"F-father??! Eli what's going on?" Leon's face became intensely dark and stiff.
He looked at Eli in disbelief.
"Leon this.. It's a misun-" Eli was about to explain when Zale's egotistical voice interrupted.
"Who else is as awesome as me to be Little Han's father? Huh...?" Putting his arms on his waist, he flexed his eight-pack abs for Leon and all the bunch to see.
By saying "Father", what he meant was as Little Han's godfather, he, along with the other guardians will be Little Han's parents in case Eli and Leon wouldn't be around.
Sylvain couldn't take it anymore and dragged Zale from his sash to move out already. He mentally communicated to Leon, "Common Bro! The Overseer might punish us if we delay any further!"
"Well, I still have some matters to do! Young Eli take care! I'll see you and our little baby!" Zale then speedily said goodbye alluringly, after he received Sylvain's message.
By using the word "our" he was referring not only to himself but to the rest of the guardians with him in disguise.
'Young Eli take care! I'll see you and OUR little baby!???' Leon's mind went nuts.
To think that Eli had already promised to marry another man, and even acknowledge that man as Little Han's father?!
No wonder Eli was so adamant to have clear-cut boundaries with him. It was because she had already committed to another man!
The grandpas, the bunch, and the cloaked man were all left in awkward silence.
Especially the three new members of the project team - Meredith, Bramwell, and Zeke. They were not yet aware of Eli's connection to the Imperial Family.
At this moment they all felt fear and confusion. But they couldn't afford to make a tiny noise right now. Because what was in front of them was the Barbaric Blood Prince!
The Barbaric Blood Prince!
The Angry Barbaric Blood Prince!!!
"Sigh… Leon, let's go inside and I'll tell you everything." Looking at Leon's reaction, Eli immediately knew that Leon misunderstood who Zale was.
She felt at a loss because she was not comfortable enough to disclose her connection with the guardians. However, she knew that Leon wouldn't want to leave without an answer.
"Yes we need to talk… I really need to hear what this is all about…" Leon said in a very low and dangerous tone.
Yet before he took a step, the grandpas stepped forward and said,
"Seeing the situation right now, you two must talk in the presence of the elders. To make sure that the two of you are in calm and in good temper." They looked towards Leon in high alert.
"Grandmasters, I am very calm right now.." Leon said coldly, however an aura of bloodlust was seeping out of his body.
"Now, now the elders are right, be a good boy and talk inside." The cloaked man patted Leon's shoulders and urged him to do as the elders wanted.
"I am very calm!!!" Leon said a bit harshly.
Everyone stopped and looked at Leon in surprise. Even the cloaked man, it was the first time he saw the cold and deadpan prince throw such tantrums.
"Hahh... It seems that you need to cool down first, Your Highness.." The cloaked man said, he then turned to Eli and rest to apologetically say,
"Esteemed Elders, could you wait for a moment outside, we'll follow once His Highness' mind is clear already. The young lady might be strained from staying outside for too long."
The grandpas nodded then guarded Eli side by side as they went back to the cottage.
The reputation of the Barbaric Prince didn't come with no basis. They had to make sure that whatever the conversation will be, Eli must not be harmed by the Prince's reputed temper.
The rest awkwardly went back to their tasks as they wouldn't dare to pry on the blood prince's business. Yet all of them stared at Eli's receding figure with a worried expressions.
The cloaked man then dragged Leon to another location and immediately pulled his hood down.
He was a delicate-looking yet handsome man, his hair was shining copper brown, it was long and straight with charming side bangs. His reddish-brown eyes are captivating yet his entire face speaks of nothing but gentleness and wisdom.
If the Blood Prince was a beautiful war god, he was a stunning benevolent saint. If Eli was here, she would immediately recognize this man.
It was none other than Einz, or Kayden by his real name.
"Now talk, Leon... What made you so irked about the situation?" He asked calmly.
Leon did not answer, he just clenched his fist tightly.
Seeing Leon not intending to answer, Kayden helplessly helped his friend get a sense of reality,
"As far as I know, you just wanted to take her in to ensure her safety. As for another man in her life, you are completely out of bounds."
Leon still did not answer, but he hung his head low.
"You are only her friend. Whoever she was seeing, it was out of your concern. Whoever she met on the way you have no right to say anything against it. It's because you have just recently entered her life."
By this time Kayden saw his dear friend flinch without saying a word. He let out a heavy sigh and chose to completely wake up his friend.
"I hate to break it to you Leon, you are really just a friend right now."
"That, that is why I am angry…." Leon finally uttered something, he was clearly agitated as he barely squeezed out the words as if he was holding himself back from crying.
"Hoho... It's been a while since I last saw you in this state, almost on the verge of crying!" Kayden couldn't help but crack a joke in the midst of the serious conversation.
However, deep inside he was happy to see that this big boy blood prince was still the little sensitive kid he knew back then.
"Then what makes you angry about that? Last time I checked, we both saw Elise as a kid." He raised his brows in suspicion. "Do not tell me you have romantic affections towards her?"
"Romantic affections? I don't know…" Leon said with conflicted feelings.
"I just know it made my heart tight and painful when I saw her smiling so familiarly towards the half naked man…"
"I thought we were alright... We comfortably talked with each other… But I never thought that she could smile like that.."
"Hey Leon... I think you are jealous!" Kayden replied with obvious amusement.
"But when have you started to look at her like that?! Heavens! Back then you only looked at her as a responsibility, even in the midst of committing yourself to her in marriage. We both clearly knew that your intentions do not fall into that realm…" Kayden's eyes squinted with interest.
"I don't know when it started…
Maybe when I saw her nonchalantly buying everything from the poor sellers in the flea market...
Or maybe when she displayed such maturity in handling the ridicule from a random woman.
Maybe when I saw her playing the violin so beautifully…
Or maybe when she let me touch Little Han in her womb that night?
pαndα,noνɐ1,сoМ Maybe during the moments, I see her eyes shined with intelligence and wisdom as she articulated her opinion...
Or maybe the moment she said that in order for me to love, I must love myself first.."
Leon said with a defeated look, it was only now that he realized how different he looked at 'Eli' back at Riverfort than the 'Eli' now in Silvertown.
Kayden was taken aback, for two reasons. The first one was because he was actually caught off-guard to see his dear friend notice a woman to such a level of detail.
The next one was about how different Leon was describing Elise to him, the one who practically raised her like his own little sister for four years. 'Playing violin? Articulate speaking?'
However, now is not the time to pry on those matters. At this moment, he had to calm his dear friend down, so that they could face Elise safely and hear her explanations.
He again let out a heavy sigh and told Leon,
"Well, I am not the one who would dictate what you feel. Think about it for a long time, what's important right now is to ensure that you are calmed down."
"To be honest, I would very much like to hit your head! You could have scared Elise to a premature labor earlier! If you are not a royal I would really have hit you until your face is a pig head!" He harshly rebuked Leon.
"I… I'm sorry.." Realizing the implications of his tantrums a while ago, Leon apologized in shame.
"Do not say sorry to me, say sorry to Eli and your future child, you almost scared the baby out!"
Leon hung his head low guiltily.
"Now, you better work your way out to gain Elise's good impression again!" Kayden demanded.
--
Inside the cottage, Grandpa Andi immediately led Eli back into the living room to rest, while Grandpa Ben poured a glass of water to the shocked Eli.
"Thank you grandpas…" Eli thanked the two for their concern.
"Young lass, you must be shocked, how are you feeling?" The two asked worriedly, their aged eyes looked dewy, as if they were about to cry.
"Do not worry grandpas. In fact, I had already expected it. Well, I am just at a loss on how to explain everything." Eli replied with furrowed brows.
Explaining who Zale was would entail giving details about her descent in Prasinos.
What's more, she managed to identify the cloaked man behind Leon.
That gentle assuring voice. That same warm voice who gave Elise such warmth and the first taste of family love… It only belonged to Einz, now Kayden.
She was sure that Kayden would be suspicious of how she conducted herself right now. What's more, her idea of the cesarean section.
She resigned to her fate. 'Might as well tell them. I plan to tell everything to Little Han anyways.'
Taking a deep breath, she cast a glance towards the two grandpas and requested,
"Grandpas, for our conversation later... I need to be under the same array you did back then in Argentum."
The grandpas were taken aback.
Seeing the surprise from the grandpas Eli continued to explain, "What I will say will explain a lot of things. Things that I plan to keep until I die."
"No need to bother the Grand Masters, I will do it.."
A familiar voice came from the door, it was Leon with a guilt ridden face.
Beside him was Kayden.
Everyone fell into awkward silence.
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