171. What Are You Up To?

"Fucking asshole!" Elric yelled, sauntering into the living room of his apartment and stopped when he spotted Niel rocking Lusha on his lap. The look on his fated's face was clear he was displeased with his profane choice of words.

"Language please."

"Some stupid twat just..!"

"Elric..." Niel called his fated's name softly as he shook his head disapprovingly, a gesture that seemed to make Elric even more upset than he already was.

"Forget it. I'll keep it to myself then."

Covering the ears of the toddler on his lap, Niel asked, "What about this asshole?"

"He called me a fat cow!" Elric's response was immediate. "The case has been under wraps but someone leaked information that I was pertaking in it. I saw it online and I guarante you I don't look like the image portrayed! That camera crew didn't even capture my good side!"

Uncovering Lusha's ears, Niel cooperated along to ease his fated's anger. "Must be some newbie at their job then."

"That's what I thought!"

Covers Lusha's ears once more, Niel added. "You should have told that asshole you are cute fat cow."

"I did! Then he went on pestering me with questions that piss me off, describing my previous athletism while in the basketball team..." Elric hesitated before adding, "...stuff from the past I don't wanna say..."

"Is this asshole a former college fling?"

"Maybe."

"Of course not." Niel replied sarcastically. "Anyway..."

"Anyway, I-I don't care what they think. I slept with his boyfriend so now we are even."

"You did what?"

"It's all in the past babe. Anyway," Elric spoke dismissively to avoid dwelling on the subject. "You say I'm cute and I believe you."

"What matters most is what you think about yourself."

"I'm gorgeous lovable, appealing and adorable! Think of all the synonyms associated with the word cute, thats me." Elric replied confidently, an endearing grin forming across his lips. To put more emphasis into his statement, he spread hsi arms wide and made a swift turn but stopped midway to rub his lower back. "This ache never seems to go away. Which remids me, did you manage to lower Luca's fever down?"

"Yea. The help and I came back from the hospital two hours ago..."

"I missed you." Elric interrupted while strolling leisurely closer to his fated.

"You always say 'I miss you' whenever you're feeling uncomfortable or culpable so don't worry. I'm not mad of your former flings. It's all in the past as you said and besides, you're already branded as mine with the tattoo on that waist I like so much."

"You know what you just said was hot right?

"Language please..."

"You're the pervy one. I could as well be referring to a hot weather...or a hot body like mine."

Niel smirked. "Really now?"

"Yes master." Elric replied, a naughty look on him which prompted Niel to laugh.

"Your mood was foil when you got here. Glad to see you back to your usual self."

"It's only because of you." Elric frowned upon hearing his words out loud. "Jeez, when did I begin to sound so cringey like Stan?"

"Since you forced me to cradle you while you shed tears on my back."

"Agh. Still rubbing it in like that meat of yours inside..."

"Elric..."

"Inside the oven Lusha, okay?" Elric added, chortling at his own pun while rubbing his belly. "My preheated oven which Nelnel also likes so much."

Lusha tittered softly as if she were enjoying the sight of a pent up Elric. She lifted her tiny arms up and continued to crackle up. Her reaction made her parents faces beam with joy. "You never know how to loose do you?"

"If I did, I wouldn't be my mother's son." Elric replied while taking Lusha in his arms and took her place on Niel's lap then unbuttoned his shirt with one hand, hoping to win a brestfeed battle this time. He failed almost immediately and Elric wasn't surprised by his daughter's persistent rejection as she tilted her head away from the nipple, squirmed around as little whimpers escaped her lips.

"Still dismissing me huh?" Elric asked gruffly.

"Just let her be."

"Maybe something happened to them during incubation. Haesol feeds normally."

"Stop fretting over this issue. There is nothing wrong with you nor them."

"Seems like there is otherwise why would they keep shunning their own mother." Looking at Niel, Elric added. "You're the only living being that finds me delicious."

Niel's expression remained unchanged, his silent response prolonged.

"You were about to say language again weren't you?"

"Yea."

"Perv."

"I'm a big dirty pervert alright." Niel replied as he rested his head onto his fated's upper arm. "So, the issue with your back, let's have it checked. It's more than six months post delivery and the pain is still persistent."

"A pervert and a worrywart isn't a good combination."

"I'm a pervy realist... At least that's how I became upon our fateship."

Frowning a little, Niel pondered over how unbothered he was while dating Mijin. He used to be carefree yet still carried himself responsibly but after being fated, he laid low for a while... In fact, it shocked him he hadn't had a sip of alcohol since his fateship. "Let's have a drink when Yeon and Stan visit. They wanted to see how baby Luca is fairing."

"That's a fantastic idea." Pointing at his exposed breasts, Elric added, "You failed to consider I'm breastfeeding."

"Oh yea, you can't drink."

"Perhaps a sip wouldn't hurt since the twins throw a fit over the sight of my swollen boobies. For Haesol's case, I'll pump out plenty and keep them in the fridge for Hajin to take later on. That should work right?"

"Yea. It would be a bummer if everyone is drinking and you aren't."

"We'll probably have amazing sex afterwards. Alcohol always makes me super horny...oops..." Elric covered the mischievous smile playing at his lips. "That's two words I shouldn't say infront of our Lusha."

"I gave up on you a long time ago." Niel simpered then pouted his lips, lifting his chin up for a kiss to which Elric obliged. "You taste like guavas today."

"Yea. They were serving guava juice as refreshments after the hearing. Ironic how they pay too attention to switching the drinks menu up but not to the justice system. Everyone knows Mora's father is guilty but no one is willing to publicly declare him as such. I've never had to seat through or lawyer up such a fatiguing case, not even my mom. Can you imagine, a set of five juris, each encompassing fifteen people and still claiming there isn't enough evidence?"

"That's a lot."

"Yes. Today they brought in Mora's father's business associates or accomplices in my eyes and none of them admitted to any illegal dealings with him."

"Seems like they are afraid."

"You're mistaken. I know there is more to it than meets the eye. Firstly, the cases are being dragged from one courtroom to another, one judge to another. They make it so complex it's infuriating."

"Why can't they just choose one judge to preside over his cases?"

"Because the crimes are different. A criminal law judge would not preside over a case involving animal rights and viseversa; or a case involving organizational crime. There are those that are correlated but some aren't."

"I get it now. Anyway..."

"Anyway, his business partners know they have much to loose if they come clean, fearing to end up in the same fate as their counterpart, who seems to know the outcome of his state since no one has risen up to contest for his position as chairman of a conglomerate stream of companies and that explains why the power he foolishly made us believe he lost, he is gaining it back. What shocked me the most was when his family reached out to testify against him but when they went to the stand, his father, mother, brothers and his former nannies said he is a good person and was a well behaved child."

"Wait, I thought you said they hated him."

"They did and still do. He just made them twist their tongues to lie for him by making them bankrupt. Completely bankrupt. Remember the time I told you of their impromptu visit to Yeon's parents' home?"

"Yea...but what does this mean for Hajin? Haesol's life could be in danger."

"You never stop worrying do you?" Elric laughed. "Think back carefully. Has he really done anything violent since Hajin was released from Mora's grip?"

"I don't know."

"According to Hajin, his father is still watching over him."

"To protect his assets?"

"No. To protect his son."

"But he doesn't care about him or Haesol. Mora too has been imprisoned."

"Maybe he does in his own twisted way. When Hajin was almost out of scent, he insisted they keep him alive. He pushed Mora away by denying her access to any lawyers. Mora could have gotten a much lighter sentence if she had someone more qualified representing her but she stood alone. Her report showed she is mentally stable, just violent due to her unstable psychopathy. Anyway, her father hasn't done anything to any of us since Hajin, as he told me, warned him not to harm us. He left his rightful assets to his son and conjoined wealth with debts to his family. In fact, after Hajin's last visit to see him, he lost his temper, a rare occurrence since no one has ever seen him loose it except Hajin and my mother whenever his moral compass is around...wait..." Elric took a brief pause as if putting two and two together. "Someone is controlling him."

"What are you getting at?"

"How could I have been blind all along? He fooled us all!"

"Who?"

"Mora's father's lover!"

"I don't get you..."

"All this while, he was right under our noses, acting innocent...wait, Mora's father even threatened my mother to stay out of his lover's life and promised to not involve him in the cases, yet..." Elric began laughing at his discovery, his reaction confusing Niel further while Lusha cooed word wounds, as if contributing to the conversation.

"Babe, you lost me a long time ago but whatever it is, I hope you win."

"Try to catch up. Mora's father has a lover who is his marker, who also knows him well though imprint and they beget a child, a special child. You may wonder why I consider Hajin special.

According to Mora's father's family, he was the one to receive imprint not give. He is a psychopath afterall which means his marker knows the deeds of his family and the horrors he experienced. His lover may have threatened to expose everything over the years to the public, a good reason to explain why he is still alive since judging from the energy I got from those people, they would get rid of anything they considered a hinderance or threat. They did raise their son to be a weapon afterall.

Now back to the special child Hajin. Mora's father magically conceived and delivers, his marker is his moral compass, or his Achilles heel. If he tells Mora's father to jump, he'll ask how high. All this time, this guy has kept Mora's father in check lest he acts out of control. He is the reason why Hajin is alive in fact I'll bet on my life Hajin is only special to his father because of his Achilles heel. That man is the one pulling the strings. He acts helpless but in actuality he isn't. My question is why? Why is he he hiding and what is his intention? I feel like we are all being played here by two cunning individuals."

"How so?" Elric asked though he'd already lost track of where Elric was heading with his point.

"He has never missed a single hearing, always acting like a supportive companion. Mora's father has also publicly acknowledged him as his official partner, the asset matter is sorted and none of his debtors will come after him, his ties with his family ending, Mora finally caged as she should, witnesses pulling out, the public declaring him a hero even those he wronged... Something is not right here. This entire trial is a circus, a play or just something they have to endure before they get to where they want to go..."

"What is it?" Niel asked when Elric cut himself off.

"I can only conclude two things. Either the final verdict will declare him a free man or they are planning to escape."

"Or both."

Elric threw Niel a stunned look then let out a low laugh and nodded. "You are a genious. They are planning to escape... Of course! That has to be it! They already know the final verdict!"

"So, what are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing. I'll use this time to show my skills and bring business to Mom's firm. What else can I do?"

"Report it."

"No, it will be deemed as a mare speculation and even after they end up running away, the public will see me as the person who gave them that idea in the first place. That wouldn't be good for the firm. Additionally, I lack evidence to back me up. Right now, all I can do is watch."

"It's later I'm worried about."

"What later? You mean if they manage to pull it off?"

"Yea. We'll go back to square one, fearing for our lives."

"Zaddy, haven't you been paying attention? They can't do anything because they don't want to. They could but they won't. While the case progresses, they are cutting loose ends. I'm guessing his syndicate has also been disssolved so there is no chairperson seat for anyone to take over. Mora is no longer a threat and all his phamacitical investments have been handed over to his family, making them bearers of the consequences and damage he has done. This guy actually seems to want to put a stop to everything."

"You know something," Niel concluded upon pondering over his fated's detailed summary. "Most psychopaths are people who normally live sad lives. They don't fit in with normal people nor are they accepted by anyone like them hence they often don't live long and end up committing suicide."

"Well this one and his daughter didn't."

"I know but the fact is while in their own company, they know this to be true. Acute loneliness becomes their friend which compels them to long for acceptace and love even if it were just from one person."

Elric didn't appear convinced. "I once asked you if you are Mora's sympathizer yet now, you seem to feel bad for that ruffian."

"I'm not. My point is this guy could have gotten tired of it all and just wants out. He is lucky to have somebody with him, maybe his lover is the one who actually put his murderous fire out. Achilles heel right, or moral compass...he challenged his morality or awakened it."

"Nope. He lacks empathy."

"He does but he listens to his lover, correct?"

"Hmm... You have a point there. Mom did say she saw him crack whenever that guy was around but it wasn't panic like he is being controlled, panic like he is afraid of loosing the guy."

"Glad we are on the same page now. That guy is the only person who can stand him and he knows it. For him to give up everything for his lover, it just proves how big his fear is yet, he has managed to hide this truth from everyone and if he were to loose this guy, he looses himself. His lover may be the only reason he is still alive."

"Yet I can't bring him to the stand. I could but I won't. Aside from playing a supportive spouse, if I go after him, he'll end up being crowned the guy who endured all, the spouse who tamed the dragon, the hero that slayed the villain, the man that can tame the beast."

"Then what will you do."

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing."