110 Feeling Envious


    “B-boyfriend? Um....” Kalea hung up on her words, ncing anxiously at Arthur about what she should say at this rate.


    “She-”


    “I’m talking to Miss. Lovaata, not to you, Arthur,” Albern interrupted, already knowing that his son would also answer.


    “I-I don’t have someone like that yet, sir,” Kalea replied nervously, her hands breaking out in cold sweat. Albern’s sharp gaze seemed to pierce her body. She finally chose to answer honestly, because if she said she already had a boyfriend, Albern would have asked again why she was willing to be taken into another man’s family.


    “There’s no need to rush, Lea. You’re still very young, it’s better to focus on your academics,” Aqu said while holding Kalea’s hands, her aura was very cheerful and flowery. “Oh, your hands are sweaty? Honey, you scared Lea!” Aqu uses, she took some tissues and then wiped Kalea’s palm.


    “I-I can do it myself, Ma’am!” Kalea eximed, trying not to make Aqu do something like that. However, the woman was stubborn and kept on wiping Kalea’s palm.


    “Your hands are very beautiful, dear. You must be very popr on campus,” Aqu said with a sweet smile that made Kalea bbergasted. Arthur’s mother was really very friendly and treated Kalea so well.


    It had been a long time since she had been treated gently by a mother, and Aqu’s treatment had moved her. Her chest tightened because she suddenly remembered her mother, who was still struggling to recover. Her vision became blurry as tears slowly built up in her eyes. Kalea quickly removed her hand from Aqu while forcing a smile.


    “Thank you very much, Ma’am.”


    .....


    “With pleasure!”


    “So you don’t have a boyfriend yet, huh,” Albern said again, returning to the topic he had been wanting to discuss. Arthur was already looking at him warily, he already knew what his father would say after this. “When did you graduate from college?”


    “Eh?”


    “Dad, what do you really want to say?” Ang asked who was getting annoyed, she knew that Albern wanted to match Kalea with Arthur.


    “Dad ... isn’t it ording to your agreement to ask me toe with any woman I’m close to. You just want to get to know her, right?”


    Albern gave his two children a strange look, then said, “What’s wrong with you two?”


    “We know what you want to say!” Arthur and Ang eximed in unison.


    Without feeling guilty, Albernughed loudly, making his two children annoyed. “You really know me, don’t you.”


    “Of course, every day forces me to do this and that,” Arthur sneered softly but could still be heard by them. While Kalea panicked in silence, thinking about what answer she would give after Albern asked her again.


    “Miss. Lovaata, you haven’t answered my question,” Albern said.


    “That’s ... about a year and a half, Sir,” Kalea replied with an awkward smile. Arthur just looked at Kalea with concern, feeling sorry for bringing his sugar baby to his family’s house. Now Kalea is like a cute bunny being bullied by a ck panther who is none other than her father.


    “Not too long, huh. What do your parents do?”


    “Dad, should you ask such a thing?” Arthur asked, starting to get impatient with Albern’s attitude. Because he knew the topic of parents was a very sensitive topic for Kalea.


    “Huh? That’s amon question between a parent and a child’s friend,” Albern replied looking at Arthur equally annoyed.


    “But-” Arthur did not continue when Kalea grabbed his arm.


    “My parents ... are divorced, Sir. My mother is not working, I don’t know about my father anymore because he is with his new family,” Kalea replied with a faint smile, trying to look fine. She did not want Arthur to continue to protect her.


    “Ah, I’m sorry to hear that. Sorry,” Albern said reluctantly.


    “It’s all right, sir. It’s an old story, I’ve been fine.”


    Kalea turned to Aqu, who was looking at her with teary eyes. “M-ma’am are you okay?” the girl asked. Kalea’s eyes were rounded when Aqu hugged her tightly.


    “You’re a great girl, Lea. I like you even more! Come here often, I’ll cook a lot of food for you!” Aqu said, with tears starting to fall. Feels sad about the condition of Kalea’s family and can not let the girl be lonely. “Please forgive my husband’s words. He didn’t mean anything bad,” Aqu continued as she let go of her hug.


    “It’s okay, Ma’am. You don’t have to cry, it makes me feel guilty,” Kalea said, taking a tissue and wiping Aqu’s tears that were on the woman’s cheeks. It’s the same thing as what Aqu did before.


    “You’re a good girl, I like you,” Aqu said for the umpteenth time.


    “Kalea,” Albern called, making Kalea look back at the man.


    “Yes, Sir?”


    “You can treat us like your family too, If something is bothering you, you can tell us,” Albern said with a faint smile.


    “Th-thank you for the kindness, Mr. Jefferson.”


    “You can just call me Albern or Dad.”


    Kalea blinked and just smiled stiffly in response. Shock, of course. Previously, Arthur’s father always wore a fierce expression and a sharp gaze. And now Albern smiled warmly like the sun in the morning. The change is quite drastic; is it because Kalea told them about her family? If that was the case, was not Albern a man who loved his family so much? Well, Kalea did not know much about the Jeffersons because Arthur had never told her anything.


    Arthur looked at his father in horror. He did not expect that Albern would change his attitude to this. His feelings were getting more and more unsettled because after this surely Albern forced him to do something. For now, all he could do was sigh andment his fate.


    The conversation resumed, Albern no longer inquired further about the Kalea family, nor did the others. Ang, she is mostly quiet and busy with her food. Her mood worsened, even more, when she felt like she was being ostracized by her own family. After celebrating Arthur’s birthday and having dinner, the woman got up from her seat.


    “I went to the room first, Dad, Mom,” Ang said, smiling sweetly to hide her true feelings.


    “Eh? We haven’t been to the next agenda yet! Haven’t you prepared it well?” Aqu was worried about her second child.


    “Suddenly I’m not feeling well, Mom. You can do without me, can’t you? Ang got up from there and went to her bedroom.


    The atmosphere among the others became a little ufortable. Especially Kalea, she felt that Arthur’s sister suddenly like that must be because of her fault. Since this was supposed to be their family event, she was just a stranger. Would not it be that if she continued, Ang would dislike her even more? Kalea was confused, what should she do if it was like this?


    Suddenly Arthur got up from his seat and said, “I’m going to Ang’s room first,” he said, which was immediately agreed upon by Albern and Aqu.


    Kalea blinked, Arthur really left her alone to face Arthur’s parents. She swallowed hard saliva and cursed Arthur in her heart.


    “I’m so sorry, Lea. The agenda is a little messy,” Aqu said, feeling guilty.


    “N-no! I’m the one who feels guilty because I shouldn’t be here. After all, this is your family event,” Kalea replied with a sad look.


    “Ang is always like that when her brother is close to a woman. From childhood, they were both very close and loved each other. The bad side made Ang want Arthur’s affection only for her,” Aqu said, telling about her two children. “Maybe this is also one of the reasons Arthur doesn’t want to get married.”


    “Kaea, can I ask you something a little personal?” Albern asked, making Kalea nervous again.


    “Sure, Sir.”


    “Are you guys really just friends? I’d really love it if your rtionship could be more than that.”


    Kalea did not expect that Albern would ask this bluntly.


    The girl with the brte hair smiled faintly, then said, “I’m sorry. We’re just friends, there’s nothing special between us. So far, Arthur has been very kind and helped me when I was in trouble. I really respect him,” Kalea replied half-heartedly. honest. Half of it, she was still confused about her own feelings.


    “I see. Well, please stay good friends with my son.”


    “Of course, Sir.”


    Seeded, Kalea was able to answer perfectly without making Arthur’s parents suspicious. It should have been like this. Kalea would not have bothered Arthur.


    Not long after that, Arthur returned with Ang, the woman’s face suddenly cheerful like never before. Kalea was curious, what did Arthur do to make his sister like that?


    “Dear! You’re back! You’re not sick anymore, honey?” Aqu asked; actually, she did not believe that her child was sick. Because she just wants to get their attention, especially Arthur. Even though Ang is 27 years old, she is still the youngest in the Jefferson family and very spoiled.


    “Let’s continue the agenda!” Ang eximed.


    Ang began to guide the next program, namely watching movies together and ying games. Everyone looks very happy and enjoying it. Kalea was happy because she had not been in this position for a long time. Celebrating something with the family. She was jealous of Arthur’s life, surrounded by very kind and loving family members.


    This was also Kalea’s first time seeing a different side of Arthur. She could not stop smiling when her sugar daddy joked around with the others. It felt like Kalea wanted to see Arthur more and more from the other side.


    The night was gettingte, as Arthur had said, Aqu really told Arthur and Kalea to stay overnight because the weather was getting colder and the snow was getting thicker.


    “This is your room,” Arthur said as he opened the door to the room where Kalea was staying for the night.


    “Where’s your room?” Kalea asked.


    “It’s in one of the rooms in this house,” the man replied casually.


    Kalea scowled; even elementary school children can tell if the answer is that simple.


    “If there’s anything, you can call me. Or do you want me to just sleep with you here?” Arthur teased with his mischievous smile.


    “Don’t be weird, our rtionship will be found outter,” Kalea snorted as she hit Arthur with the pajama she was carrying.


    “Okay, okay. Then I’m going, good night, Lea~” Arthur said goodbye and left his sugar baby.


    Kale sighed and entered the guest room. She was amazed by the interior of it. This Arthur family house is dominantly ck but very ssy. Before she closed the bedroom door, Kalea almost had a heart attack when she saw Ang standing in front of the room.


    “I-is there anything I can help you with, Miss?” Kalea asked nervously. Ang’s gaze was so t, and it was still there.


    “Yes, may I ask you one thing?”


    “... sure.”


    “Can you not be too close to my brother and parents?”