The Bond

Ch 84

"Bold."/"Bold italic" : animatronic is talking/animatronic is talking in mind

"Normal."/"Normal italic." : human is talking/human is talking in mind

=o^o=

Ennard stared blankly at the house in front of him, his lips forming a straight line, and he looked more serious. Today he checked Michael's old house. From the outside, one could see that the residence had not been taken care of.

His black eyes glanced back when he sensed someone taking a step—apparently just an unknown stranger who happened to be passing by. He pulled the brim of his hat down further so that the shadow of the hat covered his face; the iron complexion that covered a quarter of his face was covered in makeup, thanks to Michael. Ennard stared again ahead for a while, then to the right and left, then back to the house.

Presumably he had to be careful, Alice might catch up with them and Alice had seen his human form before—that was worse than Mark. Should he change his hair color? But it would be useless if Alice still recognized the shape of his face.

Deciding not to worry too much about it, he decided to walk around Michael's house and take a look from the side. There was no major damage or sign that the house had been rummaged, so Michael didn't need to be too worry. Even so, Ennard understood his anxiety, the house was the only thing left of the eldest's family.

Someone tapped him on the shoulder, he quickly turned around after swatting the hand away hard, his teeth chattering as he readied his fighting stance.

The man immediately raised both hands up, equally surprised.

It was Halberg.

Ennard frowned and with some hesitation took off his current position. He didn't say anything but glared the black-haired man up and down, realizing that Halberg really didn't recognize him at all. Halberg also glared back at him intently. He stayed in place with his gaze sharpening at Halberg.

"Are you new here?"

Halberg's first question.

"No, just happened to pass by." Ennard shifted his gaze from Halberg to Michael's house.

"Why do you keep staying in this place?" Halberg folded his arms across his chest, eyeing himself suspiciously. "What's your business?"

"And what's your business meddling in mine?"

Halberg was silent for a moment, as if he didn't know what to answer—or was looking for the right words to reply. "This house belonged to an old friend of mine, and I saw you standing there looking at it for a long time."

One of Ennard's eyebrows rose. "You're spying on me?"

"No—of course not!" Halberg argued, the bridge of his nose starting to pucker as well as his forehead. "I just ... happened to be passing by."

He didn't say anything for a few moments, leaving them in a very awkward silence. Ennard restrained himself from bringing his fist into Halberg's stupid face. "What if I told you this house was sold to me?"

Halberg rolled his eyes. "It's impossible!" he exclaimed in disbelief. "Terrance can't just sell his house. You lied."

"You're right, I lied." Ennard snorted loudly at Halberg's dumbfounded look.

For a moment Halberg was silent. "I know Terrance, after all he owns nothing but this house. Even he doesn't have family anymore, so he's not that stupid to give other people his only shelter." Halberg knit his eyebrows together, his lips forming a slanted line. "Except he has had a better life elsewhere, forgetting everything just like that as if he didn't do any of that in the past." The man gritted his teeth in annoyance. "That damn bitch."

His irritation suddenly skyrocketed hearing that. Ennard clenched his fists tightly and tried to restrain himself from acting based on his emotions—Halberg knew nothing about what Michael had been through. It pissed him off. "You must be very close to him," he replied.

Halberg shrugged his shoulders. "You could say that. We were pretty close back then—what's more, we've been dating and loved each other for a long time, I know him inside and outside."

"Telling me that made your anger earlier caused by him breaking up with you." The corners of Ennard's lips twitched, he rolled his eyes in boredom—he couldn't believe he had to say something like this, such a waste of time.

"Perhaps. Sometimes I think I still have feelings for him."

Ennard's black eyes flickered briefly.

"But that's a stupid thing, I hate him for something else." Halberg continued, his tone a mix of exasperation and suppressed wrath. Before long, he looked at the red-haired man for a few moments. "I shouldn't say that to a stranger," he said. "What's your name, by the way? I'm Mark Halberg."

Ennard was silent for a minute or two, not budging at all as his gaze was fixated on Halberg. Then his eyes shifted to the house. "Alexander."

"Nice to meet you then—"

He suddenly turned around and walked away from Halberg before Halberg could finish talking, he didn't bother to look back for what expression Halberg was showing because of that—if he lingered there, he might really smack Halberg in the head, to the asphalt. His brow never stopped furrowing, he pursed his lips together as his steps quickened to where they were stopping now; at least he could tell Michael that his house was still in the same state.

It might be reckless to speak to Halberg, Ennard growled in exasperation. It wasn't like he didn't have any other options. Too careless. All this only for the eldest Afton. He should have stayed hating him.

"Enn!"

Bless him.

Michael immediately approached him as soon as he opened the door of the house, he had not even stepped inside. Ennard didn't reply anything but glared at Michael intensely, for some reason seeing Michael's face made him even more annoyed. There was nothing wrong with the brown-haired man at all, but he felt so irritated. Was it because of his encounter with Halberg? Or because of what Halberg said?

"Your house doesn't turn into junk, stop worrying." Ennard passed Michael right after Michael stopped in front of him, not even glancing at him as he walked.

Michael turned and caught up with him as usual. "Really? That's good then." He could imagine that Michael now had a wide grin on his face. "But you look grumpy, did something happen? You're okay, right? Not hurt right?"

"No."

"Sometimes I think I still have feelings for him."

His teeth were chattering and it took him a few moments to let out a heavy breath. His head suddenly hurt.

"Enn, are you all right?" Michael preceded him to make him stop walking away from him, they were now facing each other and Michael looked worried. "You don't look fine, what's wrong? You can tell me."

"We've been dating and loved each other for a long time."

"Dawson!"

Michael flinched hearing that exclamation from him, he didn't give much response to Michael's words at all. Before long, the summoned girl appeared from the direction of the stairs, looking at them with a twinkle of joy in her eyes. Lucy descended the stairs quicker after that, then approached the two of them—toward Ennard to be precise.

"It's good you're finally home!" Lucy said, Michael raised both eyebrows.

Ennard replied. "Did you finish cleaning up the remaining room?"

"Not yet! That's why it's good that you're finally home, I need extra strength to lift some stuff." Lucy straight away grabbed Ennard's hand and almost dragged him on their way, but she stopped to look at Michael that seemed confused. "Oh also, Mike, sorry I borrow Ennard to clean up first." That was what Lucy said before dragging Ennard back upstairs, also accompanied by a big smile before turning around.

Michael was speechless, he didn't know how to react, but this feeling hurt him.