Lesson 10: Besides love, there is also hate
Translators: Laridae, Trespa.s.serby (contribution)
Proofreaders: Zephynel, Sora
“Dar, you’re so handsome!”
Upon arriving at the Solaris home entrance, Elian, Eloise, and Eli saw that Daren was already standing outside waiting for them. Eloise took one look at how Daren was dressed and shrieked.
Daren wore a steel gray Western suit, hair combed back with a few strands purposely left down, playfully hanging by his cheek. Overall, he looked much more mature than usual. In order not to seem obtrusive, he’d replaced the goggles with silver sungla.s.ses.
“Eloise, you’re also looking very cute, different from normal!” Daren replied, smiling.
Eloise was wearing a lacy dress and even had ribbons in her hair, looking like a doll. Elian wore a white suit, coupled with a gentle smile, and looked extremely amiable. Eli wore relatively unique traditional clothing. A wide white shirt, paired with equally wide, dark blue pants and secured at the middle with a fancy belt. Although his outfit was strange, people inexplicably felt that it suited him quite well.
“Ah! The car’s here!”
Daren called out. Not bothering to wait for the driver to get off and open the door for him, he himself excitedly pulled open the car door. He curiously asked the driver, who was in the front seat, “It really is the driver-ge from last time. Driver-ge, what’s your name?”
Although the front seat was quite a ways from the back seat...but when Daren asked for a car from Kyle-ge, Kyle asked what kind of car he wanted. He thought for a bit. To listen to Chinese opera, he had to wear formal clothes, so the car also had to be formal, right?
“A formal car.”
Now, the driver drove the black limousine over.
“Oh my G.o.d…” Eloise screamed.
Elian had already turned into stone; this feeling was like…he wanted to see the beauty of n.o.ble ladies, but he didn’t expect to meet, with no mental preparation, Her Majesty the Queen. He was so nervous he didn’t know whether to first kneel, salute, or simply run out the door.
While waiting for Elian and the others to gingerly get on the car, the driver replied, “Young master, I am Zyle.”
“Your name is really similar to Kyle-ge’s!” Daren smilingly looked at the driver, whose appearance was also a little like Kyle-ge’s!
“Yes, Kyle is my brother,” Zyle respectfully replied.
“...” Daren and Elian both froze for a moment, and then exclaimed together, “What?”
“So the multi-function computer is your big brother…” Eloise blurted.
Elian hurriedly covered Eloise’s mouth. Really, how could she call him a “multi-function computer” right in front of his little brother?
“Yes, the multi-function computer, the Solaris Emperor’s right hand, the most comprehensive encyclopedia, the dual housework/home affairs model who can even work sixteen hours consecutively in a day. The obedient one who endures manual labor, the thousand-use kind of good secretary, Kyle, is my big brother.”
Eli felt as if he was using the introduction to some kind of product to introduce his brother.
Eloise and Daren also snorted and laughed loudly together. The corners of Elian’s lips twitched a few times, and he could not resist chuckling.
Daren laughed as he said, “Zyle-ge, you’re so funny!”
“The young master flatters me.” Zyle said, smiling, “Young master, when leaving today, would you prefer to ride in this car or switch to a different one? Your friend doesn’t seem to be used to this type of car.”
“Are you?” Daren turned to look at Elian and the others.
The three immediately forcefully nodded.
“Then let’s switch to a different one.” Daren didn’t really mind. In any case, Ezart didn’t come, so there were only four people, and there was no need for such a large vehicle.
“Elian-ge, after we’re done listening to the Chinese opera, let’s go eat a midnight snack, okay?” Daren thought for a bit and added, “Let’s get Ezart to come eat with us.”
Elian listened and understood that he was still concerned about Ezart refusing to come. Naturally, he didn’t want to shatter his spirits, and promised, “All right, let’s go find Ezart afterwards and eat a midnight snack.”
“Or come to my house to eat, then we can eat with Gege, Papa Avery, Kyle-ge...right, and Zyle-ge!”
Daren immediately shouted to the person in the front seat, “Zyle-ge, can you come eat a midnight snack with us?”
“It would be my pleasure, young master,” Zyle agreed, smiling.
“That’s great! We’ve added Zyle-ge to the list of people to eat a midnight snack with!”
Daren smiled so brilliantly, anyone who saw this smile would understand that the smile’s owner was really, truly happy.
Elian couldn’t resist petting Daren’s head.
Eloise immediately roared, “Ah! Stupid Elian, you messed up Dar’s handsome hairstyle!”
Elian froze and lowered his head to look. He had indeed turned Dar’s neat hair into a mess. He said, a bit nervously, “Ah, what to do about this…”
“Step aside!” Eloise squeezed past Elian and sat by Daren’s side. She then took out a comb, carefully grooming his hair, not neglecting to scold Elian, “Fortunately, there’s styling gel, so I just have to neaten it a little bit, or else see what you could have done! Stupid Elian…”
Elian was also a little remorseful, but upon seeing Daren giggling and peeking at him, his remorse immediately became bitter laughter. This punk was actually laughing at him.
“Young master, ahead of us is the opera house.” At this point, Zyle issued a reminder.
“Oh, okay.” Daren also became a bit nervous. This was the first time he was going to a place like an opera house, and he hurriedly asked, “Eloise, are you done combing my hair?”
Eloise put the last strand into its original position. After looking it up and down, she said with a clap, “Okay, perfectly flawless!”
At this time, Zyle parked in front of the opera house, and then got off the car, walked to the backseat, and opened the door for his young master.
“See you in a little bit, Zyle-ge.” Daren smiled as he bid him goodbye.
“Yes, young master.” Zyle maintained the deferential bow, waiting for the young master to come out.
After he finished saying goodbye, Daren stepped out of the car. As he regained his footing, raising his head, there was no smile on his face. There were only impeccable manners and a chilly aura that allowed no one to get close to him.
The protagonist was now Dark Sun.
＊＊＊
Elian also followed him off the car. Once he got off, he felt a bit strange, as there was no one in line to get into the opera house.
He inquired about this to Zyle. Zyle smiled and replied, “This is VIP admission. Only about five hundred invitations were made, all for business elites. Actually, the Solaris Emperor also received an invitation, but it seemed that he did not have any interest in coming.”
Then naturally there would be n.o.body lining up to get in. Elian laughed, seeing that upon the arrival of the stretch limousine, there were few surprised expressions. He should have known that, tonight, this opera house’s entrance would have luxury cars.
After Zyle drove away, they were led into the opera house. By the enormous, cla.s.sical-style opera house’s entrance, only the row in front of the stage was filled with people. The other places were all empty, making the entire opera house seem deserted.
“Excuse me, which one of you is Mr. Dark Sun?” the attendant asked respectfully.
“I am,” Daren replied with some confusion. The attendant actually knew his name?
“Please follow me. The other three guests may follow this attendant.”
Elian hurriedly shouted, “Wait a second! Why can’t we walk together?”
“Because the locations of your seats are not the same.” The attendant wore a smile as he continued, “Mr. Dark Sun is in the first row, but your seats are in the fifth row, so you must be led separately.”
Why did they have to walk separately? Elian frowned and glanced at Dark Sun.
Dark Sun looked at the location and opened his mouth to say, “It doesn’t matter. They aren’t too far apart.”
Hearing this, Elian also nodded. Even if they walked separately, it was only a distance of five rows, and they could still see the top of Dark Sun’s head. There wasn’t anything to worry about. The first row was probably reserved for other important people!
After Elian and the two others followed the second attendant to their seats, they all raised their heads, a little worried about the still-walking Dark Sun.
Dark Sun was led to the first row and the attendant bowed respectfully, saying, “Honored guest, this is your seat. Please sit, and if you need anything, you only have to lightly beckon and an attendant will immediately help you.”
Dark Sun looked at his seat but did not sit down.
The first row didn’t have anyone sitting there, and Dark Sun’s seat was right in the middle of the first row.
“Eli.” Elian felt that the situation was off, immediately asking the mind-reading companion next to him.
Eli was silent for a moment, and then said, “The attendant seems normal. He believes that Dark Sun is a very important guest, so he can take up an entire row.”
“What about Dar?” Eloise asked anxiously.
Eli was silent for another moment, and said, “He’s a little confused and a bit afraid, but only a little bit. He thinks that we’re sitting close to him, so he feels rea.s.sured.”
“Eli, pay attention to the surroundings,” Elian said quietly.
“I will.” Eli nodded his head.
After that, the curtain began to rise on the opera. Elian"s trio didn"t dare to say much more, lest they disturb their fellow opera-viewers...Everyone around them at the time was a someone they couldn"t afford to offend.
As Elian"s trio worried, the opera started.
An exceedingly joyous household was celebrating the arrival of a child. Lance was on stage from the very beginning. He played the father. The mother was another beautiful and talented singer. The two people standing together looked like a perfect pair.
The two of them truly were like a couple who had been blessed with a child, their faces filled with joy. The gazes of the husband and the wife were filled with deep love for their baby.
However, it seemed even the heavens were envious of their happiness. And so, one day, the originally blue sky became covered with dark clouds, and a demon descended from the heavens.
The demon, with strong wings upon his back and long white hair, seemed to be intent on destroying the happiness of people. He leached the color from his surroundings, leaving a swath of dead white.
The demon was contemptuous of the family"s joy. In the midst of the screams of the father and child, he kidnapped the mother, effortlessly obliterating their peace of mind.
In the sky, he mocked the fragility and weakness of their happiness.
After the mother had been whisked away, only the father and child were left on stage. They quietly shed tears. The child was the first to stand up. He was still young, and sadness does not stay long in children’s hearts. He circled his father, singing and dancing…….
Elian watched with great interest. Although he didn"t understand much about opera, the performance of the actors onstage was excellent. Even someone who didn"t understand opera could sense this. In addition, the music and singing were all live performances. As he listened, he had gooseb.u.mps
Especially when the demon kidnapped the mother, as the trio onstage soared to a pitch impossible for normal people, the audience"s minds went blank. There was only that soaring note, rising unnaturally high.
Eloise quietly muttered, “That demon is a lot like.......”
“What?” Elian hadn"t heard her clearly, but as he was asking Eloise, the play onstage took another dramatic turn. He hurriedly closed his mouth, paying attention to the story.
The demon returned the mother.
The father supported his beloved, yet she nearly sank back on to the floor.
The mother unexpectedly discovered that she was with child again.
The demon in the sky condescendingly laughed. “This is a gift to you! My gift to you! A shattered happiness should be even more painful than a lack of happiness. From now on, live in agony! Ahahaha!”
The father faced the empty sky and cried, “I will definitely restore our happiness again! I definitely will!”
Ten months pa.s.sed. The demon"s son was born, but the mother also lost her life.
Once again, the father screamed at the sky for the loss of his beloved......
At this time, the curtain fell and the enthralled audience suddenly realized that it was already time for intermission.
However, Elian"s trio was still sitting in their seats. Elian pondered gravely. Why did this story sound so familiar? It seemed a lot like Dar"s history......
“Elian, I really wanted to say, th-that demon couldn"t be... couldn"t have been based off Dark Sun, could he?
Eloise said this with some trepidation. She had felt for a while that this was all very strange. That demon"s wings and hair, why did they look just like Dark Sun"s? Even the red shirt and leggings looked similar.
Elian froze, recalling the demon"s appearance. The demon had a head of white hair and strong, blade-like wings. Although he wore more traditional-styled clothing, the colors really were exactly the same as Dark Sun"s.
“Daren also feels this is very bizarre. He is nervous, sad, and deeply terrified,” Eli abruptly reported to the two others, his voice uncharacteristically anxious.
Hearing this, Elian raised his head to look at Daren. Daren was still sitting at his seat. Someone who didn"t have the ability to read minds really could not tell how he was feeling.
“Let"s go over to check,” Elian suggested to his two companions, intending to head over to check on Daren"s condition.
But just as they stood up, the attendant suddenly came over, gently apologizing, “I"m sorry. Intermission has ended. Please be seated and enjoy the opera.”
“I want to go to the bathroom!” Eloise hurriedly exclaimed. She was really worried about how Dar was feeling, and wanted to check on him.
The attendant smiled and said, “Please wait until later, lest you miss seeing part of our wonderful opera!”
Hearing this, Elian"s trio paused. This attendant was very odd…He was actually barring the audience from using the bathroom?
Elian thought for a moment, and extended a hand to restrain Eloise and Eli. “We understand. We"ll sit back down.” Elian, as if to confirm his own words, was the first to sit back down.
However, he intensely thought, Eli. Prepare for battle at any moment. Be on alert.
Eli shook his head and turned to say, “Eloise, endure it for now. Wait to go later.”
“O.K.”
Upon hearing this, Eloise understood that her two companions had already made preparations, so she immediately sat down obediently.
At this unexpected opening, some nearby viewers also took the opportunity to complain as well. But the opera resumed again, and everyone quieted down, attentively watching the stage.
The days pa.s.sed, one by one. The mother"s two children also grew up, day by day. The second child, the demon and the mother"s child, was gifted with a beguilingly beautiful face. His first victim was his own brother.
(It isn"t like that!)
The older brother had forgotten his mother"s hatred, and had forgotten he was still at an age where he should be studying. So, he spent entire days playing with his wild brother.
(No! Gege only spent an hour with me each day!)
The father spent so much effort and energy to save his child, but in the process of creating the seal, the second child stabbed him to death with a blade.
At this time, the seal finally came into effect, and the younger brother desperately roared. He intended to drive the knife in his hand into his brother"s body, but it was in vain. The father"s seal began to send him to the place he belonged: h.e.l.l.
Then, the younger brother, the murderer of the father, gripped his blade, and walked, step by step, towards his brother. The older brother, unaware of the looming danger, still smiled when he saw his younger brother approach him......
(No! I never, never thought of hurting Gege!)
The older brother suddenly became aware of the situation. He walked to his father, fell to his knees, and hid his face, crying.
At the time, the stage lights dimmed. The curtains slowly came down. When the audience thought the play was finished......
The father who had been stabbed to death suddenly stood up.
Upon seeing this, the actors onstage playing the human son and the demon"s son were stunned.
Lance walked to the front of the stage, and pa.s.sionately gazed at the single audience member in the front row: Daren.
He opened his mouth and gently said, “I"ve been observing you for some time now. I couldn"t think, ah, I couldn"t think of why I have been unable to seal you. From the beginning, you were not the perfect bodyguard Dark Sun, but instead, the original...Demon"s child!”
Daren froze. Demon"s child?
Seeing this spectacle, the audience felt there was something strange. They couldn"t figure out if this was part of the story or an improvisation. Everyone watched the lone audience member seated in the front row, whispering and murmuring.
Daren looked up at Lance. For the first time, he seriously evaluated this person, and suddenly noticed that Lance looked similar to Devon. He had the same golden hair and ruby eyes, except Devon"s eyes were clearer and Lance"s face was more mature.
“Who are you?” After he finished speaking, Daren realized his words had come out hoa.r.s.ely. He touched his cheek and realized it was covered with tears.
Lance stood upon the stage, and looked down upon him. Lance stopped smiling and coldly said, “Child, do you still not understand?”
Child? Daren"s breathing became ragged. He had an idea of who this was, but how could it be possible?
“I am your father. The father you killed.”