Artland Series: MINORITY TALENT
The Bad Liar

For more than an hour she sat in the corner of the room without moving. The cup of coffee he ordered since he arrived was still not touched. All he did for an hour was just silently supported by his chin, observing every activity in the Coffee Shop without doing anything else. His eyes looked so meticulous, as if never tired or bored.

It had been more than ten times that Esther had glanced at the woman in the past half hour, but her position had still not changed. Makes him stare. It was like she never moved. But that's not what bothers him the most. The woman's eyes reminded her of someone. But he doesn't remember who.

"Ester?!" A girl entered the Coffee Shop and looked at him.

Soon a tall, shoulder-haired man followed behind him.

Esther stuttered after realizing who was coming. Luciana, the screech in the heart. He remembered a few nights ago that he had told her that he owned a Coffee Shop. He also remembers that night asking for Luciana's phone number and telling her that he would call her. But that night Esther didn't really keep her contacts. What he did that night was actually just an attempt to save Luciana from the unpleasant treatment she was facing. He did not expect the woman to visit this place and discover her working as a servant.

Luciana looked at Esther from top to bottom.

The man beside her also observed Esther in the same way.

Esther noticed the look in the eyes of the woman in the corner of the room reminded her of this man the night she met Luciana. Esther looked at the two faces in front of her in turn. He didn't think the two knew each other. Her lips moved open and close trying to say something but not a word came out of her mouth.

"Did you remember me?" Luciana asked.

"Well, yeah..." Esther answered.

The next question made Esther swallow. "Did you also remember what you said to me when we met?"

Esther nodded and gulped with difficulty, then offered her a seat and invited the two with a riled up attitude. "We'll talk about it later after I'm done with work" he said half-whispering. He looked around the room, worried that his boss might find him chatting. "Half an hour, I'm done." He adds. "I promise!"

The woman in the corner of the room smiled faintly observing Esther.

Was he eavesdropping, Esther realized, making her feel uneasy. But the distance between Luciana's table and the woman's table was ten meters. Instantly the feathers bristled. He recalled the night he met Luciana, the shoulder-haired man also observed Luciana the same way. Why did she do it to me, she wondered in her heart. Is it just my feelings?

After work, Esther orders a cup of coffee for herself, then meets Luciana.

"The coffee is free" said a male servant who replaced Esther.

Esther raised her face looking at the man with a frown.

As if he could read Esther's confusion, the man lowered his face toward Esther, then whispered a little loudly. "Gift from Boss for your honesty!"

Luciana snorted and boughtak heard the servant's explanation, "oh, that's right," he said.

The man beside her smiled broadly in response.

Esther's face was met with red. I am a lousy liar, he said in his heart. He forced a smile as he turned his attention away from Luciana. After the servant left his desk, Esther turned her attention to a corner of the room.

For the first time, he finally saw the woman in the corner of the room moving from her seat. Lifting up his coffee cup, then walking closer to Esther's table.

Esther held her breath.

The coffee in his hand had not been touched at all since he ordered it.

Now that he was heading here, Inner Esther was worried. Does he intend to file a complaint about the coffee he made?

The man beside Luciana raised his face then returned the woman's smile.

The expressions of the two made no difference. Making Esther and Luciana observe the two alternately with the interlocked eyebrows.

"I'm sorry" said the man. "I didn't know you were here!" The man invited the woman to sit beside Esther.

Esther gave a clumsy smile as the woman pulled up the chair beside her and smiled towards Esther.

"So..." The woman placed her coffee cup on the table. "How are you?" He asked after sitting in his chair. He turned his attention towards the man and extended a hand.

The man in front of him looked at the woman's hand for a long time before finally experiencing it.

Esther and Luciana exchanged looks.

The woman clasped the man's hand for a long time, then looked at Luciana. Then looked back at the man with a faint smile before finally releasing his hand.

The woman's attitude automatically made Luciana's face blush. Then paled as the woman also extended her hand towards him. Luciana was stunned for a moment looking at that hand with a worried face.

"My name is Athena" she told Luciana.

Luciana cleared her throat, "oh, hi... I'm Luciana" Luciana replied nervously and had to greet the woman. His heart was racing as the woman held his hand for quite a long time. He gulped, then looked at the woman with trembling eyelids.

The woman named Athena smiled faintly at the man across the table, who was then replied with the same smile. A meaningful smile that is difficult to translate.

Then it's Esther's turn. The woman extended her hand towards Esther with a piercing glare. Esther felt the gaze as if she was researching into her soul and found her soul despicable.

The woman also endured it for quite a while before finally sighing and letting go. His facial expression remained flat. But his eyes seemed to dim. Implies a veiled disappointment.

Esther felt her throat suffocate watching that expression. He was trying to guess, is that a bad thing?

Athena turned to Esther and said, "yes!"

Esther screamed in silence hearing that.

Luciana looked in front of him.

While the man called Ardian Kusuma again smiled faintly.

Makes Esther more and more wrong. Who exactly is this woman? he asked in his heart. And once again, the woman beside him showed a reaction that he knew his heart. I cannot hide myself from this woman, her mind is bitter.

Athena smiled faintly once more. Then he said, "lucky liar!" He then turned towards Esther.

Luciana choked on hearing it. He was trying to sip his coffee. He smothered his mouth with his palm, holding back a laugh.

Esther glared at him from across the table.