illusion... - 3

However, he was unable to muster any of these feelings toward the children.

Perhaps he was afraid of them, which is why he never dared to ask to meet them. Rather, fearing to meet them, he always fled and stayed away from the place where they were, to the point that he sometimes delayed summoning the lord and refrained from attending. He was often reprimanded by the lord for this. Fortunately for him, despite his constant criticism and reprimands from the lord, he as second heir was never lowered, and the lord did not force him to , as he seemed to take pity on him.

His presence here today certainly took a lot of courage, and given the family atmosphere, he could not refuse orders, and it is certain that if he did, the lord would be angry with him as never before.

He sighed...

How should he deal with this child? He was the reason for the destruction of this child's mother, he was the reason for the disruption of this child's life, and now the only person who was there for this child is dead. How should he deal with him? How will the child receive him?

What if the child became hysterical and kicked him out?

What if he insulted him and took his anger out on him?

What if, what if, what if... Scenarios ran through his head about how this child would receive him, and in all of them, he was insulted, met with anger and hatred. He couldn't imagine anything else and didn't dare to.

He was startled by a voice speaking to him from beside him. His older brother Hadrian had come with him despite his strong refusal, so he didn't understand his intentions, as he certainly hadn't come out of love for this child... It wasn't as if they had a wonderful brotherly relationship, with fierce competition for the family inheritance.

"Aren't you coming in?"

He sighed irritably, then opened the door and entered, his heart aching in his chest with agitation and his pulse racing. Yet his face remained cold, showing no emotion.

He stepped inside and could see a frail child on a large white bed. half of his face and his left hand covered with white gauze. On the other side of his face and body, the remains of a strange deformity could be seen. At a glance, you could see the tragedy that had befallen him, obliterating all the beauty he once had with deformities that would remain with him for years, perhaps for the rest of his life, if he was unlucky.

What was more suspicious than anything else was the silence of this child who raised his eyes when his father and uncle entered. He was able to recognize his father at a glance, Because he hadn't spent a little time memorizing his father's facial features from photographs after all.

He had one question he wanted to shout out before anything else.

Why did you abandon me and my brother?

Why are you like a dead man to us, even though you are still alive?

What did my brother and I do to deserve this abandonment?

Yet he did not rush in, with his calm nature that swallowed every question and emotion, he remained silent, as cold as a sad winter.

The first to break the silence was Hadrian, who looked at the servant with obvious surprise and some confusion and asked in an annoyed tone

"You... what are you doing here?"

"Sir Hadrian, I apologize for disturbing you, but I have already received permission from the lord."

"..."

For some reason, the situation became awkward and the atmosphere heavy for a few seconds before the servant smiled that annoying smile and spoke obediently, bowing in a manner that seemed more theatrical than respectful.

"I will take the young master's luggage to the car."

Hadrian nodded to him while Vincent stood quietly in his place without interfering.

After the servant left, only awkward silence remained...

Hadrian looked at the father and son and shook his head hopelessly. In fact, he had come here at the behest of his father, the lord, for fear that a war would break out between father and son. As the person in charge of the ongoing investigation into the lord's secret villa, he knew more than anyone else.

But it seemed that the father and son had agreed on a cold war instead. This was even more disturbing.

Besides, he didn't really understand why his father had allowed that damn man to return to the family. And what about the nonsense of him working as a personal servant to a child like Cassian?

So he slammed his fist on Vincent's chest, who was looking at his son silently with a cold gaze, and ordered him

"Take your son and follow me. Don't cause a scene in public for no reason..."

Then he left the room, leaving the father and son behind.

The sound didn't last long as Vincent turned to leave. He ordered Cassian

"Follow me."

Cassian looked silently at his father's back without showing any real emotion. Although he found it a little difficult, it wasn't impossible, so he got out of bed and followed Vincent until they left the hospital. Vincent didn't bother to turn back even once to check on Cassian... and Cassian didn't complain about it either...

When they reached the car, the strange servant helped Cassian get into the back seat next to Vincent, and after a few moments, the motorcade left the hospital.

All the way there was a provocative silence that no one dared to break. Vincent, who was faced with a situation he had never imagined from his son, was even more disturbed. He would have preferred to scold him and get angry, but what he faced was complete indifference, so much so that he wondered if his son had not recognized him.

His silence was illogical!

His indifference was illogical!

I mean, if he were in Cassian's place, he was sure he would pounce on his father and unleash a torrent of insults, expressions of hatred and resentment.

Yet Cassian's treatment of him was something absurd that his mind could not comprehend or accept.

Although he did not admit it, he really wanted someone to hold him accountable.

Someone connected to his sin who would truly blame him, perhaps relieving him of his guilt and restoring calm and peace to his nights. Unconsciously, his mind had appointed Cassian as his judge and executioner, but this judge did not pass unjust or just judgment on him. This executioner did not raise any sword to give him any punishment, but ignored him... completely...