Chapter 8: Mishya and Mikhail II
Lucian only felt unprecedented peacefulness at seeing the living and breathing figure of his elder sister.
He let her down too much in his first life. He let them all down too much, and such a sin could not be pardoned just because he was unaware of the truth. His hands were dyed by their blood, and dying once would never be able to wash it away.
He opened his lips, trying to converse more with his sister, but the sounds of rushing steps coming from the path that he took stifled his thoughts.
His head snapped back and met eyes with gray pupils that seems to be covered with dark storms ready to erupt at any moment.
Lucian instantly realized the situation. He took a step to the side the moment his second brother reached his position at an arm's length.
A fist bringing up a small gust of wind whipped past his cheeks, and if he was late for just a second, his face would have been punched squarely by his second brother.
And it was something that really did happen in his first life. His second brother Mikhail thought that he was the person that was trying to force his sister Mishya.
Lucian took another step back as his second brother's right leg came swishing up the second he avoided his punch.
The sudden appearance of Mikhail rushing to fight against Lucian stunned Mishya on the spot.
Her senses came back a second later as she hurriedly raised her hands to hug her second brother's arms.
"Wait, brother Mikhail! Stop!"
"He's the one who saved me!"
The moment he felt Mishya's hands around his, Mikhail has already ceased his actions to avoid hurting his sister.
His sharp glare facing Lucian only abated at hearing Mishya's words.
Lucian only smiled at seeing the vibrant emotions of his second brother. Their first meeting in his first life was much more chaotic than this, but it was one of the memories that he treasured so much in the doomsday.
After calming down his bookworm brother with a nasty temper, Mishya smiled apologetically at Lucian. She really did not expect that her second brother would just arrive bursting with violence, but she couldn't blame him as she did use the emergency signal to contact him, and she bet that her entire family would all be waiting for her at home right at this moment.
"I'm sorry about that, my second brother was just shocked caused I sent him an emergency signal." Mishya smiled sheepishly at Lucian.
She doesn't know why, but she can't help but feel lighthearted in front of this incoming freshman.
Lucian just shook his head with a smile. He can't seem to lower the sides of his lips at seeing both of his sibling right in front of his eyes.
"It's fine, I can understand." He nodded and looked at Mikhail.
He reached out for a handshake.
"I'm Lucien Valemont, nice to meet you."
"Mikhail Crownwald, it's my pleasure." Mikhail accepted the handshake as he took in the face of the pretty boy in front of him. The other party is half a head shorter than him and has bluish-gray pupils that gives off an amiable vibe.
He was really worried the moment he received the emergency signal from his sister, and he instantly rushed out from his cushy position in his rented private room in the library.
"Thank you for helping my sister."
"It's fine, I was just passing by and I can help, so I did."
"No, it will really pain our family if something happens to her, and even just a scratch would alert everyone from our paternal and maternal sides." Mikhail laughed with a shake of his head.
He wasn't really exaggerating, and Lucian's helping hand came at the right time at the right place.
"How about we treat you? There's a newly opened café at Highcrest street that I've been dying to try but haven't had the time to."
"Yes, and we could also show you around the university grounds on the way." Mishya gave a thumbs up for her second brother in her heart. She was just thinking of ways to thank Lucian in a much more formal setting.
Lucian would not pass up on spending time with his older siblings. But he can't appear too eager which might alarm them.
"Sure, I'll take you up on that offer." Hesitation flashed in his eyes, but he ultimately agreed which pleased the two.
With the agreement of the three Crownwalds, they toured around most of the nearest facilities and famous landmarks inside the university before going out to the lively Highcrest street.
The Highcrest street is more like a maze of streets interconnected with the Highcrest University at the center. It is a street that caters to the students with lively shops ranging from restaurants, cafes, supermarkets, clubs, fitness centers, stationary shops, and convenience stores.
And just around the Highcrest street, apartment buildings and high-rise condominiums flourished due to the huge population of the student body of Highcrest, especially with the Senior and Junior academies of Highcrest that stands east of the university, just a few blocks away.
After going out of the university's gate, the trio turned right and walked a couple of steps, passing by three shops before stopping in front of a luxuriously decorated shop wafting with the smell of coffee beans and mild sweet pastries.
The trio entered the café named Luxus.
Their eyes took in the warm colors and natural ambiance of the place. Some of their restless mood from the small accident earlier subsided a lot after entering the place.
"Welcome to Luxus! Let me accompany you to a table." A server smilingly came up to the three, and judging by his face, he might be a student doing his part-time job.
"That's great, thank you." Mishya walked to the front next to the server, and they immediately engaged in a conversation about the café.
Lucian and Mikhail shared a look and followed Mishya with a laugh.
'My sister is really the talkative and friendly type.'
It was the same in his first life. His sister easily trusted him when he approached them according to the plan of the Valemonts. Although, she must have had a good impression of him due to the same small accident that happened at that forest.
They arrived at a quiet corner with a four-seater table hidden by a wooden shelf adorned with bonsai pots.
The server gave them a printed menu, which is a fresh change, considering that most restaurants use holograms in today's age.
"Wow, these look good!" Mishya exclaimed as she stared fixedly at the vivid pictures printed on the menu. The pastries look so appetizing that her eyes glittered like stars.
One of Mishya Crownwald's hobby is to eat delicious and good-looking food.
Mikhail only shook his head next to her. His sister has always been a foodie, and it seems like she has a good opinion of Lucian, because she would only act this way around her family.
Lucian also has a soft smile that would probably accompany him for as long as the time he spends with his brother and sister. Their every lively expression comforts his battered heart, as if sending a warm soothing caress to his injured soul.
But the edges of his lips stiffened suddenly. The warmth bubbling in bluish-gray pupils dissipated as frost gathered the moment he lowered his gaze to the menu on his hands.
He was so happy reuniting with his brother and sister that he only realized the covert lines of sight that would cross their position for every three minutes.
The naturalness of the line of sight even eluded him.
'Three, no, four men…how long have they been observing my brother and sister?'
Lucian flipped the menu to the second page. The vibrant colors of the pastries and various coffee drinks brought a touch of color to his eyes now filled with darkness.
'There is one inside the café, two on the restaurant on the other side of the road, and one inside the white sedan parked on the parking area next to the restaurant.'
Those intermittent sights only lingered on him twice before sticking close to Mikhail and Mishya's figure. Lucian felt a spark igniting into a fire that almost burned away his reason.
'Have the Valemonts already started assigning men to follow my family? Did it just start or have they been planted for months, or maybe years?'
'No, something doesn't feel right.'
"Lucien, have you thought about what to order?"
Lucian came back to his senses at his brother's voice. He looked up and his eyes crinkled into a smile at seeing his brother Mikhail looking at him while swaying the menu in his hand.
"Yes, brothe-…uh yes, I'll have a Spanish latte and a plate of salted caramel cookies."
Mikhail's hand swaying the menu paused in place, and Mishya whipped up her head to stare at Lucian at hearing his blunder.
Lucian felt cold sweat forming on his back. He was so preoccupied with the tails that he just blurted out what he calls Mikhail in his mind.
"Uh, I'm sorry-…"
A chuckled filled with playfulness rang in his ears.
Lucian met Mikhail's eyes, and his anxiety immediately vanished without a trace. His brother's gaze looked so gentle and warm, like the spring breeze accompanied by the afternoon sun.
"You don't need to apologize." Mikhail placed the menu on the table and reached out to lightly pat Lucian's head.
Mikhail doesn't understand it himself. It must be because Lucien saved his sister, but he feels especially comfortable with the other party's company.
"I wouldn't mind having another little brother. You can call me brother or brother Mikhail."
Mishya nodded her head repeatedly to the side. She also wouldn't mind having another little brother like Lucien. Her impression of Lucien was that of a polite kid with a kind heart.
Mikhail took back his hand and signaled for a server to come. He repeated Lucian's order and narrated his and Mishya's order.
Lucian has been frozen on the spot due to his brother's action.
A touch of burning warmth spread from the top of his head to his chest.
'Brother said I can call him 'brother'…'
Lucian shook his head to pull his senses together.
The overwhelming sense of happiness continues to bubble in his chest, but he doesn't have the time to be distracted. He needs to find something to protect his brother and sister when he isn't around.
Going back to this time, Lucian realized that there might be many things still hidden about the destruction of the Crownwalds and the Sinclairs.
Lucian was extremely familiar with the working habits of the human-weapons forged by the Valemont's isolated island, and the four that are currently trailing his brother and sister executes their movements in an unfamiliar manner.
And from a restrained glance that he took of the one inside the café, Lucian instantly zeroed in the inconspicuous half a fingernail tattoo on the dip behind the man's left ear. It was two diamonds interweaving into what seems like an incomplete star.
'System, open the system mall.'
"Bzzt…"
A flash of blue light appeared floating in front of Lucian.
The system screen hangs steadily at his eye-level as it shows his status before flipping to the system mall.
'I need to find something that can defend and attack while putting priority on my brother and sister's safety.'
Lucian's eyes landed on the Artifact category of the system mall.