It was a peaceful, sunny day on the streets of Belgavria. Lay bathed in soft sunlight, where white-stucco stood in tranquil grace. The windows were gleaming like polished glass, a hush of wind lingered upon it, broken only by the distant hum of passing cars. The leaves in the garden square rustled gently, a quiet stillness settling over the moment.

Anton was waiting outside the door, facing the residence of the Park’s family. The car stood in a quiet row along the curb. He was patiently waiting for Liam to come out. His amber eyes caught the light, shining gold as he raised a hand to shield them from the morning sun. A light breeze drifted to him like a touch of summer’s breath. 

The door hushly opened in front of him. It was Lucia, the servant, carrying Liam’s luggage, steadily stepping on the narrow footsteps that descended to the door below, enclosed by iron railings, where light fell softly into the quiet depth. Liam came out, blessed by the sunshine that shone upon his face. He squinted against the sunlight, shading his eyes from the glare, a teasing wink dancing across his lashes, thinking that from now on…everything would be alright. That was what he was looking forward to moving to Suffolk.

Anton helped Lucia load the luggage into the trunk. She thanked him before slipping into the house in haste, leaving Liam without a word. Not even a nod, either. It seemed Liam was used to their cold treatment of him. He didn’t care anymore. He was leaving anyway.  

When his eyes drifted to Anton, he smiled generously. Perhaps he felt secure even though Anton was not his friend. Yet, deep inside him, he wanted to get close to him. Now that they would leave Belgravia for Suffolk for good, he could think of no one who would be there beside him but Anton. He wanted to reassure himself that even if Anton’s service was short-lived, he wished he could keep him by his side—not as a driver, but as someone he could trust, like a brother, a friend, a steady presence in his life. 

Kindly, Anton replied with a quiet grin. “Are you ready to leave, young sir?” he spoke politely, opening the backseat door to his right. The muffled horn of a car echoed from a nearby street. 

Liam stepped down on the stairs, right hand in his pocket. Casually wearing a crisp, light blue polo shirt and tailored cream trousers that suited well with his clean sneakers and camel lightweight jacket. Black hair neatly kept, his deep brown eyes turned warm and golden when touched by the morning light.

Before he got into the car, he looked at Anton and said, “Since we’re leaving this place, do you mind calling me Liam from now on?” He sounded sincere. Anton's eyes were stunned as if something had caught in his throat, leaving him momentarily speechless. 

Liam's eyes cast down to his left as if hesitant at first. “Honestly, it will be nice to have an older brother whom I can openly talk to whenever I feel lonely,” he added, locking eyes with Arnold, who looked astounded, tongue-tied. “Will you let me?” Liam sounded blunt, as if time was precious to him. “Please?” he spoke in a soft, pleading tone, a hopeful glint in his eyes. 

A car passed by before settling at the corner of the curb. A  few people strolled through the garden square; their footsteps sounded soft against the gravel paths. 

With ease, Anton grinned warmly at him. “If that will make you happy, young―I mean, Liam,” he said politely. A soft wind brushed the strands of his hair aside. Liam let out a quiet sigh of relief, a smile tugging at his lips as he stepped into the car. 

They settled quietly. Anton glanced in the rearview mirror, seeing Liam take his tablet out of his satchel bag to read a novel at his quiet space during travelling. Then he turned his gaze to the road, started the engine, and glanced left and right before pressing the gas and pulling away from the curb.

The road stretched steadily ahead as they left the orderly terraces of Belgravia behind, the hum of traffic gradually giving way to quieter streets. Liam took a short glimpse outside his window. 

The city’s gray stone and brick slowly softened into green fields, dotted with grazing sheep and the occasional farmhouse, their chimneys puffing faint wisps of smoke.

Inside the car, it felt quieter yet not awkward. The hum of the air conditioning was soothing, accompanied by the soft strains of low-tuned classical music streaming from the Bluetooth. It was Liam’s favorite music, like a reflection of his past. A slow, mournful melody drifted through the car, each note carrying a quiet sorrow that tugged at the heart. 

He listened to this music every time he felt lonely and abandoned. The music clung to him like the echo of someone gone, like being abandoned or left alone by a loved one―his parents. While hearing the tune, he looked again outside the window. Anton glanced at the rearview mirror. He somehow couldn’t fathom such a sad song lingering in the car like a broken dream. 

In the other corner of the road, hedgerows lined the winding lanes, and the horizon opened into gentle hills under a clear blue sky. Villages appeared like small clusters of time-stilled cottages, each with a church steeple rising quietly above. The countryside breathed a calm that the city had never known, and the car glided along, carrying them toward Suffolk’s tranquil reaches.

“Have you ever been to Suffolk, Anton?” Liam broke the silence between them.