The Alchemists

After only the two of them were left in the treatment room, London sat back on the side of the bed and tidied L's blanket. None of his actions escaped L's observasion.

"My uncle is preparing medicine for you. Hopefully, you'll get better in a few hours," he said while holding L's hand.

"Your uncle?" L frowned. She had met many doctors all her life, and there wasn't much they could do.

There were only two possibilities for her to fully recover, namely a heart transplant from a deceased human donor, or a synthetic heart transplant.

Until now, there hadn't been a suitable human donor and her ranking to obtain organs was still too low, while she still didn't dare to opt for a synthetic heart because there were still many controversies surrounding its safety.

L had worked hard to be where she was now, she didn't want to die just because of an unsafe artificial heart.

"My uncle is a medicine expert. You'll meet him later," London explained.

He was about to tell her about his father who was also a doctor, but he was afraid that L would be shocked and angry again because she thought he was lying. Therefore, he decided to keep his father a secret for a while.

He also deliberately asked his father not to appear around L because he would have difficulty explaining who Caspar was to the girl, since Caspar looked so much like him. He and his father had similar faces, black hair, brilliant blue eyes, even the same dimples. His father was only slightly taller than him.

His mother was told to avoid being seen by L because he was afraid that L was still angry when she saw the woman who she thought had a special relationship with London hanging around the hospital. After he learned about L's health condition, London didn't want to take any risks and make the girl angry or sad.

He also regretted his fad with his mother two days ago. Everything that happened was like the ripple effect, where one event influenced the next ones.

If he hadn't made L angry with jealousy, the girl wouldn't have run back to their apartment, which made London rush back to Germany, and was followed by their argument over Danny, then L finding all the cameras he had installed... eventually the girl fell ill and was now forced to give birth faster...

Ugh...

"What are you thinking about?" L promptly asked. She noticed the dark circles around the young man's eyes and realized that London hadn't been wearing his glasses for two days. "Can you see without your glasses?"

London wanted to answer 'I'm wearing contact lenses' when he realized L didn't like being lied to. In the end, he just scratched his head and nodded.

"I lost my glasses... I can't find them," he answered truthfully. A moment later, he thought of something. "By the way, do you prefer for me to wear glasses or not?"

L frowned again. "Is my opinion important? Whether you wear glasses or not is none of my business."

At that time, London felt an impulse to pinch L. This girl, why can't she be sweet for long? She was sweet for a while, and now her grumpy attitude was back.

"Hmm... it's important for me," London tried to hold back and disregard L's silence. "If you think I look better without glasses, I won't wear them anymore."

L finally squinted to observe London for a few moments. She then grabbed the young man's face and turned it left and right, then nodded in satisfaction. "No need to wear glasses, then. This is better."

London smiled and nodded. "Alright... I won't wear glasses anymore."

L only shook her head seeing London's patience. She had always been rude to him on purpose, but somehow, it never seemed to work. The young man always behaved as if L had never been annoying.

In the end, L crossed her arms across her c.h.e.s.t and watched London attentively. She wasn't ashamed of looking at a man with such probing eyes.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" In fact, London had become awkward because for some reason, being stared like that by L made him feel as though he was being stripped. He unconsciously crossed his arms across his c.h.e.s.t, as if protecting himself from being stripped n.a.k.e.d.

"Hmm... why does my opinion matter to you?" L asked firmly. "I'm nothing to you."

"You're wrong. You're Lily's mother, of course, you're someone to me," London quickly reacted. "Therefore, your opinion is important."

"But I told you I'll go once she's born. I don't want to hurt her if she found out her mother left her... It's better if she never knew about me and what happened between us." L continued to stare at London unblinkingly. "If Finland really loves you, she certainly won't mind claiming to be Lily's mother so that this child won't be hurt..."

Ugh... why is the discussion back to this topic? London inwardly complained. He was exhausted. Besides, he hadn't slept and hadn't eaten, his head wouldn't be able to take it if they argue again.

London took a deep breath and raised his hand, signaling L to stop her words.

"P... please... Can we postpone this discussion for just two days? I can't discuss this topic anymore. Please, just give me these two days, until Lily is born and your health recovers... After that, I'll grant whatever you wish for. I'll follow your every word."

L finally nodded slowly. "Forgive me."

They then fell silent. The atmosphere was ruined because of that one topic. London finally turned his head towards the door, not seeing L again. He was afraid that his patience would run out if he remembered that L was still insisting to leave previously.

After ten minutes of empty silence, L finally touched his shoulder.

"What's wrong?" London asked without turning around.

"Where's Danny...?" L slowly asked him. "Didn't he contact me? He must be worried."

Ugh... hearing L mentioned another's man name in front of him, London finally couldn't take it anymore. He stood up and walked toward the door.

"I don't know. I haven't met him since yesterday. I immediately brought you here and didn't go anywhere else," he replied curtly.

He wasn't lying. He really didn't know where Danny Swan was. Jan knew, and London deliberately didn't ask Jan. He didn't care about Danny Swann.

"Eh, where are you going?" L asked in a worried voice when she realized that London was leaving him. "Wait a minute...!"

"I want to sleep..." London answered casually. "I haven't slept since yesterday."

L immediately remembered the dark circles around London's eyes and she realized that the young man hadn't slept all night, even though he was lying down beside her. Was London unable to sleep because he was too worried?

L's c.h.e.s.t became heavy and filled with guilt.

She had been troubling this young man excessively, but since earlier, London actually said that L wasn't bothersome and taking care of her was a pleasant thing.

"Why do you have to go out to sleep?" L asked. She then hurriedly added, "There's a bed here..."

Her words stunned London. He turned his body and looked at L with a look of confusion, exhaustion, and sadness.

"L... please, don't be inconsistent like this to me... I'm going crazy..." he softly pleaded. "You sometimes act so sweetly that it makes me think you love me too. If you do, you make my heart fly to the seventh heaven. But then you'll be cold and annoying... and say things that hurt me... so I don't know how to make of that... "

L bit her lip.

London was right, and she was aware of that.