"What did you say?" Luca put down the newspaper he was holding and took a good long look at his son, his own silvery-white hair gleaming under the pale light of the chandelier in the reading room. His sharp amethyst-colored eyes scanned his son's scowling face and those eyes similar to his own.
Seth gave him a soft glare for having to repeat himself. "I said… I want to study in Howlite University too." He wanted his father to just say 'go ahead and do want you want' but he knew Luca wasn't that kind of vampire at all. This could become a headache…
Luca blinked at him, opened his mouth but closed it again when he found out he didn't know what to say. His son seemed to have finally lost his mind. He then looked at his wife who was busily trying to arrange the books on the huge shelf to relieve her boredom. Her back was on them but he knew his wife was listening to the conversation. "Muriel." He called her name, hoping that she would at least know what to say to Seth.
It was her cue to turn around and sigh. She knew just what was going on in her husband's mind, having been married to him for almost two millenniums now. Her waist-length wavy silver hair was ponytailed at the back and her regality as she stood up was palpable. She then looked at Seth with her own sharp amethyst eyes. "Seth…" She put down the book she was holding and steadily approached her son, making the latter scowl. "Ares needs space right now. He needs to think about the whole situation and be ready for when the time comes that he has to face it."
Seth tried to argue. "I know that but–"
"And he might just avoid you even more if you try to stalk him like that." His father added before he could finish.
Seth growled at that. "I know that!" He then sighed and apologized when Luca arched an eyebrow at him. It made him feel a little embarrassed that he was losing his cool every time Ares was the topic of their conversation. "And I'm not stalking him…" He added when he remembered the accusation.
Luca and Muriel exchanged knowing glances which didn't escape Seth's eyes. It made his scowl deepen. "Fine."
"It's good that you understand." Luca said a little too early, thinking that the topic was already dropped.
"I'll go there as a different person." Seth suddenly said as if he had already decided. Both Muriel and Luca looked at him as if he had sprouted three heads. And then both of them laughed really loud, their ringing mirth echoing all throughout their family's sitting room. This irritated their son a lot.
"That's impossible, Seth." Muriel voiced when she finally finished making fun of her son. "Ares will recognize your pureblood presence from a mile away."
"Then I'll just have to suppress my pureblood presence, right?" Seth was already fighting the red tinge of his cheeks. He felt embarrassed now that he had finally voiced it out but he was still really serious about his idea. "I can just wear something, anything, to make sure nobody recognizes my pureblood presence." Luca stopped laughing at that time and seemed to be in deep thought. "And besides, that jerk hasn't seen me in person at all so he doesn't really know how my presence feels like or even what my face looks like."
Muriel opened her mouth as if wanting to say something. However, she ended up shaking her head instead before giving her son a sad smile. "Then I'll just ask you one thing, Seth." When he looked up at her, Muriel's expression turned to that of fondness. "Why is it that you really want to go to the school where he studies?"
"I just…" Seth looked down as he tried his best to explain his side. "…I just want to see him in person. I want to see what kind of vampire he is… or who his friends are… I just…"
"I am still against it." Luca stated seriously. "There is a high chance that you will just get hurt." Seth wanted to argue but he saw his father's serious gaze and he knew not to say anything at this time. "Ares stated right from the start that he doesn't want to be married to you. If he finds out that you even went as far as going to the same school as him, I don't think it will end nicely for both of you. And even if he doesn't find out…" He really didn't want to say it so blatantly but there was no way Seth would understand if he didn't. "…If you were the one to find out anything that he didn't want you to, it could only be your demise, Seth."
"What do you mean by that..?" The silver-haired teen looked crestfallen but he still really wanted to know.
Luca sighed at that question. "…A lover, for example." Seth's eyebrows creased at that. "What if the reason why he doesn't want to be engaged to anyone is that he already has a lover? What would you do then? Are you going to come back here heartbroken and crying?"
Seth looked aghast at the accusation. "H-Heartbroken!? Why would I be heartbroken!? And I definitely won't cry just for a lowly–"
"Don't say that. He's a pureblood too, Seth." Luca sighed at his son's stubbornness.
Muriel was the one who glared at her husband this time. "Anyway, don't say such awful things to our son."
"I was just being realistic." Luca defended. "You know I'm right." He drawled out the words as if to prove his point. Muriel wanted to argue but before she could even say anything, Seth already beat her into it.
"I know that…" Seth answered. He then closed his eyes and let himself relax, a look of utter regality all over his handsome feature before he spoke again. "I don't care. I still want to see Ares Lir in person."
Both of his parents had to sigh at his stubbornness. Until now, they were still arguing on who he got that attitude from.