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Just as she was completely lost in her grand research project that was on the verge of being boxed up, a hand clapped her shoulder out of nowhere, making the blonde girl jump.
Truth be told, she didn't even need to turn around to know who it was. She didn't act welcoming, nor was she indifferent; she simply sighed, resting her chin in her hands thoughtfully. Before her, the water lapped endlessly, spreading out and blurring her view in a haze of white. Seeing that the blonde girl wasn't her usual cheerful self, Zacharie quickly squatted down, peering intently at her face.
"What's wrong~?"
His voice trailed off, still carrying that familiar trace of what one might call "unseriousness." He was always like this, never missing a chance to be playful.
"Zach... is Sucre the daughter of Lord Enoch?"
The blonde girl didn't even bother looking at the masked man, speaking aloud the grand result of her research project so far. Zacharie let himself flop completely onto the ground. Now this was definitely something new.
"What kind of nonsense are you jumping to?"
"Because you wouldn’t answer me! And because Enoch is the Guardian of Zone 3. And Zone 3 is filled with nothing but sugar factories!"
The girl’s voice turned fussy and indignant. Behind her thick doll bangs, her eyes flickered softly, not crying, but pouting in frustration. Zacharie could sense that things were taking a turn for the worse. He’d been teasing his friend for a whole week; was this the grand consequence?
He let out a heavy sigh from behind his mask, speaking with genuine honesty this time.
"It's not that. Not at all."
The merchant shook his head firmly, lacing his hands behind his mess of black hair.
"Then where on earth did Sucre actually come from?"
The blonde girl asked dejectedly, her lips pouting. He looked at her, finding it both funny and endearing. How could her emotions shift as fast as smoke, spinning in circles like that? Seeing his friend like this, he didn't have the heart to keep hiding it from her anymore.
"Listen, Sucre..."
He cleared his throat, slowly unfastening the strap of his mask, a sense of solemnity evident in his every move. The blonde girl looked up, her wide eyes sparkling with eager anticipation, fixed entirely on the handsome, sculpted face revealed from behind the mask. To her, his face possessed a strange, irresistible charm that was hard to look away from. That was why he always wore a mask, or so he had once smugly told her.
"The truth is..."
The merchant swallowed hard, while she almost stopped breathing in suspense, her hand unconsciously resting on his knee. He leaned down slightly over the cat mask cradled in his hands, his back slightly hunched, his chest taking a deep breath. The blonde girl leaned in closer.
"I... don't really know either."
(What in the absolute hell?!)
The blonde girl felt like screaming at the top of her lungs, wishing heaven and earth would strike down the brat sitting right next to her, all while freezing in place with a blank, metal-stiff expression. But before that near future could even manifest, the guy was quick to cut it off with the most pitifully defensive antics. He gently cupped her hands, his eyes gazing up at her as desperately as a fish on a chopping block, his voice sweetly singing a song of "confession."
"I'm serious. I'm so sorry for teasing you all this time. The truth is, I really don't know a thing either. So... please forgive me, okay?"
So that was it. He had taken off his mask just to show the genuine emotions pouring from his bare face. What was gentle holding earlier had now turned into a firm, tight grip. He sat there, behaving as obediently as a child who knew he had done wrong.
The blonde girl squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them again, letting out a small roll of her eyes. She fought to chase away the sudden surge of anger, making room for disappointment, and ultimately, forgiveness. He was telling the truth, and she believed him. Besides, he never actually lied; he was just a master at pushing her buttons. She slipped her hands out of his grip, then wrapped both of hers over his knuckles instead, even though her hands were much smaller. She smiled.
"Alright then. Sucre isn't mad anymore. We'll find out together later, okay?"
Zacharie didn't show too much relief at being granted full pardon; doing so would completely ruin his cool, nonchalant image. He simply laughed, that familiar chuckle of his, though higher in pitch and a bit louder this time. Leaning close to her face, he whispered:
"I may not know your origins, mon amour. I only know one thing: Sucre is the sweet spice dropped into my life, filling it with so much sweetness and happiness."
Hearing that, the blonde girl was thoroughly delighted, a rosy blush creeping onto her cheeks. Those two colors really went well together, didn't they? She giggled and squeezed her eyes shut as the merchant gently patted her head, leaving a soft kiss right on her forehead.
In the distance, the faint silhouettes of Pablo and Valerie peeked out. The feline siblings had been watching this whole sugary-sweet drama unfold right from the very beginning.