If I Could Live Again

CHAPTER 32

Sweat trickled down the side of a pale face of a young man. He was commendable enough to maintain a straight expression infront of someone who might kill him in a second.

"Yes, he is", Elin answered without hesitation.

"I knew it! I knew it! I had a bad feeling but to think I was right", the King stood up and paced around the room.

"Please calm down, pops. It's not like we're going to get married just because we are fated", Elin tried to console his father.

"She's right, Your Highness. I am not ----", Leo was about to back her up when Callahan interrupted.

"What? You mean that you don't like my daughter? Is that it?", Callahan confronted Leo.

"Is that it?", Fynn stood on the left side of his father while repeating Callahan's words. Lucian joined them while standing on his father's left.

"No. No. I like her. I ---", Leo was again intervened by the King.

"I knew it! Are you saying you're going to propose to her now? Is that proposal I hear? Hmmmm?!", Callahan let out an intimidating aura.

"Hmmm?!", both brothers were trying to imitate their father. Leo seemed like a trembling cub against a streak of tigers.

"No ---", Leo tried to explain again but was again cut off by Callahan.

"So you mean that my daughter is not beautiful? Is that it?", the brawly man shook the young one.

"No. No. She is indeed beautiful", Leo was beginning to get confused.

"Pops, please calm down, will you?", Elin was beginning to get embarrassed so she softly grabbed his father's arm to stop him. She led him to the sofa for him to relax while Leo stood beside Nero.

"Pa, I know Leo and I are fated but I'm not going to marry just because fate told us so. I can't marry someone I just met", Elin assured Callahan of her decision.

"That is definitely true. Besides, he's not worthy of our Elin", Fynn haughtily remarked.

Pfft

Nero snickered when he heard the prince. Leo was irritated by the silent ridicule of Nero. He elbowed him to stop.

"What is your deal?", Nero whispered with a threatening voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought no one was here cuz all I can see is a shadow", Leo retorted.

"You should be happy that I didn't shred you into pieces. If the princess was not with you the other day, you wouldn't have existed now. Have you forgotten what I told you before? That if I see you with her, you won't see the light of day ever again?", Nero's eyes began to darken.

"Huh! Why not do it now?", Leo dared him.

"Why would I listen to you? For someone who trembles infront of the King, you sure talk big", Nero calmed down and openly mocked him.

"Who would not tremble against him?", Leo grumbled.

"Me", Nero mumbled while smiling.

"This is not what I wanted to talk about. I have something else to ask", Elin looked sideways to the people present in the room. Seeing her act that way, Callahan ordered everyone except Nera to leave. All of them left without hesitation.

"What do you want to know, Muffin?", Nera sat beside them.

"Uhhhmmm. Why did you not try to take me back when I was still young?", Elin hesitated for a bit. The couples looked at each other before answering her.

"The time when you got kidnapped, an anti-magic amulet was placed on you so we had a hard time locating your exact place but we didn't stop searching. I always wished for a miracle to happen. After about 8 years, Nero was able to locate you maybe because the amulet got lost or was probably broken. He immediately went to see you and that's when you met him for the first time. We also peeked but we couldn't dare approach immediately and say, 'hey, we are your long lost family'. You might end up rejecting us in the process and I can't possibly fathom the feeling of being rejected by my precious baby so we decided to enter your life slowly. We patiently waited for you to come", Nera explained to her.

"We also asked Nero to protect you in our place. He usually reports us of what was happening inside. You know what, after hearing it, your father wanted to barge in that mansion and destroy the place", She patted her daughter.

"Good thing he didn't. That would be a disaster", Elin giggled.

"We already now about your plans but Nero did not divulge everything as to respect your decisions", Nera continued.

"I see", Elin meekly smiled.

"We're sorry for being late, muffin. Will you forgive us?", Callahan hugged her daughter tight.

"It's okay, Ma, Pops. I'm not angry. Do not ask for my forgiveness. I'm even elated that I'm already with everyone. You even went to such lengths to see me. I'm just thankful", Elin hugged them both.

"Do you have more questions to ask? Feel free to do so, muffin", Nera kissed Elin's head while still hugging her.

"No, I have none", Elin genuinely smiled.

"Our darling baby girl is all grown up. I'm so happy to have you as our child. You have done a very good job up until now", She kissed her daughter's forehead.

"It seems that your siblings are eager to be with you right now", Nera implied. Elin went outside smiling as she saw her siblings standing on the hallway agitated.

"The case is not yet closed, young lady", Callahan shouted for them to hear. Elin just laughed and waved them goodbye before going someplace else.

"I hope she's okay, dear", Nera leaned against her husband.

"I'm sure she's fine. She resembles you after all", Callahan strokes his wife's cheeks

"Well, that's a bit worrisome", Nera laughed. She gestured Callahan to continue his work since it was delayed by all the fuss awhile ago. Callahan cuddled his wife.

"Can we just stay like this for awhile?", the King pleaded.

"Well, if we continue like this, I might assume that you want a round of that", Nera smiled.

"I - I, uhhhh, uhhhh", the King kept on stuttering while blushing.

"So if you don't go back now, I might hog you all to myself", Nera teased him again.

"You know how much I'm trying to hold myself back, love", Callahan let out a big sigh.

"Well, If you can finish that all now, we can continue where we left off later", Nera whispered in his ear. Callahan immediately stood up and went back to his desk. He was now efficiently fast on doing his paperworks.