Chapter 774 - After 100 Years

Luna had never asked for something from Lauriel, and the man knew that she wouldn't ask him to grant her wish—even as a lover—for she would achieve what she wanted by herself. And she had proven that throughout all the years they had spent together.

Lauriel frowned when he heard her words. "Who would you like to build a family with if not with me?"

Luna shrugged. "I know you and Caspar never intended to get married and build a family. You boys love your adventures too much. I love it too and that's why I've accompanied you for more than a century. But I've had my fill. Right now, I just want to go back to my homeland, settle down, and live quietly surrounded by my children."

Lauriel held Luna's hand and squeezed it tenderly.

"What's wrong? Why are you suddenly like this? Wait—are you..." Lauriel's eyes widened as he fell silent. He remembered that Luna's been nauseous over the past few days. His heart raced; his c.h.e.s.t constricted. The roaring rain deafened his thoughts as he said the next words with difficulty. "Are-are you pregnant?"

Luna gave him a complicated look for a brief moment before turning upset. "What? You're speaking nonsense!"

Lauriel breathed a sigh of relief. "Ahh... Thank God." He grasped Luna's hand stronger and added, "I thought you were pregnant. We're at war right now and I need to go to Manchuria in order to free Endo and Neo since they were captured by the Japanese. If that were the case, you being pregnant will make traveling difficult."

Luna bit her lip, but her face remained indifferent. "Do you want to go to Manchuria?"

Lauriel nodded. "I've thought about it many times and the only way I can free Neo and Endo is to meet General Haneda and ask for his help. He still owes me a favor, and I can't let those two kids die."

"Okay." Luna took a sip of her tea before turning back her gaze at the rain and said, "I cannot go to Manchuria. I'll go to Germany instead. Since Germany is still in power in Europe, it'll be easier for me to return to my sister's place rather than going back to England. I don't find the weather in Asia suitable for me, lately."

Lauriel nodded. He let go of Luna's hand and took a pen and paper. He wrote to General Haneda that he be given access to Manchuria and free his two men who had been captured by the Japanese invaders while traveling in China.

While he was busy writing his letter, he failed to notice Luna's sad eyes staring at him while involuntarily stroking her stomach. If only he had been more observant, he would have known that Luna had lied about her pregnancy.

Everything disintegrated and the room became dark and quiet. Nobody said anything; the silence was deafening.

It was so quiet that they would be able to hear a needle if it fell on the ground.

"I... made a mistake. I didn't give Luna a chance to tell me that she was pregnant. I was too focused on minding my own business. I should have known! She was acting strange!" Lauriel's voice cracked. "I-I-If I had only known. I-If I had not been so selfish. I would never have left her alone on the port going to Germany by herself. I should have stayed with her, never let her out of my sight. I should have protected her with my life..."

Alaric and Nicolae's words were stuck in their throats. They had witnessed the misunderstanding between their mother and father. If only that war didn't flare up, this misunderstanding wouldn't have taken her life.

If only Luna had given birth safely in Germany, sooner or later Lauriel would have heard the news, and he might have reunited with her to build their family.

Alaric clenched his fist, his anger rose against mankind, who loved war and destroying each other. 

Nicolae saw the rising rage on his brother's face. He placed his hand on Alaric's shoulder and said in a gentle tone, "It's all in the past. There's nothing we can do now."

Nicolae tightened his grip and added, "Father has grieved for more than a hundred years. And you've held this grudge for a long time. It's now time for us to accept our loss and let go of Mother. I'm sure she would want us to move forward."

Lauriel stood up in silence. He closed his eyes, trying his best to hold down his surging emotions. As a quiet and cold man, only such a big thing would make him react.

Today was one of the hardest days for him. Sharing his moments with Luna with their two children was enough to drain his emotions and energy. Somehow, he felt very tired.

It's been more than a hundred years since he had tried to forget Luna's face just so he wouldn't be haunted by the dreaded images of her in his sleep. This was the first time he had seen her beautiful face again since 1945 on that port leaving for Europe. He really missed Luna.

"I... I need some time to be alone," Lauriel said in a pleading tone.

Alaric, who was still clenching his fists, finally noticed the suffering on his father's face. Slowly, he released his tight fist and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

Nicolae released his hand from Alaric's shoulder. He approached their father and hugged him for a moment before leaving the Holodeck room. Alaric then followed his brother's actions. He hugged their father's shoulder tightly for a minute and walked out, leaving Lauriel alone.

They both understood that Lauriel had gone through such an emotional, intense, draining moment. He needed to be given time to grieve properly.

After his children left, Lauriel was now alone in the Holodeck's room. He sat on the floor; covered his face as he sobbed, choking on his tears.