Chapter 584: 13.82

[Music Recommendation: Saint Saens - The Swan.]

Maximillien stood in front of Jean as they stared at each other. Maximillien offered his hand and lowered his back as a sign of respect, "Care for a moonlight dance, Young Master?"

Jean was flattered. He did a little bow and put his hand on top of Maximillien's palm, "Certainly, Monsieur."

Maximillien chuckled at Jean's corniness. He interlocked his fingers with Jean's fingers, and he put his other hand on Jean's slim waist. Meanwhile, Jean put his hand on his big brother's shoulder.

They stared at each other, and Maximillien was the one to take the lead. He stepped to the front while Jean followed with one step back. 

Maximillien did a step to the left, and Jean followed as well. Although Maximillien and Jean never learned to dance, mostly because Maximillien thought it was a useless skill, but right now, he felt that their mind was connected, and he could understand what Jean wanted to do, including their dance steps.

With only using instinct, they danced on top of the reflection of the moon in complete synchronization. 

Gradually, the fireflies around the lake started appearing and acted as natural lights for Jean and Maximillien. The fireflies flickered around them, and Jean subconsciously used his magic to change their apparel since both of them were only using pyjamas right now. 

Jean turned their pyjamas into two dark blue suits with glittering diamond dust as a finishing touch. Maximillien didn't question it, knowing that Jean was capable of much incredible magic, and he just accepted the suit, even praised Jean, "It's beautiful, Jean."

"Ehe, I want to make this moment memorable for both of us, Big brother."

"Does dancing with me make you happy?"

"It does. I've wanted to dance with you for so long, Big brother. But you're too busy with work, and I don't want to anger you with my stupid wishes…." Jean smiled bitterly. "You should relax a bit. You're doing great as Archduke."

"I want to tell you that you've been the mightiest and best man I've ever seen in my life, and that opinion never changes, Big brother…." Jean confessed. His ears turned red, "I've always admired you since the first day I saw you. Even as a child. I thought I was looking at someone so handsome and mighty."

Maximillien remembered the first day when Jean came to the Palace of Eau Saumont. Maximillien hated him immediately because he thought that his parents were adopting a useless kid for their entertainment. 

Jean wanted to play with him, but when Jean approached him for the first time, Maximillien just shoved him down and yelled. 'You're just a kid taken by my parents. We have nothing to each other, so don't touch me.'

And after their parents' death, Maximillien had to admit that he mistreated Jean out of spite, thinking that Jean was the cause of their deaths. Looking back at it, Maximillien felt even guiltier than before because he had abused someone as amazing as Jean due to his pettiness. 

"I really thought that you would never accept me, Big brother… thank you for giving me a chance…." 

"No, it should be me who thank you for forgiving all my sins, Jean," Maximillien said. "I am the one at fault. I am the petty one who wants to kick you away after you reach eighteen."

"But now, I don't even want to get separated from you," Maximillien confessed. He kept things ambiguous for now because he wasn't sure about the right moment to confess. 

He just wanted to spend more time with Jean, and every second counted for him because he knew that Jean couldn't be his in the end.

Jean was in love with Raphael and would get married to him sooner or later. There was no need to clench on a stupid idea that Maximillien would be the one who married Jean instead. 

He had to let go, but he wouldn't want to let go for now, not until Jean knew about his feeling. 

They didn't remember whether it was already an hour or two, but they continued dancing without getting tired. They enjoyed every moment until the fireflies suddenly flickered and disappeared, alongside Jean's smile that slowly faltered.

Maximillien frowned and asked, "What's wrong, Jean?"

"Big brother…" 

Jean suddenly stopped dancing, and he tried to shove his big brother away from him. He turned around and took few steps to distance himself from his big brother.

"Jean?" Maximillien frowned. Jean's sudden change surprised him, and he wondered if something happened. "Is there something wrong?" He asked. 

"Big brother… I… I don't think we should dance anymore. I… I think we shouldn't see each other after this as well—"

"What?!" Maximillien snapped. He grabbed Jean's arm and clenched it tightly, "What are you saying? I thought you enjoyed dancing with me!"

"I do, but…." Jean put his hand on his chest, feeling his accelerating heartbeat. "Big brother, I can't stay with you because I have a forbidden feeling for you. A feeling that I've kept for so long, but I can't tell you about it."

"W—What forbidden feeling?" 

For some reason, Maximillien sensed that Jean and he wasn't so different. The feelings inside their hearts were similar, and maybe they had kept the same feeling for years without knowing what to do with it. 

"Big brother, don't you understand? I have a forbidden that a little brother shouldn't have. You will be disgusted if I tell you about it."

"N—No, do tell me!" Maximillien ordered. He didn't want to miss this, even just a moment. "I don't want to be separated from you, Jean! Tell me, what are you feeling right now!"

Jean turned around, staring straight at his big brother's eyes. Tears dropped from the edge of Jean's doe eyes, and he said in a low voice as if he was confessing about something humiliating.

"Big brother, I love you. Not as a sibling. I love you because I want to kiss your lips."