The Duke's Passion

Chapter 784  I think you already know the answer to that

"Don't tell her about anything, and just say you didn't find out. Or… if you can, just tell her I don't remember a single thing, Klaus. It'll be easier that way, easier not just for her… but for me as well."

Yulis pressed his lips and studied Klaus's stunned reaction. He nodded slightly, turning on his heel to leave. "Hey!" Yulis stopped when Klaus suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking his path and grabbing his chest aggressively. "What did you say? You… remember everything?"

Yulis raised his chin and kept silent for a moment. "Yulis…" Klaus tightened his grip on Yulis's chest. "If you know Silvia remembered, why aren't you saying anything?"

"Because… I don't see the need why I have to tell her?"

"You —"

"Klaus, it's better not to dwell on what happened before the regression." Yulis cut Klaus off offhandedly. "You do what you need to do, and let me do mine."

"And what is that you need to do, Yulis?"

"Something that is none of your concern."

"Yulis!" Klaus's voice thundered, echoing in the air which the wind drifted with it. "Something that is none of my concern? How the fuck is this not my concern when you, Yulis Bloodfang, had been pretending all this time? Your wife… my sister, had to keep you at arm's length. No matter how she longed for her husband and cry herself to sleep every single night, she couldn't blame you. She couldn't even decide whether not retrieving your memories is a good or a bad sign." n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

His eyes blazed with anger, recalling how vulnerable and helpless Silvia was when she finally took off all her facade. Silvia was the type who gives her all in love. She gave everything to Rufus, so when Rufus left her, nothing was left for her. It took Silvia many years to mend her broken heart, which Rufus broke into smithereens. Silvia took a leap of faith and gave herself to open up her heart to Yulis. Although their relationship before tying the knot was much more complicated, she fought for him. Even when Yulis left her with a tiny note to go to the mainland, Silvia came to him because she wanted to fight for them until the end. Silvia was an amazing woman who had a big heart and tons of love to give. And yet, Yulis had the audacity to do this to her? Did Yulis really remember everything? Or did he just remember a snippet? Klaus didn't know, because the Yulis he knew wouldn't be this cold.

"Yulis Bloodfang. Since when… have you been playing innocent?" Klaus breathed out, eyes shaking in anger, holding himself back from snapping Yulis at this very second. Yulis kept his mouth tight for a second before he returned. "Not the same time as that night she came running to my room to confirm if I felt Lilou's blood burning me awake. But also, not the same time I woke up in my chambers in this place."

"You… what did you say?" — did Yulis mean he already remembered even before them? "How did you — who retrieved your memories?"

"I wished I didn't remember, Klaus. The past… how I deeply wished I didn't remember." Yulis carefully held Klaus' hand and peeled it from his suit. "I'd rather walk around this palace knowing nothing than wandering around in here, knowing the root of this anger building up within me at every breath."

Rage shone underneath the thin layer of frost in his eyes. They still looked icy, so cold they could burn.

"How about you, Klaus? Can you remember what you were doing before the regression?" Yulis took a step forward to lessen his distance from Klaus. "Did you just sleep? And then wake up ten years prior to the present? If so, good for you. It seemed even after one year, everyone had a good life."

Yulis took a deep breath and blinked. When he reopened his eyes, the bottomless wrath within them was slowly replaced with unnatural calmness. It was almost like a calm, hiding the storm ready to unleash at the drop of a hat. "You went back over ten years, Klaus, but for me, it was only nine," he added under his breath, making Klaus knit his brows in confusion. "Before this regression… I was already dead — murdered." — The only reason Yulis knew that the regression was over ten years was after observing for months. As an eye planted by the Bloodfang to be useful once his queen decided to claim the throne, Yulis was great at uncovering secrets. No matter how careful Klaus was, he would always make a slip-up or mumble to himself. Klaus didn't change, and Yulis was glad he didn't because he wouldn't get a good grasp of the situation if not for him. "Where's Lilou, Klaus?" Yulis inquired as that was the only thing Klaus would never ever speak even to himself; Lilou's location. "I…" Klaus let out a sharp breath, backing away whilst keeping his eyes on Yulis. "I don't trust you, Yulis."

"If Lilou regained her memories, I'm certain she would one way or another had gone to the Spade Kingdom," Yulis concluded. He simply needed some confirmation from Klaus; Yulis was far too sharp not to make accurate predictions, and he knew Lilou too well. "Lilou is part of the Halberd."

The Halberd.

Klaus had heard of that. It was an alliance of Zero, a few of his strong supporters, and the last living Bloodfangs.

"It would be a miracle if she didn't show up in front of Zero, despite not knowing how dangerous it was. But well, Hell is with her — Tilly's presence was quite reassuring." Yulis rocked her head, taking a step back to create distance between them. "I know you don't trust me, Klaus, but the feeling is mutual. I trust no one but Lilou and Hell's heart for her. If you truly want Silvia to save herself from heartache, it is best if knows nothing about this, Klaus."

Yulis smacked his lips, assessing Klaus for a moment before turning around. But just as he took a step, Klaus spoke. "Yulis." Klaus straightened his back, staring at Yulis's figure, his fist kept firmly on his side. "Who… murdered you?"

"I think you already know the answer to that, Klaus." Yulis glanced over his shoulder. "There's only one person who can kill me and make me not want death."