"I know Rena didn't die in childbirth, Luke." Leon brought his face closer to Luke's. "Who hunted her down and killed her?"
"Stop with your nonsense, Leon." Luke gave Leon a sharp look before leaving him there. Luke had to calm himself down so that he wouldn't get further provoked by Leon.
Shan followed Luke's footsteps out of the house, then he turned to look at Leon.
"I guess that's a sensitive question that shouldn't be asked, Leon." Shan walked out after Luke, leaving Leon there alone with the worn-out paper in his hand.
Leon didn't show any expression, his gaze flat as if he hadn't done anything before.
Luke's words could not be denied, what he said and what he thought were all in line. He was not hiding anything from Leon or Shan. Leon's suspicions, which were not based on anything, had to be dismissed by himself.
"Luke," called Shan seeing Luke standing with his hands in his pockets looking straight ahead at the edge of the cliff in front of the house.
"It's okay, I can understand him even though he never once tried to understand me."
Shan stood beside Luke, following the middle-aged man's gaze. "Leon's emotional state can be troublesome at times, perhaps you know that better than I do."
Luke chuckled softly as he looked down. He gave Shan a quick glance. "I think you can understand it better than I can. We have the same mindset and stubbornness, it's hard to understand each other."
Shan smiled slightly, whether what Luke said was true or not. Sometimes Shan seemed to understand more even though he didn't really understand, he just continued to obey Leon's words and do what he asked. Whether that includes understanding or not.
"At least you're trying, Shan," Luke said, looking away from Shan.
Both of them stayed in silence, listening to the wind that blew through the trees. Giving friction between leaves and branches.
*
Gretta was sitting at the dining table with all the fancy dishes on it. She sat at one end and Rhys sat at the other.
After she finished eating, met with Rhys, then she was taken to get cleaned up by the servants there. She was given a floaty dress and given Gretta's natural make-up. Previously she had been advised to dress up according to the taste of the servants, but Gretta refused. So she looked the way she wanted to look.
A gray three-quarter dress, the sleeves closed to the elbows and the chest was fully covered. She wore short heels as footwear while her hair was in a ponytail and not too high.
Now she was sitting with Rhys, she said to accompany him to eat his breakfast. Who knows what breakfast, the sun was already up and it was probably eleven or twelve o'clock in the afternoon.
"What exactly do you want from me?" Gretta asked straight to the point.
Rhys didn't answer, he was engrossed in the food in front of him. Let alone answering, not even turning his head.
"Don't you-,"
"I'm eating and I really don't like being disturbed!" Rhys said flatly with emphasis on every word.
"Then what am I sitting here for? Just to watch you eat?!"
Rhys put down the food in his hand staring at Gretta flatly. Rhys tilted his head with a sharp gaze at Gretta, like he was piercing into the girl's solar plexus.
Gretta inhaled and exhaled slowly, Rhys was so scary that she felt so claustrophobic together with that man. It was like pulling an arrow on a bow, once loose and hitting the target, death was waiting.
That was how Gretta felt right now, like she was on the verge of death. Just waiting for when the arrow would just slip out of her hand.
The situation returned to silence, Rhys continued his breakfast and Gretta looked at him from the end of the table. Without words, without conversation, even Gretta's breath was held.
After a long wait, Rhys was finally finished. The servants came to clear the table and brought her a cup of drink. Gretta watched his every move which was obviously very arrogant, cold, and cruel.
The radiance of darkness was very thick from Rhys, that's what made him scary. And when you were around him, that darkness would feel so real. It only took a few times of communicating from a close distance to him, Gretta could feel the darkness from Rhys.
"You're so scary," Gretta said spontaneously.
Rhys smiled slightly without turning to Gretta. "Are you sure about that?" she said glancing at Gretta out of the corner of her eye.
"You know what?" Rhys sipped the warm tea in front of him. "There are things that are scarier than me."
"Things scarier than you?" asked Gretta incredulously. "What's scarier to you than death?" he said indifferently.
Rhys moved his face forward, in a low tone he said, "Yourself, sweet lady." Then he laughed as if mocking at Gretta.
Half annoyed, Gretta dropped her body on the back of the chair she was sitting on. She looked away from Rhys as she exhaled harshly. She really hated the man who was sitting in front of her.
"Don't hate others too much, the more you hate them, the more they will bother you."
Gretta didn't pay attention, she was still ignoring Rhys. But Rhys knew that Gretta was listening to him and digesting everything he said to Gretta.
From the end of the table, Rhys watched Gretta. He carefully examined every corner of the girl's body, heart, and mind. Finding out what was special about this young girl who had been raised by humans for so many years.
There wasn't really anything so specific that made Gretta attractive in his eyes, but somehow while watching Gretta, it felt like there was a riddle on her that Rhys couldn't solve. Like a big secret that was hidden and could not be detected.
That girl had abilities that only the werewolf royal family had.
And, yes, deep in her heart, it was just like what Rhys had predicted. Gretta was part of Leon, those who were destined to be together not Elisabeth his sister who was useless to him. And this fact made Rhys even more interested, he could play with fire longer than in the past.
"Stop looking at me like that!" snapped Gretta suddenly glaring at Rhys.