make things worse.
Mr.
Antoine added: “I asked you about the reason for project failure.
You said: implementation problems.
This is not an architect’s answer; this is the answer of someone describing the result.” Then he gestured slightly with his hand toward Lily without looking at her directly.
“Your sister, when she answered, did not merely mention the problem.
She explained the relationship between causes and results.” Nicholas remained silent.
He was not angry with Lily, but he felt the pressure.
The problem was not that he made a mistake, but that his answers were merely good…
while his father was comparing them to something higher.
Mr.
Antoine said: “An acceptable level is not enough.” Then he returned to Nicholas: “You are capable of more than that, but you answer as if you want to end the question, not as if you want to prove that you understand.” The words were harsh.
But it was the way Mr.
Antoine was accustomed to speaking.
Nicholas maintained his composure and said: “I will try to be more precise.” His father looked at him for moments.
“Do not try.” Silence.
“Do.” The final word was decisive.
Silence returned to the table.
Lily remained in her place, maintaining her perfect persona; she did not move, she did not gloat, and she showed no expression.
But she was fully aware of the difference that had occurred.
Minutes ago, her father was looking at her with quiet satisfaction.
And now he was looking at Nicholas as if waiting for him to become another person.
As for Mr.
Antoine, he remained sitting with his usual coldness, convinced that he had a son who needed more strictness…
and a daughter who had reached the level he wanted from her.