Chapter 574: 13.72

"Jean…" 

Yunyu and Pupa were peeking from the window as they saw Maximillien staring at the framed painting that Jean did when he was a kid. It was an ugly painting of Maximillien and Jean holding hands, and at the bottom, he wrote:

'Jean loves Big brother forever.'

Yunyu made it only for the sake of increasing Maximillien's Fatemeter, but it seemed that Maximillien took it as something even more personal, and Yunyu wouldn't blame him for that.

Because when he was acting as Little Jean, he channelled all his childhood innocence on Jean. The childhood he never had because of his estranged family in the real world. 

[Aww, look at him. He loves Jean so much.]

[Pupa: It's quite obvious already.]

[I know, but I've never had a doting family in my real life. My mom was too ill to take care of me, so I'm the one who took care of her until her death.]

[Pupa: Based on your background, your mom has been terminally ill for a long time.]

[Mhm, she got many health complications since she was young. And my dad stayed only because he believed in monogamy. Though, he often abused me due to his work stress and my mom's failing health.]

Pupa saw the sadness in Yunyu's eyes. It might just be a machine without emotion configuration, but with one glance, everyone could see that Yunyu was hurting inside his heart for a long time.

But he was always the positive and sometimes messed up petty kid that saw good things in life… well, most of the time.

[Alright, time for me to make an entrance!]

Yunyu turned into a ball of light and entered the office. Maximillien raised his head as he saw the ball of light. He thought it was Raphael again, taunting him on how he would never have Jean and how Raphael would marry Jean in the future. 

But when the light started shaping into a human, Maximillien widened his eyes, and his jaw dropped.

Pop!

Jean emerged from the light and landed in front of his Big brother. They were in silence for a while until Jean called his Big brother's name, "Big brother… it's me, Jean…."

"Jean, how… how did you do that?" Maximillien asked out of shock. 

"Un… it's part of Angel Raphael's power—"

"Did that guy teach you about this without my knowing?! What kind of magic did he teach you more than this? That damn prince, I already told him that you're very vulnerable to overuse of magic, but he still tries to teach you weird stuff!" Maximillien snapped immediately. 

Somehow, he was always in a terrible mood whenever it was about that Saint. Because that Saint was the one who trapped Jean into an engagement that would lead to marriage.

Raphael knew that Jean was oblivious and innocent, so he would just say yes as long as it didn't hurt anyone. And the fact that Raphael fooled Jean by saying that marrying him would help the duchy, Jean eagerly accepted. 

Maybe Jean found nothing wrong with it, but Maximillien was still trying to break off the engagement between them.

Jean got scared by his Big brother's fierce gaze and scolding, "B—Big brother… I leaned it by myself after watching him did it once. You know that I can copy magic from people…." 

Maximillien's expression eased, but he still didn't trust Jean and Raphael completely. He was still convinced that Raphael must've done many terrible things to his little brother until his brother couldn't leave that bastard Saint. 

Maximillien was silent for a moment and then asked, "What are you doing here? Do you need more money?"

"Big brother… it's not about money…."

"What is it then? Is it because studying at La Fleur Academy is too difficult? I told you that you must finish what you've decided upon. Since you want to study in the academy, then finish it!" Maximillien chided.

"Wu… Big brother, why are you so mean to me…." Jean's eyes started getting teary as he stared at his Big brother. He took a step back to distance himself from his brother. "If you don't want me to be here, then I will leave now."

"N—No, wait!"

Maximillien rushed to grab Jean's arm. He could feel Jean's soft skin in his palm, and his heartbeat accelerated immediately. 

"Jean… stay here. We need to talk…." Maximillien asked. He tried to lower his voice, afraid that Jean would get scared again. 

"Big brother, I know that you've discarded me, but I'm here because I want to see Wolf with his Big brother that came from far away," Jean said. "I—I came here because I saw that you're holding that small painting I did when I was five. I thought you still wanted me."

'Yes, I do want you, Jean….' Maximillien wanted to say that, but the words were stuck in his throat. He didn't have any courage to tell that his feeling for his adopted brother was more than just family love. 

'I want to say that I love you more than just a brother. I know that there's nothing wrong with it since you and I have no blood relation, but… have you ever think of me as more than just a big brother figure?'

Maximillien took a deep breath to calm his heart, "You should stay here… for dinner. I will also invite Wolf and his brother, so you won't feel awkward with me alone."

Jean hesitated for a while, and he finally nodded, "I… I will leave with Wolf at night after he's done talking with his brother…."

"You—You should stay for the night since you're here already. Your room has been cleaned every day."

Jean was a tad surprised because he thought that his Big brother already abandoned him, so there was no more Jean's room.

"I still have a room here?" Jean asked. 

"Of course, you're still part of the Archduchy," Maximillien replied. 

"I thought, I'm already…. Never mind. I will… um… I will stay for the night, Big brother."