The Enigmatic Return (Neera and Jean)

For the first dozen moves, Harvey and Jean were evenly matched.

Ian observed silently from the sidelines. He was impressed with Harvey's performance.

The boy isn't boasting at all! He's at least a much better player than I am!

Neera was done brewing tea. She observed the match silently too.

After a while, she could tell that Jean was an expert chess player.

At first, his moves were defensive, though Neera could tell he was planning something.

Before Harvey knew it, he had fallen into Jean's trap. Jean's pieces surrounded his.

Unsurprisingly, Harvey lost the first game.

The boy was not disappointed or discouraged. Instead, he looked at Jean expectantly. "Mr. Handsome, can we play another game?"

Jean appreciated Harvey's tenacity. He nodded and reset the board.

They played another three games, and Jean won all of them.

Ian was feeling embarrassed on his employer's behalf.

Why can't Sire go easy on the little kid? That'll hurt his self-esteem. What if he started to cry?

His worries were unfounded. Harvey remained composed from start to finish and did not look like he was going to throw a tantrum.

In fact, his gaze toward Jean was filled with admiration.

Daddy is so amazing! He's the best at everything!

"Another game?" Jean smiled and asked softly.

Harvey came to his senses and nodded. "Yes, another one!"

He did not want to miss the chance to interact with his father!

Sammy looked at the two of them and suddenly had an idea.

Before the new game started, he said, "Mr. Handsome, can Harvey ask someone for help?"

Huh? You can't ask for outside help when playing chess! Ian thought. He was about to say that when Jean said, "Sure. Who are you asking for help?"

Sammy smiled and dragged Neera over.

"Mommy, you should avenge Harvey!"

Neera quickly said, "Nah, I don't think that's necessary. I think Harvey is enjoying himself..."

Before she finished her sentence, Harvey's serious expression changed. He turned to look at her with puppy eyes.

"Please help me, Mommy! I can't beat Mr. Handsome!"

Neera smiled. She took Harvey's place in front of the chessboard.

Jean raised his eyebrows and looked at Neera curiously. "I didn't know you knew how to play chess."

Neera pouted. "Why, are you surprised? I taught Harvey how to play."

She focused her concentration on the chessboard and moved a piece. That was the start of an intense game.

Jean did not expect that she was a better player than Harvey.

Neera eventually lost because of one crucial mistake, but Jean was nonetheless impressed.

At the end of the game, Neera tossed the pieces into the box and dusted her hands.

"Okay. I lost. Game over."

She noticed that Jean was bringing a cup of tea to his lips, and she reminded him, "That's enough tea for today. Overdosing on medicinal tea won't bring you any benefit."

Jean was surprised to hear that. He put the cup back on the table and nodded.

"I should take my leave for today," he said and left with Ian following behind him.