Alaric also attended Klein Moretti's funeral, though he did not make an appearance. Instead, he quietly observed the proceedings from a distance.
Only after Mingrui embraced the Moretti siblings and walked away into the crowd with a sense of relief did Alaric appear silently by his side.
"Mr. Lucifer, good afternoon. Sorry for the delay. I'm ready to return to work now." Mingrui said, noticing the figure beside him. He turned with a smile, his mood visibly improved.
"How do you feel now?" Alaric asked, his gaze warm with concern.
"It's complicated." Mingrui replied, sighing. His hand rested over his heart, his expression a mix of emotions. "I feel relieved, like a weight has been lifted, but also sad… I'm not their real family, after all."
"But that's not a bad thing, is it?" Alaric said, unsurprised by Mingrui's words. "The Morettis' familial bond is a poisoned sweetness granted by fate. You could indulge in it, but with your nature, keeping the truth hidden would have left you in constant pain."
"By confessing, you've torn your soul apart, causing immense pain, but it's like removing rot from a wound, allowing it to heal. From today, you no longer need to suffer for it, and you'll gain the genuine affection of the Morettis in your own right."
Alaric reached out and gently ruffled Mingrui's hair, his smile unusually soft. "From now on, you can truly live as yourself in this world."
Mingrui gave him a complex look, pausing for a moment before cautiously asking, "Mr. Lucifer, are you alright?"
The sudden gentleness was unnerving.
Alaric's smile froze, and he tugged sharply at Mingrui's hair.
"Ow! That hurts! You're going to pull it out!" Mingrui gasped, quickly pleading, "Sorry, Mr. Lucifer, I was just joking! I didn't mean to say you're not usually gentle!"
"Hmph!" Alaric scoffed, releasing his grip. As he shook his hand, a few strands of hair fluttered to the ground.
He hadn't held back.
Mingrui gingerly touched his scalp, wincing. As a Faceless, he wasn't afraid of going bald in theory, but losing a patch of hair would still be mortifying.
Thankfully, Alaric's tug, though forceful, only cost him a few strands.
"Good, good, not bald." Mingrui muttered, patting his chest in relief.
"You seem livelier." Alaric observed, raising an eyebrow.
"Maybe because my emotions are a bit out of control?" Mingrui admitted, a touch embarrassed. "Sorry, I'm not great at keeping them in check right now."
Alaric studied him for a moment, making Mingrui uneasy, before chuckling. "I was worried you'd be a crying mess, but it seems you're recovering well."
Mingrui paused, then smiled with relief. "I did feel like crying. Losing them hurt... a part of my soul was breaking. But I'm not that sad, because I've gained them back as Zhou Mingrui."
He was no longer Benson and Melissa's brother, but he was Benson's acknowledged family and Melissa's accepted friend of their brother. For Mingrui, this was already a good outcome.
"I just feel a bit sorry for Klein." Mingrui said, hesitating as a thought struck him. He glanced at Alaric, torn between speaking and holding back.
It occurred to him: if Mr. Lucifer could summon his parents, could he also summon the unfortunate, young Klein Moretti?
"What are you thinking?" Alaric asked, glancing at him with a knowing smirk.
"Mr. Lucifer…" Mingrui hesitated but pressed on. "Can I see Klein? The real Klein Moretti from before?"
Alaric wasn't surprised. He looked at Mingrui, smiling. "Everything comes at a cost. If you want to see that Klein, or let him see his family, it's possible... but it requires an equivalent exchange. For every meeting he has with his family, you'll have one less with them."
Mingrui hesitated for a mere second before smiling. "Alright. It's a price I should pay."
Alaric raised an eyebrow, unsurprised but still studying Mingrui closely. "You really are a good teacher." He said, almost wistfully.
"Hm?" Mingrui blinked, then realized Alaric meant a "teacher of humanity."
He scratched his head, embarrassed. "I'm just doing what I think is right."
Alaric smiled, then said, "Come on. You want Klein to reunite with his family, don't you? That can't happen here."
"Uh, shouldn't we summon Klein first to explain?" Mingrui asked, following him.
"No need. Having his family present will help stabilize Klein's emotions, won't it?" Alaric replied, leading Mingrui back to the Moretti household. He knocked on the door... knock, knock, knock.
"Who is it? Oh, Mingrui?"
Benson opened the door, surprised to see Alaric. His gaze shifted to Mingrui, puzzled. "What's wrong, Mingrui? Did you forget something? And who's this?"
"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Lucifer, sort of this fool's babysitter." Alaric said, offering a perfect smile to Benson and Melissa, who had approached with a coffee cup in hand, peering curiously at the door. "This fool made a request regarding you all, at great personal cost. I'm here to summon the past Klein Moretti for a brief reunion with you. Of course, if you'd rather not, I have no objections."
Crash...
Melissa's coffee cup slipped from her hand, shattering on the floor. Ignoring it, she asked urgently, "Is that true? We can see Klein again?"
***
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