Before returning to my castle, Ethan and I roughly confirmed whether my brother's abandonment was related to Neil. Ethan responded that from the private conversation between the old man and the old woman earlier, it could be inferred as one of the reasons. I speculated that another reason might be that Roy was an untamed free spirit, someone whose thoughts could never be accurately predicted. This unpredictability was a major taboo for the old man when choosing an heir. He could accept rebellion, but not someone who played entirely by their own rules. Given this reasoning, what I needed to do most was to strengthen myself to a level surpassing the old man, and then break the rules. This was my strategy for dealing with the Lucas family. Moreover, once the Lucas family was under my feet, the wolf pack wouldn't be an issue. They were like swarms of ants and bees; as long as I was strong enough and provided them with benefits, they wouldn't pose much of a problem, if any at all. My gr
I lay back down on the bed, trying to suppress my anger and fall asleep again. However, my emotions refused to settle and, instead, I found myself growing even more furious because sleep continued to elude me. I made up my mind: I was definitely going to fire the new servant. Once I got myself ready, I planned to find Ethan and personally reprimand the newcomer before dismissing him on the spot. As I passed the second floor, I heard someone repeatedly saying, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." The voice was coming from Roy's room. Puzzled by the fact that Roy had already left, I wondered who could be in there. I walked over and pushed open the door, which was slightly ajar. As it opened, a small figure came into view. It was Neil. He was bare-chested, kneeling in the corner of the room facing the wall, his hands raised in the air, his head bowed, and continuously muttering "I'm sorry." I quickly rushed toward the small figure. “Neil, what’s wrong? Why are you kneeling here?” “I’m
Neil Wesley loved the sea deeply, for it symbolized freedom to him. I still owed him a special yacht trip, though the chance to set sail with him again was long gone. However, I decided to bring Neil Caster along for a similar experience. After all, they were Neils and they both share the name Neil, and surely, he would enjoy it just as much. Not only did I need to understand him better, but I also aimed to create cherished memories together.Using the excuse of a private trip, I managed to take him away from the castle, providing him with an opportunity to understand the werewolf philosophy firsthand. I didn't disclose our destination; I simply instructed him to get in the car. Throughout the drive, he diligently worked on his assignments and asked me questions, his demeanor reminiscent of Neil Wesley's lectures—serious, scholarly, and charming.It wasn't until we arrived at the marina that I revealed our plan to embark on a yacht. Contrary to my expectations, he stood there, stunned
I really wanted to clarify his first encounter with Roy—did he remember it correctly? Was Roy really fishing? Because my impression of Roy was that he absolutely detests fishing. He had mentioned before that fishing was an incredibly boring activity, and even as a companion, he would never choose to accompany someone on a fishing trip. And was that when Roy and Neil started? During Neil’s school days? When he was a teenager?Just as I was hesitating about whether to ask directly, I noticed something was off. He was hugging the teddy bear, leaning against its shoulder, sometimes staring blankly ahead with a bright smile, sometimes lowering his head, clenching his fists, and wiping his eyes."Neil, are you okay?" Seeing him repeatedly wiping his eyes, lifting his head, and then lowering it again to wipe his eyes, I felt uneasy and asked softly."I'm fine." He kept wiping his eyes."Is it sand in your eyes?" I asked."No, it's just..." He said he was fine, but his hands didn't stop."Jus
I held my phone and walked out to the balcony. Partly, I didn't want Neil to overhear my conversation with Roy, since most of what Roy and I discussed was rather adult in nature. Additionally, I was concerned that Roy might catch on to what Neil and I had been doing."Hello.""Are you with my baby?""Didn't you ask him to come to me?""Help me out, brother. It's just one paper. Just give him some rough guidance, and he'll sort out the rest. Don't be fooled by his naive look; he's quite smart.""Are you really that comfortable letting your baby stay with me?""Of course. Why wouldn't I be? A timid human with an impatient werewolf like you—the worst that could happen is you'd get annoyed and leave him behind."So, Neil was a timid soul in Roy's eyes. I glanced back at Neil, who was lying on the bed. He did seem like someone who needed protection, but I believed he wasn't actually timid. He just lacked a sense of security, something even his fiancé, Roy, had failed to provide.This was s
The sudden yank and pull of the blanket jolted me awake. As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw the small figure who had slept in my arms last night, now looking a bit nervous. From his bewildered expression, I could guess that he had blanked out and forgotten the promises he made to me the night before. I knew I could explain everything that had happened, and while I wasn't entirely without fault, I was certainly not to blame. However, my current concern was that this child might be frightened or anxious due to his perceived betrayal of Roy. After all, he wasn't like that scoundrel Roy, and he probably didn't know that Roy had another lover outside."Neil, don't be scared. Can you listen to me first?" Seeing him nod, I pulled him back to the center of the bed, as he was about to fall off. Noticing his lingering wariness, I gave him the blanket and wrapped him up snugly. "I did cross a line last night, and if it bothers you, just tell me, and we can figure something out, okay?" My priorit
After our meal, I took him for a stroll around the island to help him digest. Knowing his fear of the sea, I avoided the shore and instead led him through some of the recreational areas in the heart of the island. Despite the lack of anything particularly special, he walked with such enjoyment and delight, marveling at unfamiliar sights with an inquisitive gaze. His focused expression and occasional smiles reminded me once again of Neil Wesley.As noon approached and the sun reached its zenith, I couldn't bear to let Neil walk under the scorching sun. He was my precious treasure, meant to be cherished, not to be exposed to the harsh sunlight. We stepped into a high-end Japanese restaurant where I had also reserved a buffet. Neil was far too thin for his height of 170 cm, weighing just around 50 kg. If I didn't help him gain weight, I wouldn't be Ryan Lucas.He ate with great enthusiasm. I was quite amazed at his digestive capacity; even after a hefty breakfast that could feed two and
"Neil, what happened three years ago?""It was the year the school organized a holiday trip that everyone had to attend. I was worried about the cost because, living in an orphanage, I had no money. But then the school said a philanthropist had sponsored our trip. Everyone in our orphanage was so happy because it was our first chance to go somewhere other than the orphanage or school. Thanks to that philanthropist, we had our first trip."The first trip. That meant there had been no such arrangements before, only three years ago. I pulled out my phone and sent a quick message to Ethan, asking him to check the records of all the holiday trips organized by Rollen Boy’s School. Then I quickly put my phone away; I needed to know more and couldn't interrupt Neil's confession.I held his hand tightly. "I remember we were divided into two groups that year: one for a sea trip and one for a mountain trip. I initially chose the mountain trip because I'm afraid of the sea. But on the day of the