The Duke's Passion

Chapter 746  Change of plans

When Samael came inside Law's chambers where his wife and son were, he stopped several steps from the shut door. His eyes fell on Lilou and Law, sitting on the futon. Her eyes were almost puffy from all the crying, and the tip of her nose had already turned red. Meanwhile, the worry in Law's eyes was evident. A deep exhale slipped past his mouth, resuming in his steps until he was standing near the coffee table. Lilou looked away from him, looking back at Law.

"Mother." Law smiled subtly at her. "I will leave you two alone."

To his surprise, Lilou held his hand and shook her head. "Stay."

"But…"

"I agree with your mother, Law." Law raised his eyes at Samael at his remarks, watching the latter walk towards them. Samael squatted down in front of Lilou, holding Law's other hand. "I think this is a discussion you need to hear, son. We're family, and whether or not we like it, we cannot keep you in the dark."

"Your mother and I failed to stop this from happening," Samael continued, casting Lilou a look. "And as a result, we have no other choice but to get you involved. Or at least, let you know everything."

Lilou's eyes softened with bitterness while Samael cupped her cheek. Samael then squeezed Law's hand with his other hand, smiling subtly at his son. "I'm sorry for dragging you in this," he breathed out, but Law shook his head. "As father said, we're family. And this predicament is our family's problem, not just mother's and father's." The smile on Law's face stretched slightly, nodding in understanding. "Don't blame yourselves. This is bound to happen, anyway, since people just won't sit idly by knowing our family is at peace."

Law squeezed his father's hand and then looked at Lilou. "Don't cry, Mother. Everything will be alright."

"Law." Her lip stretched faintly, patting Law's silver hair gently. "God…" Samael breathed out and before the two could react, he pulled Lilou and Law into his embrace. He was still squatting down, but his arms were around Lilou and Law. "Everything will be fine. Our family will be complete again. I promise."

Lilou pressed her lips into a thin line while Law smiled gently. They could feel the vibration of Samael's body against them, making them place their hands on Samael's back to pat it mildly. Samael had always brought forth a brave front, as he couldn't afford to be weak ever since the regression. He told no one about his fears and worries, and no one also knew how he loathed and blamed himself all this time. Only now did Law realize how strong his father was. Not just by brute strength, but his heart was strong. Samael had been Law's pillar of support from the beginning — even back in Minowa when Lilou was in a deep slumber for years. "Everything will be fine. I promise." Samael's voice shook, breathing through his gaping mouth. "Sunny will be fine."

Lilou nodded. She didn't have the heart to argue with him anymore; she had already unleashed all her frustrations the entire night. "I'm sorry, Sam," she whispered. "And thank you for coming to me."

"I trust you, Father," Law chimed in with a calm voice. "You promised to take back Mother, and you did. So, I know you'll keep your promise."

Samael carefully released his wife and son, smiling at them. He ruffled Law's hair mildly and then cupped Lilou's face. He then reached for their hands, nodding encouragingly at them. His lips parted, but no words came out. But words weren't what they needed. The three of them remained silent, looking at each other. Their lips curled up subtly, holding each other's hands, and reassuring each other with just the warmth of their hands. "We can overcome this," Lilou's voice pierced the silence dominating them. "Our family can overcome this."

"We will…" Samael smacked his lips. "For sure."

******

Lilou, Samael, and Law stayed in the chambers for over an hour. When Samael left the room while Lilou and Law washed up, he ordered Rufus to summon everyone. And that summon also included Heliot. Fortunately, Heliot didn't make a fuss and answered this summon since he also needed to discuss important matters with Samael. With that, everyone gathered in the dining hall since the table was wider to cater to the new people — Claude, Lilou, and Klaus — who attended. Stefan was also present, sitting on the head seat. On his right were Samael, Lilou, and Law. Several vacant seats from Law was Claude. On Stefan's left sat Heliot, Tilly, and then two vacant seats were Klaus. Rufus was leaning against the wall with his arms folded under his chest. Meanwhile, Fabian stood behind Samael while holding a tray after serving them teas and snacks. Silence dominated the dining hall as neither of them spoke. Heliot's curious eyes could not help but gloss over everyone's faces. "It seemed this meeting gets more packed every time." Heliot's monotonous voice shattered the prolonged silence, eyes lingering on Lilou's face. He narrowed his eyes slightly, discerning that there was something odd about that unsuspecting woman. Lilou snapped her eyes ever so tenderly, holding Heliot's midnight blue eyes. His eyes were always so enthralling, like a night full of stars. But unlike their previous encounter, she didn't have the leisure to marvel at the beauty of his eyes. "We need to split." Lilou peeled her eyes away from Heliot and set them at Stefan squarely. "As you all know, Lakresha helped me remember my lost memories. The effect of that is Klaus, who had drunk my blood back then as my chief knight also retrieved his memories."

She kept her eyes on Stefan, but the latter could feel the distance between them. "There were still certain people whom we need for our plans to succeed. After all, I cannot allow my dearest friend to be a scapegoat." Lilou then cast Heliot a cursory look. "The land of Karo might be in danger since he didn't kill me just as he was ordered," she continued, making Heliot's brows furrow. "He had helped me a lot in the past. Betraying him wasn't the repayment I am willing to give him."

Her eyes glossed over everyone's faces. "If anyone disagrees with me, Lakresha will answer you. If not, we need to revise our plans today."

Lilou remained silent for a long time, waiting for anyone to raise an objection. When a full minute had passed without anyone disagreeing, she rested her arms against the edge of the table. "Since no one disagreed, will you listen to my plan?"