Yannis mused to himself, โThere canโt be that much difference between me and Nathan, right? If there were, Zinnia wouldnโt have been so drawn to my face.โ
โYannis, youโre so full of yourself!โ Zinnia laughed, catching the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. She had never seen this side of him before. He was actually worried about his looks? It was endearing.
Yannis smiled, โZinnia, this isnโt about being full of myself. Itโs about knowing who I amโso I can stay ahead of the game and be ready for whatever comes next.โ
If Yannis had any idea what Zinnia was thinking, heโd probably just roll his eyes and give up. Heโd never been one to obsess over his looksโuntil she came along.
With Zinnia, he found himself worrying about things heโd never given a second thought to before. Normally fearless, Yannis couldnโt help but overthink everything when it came to her.
Deep down, he was afraid that once Nathan returned, heโd be forgotten. Caring too much can make even the bravest person hesitateโand that was exactly where Yannis was with Zinnia.
As Christmas drew nearer, Yannis grew more and more uneasy. Nathan would be back soon, and then Zinnia would leave.
He wasnโt sure what bothered him more: the thought that Nathanโs return would steal away her attention, or the terrifying possibility that she might never come back after leaving with him.
So Yannis kept looking for chances to see if he had even the slightest place in her heart. He just wanted to find a little corner for himself in her world.
He didnโt need much, just enough so that when things changed, sheโd still care about him, even if it was just a little.
Honestly, Zinnia thought, โI really donโt get how adults thinkโor how Yannisโs mind works. Why is he suddenly talking about future risks? What risks? Is he seriously worried that Nathan is better looking than him?
Does he think he needs to get plastic surgery just to compete with my master?โ
Zinnia wasnโt one to overthink things or worry about the distant future. She studied him with a curious gaze, as if trying to read his true thoughts. โAre you worried you canโt measure up to Nathanโs good looks?โ
Yannis didnโt say anythingโwhich was as good as admitting it.
Zinnia was just trying to tease him, but who wouldโve thought heโd actually take it seriously? Zinnia fell silent. โFor someone usually so proud and distinguished, does he really care about whoโs better lookingโhim or Nathan?โ
โCome on, be honestโwho do you think is better looking, me or your master Nathan?โ Yannisโs tone was tinged with a hint of self-mockery.
He was like a kid stubbornly demanding to know if his favorite candy was really the best. He needed to hear it from Zinnia. Nathan, who hadnโt even made his grand entrance yet, was now the center of attention.
โSo, truth or a white lie?โ Zinnia looked at him with wide, guileless eyes.
โThe truth,โ Yannis saidโhe definitely wanted to hear it.
โThe truth, huh?โ Zinnia drawled, putting on a thoughtful expression.
Yannisโs gaze locked onto her delicate, soft features, determined not to miss even the slightest shift in her expressionโhe was terrified she might not be entirely truthful with him.
โStop staring at me like that,โ Zinnia protested, her cheeks burning under Yannisโs intense, affectionate gaze. His eyes were so full of emotionโit was overwhelming, making it impossible for her to think straight.
โNo way. Iโm afraid youโll lie to me,โ Yannis insisted, not taking his eyes off Zinnia.
She rolled her eyes and thought, โWhatโs with that stare? Why does he have to be so suspicious? He doesnโt trust me at all?โ
โIโm not a liar. Why would I lie to you?โ she retorted with a stare, feeling a bit indignant.
โIโm afraid youโre too biased toward Nathan to give me a straight answer,โ Yannis said honestly.
For a moment, Zinnia was at a loss for words. Everyone had their own biasesโit was impossible to be completely objective. Zinnia had been especially partial when it came to her master.
Honestly, Yannisโs worries hadnโt been entirely unfounded. In her heart, Nathan had been, without a doubt, the most handsome man in the world. Not even Yannis, standing right in front of her, could compare to Nathan.
Zinnia was hopelessly biased when it came to Nathan. Even though she hadnโt seen him in over half a year, in her heart, he was still the absolute bestโthe most handsome man alive.
If Yannis hadnโt brought it up, she wouldnโt have thought to make the comparison, but now that he had, she couldnโt help herself.
With these thoughts running through her mind, Zinnia couldnโt bring herself to meet Yannisโs gaze.
Yannis found the conversation veering off track again. He said, โLetโs not talk about whether Iโm a liar right nowโcan we go back to what we were discussing before?โ
All he really wanted to know was whether there was a big gap between him and Nathan. If Nathan was way out of his league, there was no way to change thatโheโd just have to find some other way to win her over.
With such perfection already in her life, she probably wouldnโt even look at his face. But if the gap wasnโt that big, maybe he could still work on improving himself.
Everyone should have aspirations. Yannisโs first was to win Zinnia over with his looks. His second? To turn himself into a doll and squeeze himself into her bag, so sheโd carry him everywhere and think of him all the time.
Quite grand ambitionsโheโd have to work hard, harder, and hardest to make them come true.
โOkay.โ Zinnia was secretly relieved that Yannis had changed the subject and obediently went along with him, though she still worried he might see through her little thoughts and start teasing her about it.
Zinnia didnโt know Yannis all that well, but she did know one thingโhe was frighteningly perceptive. If he hadnโt changed the subject just now, he definitely would have realized heโd guessed her little secret right!
Yannis was sharp, but in some ways, he could be surprisingly petty. If he ever found out she was thinking about someone else while answering his questions, heโd start pouting and muttering complaints, sighing dramatically.
He might grumble, โAh, so I really donโt matter at all. Here I am, standing right before you, and you canโt even focus on meโtoo busy thinking about others. I only care about you, but it seems Iโve misplaced my affection.โ
Whenever Yannis started muttering and acting all pitiful, Zinnia couldnโt help but feel guilty. He always made himself sound so wronged that she had no way to argue back.
Every time, she ended up feeling like she was the one at fault, guilt creeping in until she had to comfort him. Honestly, he knew exactly how to get to her.
Even though Zinnia knew he was probably exaggerating, she still fell for it every time. After all, she just couldnโt believe Yannis would ever deliberately do that he always seemed genuinely hurt.
Honestly, it was a classic case of one willing to play along and the other happy to keep up the act; they both knew exactly what was going on, but chose to play dumb.
Yannis hesitated, and then asked softly, โSoโฆ who do you think looks better, me or Nathan?โ