The Nephew

Hiding his smile, Butler Oliver cleared his throat before he spoke. 

"Your uncle is Riley's benefactor. Mr. Sy invited Riley to live here before the start of the university. He would be moving to his dormitory come the school opening. It was my fault. I forgot to inform you both of each other's presence. I apologize for my mistake."

Riley quickly shook his head and blurted, "No, no. It's fine, Uncle Oliver. No harm done." Turning to Leo, he smiled and said, "I'm sorry for the confusion. Anyway, let me introduce myself again. I'm Riley Santillan."

"Leo… Leo Joachim Sy," the teen replied absentmindedly.

Leo was actually contemplating the things he learned today. When his great grandfather, gramps as he calls him, asked Leo to stay at his Uncle Draco's house, he did not think anything unusual about the arrangement. They were both raised by the old man, and Leo could be considered the closest person to his Uncle Draco. He was the only one in his paternal family that he would allow staying at his villa.

Also, in reality, the arrangement of his staying at his Uncle Draco was his gramps one way of saying he wanted Leo to spy on his uncle. They have done this for years. 

His uncle is not well-loved in their family and seldom meets with anyone. And his gramps had always been worried. Sending him to spy was another way of getting first-hand information without being intrusive in his uncle's personal life. Besides, his uncle is tight-lipped and often keeps to himself.

However, looking at Riley, Leo wondered if there was something more that his gramps wanted him to confirm. The old man did not tell him anything.

Leo was jolted from his thoughts by Riley's next gesture.

"It's nice to meet you, Leo." Riley offered his hand, waiting for Leo to take it. Reluctantly the boy held his hand. 

However, as if burnt, immediately retracted it after a brief handshake. 

Riley just shrugged it off. It was their first meeting, so, understandably, the youth was wary of him.

Uncle Oliver was relieved after they cleared the issue. Addressing Riley, he said, "Riley, Leo is Mr. Sy's nephew from his cousin. Leo is currently on vacation from his boarding school. He would be staying here for a while. He's actually just a few years younger than you. I think you would get along well."

"Really?" Riley directed his question to Leo. He had been curious to know about the teen. "How old are you?"

"15... I'm in junior high," Leo responded.

"Oh. You're tall for your age. I'm older by four years but you tower over me." Riley said lightheartedly, almost teasing. He was happy to have someone his age around. 

But there was indeed some truth in his words. Leo though not much taller than him, still has a few years left to grow, while Riley has most likely reached the limit of his spurt growth. Given a few years and the teen would be as tall as Draco. The Sys have extraordinary genes!

When Leo heard Riley, his face became unusually hot. Many had commented about his tall stature, but oddly coming from Riley, he felt shy! 

Feeling complicated, Leo's response came out brusquely.

"Yeah. You look more like a high-schooler than me. It figures…"

Not taking offense at all, Riley laughed. 

"I will take it as a compliment, you saying I look younger than my age."

Leo quickly refuted, "You know that's not what I meant. But if you are happy to think that, suit yourself." Then glancing away, he mumbled, "Anyway, sorry for mistaking you as a servant," before he turned and headed towards the stairs. Without looking back, he announced, "I'll be in my room, Uncle Oliver. Just call me when the uncle's home already."

"Alright. Dinner still starts at 7," Butler Oliver informed the retreating Leo. The teen just waved his arm in acknowledgment.

Shaking his head, Butler Oliver faced Riley and said, "Don't mind his attitude. Actually, Leo is a wonderful kid. Mischievous, but not bad. He'll warm up to you eventually. And I still do think you two would get along well."

"Thank you, Uncle Oliver. Also, you don't need to explain. I understand. And I'm glad. I now have someone to talk to while Dylan and Draco are not around."

Butler Oliver nodded, smiling. He had seen enough of Riley's character to know the youth was telling the truth. And the boy was always honest and kind and considerate of others, not discriminating against status.

The butler had been very pleased so far.

In fact, since the boy had arrived, even his surly and cold employer had mellowed a lot. It was a dramatic change. 

Now, the boss smiles very often, and sometimes his laughter echoes around the house. Everyone saw it, and the ambiance in the manor greatly improved. 

As a result, young maids had stopped tiptoeing around the boss, and cries from getting scared had lessened. It was all thanks to Riley.

"Since everything is fine, I'll take my leave first. Don't forget to come down for dinner," Butler Oliver said before getting back to whatever he was doing before the disturbance.

Riley looked at the grandfather's clock to check the time. It was almost 5 PM. Draco would be home anytime soon. He decided to wait for him instead of going back to his room. He sat on the sofa and turned on the television to pass the time.

Yet a few minutes later, Riley's attention began to wander. He looked up and thought back at his interaction with the boy Leo. Although Leo was a bit temperamental, Riley agreed with Uncle Oliver that the teen did not seem bad. Leo was also reasonable enough to apologize, albeit grudgingly, Riley thought with amusement dancing in his eyes.

Then he recalled Leo's utter disbelief upon hearing Draco had allowed him to live in the manor, up to the point of calling him a liar straight to his face. It made Riley recall his previous conversation with Dylan, who pointed out Draco's preferential treatment of Riley.

Now he had a vague understanding of why Dylan said that. To think that even Draco's nephew was surprised. Riley could not help but feel moved by Draco's benevolence.