Aurelia returned to her room, and Leopold had the maid bring in breakfast.
Nibbling on a piece of toast, Aurelia said, “Cheating men are like non-recyclables, just having them around feels disgusting, like a stink I can't get rid of.”
Leopold cleared his throat awkwardly, “Honey, I have nothing to do with that. You can't blame the whole town for one house's fire.”
She gave him a sidelong glance, “I hope you'll keep yourself clean.”
Sweating a little, he replied, “I’ve always kept my hands clean, staying far away from any mess.”
Aurelia shrugged, “That's now. Who knows about the future?”
Leopold was speechless. Wasn't he doing well enough? Why did Aurelia have no faith in him?
“No matter how old you get, nobody can hold a candle to you. It’s the soul that matters more than looks, and it’s you I fell for, not your appearance.”
“I happen to like your looks,” Aurelia teased.
Leopold felt like he'd been hit by a strike.
“Then I better take care of myself, lest you cast me aside when I’m old and grey.”
He reached out, ruffling her hair affectionately, “Isn’t my soul interesting? Don’t I have a personality that charms you?”
“That remains to be seen,” she quipped, pouting slightly.
Leopold sighed, “Alright, it seems I haven’t shown you the interesting parts of my soul yet. I’ll have to work harder.”
Aurelia took a sip of her coffee, thinking to herself that a woman must never lose her head in love. She couldn't give everything to a man unconditionally, or he'd tire of her fast. She should get to keep him on his toes, stir his desire to chase, to keep the allure alive.
“Uncle Charles must have gone to the hospital to see his mistress. The poor thing must be quite upset, having her world turned upside down during the holidays. Men really do turn heartless once they get a mistress.”
Leopold quickly interjected, “Darling, please specify. You’re talking about those run-of-the-mill jerks, not a man like me.”
Aurelia’s lips curled into a smirk, “Right, those run-of-the-mill jerks like your dad and Uncle Charles, not a paragon of virtue like you.”
Leopold held his forehead, sensing that wasn’t quite the compliment he hoped for.
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