He peeked at her from the corner of his eyes. "Miss Mystery, I really, really don’t like—"
But before he could finish, Lilith shoved the spoon gently into his mouth. His lips instinctively closed around the spoon as the warm, soft porridge melted on his tongue.
His eyes widened slightly. He blinked.
Lilith tilted her head. "See? It’s not that bad."
Ray swallowed, then pouted even more. "You tricked me."
Lilith chuckled, scooping another spoonful. "I’ll keep tricking you until you finish this."
He grumbled but obediently opened his mouth again.
Each time she fed him, he would pretend to resist, shaking his head, making little complaints, but his mouth would always open for the next bite.
And soon, the bowl was empty.
Lilith laughed lightly, setting it aside. "There. That wasn’t so hard, was it?"
Ray sulked for a moment before grabbing the edge of her dress and playing with the fabric between his fingers. "Fine... but next time, I want something tasty."
Lilith flicked his forehead lightly. "We’ll see."
Ray grinned, looking up at her with sparkling eyes. "Miss Mystery, you’re the best."
Lilith just rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at her lips.
**
Rose stepped closer, examining her brother’s face with suspicion. "You look different, brother..." she murmured, tilting her head slightly.
Raysmiled brightly at her, something Alexander or Gray would never do. The usual cold, emotionless, ruthless, and gloomy aura that surrounded him was completely gone. Instead, he radiated warmth, almost like a ray of sunshine.
Rose blinked, feeling strange. "Brother?"
Ray, not knowing exactly how to interact, waved awkwardly. "Hello, Rose! My little sister!" His voice was lighter, softer, almost cheerful.
Lilith, standing nearby, quickly looked away, suppressing a funny smile. She knew exactly what was going on, but she wasn’t about to explain anything.
Ana frowned deeply. "What happened, Seb? Why are you behaving so differently?" She stepped closer, concern written all over her face.
Ray panicked internally. He had no shared memories from Alexander or Gray, which meant he had no idea how to act around Ana. His fingers fidgeted as he tried to mimic Alexander’s usual demeanor. But the attempt was clumsy.
"Umm... Mother, I—uh—I just feel... relaxed?" He smiled again, but it came out awkward.
Ana’s eyes narrowed further. "Relaxed?" Her gut told her something was off. This wasn’t her son’s usual self. "Did something happen to your head?"
Rose squinted at him, then turned to Lilith. "Sister Lilith, what’s going on with my brother?"
Lilith just folded her arms, watching the scene with amusement. "Nothing much. Just a little switch-up."
Ray gulped. "Haha... Yes, switch-up! That’s right!"
Ana and Rose exchanged confused looks.
Something was definitely wrong.
"Brother, did you lose your memory???" Rose exclaimed, her big eyes lighting up with curiosity.
"Umm...nuuuooo," Ray said hesitantly, scratching his cheek. He wasn’t sure what to say. It wasn’t exactly memory loss—more like he never had those memories to begin with.
Rose, however, was already convinced. "Yes, yes, yes! Every person who loses their memory says that!" She nodded rapidly, as if she had solved a great mystery.
Ethan, who had just entered the wardroom, snorted. "Rose, how many people have you actually seen lose their memory?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Rose turned to him with a serious face. "Plenty! I’ve seen it happen in dramas, tv shows and movies!"
Ethan sighed, rubbing his forehead. "So... none in real life?"
Rose puffed her cheeks. "That’s not the point! The symptoms are all the same—acting strange, being nice, forgetting things!"
Ana, who had been silently watching, frowned slightly. "Seby... are you really okay? You do seem... different."
Ray gave a nervous smile, looking between them. "I’m fine! Really!"
"Hmmmm..." Rose narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously.
"Stop scaring him, Rose," Lilith chuckled as she walked to Ray’s side, her fingers gently ruffling his hair.
Ray blinked, feeling warmth spread through his chest. He leaned into her touch slightly, enjoying the affection.
Rose crossed her arms, pouting. "I’m not scaring him, I’m just being cautious! Brother has never been this soft before. It’s weird!"
"Exactly," Ethan spoke, arms folded as he eyed them both suspiciously. His gaze flickered between Ray and Lilith, narrowing slightly. "Something feels off. You," he pointed at Ray, "are smiling way too much. And you," he turned to Lilith, "are treating him like a fragile little puppy."
Lilith raised a brow, smirking. "Maybe he just needed the right person to bring out his soft side?" she teased.
Ethan snorted. "Yeah, right. My cousin? Soft? Never thought I’d see the day." He leaned against the wall, eyes still sharp with suspicion. "Are we sure he didn’t hit his head too hard during the accident?"
Ray fidgeted under Ethan’s scrutiny, suddenly feeling a little exposed. "I-I’m still the same! Just... in a good mood!"
Rose wasn’t buying it. She squinted at him before gasping dramatically. "Wait! Are you possessed?"
Ethan burst into laughter. "That would make more sense than him suddenly acting like a golden retriever."
Lilith rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the small smile tugging at her lips. "You guys are unbelievable."
Meanwhile, Ray was internally panicking. He had to be more careful... because Ethan’s sharp eyes were already starting to dig a little too deep.
Ray softly tugged on Lilith’s hand, his eyes looking up at her as he motioned for her to come closer.
She leaned down, and he cupped his hand around his mouth, whispering, "Miss Mystery! Who is he? And... can I ask him to leave?" His voice was light, almost childlike.
Ethan’s ears perked up instantly.
His expression froze.
Ethan: Emotional damage!!!
Rose choked on her laughter, covering her mouth. Ana looked between them, confused, while Lilith simply smirked.
Ethan dramatically placed a hand over his heart. "Are you serious?! You forgot me again?!" He pointed at himself, his voice rising. "Me?! Your own cousin?!"
Ray blinked, looking at him again. Then, without an ounce of hesitation, he leaned closer to Lilith and whispered again, "Nope. Still don’t recognize him."
Ethan gasped, stumbling back as if physically attacked. "Oh my god. This is worse than heartbreak."