Mage Manual-Chapter 1432 - 1044: I Have No Home Anymore (Third Update)_2

"Mother, she—"

"No, Demi, believe me, I don’t mean to scold you." Felix shook his head, "Beverly handled me for your sake, how could I be angry with my son for not defying his mother’s goodwill? I just feel that you are too much like... your father."

Demi was completely stunned, unsure if it was because of Felix’s assessment or because it was the first time in years Felix called him ’Father’ instead of ’that man.’

"You always think there is a perfect balance point in this world, a perfect solution, where even opposing interests can coexist." Felix said, "Father was wrong, so Beverly became a selfish and evil mother, and you and I became sacrifices."

"Now you think I can coexist with Beverly because you are the Duke now, you have the power to suppress Beverly’s influence, and you have the strength to give me freedom... is that what you think?"

Demi seemed puzzled, "Isn’t it possible?"

"Father also thought that becoming the Duke meant he could have both a wife and a lover at the same time." Felix said, "The result was that my mother never set foot in Vosloda’s house because Father believed the balance point was having a wife at home and a lover outside."

"At that time, Father had already stopped loving, he was just avoiding it, he couldn’t face the conflict and quarrels between them being together."

"When love is mixed with avoidance, only the weighing of interests is left."

Felix looked at his brother, "Demi, you never loved anyone wholeheartedly, whether it was your mother or me... it’s not that you have to deal with one party for the other, but what you are pursuing has never been about us both being satisfied, but a balance where we are ’at a certain grievance.’

Demi shook his head, "But there are grievances between you, there are conflicts of interest, you hate my mother to the bone, and mother is also... you wish the other would disappear immediately, there is no way everyone can be satisfied... only if both parties make concessions can it be a good ending for everyone."

"You have never even tried, you just directly asserted that it’s impossible, because your love is also mixed with avoidance, filled with compromise." Felix said, "You just want to maintain interpersonal relationships at the smallest cost, even if the cost is the grievances of the person you love."

"But just like Father, if our mothers lived together, they would definitely continue to resent and fight each other, the result would inevitably be lifelong pain and grievances for everyone." Demi couldn’t help but stand up and retort, "Wouldn’t separation be a better choice?"

Felix quietly looked at him, saying nothing. Demi also realized he had become agitated and, sitting down, covered his forehead, saying bitterly, "So, you are... not coming home?"

"In my view, there are two kinds of scumbags."

Felix downed his tea in one gulp, stood up, and said, "One is like Father, love mixed with avoidance, rationally constructing a plan where people barely coexist."

"The other kind is to love someone wholeheartedly and emotionally fantasize about finding the possibility of everyone being happy together."

"The former is wisdom, it’s political. The latter most likely results in mutual torment until destruction, yet there might also be a Miracle."

"Although I don’t know what I really want." Felix turned and left, "But what I’m looking for is definitely not the former kind of love."

"Demi, that’s your home, not mine."

"Brother, goodbye."

She walked straight out of the garden, and the guard at the door tried to stop her, but after seeing Demi shake his head, they let her leave. It wasn’t until she walked a distance that she heard a farewell carried by the cold wind:

"Sister, goodbye."

*

Felix opened the Miracle Bracelet, only to see the contact notification just sent by Sonia. Although both of them were using Miracle Bracelets under someone else’s identity, she couldn’t be sure if Demi was monitoring communications in this area, so she didn’t dare to call back and quickened her pace home.

As soon as she turned a corner, she saw a can of soda thrown in front of her, instinctively catching it, only to see a Cult Leader sitting on the steps by the roadside.

She instinctively looked back, and Ash pulled the tab, the soda fizzing, and he took a big gulp, sighing with satisfaction before saying, "No one’s following you."

Since he said so, Felix naturally felt relieved, too. She thought about it and sat down beside him, but didn’t drink the soda or say anything.

After Ash almost finished drinking, Felix finally couldn’t help but ask, "Don’t you have anything to say?"

"Hmm?" Ash blinked, thought about it, and said, "Today I went on a tour of Sword Flower with Sword Maiden, skated across the ice on East Lake, met her roommates, and even held her hand just now. What a wonderful day."

Felix chuckled, "What kind of a childish essay is this, even the feelings are so innocent."

"But," she said thoughtfully, "listening to you brag about your relationship with Sword Maiden... it feels nostalgic."

Ash mumbled, "I don’t brag that often... do I?"

"You eavesdropped?" Felix asked bluntly.

"The wind carried some sounds, it’s not eavesdropping."

"Then there’s nothing you want to say?"

"No."

"Don’t you think my reasons are very... casual?"

"I have three friends," Ash held up three fingers, "The first wants to become the best palliative care worker and corpse artist, the second wants to kill all the evil people in the world, and the third, like you, is searching for the meaning of life, but unlike you, he deceives people everywhere."