Chapter 494 - The Happy Family

The girl looked at him with a complicated look. She understood what Nicolae meant and she realized that from the first time they met, he had been harboring a crush for her.

His feelings did not change in years, not even after everything that had happened in the past.

Now, he was not only in love with Aleksis, but also with her two children.

Aleksis knew that her parents and Lauriel all hoped that she and Nicolae could be bound in marriage, but they would never force her.

Nicolae also never forced his love for her. He remained faithful to her and gave her as much space as she needed to heal. He only hoped that one day she would open up her heart.

Aleksis realized, everyone was right, that she would never find a man better than Nicolae. The man was very loving, very loyal, he had a kind heart and a pleasant and warm personality. He also had repeatedly proven himself ready to defend Aleksis even with his own life.

She bit her lip and pondered for a moment. Her children needed a father figure, and Nicolae could be that figure. There was also the fact that he looked very fond of Altair and Vega. Her children also adored him.

Aleksis then grasped that last night they had conspired with Nicolae so they would be allowed to stay here. After all ... it's been almost six years since Alaric died. Aleksis must learn to let go and accept reality.

"So..?" Nicolae repeated his question and looked at Aleksis intensely, "Do you want me to go, or do you want me to stay here?"

Four pairs of eyes focused on Aleksis, waiting for an answer from her. Nicolae, Altair, Vega, and Lauriel were all waiting for the words to come out of her lips.

Everyone hoped that the girl would say yes.

Finally, Aleksis nodded slowly, "If Uncle Nic doesn't mind staying here, I will be very happy."

A smile immediately graced Nicolae's handsome face. He was extremely glad to hear those words.

Nicolae turned to Altair and Vega and nodded, "SInce  Mommy asked Uncle Nic to stay, then I will stay."

The two children immediately cheered and hugged him in joy. Aleksis only looked at the scene with a complicated expression on her face. A moment later she looked away, to hide her tears which had started to stream down slowly.

She was aware that her two children desperately needed a father figure but she kept it from them for six years by closing her heart to Nicolae. Aleksis knew it was time to move on.

"After breakfast, we'll go to town to shop for clothes," Nicolae said as he sat on the dining chair and signaled the servant to start serving food. He turned to Aleksis, "I hope you don't mind staying here a little longer ... I would love to spend more time with Altair and Vega."

Aleksis could only nod.

The atmosphere at the dining table remained very lively because of Altair and Vega's babble. Lauriel had never felt so happy being surrounded by people he loved so much. His heart that had been cold towards humans slowly softened. Even the servants could see that their master now seemed a lot warmer and friendlier.

After breakfast, Aleksis and her children showered and went with Nicolae to the city to shop. They rode a convertible car and enjoyed the breeze along the way. They felt thankful that the weather was sunny. Nicolae drove his own car with Aleksis sitting next to him. The children were in the backseat.

They immediately went to the boutique and bought a week's worth of supplies for the mother and the kids. When he was in the girls' clothing department, Nicolae enthusiastically chose some very beautiful dresses for the two children, and only then did he realize that Altair was actually a boy.

"Uncle Nic, you don't love me. You are only choosing clothes for Vega," Altair grumbled when Nicolae picked the tenth dress.

"Uh ... Uncle bought this for you two," Nicolae replied in surprise. "Look, some of them are exactly the same, so you don't need to fight over the same dress."

Altair pursed his lips and turned to his mother. He cutely yelled in protest. "Mum, I don't like wearing dresses."

"Eh, Altair doesn't like girls' clothes, he's a boy," Aleksis said, chuckling.

"Wait .. what? So Altair is a boy and Vega is a girl???" Nicolae looked at Altair and Vega alternately. His face betraying his shock.

He just realized that the two children were just very similar, but they were not exactly the same. Apparently, they were not identical twins. Since yesterday he had assumed Altair was also a girl because he was wearing a pink shirt, which only girls would usually wear.

"Uhmm ... have you ever read about the constellations, Altair and Vega?" Aleksis asked him.

Nicolae shook his head. He then looked at Altair in regret, "I'm sorry, I really didn't know."

"Yeah, that's fine, but be clear now that I don't want to wear a dress," Altair grunted again. Nicolae smiled and nodded.

"Of course, you can wear whatever you like. I'm sorry, Uncle will grab some suitable clothes for you. In fact, we could have matching outfits..."

Only then did Altair's crumpled face smoothened into a grin. After shopping, they took their time eating lunch at a nearby restaurant. They also enjoyed a very delicious gelato. The sunny weather, good food, and the togetherness a family usually have made their hearts feel satisfied.

Nicolae was grateful that his father organized his birthday party yesterday and forced him to go home. Otherwise, today he would still be wandering somewhere, alone, and living emptily by denying his love.

Now that Aleksis had given him a chance, albeit indirectly said, he would do everything within his power to convince her that they should be together. He was determined to wait patiently and make Aleksis fall in love with him.