"I did not do it specifically for an Alliance, Uncle. And an Alliance would not be a bad thing for us." Keith told him. "You know the situation better than me. Mourntale are financially in a dire state after the Cold War, but they have managed to preserve their strength better than the other families. An Alliance wth my family would help them financially, which would make sure that their enemies would stay wary of them and another war would not break out for the next few years."
"Your Alliance might push the other Families to find backers for themselves. It could worsen the situation." Damien reminded him.
Keith devilishly smiled at his words and nodded.
"Then let them. I actually want them to find a backer for themselves, and I have one in my mind."
Raizer narrowed his eyes at his grandson, and Darius turned solemn as well.
"You plan to throw the Falken in the pit?" Venessa understood his intentions and asked, wearing the same devilish smile on her face. "And how would you make sure that they fall in your trap?"
"I am actually betting on them to do it without us needing to pull some strings. But if an opportunity presents itself, I will avail it."
"You don't sound too keen on this plan of yours." Raizer smiled at him.
"That's because I have several plans in my mind, and one way or another, I am going to eliminate Falken from our City." He bared his intentions.
"The Angelini can not afford a Business warfare right now. We are tight on finances." Darius revealed to him.
"Don't worry about these things, Greatfather. I don't plan on expending our Families' resources to achieve my goals. I will do it on my own." Keith assured him. "The plans are already in motion, and one of the reasons why I want to marry Amelia is because I need her help."
"Is she that capable?" Danielle frowned and asked.
"She's the best!" He chuckled to himself. "Anyways, we will talk about these things in February. For now, let's talk about my wedding."
Everyone was curious why he wanted to discuss about these things in February, but they did not pry into the matter.
"Do you need me to be there?" Darius asked.
"The presence of Uncle Damien and Aunt Danielle would be enough, but I want you to attend my wedding, Greatfather." He sincerely said. "And don't worry about your health, you will be fine to attend it."
Darius chuckeld to his words.
"What makes you so confident?"
"I have confidence in my skills." Keith seriously said.
"He's a doctor, and from what I have gathered, he's miraculous." Seeing Darius curiously raise his brow, Raizer told them what Keith meant by his words.
"I will give you a check up later." He said to the old man before anyone could ask him about his skills. "And other than the Five Major Familes, I only want close friends and associates present on my wedding. Only the Media group of Demiliore Family will cover it."
The two families then discussed the plans for his upcoming wedding, and Danielle requested Keith to allow her Fashion and Designing Company to prepare wedding dresses for him and his bride. Which he gave her a go for since it did not really matter to him.
After lunch, the men gathered in Darius' study and talked about some important matters as Keith checked up on the old man.
"The list you gave Sol about those moles in Angelini Business Empire was on point. He is already working on gathering evidence, and all of these people will be dealt with in the coming months." Darius said, and then looked the young Demiliore right in his eyes. "From what I have gathered, Graysons are already on the same camp with Falken. How do you plan to change their mind?"
"They are only motivated by beating my Family in Business. We don't have any personal grievances against each other. So, all I have to do is make the prospect of them catching up to my Family a hopeless endeavour." He said. "And the reason why they are on the same camp right now is because they think that Angelini Family is on their own. The moment they learn about our Alliance, they would hesitate to go with the plans of Falken."
He said and focused on inspecting the body of Darius.
Raizer and Damien curiously looked at his glowing hands which were placed on Darius' bare back.
"Don't be alarmed if you feel cold and warm at the same time." He said to Darius and then started to trace his back with his fore fingers.
It was the Node Tracing Technique, and the process was similar to how he had treated Celine, but this time, he was not working on the Patient's heart, but focused on strengthening the blood channels and invigorating the immune system.
Once he was done with it, expending more than half of his Aura Reserves, he then focused on the muscles that connected the joints on the body.
Had Darius been a couple of decades younger, he could have even helped him de-age a decade or so, but the state of his body was at an extreme end. It could not be done now.
Soon the changes in Darius' body became visible to the naked eye, and Damien couldn't not hide his surpised expression when he found the old man's body relaxing and his breaths getting deeper and more stable.
"Try stretching your arms." Keith said, and Darius' who was feeling light after so many years, complied with his directions.
Even if he was an old man who usually stayed calm and collected, he could not help but lose himself to this familiar yet an alien feeling. How many years had been been since he last stretched out his arms, and felt his spine relaxing as a result?
"How do you feel?" Keith chuckled when he saw the old man curiously testing out the state of his body.
"Far better than what those 'so called' doctors achieved by putting me on those medications." He unpleasantly said, and then then took in a deep breath. "I feel good, Young Demiliore. But I want to hear it from you. What's the price for this feeling?"
Keith sighed and stopped smiling.
"Rest assured that it won't aggravate the situation of your body. It will give you some more time, Greatfather."
"How much time?" It was Damien who hopefully asked, but the old man was frowning.
"Two years in this state, but after that, I will have to burn his vitality to keep him alive for a few more years. His body will start giving out and it will be an excruciating feeling. But I have ways to numb it down... And if I regularly give him a certain treatment, he won't feel too weak."
"There's no need for it!" Darius adamantly shook his head. "Two years in this state is more than I want. You are not allowed to forcefully keep me around after that!" He determinedly said.
"Grandfather..." Damien tried to say something but Darius stopped him.
"I am an old man, Child. I have lived my life, and I am tried." He smiled at his grandson. "I will stay around for two more years, but then I want to go and join those that I have lost. Hopefully, they are waiting for me in the afterlife."
The longing in his expressions was evidence to how much he missed his loved ones.
Damien lowered his head and clenched his fists, nodding his head in acceptance. He was always prepared to lose the old man in a year's time, but now that he had gotten the chance to spend more time with him, he was determined to make up for the years where he had left his his old man on his own, drowning in his loneliness.
Keith left them alone in the study after he excused himself, citing that he needed some rest. Which he did need, but he intended to talk with his little sister, who was a little upset after the news about his wedding.
He asked a maid on his way, and was led to Kiara's room. She was not there and he decided to wait for her as he took off his shoes and unceremoniously made himself comfortable on her bed.
His eyes had only closed for a few minutes when his phone rang, and Keith was surpsied to see who was calling him.
"Good afternoon, Love!" He happily greeted her. "Missed me?"
The girl on the phone stayed silent for a few seconds, but then answered him.
"I am coming to Sameran City tomorrow."
"What?" Keith surprisedly asked.
"Is there a problem?" Amelia coldly asked.
"There's no problem, Love." He playfully smiled. "I am just surprised that you could not wait just a week to see me."
"We need to start working on the projects, and I need to know what you specifically want in them to prepare the right blueprints." She plainly said.
"So you don't miss me?"
"I have not known you long enough to miss you."
"Is that so?" He brightly smiled, but got no reply from her. "What time?"
"6 pm."
"I will pick you up." Keith said to her. "And Amelia..."
"Yes?"
"I miss you." He sincerely said to her.
"Hmm.. Take care." It was all she said, and then ended the call.
Keith chuckled to himself as he saw through her desire to be with him. He knew that she could have started working on these projects a week later, but she chose to do it now, and then decided to come to him too.
He still remembered the morning he took his leave from the Mourntale Estate. She did not say anything about it, but the little frown that she hid as soon as it appeared did not miss his eyes. And he knew that she was a little dissatisfied with him even if she was not really mad at him.
"You seem happy, Keith." A sour yet sweet voice called out, and when he looked towards the door, he found Kiara standing there with her arms folded on her chest. "So, who is Amelia?"
"Come here!" He did not answer her but invited her on the bed.
Kiara did not play around and climbed onto the bed, sitting cross-legged right next to him, and narrowing her beautiful blue-eyes at him.
"Jealous?"
"Yes." She said. "Shouldn't I be?"
Keith sighed and decided to not tease her about it.
"She's a beautiful girl, tall, 24 years old, raven hair, emerald green eyes. She has a Degree in Architecture and another in Civil Engineering. Doesn't talk much, and loves silence. Seldom listens to Music, preferably stringed instruments, but doesn't really like songs." He said to her. "What do you want to know now?"
"You love her?" She asked.
"I have no reservations against falling in love with her. And I do want to end up loving her." He said.
"How beautiful is she?"
"She's perfect." He smiled at her.
"More than me?" She coldly asked.
"You will have to decide it on your on when you see her." He nudged her nose with his finger. "But I must say, it is nearly impossible for someone to be more perfect than... me." He waited before he said the last word, and Kiara pounced on him angrily, trying to lock his neck with her arm.
"You are too much!" She angrily said and started punching him on the side of his arms after she failed to grab his neck.
Keith only laughed under her assualt, which infuriated her more and then she started putting some real power behind her hits. However, she still kept hiting his arms, and did not dare to harm him in any way.
"That's enough, Kiara." He stopped laughing when he saw her eyes turning misty, and locked her in his arms after making her sit in his lap. "Remember I once told you that you are just as perfect as me." He whispered near her ear.
"No!" She shook her head, denying it.
"Well, you are nearly as perfect as me." He chuckled.
"Keith!"
"Okay, okay..." He sighed helplessly.
"Why did you never tell me about her?" Kiara asked when she calmed down a little.
"I only met her last week, Kiara." He said and felt her body finally relaxing.
"She knows about me?"
"Yes."
"And she doesn't mind?" She asked.
"No." He smiled and squeezed her in his arms. "She will be your sister-wife, Kiara. And if you would allow your heart to accept her, you will not regret it." He seriously said.
"Hmph..." She pouted. "Like you have left me any other choice. At least, with her around, you will stop sleeping around with other girls."
"Heh... I am not quite sure about that, my sweet little sister." He devilishly smiled. "You see... every body has a different taste and feeling..."
"I don't want to hear your nonsense again!" She put her hands on her ears, refusing to listen to what he was saying.
"Ahan?" Keith laughed and then pinned her down and started tickling her belly.
The room soon echoed with a sonorous laughter of a girl, who was begging for him to stop his assault, but he was a merciless man.
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