Chapter 198: Turning Back, Afraid and Anxious

The fierceness of the wind seemed to bring forth a spine-chilling sensation. People who cowered under the heavy aura brought by the sudden intruder could not help but lower their heads and submit. 

The pair of golden eyes intently stared at the slender figure behind the two tall men, He didn't care about the attention he was drawing towards himself nor did he mind that the commotion might soon bring the rest of the Fraunces nobility to the garden. His intimidating form cold haunt one in their sleep.

"Y-You…" Maxille forced out. His fists clenched as he gritted his teeth. The winds wooshed beside his ears but he could hear nothing as cautiousness filled his being. His eyes were laced with hostility as he stared at the golden-eyed man. A foreboding feeling crept up his spine when he realized that the Hercullian Lord was not even paying attention to him, instead, he was eyeing his brother with covetous eyes.

Emlen clenched his jaw as he forcefully pulled Moulin behind him, "You dare to step into our home. Do you realize what you are trying to start?" The second young master released a ferocious aura as he eyed Hadrian who had finally stopped his steps.

"I am not attempting to start anything." He spoke straightforwardly without expressing any emotions.

Moulin drew his brows together as he swiftly slipped past Emlen's back. With surprised eyes, he looked at Hadrian, "Hadrian!"

"Moulin!" Maxille grabbed his little brother's arm. He gave a painful squeeze to stop Moulin from struggling. 

Silver eyes narrowed. Without warning, Moulin held Maxille's wrist and released a frigid burst of energy that made the man quickly release him. With a furious gaze, he snapped at his eldest brother, "Don't force me to heed you. I am not something you can control and do as you please."

Maxille widened his eyes, he reached out, "Moulin, I wasn't-"

"Moulin…" 

A magnetic voice reached the youth's ears. Shifting his gaze, Moulin met mesmerizing golden eyes. The same eyes that had always looked so gentle and entrancing when they held the youth within their gaze. A soothed breath escaped from Moulin's mouth. They were only separated for a day and a few hours but it felt as though Moulin had not seen him for years. Perhaps, it was because of the stress and the anxiety that made him wish to have Hadrian by his side. To soothe him, to make him feel at ease, to make him feel safe. 

Moulin softened his gaze, "Hadrian…"

"Moulin!" Emlen's furious voice startled the young man. Almost immediately, Moulin turned to face his second older brother.

"Why are you so foolish? Do you not understand what we just explained to you?" 

Moulin knitted his eyebrows, "Brother, he really is not a bad person. Please… Don't make this hard for me… If you just listen then-"

"Aren't you the one who hasn't been listening to us?! Do you not understand that we are doing this for you? If you don't listen to us, you will be hurt! And it will all be too late before you realized it."

Moulin slightly lowered his eyelids. He sighed as he glanced at Hadrian, "If you are doing this for me then why are you hurting me right now?" 

Emlen and Maxille stopped. 

A disheartened smile graced the youth's lips. "I don't want to choose between you and my lover. I… really don't want to… Please… Don't force me to do this…"

Moulin lowered his voice. Dismay enveloped his form. The weight of unwillingness and despair settled on his shoulders as he faced Hadrian. 

In the silence and under the weight of the heavy atmosphere around them, the two lovers stared at each other's eyes. Silently. Filled with yearning and love. There was greed and want, hidden behind those fierce golden pupils but they stared at him with utmost gentleness. Moulin felt his heart lighten. A wave of relief filled his chest and he took a step forward,

However, alarm abruptly filled his senses. Almost immediately, he leaps a step back when an outburst of ice suddenly exploded before him. A frigid mist spreads throughout the area. Fear erupted within every single person's heart. The few servants that were left in the area hastily fled the garden with pale faces. No vulnerable human would be stupid enough to witness a fight between powerful maeruthans. Two particular beasts hurriedly scurried towards Hadrian's side which was nearer.

Maxille and Emlen could not see anything through the mist. Their vision was blocked so they relied on their hearing and perception to scan the area. The mana that they recognize made them freeze in place. Moulin was not less shocked about the discovery.

The golden lord calmly stared ahead of him. The current situation didn't even faze him. But with narrowed eyes,  he solemnly stared at the giant spear of midnight blue ice that broke the earth between Hadrian and Moulin. 

The huge blade pierced the ground creating a long deep crack across the area. The fearsome energy that it emits would make even a strong maeruthan weak to their knees.

Moulin swallowed as unease flooded his eyes while he stared at the formidable sacred weapon before him. His calm expression shattered when a voice spoke loudly.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Lord Fraunces walked steadily behind his two older sons. His eyes were laced with poison. Bitterness filled his voice. Steel gray eyes eyed his youngest son and the man that stood behind his summoned weapon. 

Just glancing at those golden eyes, made his blood burn with fury and madness.  His fists clenched so much, his knuckles turned white. Why was a damn Hercullio standing on his land?

"Father…" Maxille widened his eyes. His gaze then caught sight of a slender woman confusingly walking beside his father. Maxille paled, "Mother…"

"Maxille? Emlen?" Lady Maxiel furrowed her brows as she stared at her older sons. "What is going on?"

She stopped when she noticed her youngest son's pale face. Terror layered his silver eyes as though the whole world was destroyed before his eyes. Guilt filled those previously bright silver pupils. She stopped in her tracks. Her gaze slowly moved away from her beloved son's face and moving to stare at the golden-haired man standing a few meters behind her husband's spear.

Those golden eyes were staring deeply at her son, Moulin. She recognized this man and fear gripped her on the neck. However, she also recognized the gaze those golden eyes hold at her son. Those passionate sun-like eyes, filled with yearning. 

Lady Maxiel swallowed as she shook her head in disbelief.

Was this man… Her Moulin's… 

Loud footsteps suddenly noised in the air as more than a hundred knights surrounded the entire garden, spears, and swords drawn, aiming at a single person. The man they were targeting wasn't a normal maeruthan. The Lord's reputation had reached their ears and they could not believe that they were drawing their weapons at him. 

"You dare to set foot on my home?!" Lord Dontae snarled as he coldly stared at the man standing before his family.

Although trembling with fear, Moulin stepped forward. "Wait, Father-"

A flash of light suddenly blinded Moulin. He felt strong arms circle around his waist, pulling him to press on a warm chest. Before Moulin could even process what happened, he found himself on Hadrian's side, within the man's warm embrace. 

Silver eyes widened in shock. "H-Hadrian?"

"Moulin!" Emlen shouted with wide eyes. "You brute! Unhand him!"

Maxille released his mana and a thousand swords began to materialize in the air. Their sharp edges glinted terrifyingly, awaiting their master's orders. His eyes coldly eyed the man that had his arms around his youngest brother. But what made him even more infuriated was that Moulin wasn't even trying to struggle!

"Y-You dare to lay a hand on my son?" Lord Dontae bared his teeth. His eyes had turned bloodshot. Rage flowed inside him like lava. Panic and anger stirred his chest as he watched his son held captive. "Release him or I will tear you apart!"

The knights readied their weapons and their mana. It felt as though the lord's anger had infected them as they eyed the man, their target. 

Alarm filled Moulin's silver eyes. Everything happened so fast that he had become flustered. He immediately turned to Hadrian, "Let me go… Let me talk to them."

"I believe your chance has already passed." Hadrian narrowed his eyes as he calmly gazed at his lover. Somehow, it frightened Moulin when he realized how calm Hadrian was even in the midst of this kind of situation. Hadrian slightly lowered his head and inhale the scent of his lover's hair. His arms tightened around Moulin 

Moulin narrowed his eyes. He sighed as he slightly pushed Hadrian away and faced the shock and fury within his family's eyes. He a twinge in his heart the more he took in his family's emotion. Slowly, his eyes then roamed around the area. Eyeing the numerous blades that dare to threaten his 'calm' lover.

"Moulin…" Lord Dontae began. His eyes were quivering as he looked at his precious son. "Come here… We'll talk inside. Get away from that man…"

"Father… Please command the knights to lower their weapons…" Moulin calmly spoke with a serious expression. "There is no enemy here…"

"Don't jest with me!" The Lord snapped. "Have you become blind? Whatever is your relationship with that devil, I will never stand for it"

Maxille stepped forward, "Moulin, listen to us."

"Don't be a fool, little brother. Be good and come to us." Emlen narrowed his eyes as he summoned his scythe. The blade of his weapon glinted murderously.

Arrows were swiftly rested on the arrow rest of every archer's bow. Spears were ready to pierce and to be thrown. Swords shined with terrifying light.

Moulin felt lost. A sigh escaped his mouth. He turned to glance at Hadrian who just started straight at him, awaiting every decision the youth would make. Whatever it was that Moulin would choose to do, Hadrian would stand beside him as the pillar to support him.

Moulin then silently turned away. He lifted his gaze.

Silver eyes glowed.

The skies darkened. 

Snowflakes fell.

Without speaking a word, Moulin lifted his hand. 

A sheet of frigid ice instantly spreads out from where he stood. An icy blizzard engulfed the whole area!

With a burst, arrows, swords, spears, and swords froze and broke. The ground hardened, covered by a thick layer of solid ice. Knights had fallen on their back because of the terrifying force of the frigid gusts of wind.

Everything happened only within a few seconds.

Lord Dontae widened his eyes. His sacred weapon that had pierced the ground had dissipated into a flurry of pure-white snowflakes. Such terrifying mana could even perform such a thing to a maeruthan's heavenly weapon. Maxille and Emlen lowered their arms as they stared in shock.

Silence descended within the whole area.

…

A young man stood with a strong gaze. Unyielding and firm. 

His hands interlocked with Hadrian Hercullio. Inseparable and strong.

Silver eyes narrowed,

"I cannot accept such acts." Moulin declared. "When you are aiming your weapons at this man beside me, you are threatening me. Those terrible things in the past are meant to be forgotten. Hadrian Herculllio is not his father. If you want to settle this peacefully then why draw your weapons?" Moulin gritted his teeth. "You want me to listen to you when you can't even listen to me. If this is the case.., then I will leave you to your thoughts, until then… I will not return."

!!!

Those last words struck Lord Dontae's being like a lightning strike. "Moulin…"

"What?!" Emlen yelled. Disbelief filled his expression. "You… You can't be serious."

Maxille could only silently stare with wide eyes. Unable to speak a word.

The people murmured with confused eyes. Noise then filled the surrounding air.

"Think about it carefully…" Moulin said.

The youth then pressed his lips together as he turned to look at Hadrian. Tears were prickling the corner of the young man's eyes. Hadrian softened his gaze as he spoke, "Are you sure about this?"

Moulin stopped for a few seconds before nodding.

With a sigh, Hadrian nodded. "Alright…" 

He beckoned the two little pups to him and lifted them with one arm. His other arm curled around his pitiful lover's waist. 

"No, Wait!" Emlen shouted as he began to run towards them. 

However, a strong gust of wind derived him from moving even further. His gray eyes widened in shock. Slowly, he turned to his mother who had raised her hand, manipulating the air around her.

She shook her head to her sons  and husband, "Let them go…"

With a warm gaze, she turned to look at her youngest son, Moulin. 

Moulin stopped when her gaze met his. He stiffened, unable to speak a word.

Lady Maxiel only revealed a soft smile, "Go…"

'I'll take care of things here… Go… '

Moulin felt his tears  layer his eyes. Before he could say anything, everything had turned bright. 

Their figures disappeared,