Egon and Noctavian stood there, both panting heavily, their hands clenched into tight fists at their sides.
"You abandoned her!" Noctavian shouted, "You didn't want any lasting connections, so was she supposed to connect a man who did not want her by means of a child? A dignified woman as the Archduchess of Lanark? What a cowardly suggestion!"
Noctavian's words seemed to hit Egon like a slap in the face, causing his bronze complexion to significantly redden.
"...You can't begin to imagine what I was going through back then. Nobody can... And what does pride have to do with raising my son on her own?" His eyes glistened. "Your first word, your first steps, all your growth..." He paused, his emotions getting the better of him, "Every moment when you needed me and I wasn't there for you... She's the one who took away all those moments from me, and she can never repay that debt!"
While the blood in Adela's veins ran cold, Noctavian held his head high.
