330 Confronting The Past [2]
Adel stood there in front of the guarded gates of the Morningstar mansion, wearing a light t-shirt and joggers.
His silver jewelry like chains, piercings, and rings, perfectly complemented his pale skin and golden locks.
Beside him was Yelena, dressed in a simple yet elegant long embroidered regal tunic in shades of blue, paired with white leggings.
She looked just as cold and stunningly beautiful as ever.
Their crimson eyes locked with Lucas' and the air grew heavy with palpable intensity.
Amelia, who stood nearby Lucas, could almost swear she saw sparks in the air where their gazes met.
Right then, a rush of evening wind swept by them, carrying the scent of late summer and promising the imminent arrival of a beautiful autumn.
The hem of Yelena's tunic fluttered forward as Lucas's neck-long silver hair was swept back by the breeze.
Adel, with his eyes devoid of emotion, only expressed his frustration before asking in a vexed tone, "Where were you?"
Yelena swiftly chipped in as she tucked a few strands of her silver hair behind her long ears, which did nothing to hide her half-elven heritage.
"Father specifically instructed you to remain in your room and not venture out, didn't he?" She asked with a hint of anger before she looked over Lucas' shoulder and noticed Amelia.
Adel's attention also quickly shifted to the black-haired beauty accompanying Lucas, a sly smile crossing on his face.
"Well, well, sister, look at this unexpected reunion. I never thought I'd see this duo together again."
Of course, Yelena already knew that the falling out between Lucas and Amelia had been salvaged, so she wasn't surprised.
Her gaze once again jiggled between Amelia and Lucas as she appeared even more irritated now.
She turned her gaze to Lucas and yelled:
"I don't care what you do at the academy, but I don't want you seeing her in our city. Even after all these years, some people still remember the deed that a Morningstar did and went unpunished for it."
Rolling his eyes, Lucas let out a low, self-deprecating chuckle.
"Oh, for the love of God, dear sister! I've been punished enough. You have no idea! So, spare me this noble and honorable charade and make way. I'll take my things and leave immediately so you won't have to endure my presence, and I won't have to look at your face for another minute."
Yelena's expression soured, but before she could form a reply, Adel interjected.
"Leaving so soon?" he sneered mockingly. "But I can't allow that, not before you kneel down, lower your nose to the ground before me, and apologize."
Lucas arched an eyebrow. "Apologize for what? For not eating you in the womb and sparing the world from your existence? Or perhaps for stealing all the good genetics and leaving you with that ugly thing you call face?"
Even from that distance, Lucas clearly saw a vein popping on Adel's forehead as his eyebrow quivered uncontrollably.
"Apologize for what you did to my friend, for what you just said, and, in fact, for sharing the same birthdate as me!" Adel raged, letting his bloodlust ooze out.
Oh? He must indeed be a proficient warrior if he can use already bloodlust. – Lucas inwardly acknowledged.
More than once, Lucas had entertained the idea of killing Adel.
But he wasn't a professional assassin, and Morningstars had several resources to trace the crime back to him.
Besides, Lucas didn't actually want to kill him. Despite Adel's issues like his young master syndrome and unresolved inferiority complex, he held the potential to be a great pawn in the final battle.
Okay, I can't kill him. But maybe I can still break an arm or two in an act of complete self-defense. – Lucas shrugged.
"Alright, buddy... I won't be apologizing for a single thing. Especially not for that last part. Not just because you sound utterly stupid, but because, let's face it, you're quite ugly. I don't talk to ugly people," Lucas cocked his head casually.
Adel drew a deep breath to calm himself down and clenched his fists. After a while, he took one more breath and said, "Either you and the girl with you apologize to me right now, or I will draw my spear."
Amelia widened her eyes in surprise and pressed a finger against her chest, pointing at herself. "Who, me? Oh, no. You better draw your spear because that's not going to happen."
Adel stood motionless for a second before bursting out in a burst of erratic laughter. "Haaa! They are dead! I'll kill them both! I'll kill them!"
However, before Adel could summon his spear, Yelena jumped in front of him and grabbed his arm. "Adel, calm down! Don't draw your weapon. That's what he wants you to do!"
By this point, Yelena had a pretty good understanding of Lucas' battle prowess.
She had seen him in Mock War – well, she hadn't but she knew he somehow defeated Quinn – and she also saw him during the King's Tournament.
Hell, Lucas was one of the cadets who not only survived the vampire ambush on the night of the last game in the Tournament, but he also killed a lot of vampires!
Normal cadets aren't usually that powerful and strong. Lucas proved himself on every occasion, however.
Adel knew about all that since Yelena always talked to him, but he was not there to see it all. He had never seen Lucas fight.
In all honesty, Yelena knew that if they both were to fight, Adel would emerge victorious over Lucas, especially when she was present there to aid him.
However, she just had this feeling that something was amiss…
Aside from fighting against Nero in the King's Tournament, Lucas never fought a losing battle.
Would he truly lose here then? Yelena had a bad feeling. She knew the Young Wolf could have an ace up his sleeve.
Adel, however, seemed to be having none of it. He continued to yell curses directed at both Lucas and Amelia, his face slowly reddening from rising blood pressure.
"He's triggered," Amelia commented in a whisper, positioning herself behind Lucas.
"Totally," Lucas replied, stifling his laughter. "Just look at how red his face is. If only he could see himself in a mirror right now!"
Amelia broke into a smile. "Aren't you worried?"
"I can handle him. It would purely be in self-defense, of course," Lucas chuckled. "I swear, between the two of us, he must have been blessed by the heavens, but–"
Suddenly, Lucas fell silent. His expression froze as if something had just clicked in his head.
"But?" Amelia prodded Lucas to continue, but he remained frozen in place.
At that moment, Yelena turned to them and shouted, "For the love of God, Lucas! Just apologize and get this over with already!"
The silver-haired boy, however, continued to stand there frozen like a statue. It was as if he were a lifeless mannequin.
Inside his mind, his thoughts were in disarray.
Mirror…? God? Heavens…?
Suddenly, the conversation he had with the old man back at the relic store echoed in his head.
In some long-forgotten cultures, the realm of reflection was also seen as a path to glimpse the divine deities.
"Haaa," Lucas finally exhaled, his shoulders trembling as he released a shaky, self-deprecating sigh. "I must be an idiot."
Indeed, he should have realized this sooner. But since arriving in this city, Lucas had not been in the best state of mind.
Most of the time, he struggled to make sense of things and didn't know what to think. His head was in such a mess that even such an obvious thing had slipped his mind.
