Chapter 633 - Aleksis Request (17 ++) (1/2)

Nicolae could only gulp down the wine and didn't answer. He didn't want to pretend to have forgotten about Aleksis in front of his brother.

”I still need time.” In the end, that was all he said.

Nicolae didn't like being alone. That's why he had recently enjoyed living with his father and now with the twins. If he was alone, he would often think of the four years he was together with Aleksis, and that's not good.

He remembered that he waited for Aleksis to accept his proposal for more than three years. Nicolae sometimes imagined how it would have been if he had been a little more aggressive and asked Aleksis to accept his love back then. They could have been married now, and the child who would be born soon would be his child.

If Alaric returned when Nicolae had already married Aleksis, then inevitably, Alaric and Aleksis's marriage would be annulled because of his 'death'.

He remembered all the things they went through together. Their adventures with the twins to the Caribbean, to Africa, to Asia, to Iceland to see the aurora, and when he proposed to Aleksis...

To be able to forget all that, Nicolae needed time.

He used to tell Aleksis that she could continue to live with Nicolae without having to forget her memories with Alaric. Alaric was Aleksis's first love, and Nicolae hoped to be her last one.

But now, he couldn't apply the same advice for himself. How could he move forward in his life without forgetting his memories with Aleksis? Aleksis was still alive and had married his own brother. They would always meet on the family events. He must forget everything they had in the past, and it would take time, effort, and great patience.

Alaric himself felt sad when he heard Nicolae's words. He knew Nicolae still needed time, but how long? Their father had been in mourning for the death of their mother for over a hundred years, and his heart was still not recovering. Will Nicolae also take this long to move on?

Alaric could only hope that Nicolae would find a good woman someday, the one who could take Aleksis' place in his heart.

”I understand,” he said finally. ”I just want you to know that I'm grateful, and I will never forget your kindness to my family.”

Nicolae nodded. He looked at Alaric with a complicated look. ”...Aleksis and I haven't done anything. I loved her, but I wasn't in a hurry, so I haven't done anything to her...”

Alaric smiled and patted his shoulder. ”I know.”

There was no secret between him and Aleksis. Since they reunited, Alaric and Aleksis had agreed to be open to each other in all matters. They had experienced the consequences of covering up their identities almost eleven years ago, and as a result, various problems had arisen, which led to their ten years of separation. At that moment, he didn't know Aleksis was an alchemist, and neither did Aleksis know of his identity.

Alaric had known that Aleksis and Nicolae were in a relationship for four years before he returned. He knew how Nicolae really looked after and protected Aleksis and his two children just like he would for his own family. Alaric also learned about his brother's proposal under the aurora and various plans that Nicolae and Aleksis wanted to do before his return.

He was very sympathetic toward his brother and didn't want to add to Nicolae's suffering.

They continued to drink and chat for a while before Alaric finally excused himself and went back home. At the mansion, he was greeted by his wife, who was apparently still awake and had been waiting for his arrival.

”Hey, why haven't you slept yet?” Alaric asked when he saw Aleksis greet him at the door. ”It's already midnight.”

”I can't sleep,” Aleksis confessed. ”What about the children?”

”All good. They seem happy to be living with Daddy Nic again,” Alaric answered with a smile.