Hearing Altair's words and Vega's cries, Nicolae became silent and unable to react. His heart was too sad to answer Altair. Why can't he be happy? Why did this have to happen to him? These two children ... whom he really loved ... were not his biological children, but his brother's.

His own child died even before it was born. Nicolae didn't even know if it was a boy or a girl.

"Dad... please, don't leave us ..." cried Vega again. "Daddy, you promised ..."

Nicolae raised his face and looked at Vega in his arms. He finally took a deep breath and stroked the little girl's hair. He still could not speak, but his head slowly nodded.

Terry appeared shortly after with a tray of food and drinks. He put it on the table beside Nicolae and signaled the two children to force Nicolae to eat.

Vega and Altair attentively persuaded Nicolae to eat something so he would not starve. Lauriel had mixed a potion into his drink, and after Nicolae took it, he felt very sleepy and then fell asleep.

Lauriel carried his son to the bed and let him sleep there so Nicolae could rest. He felt Nicolae's pulse had become weak because he did not eat and drink and did not sleep for two days in a row.

The three men, together with the twins, could only sit in the living room and fell silent. They already knew what had happened to Marie Lu and realized that Nicolae's broken heart this time was the most severe. This is not something he could get over by wandering around the world and trying to heal himself.

"This should have been an exciting new year," Terry said regretfully. "Nicolae started the year 2051 very badly."

"You should go home and get together with the others," Lauriel told him. "I'll wait for Nic here until he gets better and can go home."

Alaric and the twins actually wanted to accompany his father with Nicolae, but Marie's apartment was too small for all of them. He also still had responsibilities to his wife and their two babies. He couldn't let Aleksis struggle to take care of Ireland and Scotland alone without him.

That's why he decided to return to F Island with Altair and Vega. Terry was also forced to follow him. There was no place for him in Marie's apartment.

"I'm going to ask Takeshi to buy this building, so Nicolae can live there as he pleases," Alaric said on the way to F Island. "I'm sure my brother wants to spend more time there."

"Good idea," Terry said. "It's a shame to let the apartment occupied by someone else. Marie's memories would be thrown away and just disappear."

The new year, which was supposed to be pleasant, turned gray for the Schneider-Medici family. Even though the weather was sunny and the view of their private island looked breathtaking, no one could feel happy. Everyone was sorry for Nicolae.

Jan was still on holiday in Bali and London did not want to bother him with school matters for L, so he contacted some of his old teachers who gave private lessons for him and Rune. He wanted to help L to get a high school diploma and immediately enroll in college.

Aleksis and Alaric, together with their four children, stayed for some time in Singapore until winter was over, and then returned to their castle in Yorkshire. Lauriel accompanied Nicolae in Singapore until he felt better and finally returned to New York.

After grieving for a full month, the man decided to immerse himself in a job at university. He did not want to bother his family any longer and made his two children worried.

After the tragic event, Nicolae very rarely smiled.

***

Months passed, and the seasons changed. Winter turned into spring, which was marked by the blooming of flowers and the greening of the trees. L studied hard all spring and took the college entrance exam with the help of some professors who taught her at home.

London was very proud of his wife, who wanted to improve herself, even though she was very busy with her career as a famous singer and mother to Lily. He wholeheartedly supported L for school and helped her choose the right program.

L decided to take a literature program because she liked reading. Before the summer arrived, she had successfully made the entrance examination. She enrolled as a Literature student at the University in Berlin.

After L confirmed her college registration, on a sunny May, before spring passed, they also held their wedding in Stuttgart. This was a long-awaited event by this couple. After many failed proposals and failed wedding plans, the two of them were finally able to get married for real. They held the wedding reception attended by all members of the Alchemist clan.

Kara's garden party was as lively as Aleksis and Alaric's wedding two years earlier. All the guests present seemed happy because the eldest son of the Schneider family got married and had an adorable baby.

Lily and her two cousins ??were ten months old and very cute. All three became the center of everyone's attention when the guests saw the three adorable babies coming with their parents.

"Gosh ... the Schneider family is very lucky ... in just eleven years, they already have 5 grandchildren. Maybe we should follow in their footsteps so that the survival of our clan is secured..."

"Alaric Medici and Aleksis Schneider are quick to have their next children. What a perfect family."

"Ah ... I'm so jealous of them. Their family looks so perfect."

"Nicolae and Terry are still single. Rune too. This is our chance to attract their attention."

Thus there were whispers among enthusiastic female guests. There were still some handsome bachelor men from the Schneider family who attract the attention of many women. There was Aldebar Schneider; his nephew Rune Schneider; then Terrence Chan, Jean and Finland's; and of course the eldest son of the Medici family, Nicolae.

The four men were not unaware that they became the talk of many people, but they only frowned and pretended not to hear it. Nicolae was still heartbroken. Terry hadn't seriously thought about love and marriage; he and Shekina both liked each other, but they didn't want to be tied down. Rune and Aldebar loved science more than women.

Rune and Terry, who became the groomsmen, escaped from the crowd after completing their duties and joined Nicolae and Aldebar in the corner of the garden. They did not want to be approached by parents who wanted to offer their daughters to them.

"Do you see who your father is chatting with?" whispered Terry as he elbowed Nicolae, who was calmly sipping his wine. The elbowed man immediately lifted his face and glanced in the direction Terry had pointed.

Jeez ...

He was not mistaken, right?

Nicolae recognized the woman because he had met her in Targu Mures on Aleksis' birthday. The woman was slim and beautiful, with ginger hair fashioned into a bun on top of her head. She had a stunning beauty, but her expression seemed cold with dangerous glints in her eyes. At first glance, no one would dare to mess with her.

And in her left wrist, there was a red woven wristband. Just like the one hanging in Lauriel's right wrist.

Rosalien?

Did my father like Rosalien? Nicolae could hardly believe his eyes.

Lauriel and Rosalien did not seem to have any conversation, but their movements looked very similar and intimate.

When did they start dating? Where? What happened...? It felt very difficult for Nicolae to trust his own vision.