The Cursed King

Elise and Loriel returned to the very same cafe where he first saw her. 

The two of them walked in as Loriel explained how this place was his most favorite place to dine at and how it had a very receptive area. He came here almost like a routine.

"Their food is just okay, but I like the ambiance and their friendliness," said Loriel, explaining his reason to take Elise to this café. "Their hospitability is top-notch."

He didn't say that the main reason he liked this café was that the waiters left him alone most of the time. And they knew he liked his tea hot. Without him asking, they would always refill his teapot with a new one.

He still remembered the rain that fell when he saw Elise. It felt like a dream.

Now, looking back, he could picture her standing there under the awning, admiring the rain he created earlier that day. Elise's penchant for rain was obvious. He should have known it was her just from her dreamy eyes when she looked at the drops that fell to the ground.

Ahh… that's okay. As long as now she was here with him. Loriel would just cherish the moment that he could have her again.

"Good day, Sir. A table like usual?" A café attendant welcomed them by the door.

She served Loriel the same thing every single day and was half-expecting the man to come at this hour. She suddenly blinked at the sight of the two of them. She had never seen him come with a woman before.

In the mind of this attendant, Loriel was a customer of theirs who was quiet, even a bit lonely as he spent hours in their cafe all by himself. 

Now he was accompanied by a stunningly beautiful lady.

"Yes," Loriel replied shortly. He walked inside casually with the shopping bags like he owned the place. Elise followed suit. 

The attendant walked behind them with furrowed brows. Loriel placed Elise's shopping bags in the corner of a table before he pulled out a chair for her. "Please have a seat first, Elise."

"Ah, thank you, Loriel." Elise sat down and accepted his politeness. She glanced around at the comfortable atmosphere of this cafe and thought it was a nice place. "I think I can understand why you liked staying here."

"I like to read by the window, and it's actually quite relaxing to look out and just enjoy the rain too," Loriel explained.

"The rain is really lovely," Elise agreed. "It's a little shame that most of us are busy with our day-to-day lives and staying inside our places to fully appreciate it."

Loriel rested a hand underneath his chin. "And that must be why I caught you outside, then. You were enjoying it more properly, unlike the rest of us." 

Elise blushed. "I'm not sure if it's only me, but the scent of the air after a light drizzle is really soothing. It's stronger when you're at a park and closer to nature than the slippery pavements in NYC, but it's still great nonetheless."

"It's not only you, Elise. Many people enjoy it too. I think they've finally coined a term for it. Petrichor if I remember correctly," Loriel said.

"That is a great name." Elise ducked her head. "But I can't believe that you were staring at me back then, I must have looked weird just standing outside with my hand out."

"Not at all, it must have been refreshing to do it without a care," Loriel answered. "Plus, everyone's free to do whatever they want to." 

Just a day ago, Loriel was dreaming of talking to his sweet wife and explaining how the scent of the rain was called petrichor, but now Elise was finally in front of him.

This felt like a dream. A sweet dream that he never wanted to wake up from.

"Would you like to have your tea as usual?" The attendant asked with a smile. She had got over her confusion and just assumed Loriel had finally met a woman he liked enough to ask for a date.

Among the café staff, he was an enigma, a handsome one that made them all curious to know. He was always impeccably dressed, with the most expensive fashion, even though the style was simple and not over the top like many noveau rich people.

So, they assumed he came from old money. He was always alone and didn't seem to have any work to do, unlike many people they knew who came to their café to grab a bite amidst their work, meet people for business lunch, or have a lunch date with people they met online.

He was always reading something or daydreaming. One time, a really curious staff followed him home and found out he lived in Blanche Astoria Tower, the most luxurious building in Midtown, within a walking distance from this place.

Someone who could afford to live in such an expensive place without having the need to work… they just assumed he must have a lot of savings or perhaps a trust fund under his name.

In the first few months, most of the female staff would try their luck to get his attention. They would dress up nicely and took turns to get his orders, hoping he would notice them. All to no avail.

So, they thought… he might be interested in men. The male staff tried their luck too and failed all the same.

So, now, they just left him be. He was out of their league anyway. Whenever he came, they would serve him politely and in a friendly manner.

"No, actually we are here for lunch," said Loriel happily. He reached out his hand to ask for the menu which the attendant gave right away.

"Sure thing, Sir," said the attendant.

She stood by their table and waited patiently until Elise and Loriel could decide on what they wanted to eat. Once their orders were taken, the two of them leaned back in the seat to relax and simply enjoyed the silent hubbub around them. 

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