"Are you hiding something from us, Julian?" Adrian asked, his voice calm but firm.
He was currently writing alphabets, practicing his strokes as Julian sat beside him, teaching him.
Adrian hadn’t had much time to learn from Ruby, and even if he did, he wasn’t sure if he could handle her teaching style. There was still a some tension between them.
But Julian teaching him? That was fine.
Adrian wanted to learn how to read and write. He didn’t want to remain an uneducated ghost forever.
Milo, who had been paying extra attention to Julian, suddenly spoke.
"Yes, yes! Are you hiding something from us?" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, scooting closer to examine Julian’s face.
Julian shook his head immediately.
"How should I hide something from you guys? I don’t hide anything," he said casually, but there was a slight hesitation in his voice.
Adrian and Milo stared at him.
Then, they exchanged glances.
They weren’t convinced.
Meanwhile, Karl was sitting off to the side, eating grapes like fruits—ones he had gotten for free from Brother Kenji.
Hearing their conversation, he rolled his eyes.
"Julian never hides anything from us... if it’s something big."
With that, he popped another fruit into his mouth and ignored them.
Karl had grown tired of trying to understand why everyone was acting weirdly.
So, he simply stopped thinking about it altogether.
’It’s so good not to use my brain~~’ Karl thought lazily as he chewed on his fruit.
He had heard somewhere that if you don’t use your brain at a young age, you can save it for old age.
Where did he hear that again?
Karl liked Brother Hugo. Why? Because Brother Hugo had saved him from Bald Sasa!
Which meant—everything Brother Hugo said must be right.
With that profound wisdom in mind, Karl seriously stopped thinking about anything serious.
Adrian and Milo nodded their heads in silent agreement.
They both considered whether they should tell Karl about Ruby and Julian’s secret affair.
But after a brief moment of thought, they both came to the same conclusion—
Telling Karl was too risky.
If they told him, there were two possible outcomes
First, Karl would become hyper and furious, throwing a tantrum loud enough to wake the dead.
Second, Karl would start crying miserably, drowning in self-pity.
Neither option was something they wanted to deal with.
So... they decided to keep Karl in the dark.
And Karl, blissfully unaware, continued munching on his free fruits, completely at peace with life.
Julian stepped outside in the afternoon sun, his hands reaching for the clothes hanging on the line. He was just checking if they had dried properly when his body suddenly froze.
Standing near the clothesline, waiting as if he had all the time in the world, was Levi.
A familiar wave of irritation surged through Julian’s chest. Why was he here?
His grip on the fabric tightened as he turned to face him. "What are you doing here?" Julian asked, his tone sharp.
Levi, as always, had that mocking smirk on his lips.
"Oh dear cousin! We’re family. We should meet often. Why are you getting so angry?" Levi drawled, tilting his head.
Julian’s eyes narrowed. "No. Please, just go away."
But Levi only chuckled, taking a slow step closer.
"Oh, but don’t you want to know why I’m here?" His voice was mocking, teasing.
Julian stiffened but quickly shook his head. "No, I don’t want to know anything." He turned back to the clothes, trying to ignore him.
But Levi wasn’t done yet.
"Oh, I know your wife isn’t home today," Levi mused, his smirk deepening. "Aren’t you even a little curious where she might be?"
Julian froze again. His hand paused over the fabric.
Levi’s sharp eyes gleamed with amusement.
Because he had been watching.
Watching Ruby’s every move.
And, of course, he knew exactly where she was.
He also knew something else—Julian and Ruby’s relationship was strained.
Because if it wasn’t... wouldn’t Julian already be pregnant? It’s been two years since they were married, after all.
Julian’s fists clenched. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice cold, trying to control his anger.
Levi’s smirk widened. "Oh? Do you want to know what I’ve seen?"
Julian’s jaw tightened, but Levi saw the flicker of hesitation in his cousin’s eyes.
He had already planted the seed of doubt... and now, he could see it starting to grow.
Now, it was time to make it bloom completely.
"Do you know why your wife is changing?" Levi continued smoothly, his tone dripping with amusement. "Why she’s suddenly acting different? Pushing herself? Trying so hard to prove something?"
Julian remained silent, his brows furrowed in frustration.
"She’s doing it for someone else," Levi said, voice slow, deliberate. "Your wife is seeing someone else. She’s changing because of him. For him."
A sharp sting shot through Julian’s chest. No.
Levi took in the way Julian’s face darkened, the way his hands trembled slightly.
He had hit the target.
"You’re lying," Julian snapped. "Leave. Or I will forget you were ever my cousin."
Levi merely shrugged. "Oh, don’t believe me then."
Then, his smirk curled into something even more dangerous.
"But if you don’t believe me... why don’t you confirm it with your own eyes?"
"Levi, I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but stop it!" Julian’s voice was sharp, his patience wearing thin. His fists clenched tightly, his nails almost digging into his palms.
Levi simply chuckled, his smirk never fading.
"Oh? You trust your wife that much?" he said, tilting his head. "Then why do you look so tense, dear cousin?"
Julian gritted his teeth, refusing to let Levi get to him.
"Your words don’t affect me," he said firmly, but the way his jaw tightened told a different story.
Levi watched him, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Then why are your hands shaking?"
Julian quickly relaxed his grip, hiding any sign of doubt.
"Because I’m angry," he snapped. "Not because I believe you."
Levi let out a low chuckle. "Ah, but doubt is a tricky thing, Julian. Even if you trust her, the thought will stay in your head now, won’t it?"
Julian stayed silent, refusing to let Levi win.
"Go home, Levi," he said coldly.
—To be continued...🪄