(8)

"Haha, don't nuzzle me like that, your hair is really silky now."

Lucian laughed while stroking the horse he finished brushing. He patted the horse that was nuzzling his hand again, the horse then puffed through its nostrils, its vibrate with a loud purring sound. Lucian accelerated his strokes on the head of the horse who was happy with Lucian's caressing.

"You're really cute, but I gotta go back to check the vineyard .."

Glancing to the side, Lucian steps halted, noticing the water bucket for the horse to drink was almost half empty. Giving the horse one last stroke before going out from the stable. He was unaware that the sky had already grown dark outside.

As he ran hastily to get to the well, he heard the faint sound of people chattering in the distance. The well was located near a flower garden, so perhaps some maids were just taking a walk there so Lucian nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders.

He continued to go to the well, fetched the water and poured it into a large bucket. The voice of the conversation was getting closer to his position. From behind the wooden wall, Lucian raised his head to peek.

"????"

A man with blond hair was walking with a man who was bigger and taller than him. Lucian did not expect he would see Ivan walking around here. There were many other paths in the large backyard of the Douglass mansion. But this shortcut was very rarely passed, especially by important guests, this place was less cared for and close to the stables.

Ivan walked with a man beside him, they walked towards the stables. At the moment Lucian's eyes caught the figure of the man who was walking together with Ivan, he immediately froze. It was a familiar man, tall and well-built with broad chest, fiery auburn hair that made him look manly even from a distance. The alpha male that Lucian did not want to meet at all.

Lucian's premonition was getting bad, he lowered his head even more, hiding behind the wooden wall.

The auburn haired man, Gerald Warrick, walked into the stables and soon came out again with an expression that sent chills down his spine.

Lucian could not hear their conversation, Ivan seemed to be explaining something. A feeling of nervousness crept up his chest, when the two of them drew closer to Lucian's position, Lucian swiftly squatted down from behind the wooden wall. The well was enclosed by a thin wall so he could not be seen, but what if they decided to inspect this place?

What are they looking for?

Lucian did not know but had a bad feeling about the atmosphere. The expression on the man's face was cold, jaw clenched and eyes that looked hideous, very different from the man he had interacted with two years ago. He looked like a completely different person.

Damn it.

He needed to hide, even though he had no idea why he had to do that. His instincts told him to hide. He made the decision to hide behind a pile of dry wood, and as the sound of footsteps drew nearer, he curled up into a ball, hugging his knees, hoping they would not inspect this area.

"Ivan, I can't believe that you're hiding this from me. We've been friends for a long time but you just told me about this today."

"Sorry, my father always protected Lucian."

"That's stupid excuse. So where is he now? You said he was in the stables but he wasn't there."

"Maybe he's in his hut."

"Hut?"

"I kicked him out of the mansion and make him live in a hut near the vineyard behind the flower garden on the right wing. He's so annoying, also how can I let the son of a criminal stay in my mansion?! Besides father is no longer here to defend that bitch!"

BAM—

The sound of a wooden wall being punched sounded very loud, Lucian flinched a little then covered his mouth with both hands, he still lowered his head, listening to the conversation of the two men made Lucian realize that they were both looking for him.

Gerald's tone of voice when he spoke sounded like someone without emotion, even though his way of speaking seemed calm, Lucian could feel something eery tucked into every word he uttered. It sounded like an authority looking for someone who had escaped his capture. Calm but there was serious firmness to immediately find the man he was looking for.

"Hut by the vineyard in the right wing flower garden, right?"

"Hey! Gerald! Why do you want to see him? Wait for me—"

The sound of footsteps continuing to walk away from this path, Lucian tried to catch his breath. He also wanted to know the reason why the marquess was looking for his whereabouts.

Could it be—

Did he know about Lucian's secret?

No way.

Impossible. No one knew that apart from his father. Or maybe his father told him that it was Lucian who helped him in the murder case.

No— Then Lucian would have been caught a long time ago. The father never uttered his name once. He was so stubborn that even to the end of his life, he did not think of Lucian as his son.

Even his closest butler— Rogan. Had no idea about this case.

"I want to see the son of a bastard who killed my father and brother. I have something important to talk to him about, just me and him."

The voice sounded far away, but the area was quiet so Lucian could hear the answer clearly.

"Why are you so eager to meet him? Forget about him and come back with me for dinner, I have a lot of things I want to talk to you about, after all his father has already been executed."

Ivan's voice sounded sweet, Gerald did not answer, they were silent like that for a while, which made Lucian even more anxious.

"Gerald, he's just a lowlife so don't mind him, just spend your day now with me … we haven't had time to chat together for a long time, you are always busy with your work, so come on."

"Ivan, can you shut your mouth?"

At the low cold voice that came out of the mouth of the man named Gerald, he heard the sound of footsteps halted, Ivan was probably in shock to hear Gerald talk that way to him, Lucian was the same, he widened his eyes not expecting the warm and friendly man he previously met, to be someone who was standing tall with a terrifying aura.

"Gerald, you— ... No, I won't shut my mouth, I won't let you meet that guy!" Ivan yelled, "I should have kicked him out of here if I knew you wanted to see him again!"

"You misunderstood Ivan, I wanted to meet that man because I despise him, he's someone who—" Gerald's voice was cut off, but it seemed that even with Gerald's unfinished explanation, Ivan's voice became calmer.

"Really, you despise him? you are not lying to me?"

There was a pause, but then— "Yes, I despise him, the whole Gifford family is filthy, I can't wait to end their bloodline."

After that, the sound of footsteps and laughter from Ivan, getting farther and farther away. Lucian sat pensively for a moment, his eyes trembling, he looked down feeling his body grow cold.

What to do?

He had always planned to leave this mansion, but his savings were not enough yet so Lucian patiently waited until the money he collected was enough for him to move to another region, he wanted to buy a small house in the countryside, far away— in the place where no one could recognize him.

That was the plan from many years ago after his father was caught. The cowardly plan he decided upon.

Biting his fingernails, his eyes staring blankly at the dirty wooden walls.

What to do? What should I do?

Lucian really did not know what to do anymore, his only option was to run away from here but his money and clothes were all stored away in the hut he was living in.

After lingering hiding behind a pile of dry wood. There was no sound anymore, only the sound of the rustling wind blowing against the tall cedar trees around this area could be heard. Lucian slowly straightened his body, his head peeked out for a moment then breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that there was no one around.

From the way he said it, Marquess Gerald seemed to know something, his kind and warm voice was no longer heard when he spoke.

Throb. Lucian felt a tightness in his chest. He knew he should not be a coward and confess all his sins, but Lucian himself felt that he was not ready to atone for his sins.

Therefore he walked out weakly, his eyes looking right and left. Most likely marquess Gerald would be waiting for him at the hut until Lucian came back so one of his current choices was; running away.

Lucian ran to the back into the forest area, taking the short cut out through the forest, not wanting to risk running into marquess Gerald if he chose to run through the front gate.

This shortcut was only known by the Douglass family, Lucian knew this when he was walking around the mansion area with the late marquess Douglass.

He ran again like a coward.

Saying something contradictory many times.

It's not my fault.

It's my fault.

It's not my sin.

It's my sin.

If he was ready, he promised God he would atone for all his sins and accept the consequences of the crimes he had committed. But for now, Lucian was still a coward.

His feet moved quietly through the small street which was not so crowded because the day was already dark, some people walking on this street occasionally glanced towards Lucian.

The man with ginger hair color, pale white skin, who was also an omega, certainly made a lot of people's attention fall on him. Lucian pulled his coat tighter, covering half of his face whenever he felt someone trying to approach closer.