Ye Muo tightened his hold on Norton’s shirt and buried his face in the man’s shoulder. Norton touched his hands and feet. They were ice cold.
“Muomuo’s scared, Daddy…”
But when Norton inquired further, he could only stutter out a confused explanation before burying his face again. “Muomuo doesn’t know.”
With that, he stopped speaking altogether.
Ye Muo only remembered a hand tightly grasping the hilt of a sword while his elder brothers and adoptive father knelt not far away.
He hadn’t fully processed the memory yet. Although he was bewildered, his body was already remembering and reacting.
Norton’s anxiety was noticeably building up. He continued to gently pat Ye Muo on the back as he scanned the room. At the same time, his psychic power continued to loom over the entire Grantz palace.
Even Sylvia and Hebert, who weren’t as sensitive to psychic power, could vaguely sense something.
The parlour was especially quiet.
Ano couldn’t shake off this uneasy feeling.
Big Brother had done something similar before. When Ano was the only one left, Norton would maintain control over the entire palace at all times as a force of habit. However, the Grantz were very sensitive to the psychic power of others. Big Brother wouldn’t disturb everyone like this before bedtime unless it was absolutely necessary.
Later on, after Dylan and the others came back, Big Brother wasn’t as tightly strung as before. It’s been so long since Norton used his psychic power in such an overt fashion.
This had a pronounced effect on everyone. Jacob was momentarily distracted and came to a sudden stop. Helene, who was half-jokingly chasing him around the ceiling fixtures after a small matter earlier, couldn’t withdraw her sword in time and left a shallow cut on his cheek that began to bleed a little.
Neither paid much mind to an insignificant wound like this. They both turned to look in Norton’s direction.
Ano finally stood up and broke the silence, “I’ll go up to take a look–”
His voice cut off abruptly.
Another psychic power other than Norton’s began to reveal itself.
Bert rose as well. He frowned in the direction of Norton’s room. “It’s Ye Muo.”
The last time Ye Muo was like this, he was trapped in the memory of his mother’s death.
Norton hadn’t moved at all from where he stood in the second floor bedroom.
He instinctively began to psychically pacify Ye Muo soon as his psychic power appeared uncontrollably.
Ye Muo remained quiet, but Norton knew he was scared, no, terrified.
Even so, he didn’t cry. On the contrary, Ye Muo was much quieter than usual, everything else aside. Normally, he would already be chattering to Norton and telling him about every detail of his day.
But he just buried himself in Norton’s arms and remained absolutely still, like some little animals were prone to do in the face of a predator.
Ye Muo’s behaviour only made Norton more anxious.
He looked down at the child and gently called out to him, “Xavier.”
Ye Muo didn’t respond.
“Xavier.”
Norton called out again. He got down on one knee while still holding the child.
Ye Muo continued to lean almost limply against Norton even as his feet touched the floor. Norton circled Ye Muo with his arms as he held the child’s face up.
Norton didn’t use much force, but Ye Muo barely offered any resistance. He allowed Norton to raise his face.
Norton finally saw his expression. Ye Muo’s complexion was ashen. He didn’t avert his gaze from Norton, but his eyes were no longer filled with joy, admiration and dependence. There was nothing but an inexplicable fear and, eventually, tears.
Norton didn’t dare to even cup Ye Muo’s face with too much force, as if the slightest nudge would cause tears to flow uncontrollably.
Norton wanted to comfort the child in his arms, but he could only say helplessly in the end, “Daddy’s here.”
There was a knock at the door. Adlet’s voice sounded, “Your Majesty?”
Norton inclined his head. “I’m here.”
He knew the people in the parlour had come upstairs.
Adlet: “Forgive me.”
Then the door opened.
Adlet and the others stood outside the doorway.
At the forefront were Adlet and Bert, followed by Sylvia, Ano and the others.
Norton quietly spoke first, “Xavier suddenly started acting strangely. He’s so scared he’s trembling.”
Ye Muo instinctively looked up at the door from Norton’s arms. His unfocused gaze quickly locked onto the cut on Jacob’s cheek.
His focus was so intent almost everyone noticed.
Jacob eventually followed Ye Muo’s gaze and touched his cheek. The fresh blood that had seeped out smeared a bit, leaving a crimson streak.
Ye Muo’s pupil contracted sharply as his fragmented memories suddenly became whole.
At the same time, his psychic power surged once more.
Ano slipped past Bert, who was in front of him, to approach Ye Muo. “What’s happening to him?”
As soon as his words fell, Ye Muo’s psychic power went out of control and linked with psychic power of each Grantz.
In an instant, they all found themselves in Ye Muo’s memory.
All they could see was an approaching sword.
The Grantz all instinctively leaned to the left to evade the blow.
Ano tilted his head away before immediately turning back. He pressed a hand to his temple with a complicated expression.
He knew what he had just seen.
This was Ye Muo’s perspective of his first meeting with Big Brother.
No one knew better than Ano what happened back then. Ye Muo was pressed up against the wall with nowhere left to run. He had no choice but to face that blade head on.
Ye Muo’s mood soon fluctuated again.
Ano saw more images, more of Ye Muo’s memories based on the perspective.
The first one featured the same sword pointed diagonal to the floor and the hand wielding it. Its blade gleamed cold in the light.
The other party continued to draw closer and closer.
The perspective wavered as Ye Muo continued to back away until his back was against the wall and there was nowhere left to run. As he finally raised his head, the full appearance of the sword wielder was revealed.
It was Norton.
Norton advanced step by step before covering Ye Muo’s eyes.
Then there was nothing but darkness. A chill came from his neck as Norton’s sword pressed against Ye Muo’s.
Just like last time, the memory replayed over and over for the Grantz, just like it was for Ye Muo.
This included Norton as well.
Norton looked down at Ye Muo. The child was completely still and unable to avert his eyes like he was frozen in fear. He had even started trembling minutely.
Norton reached over a few seconds later, wanting to cover Ye Muo’s eyes. He caught himself halfway and helplessly lowered his hand. All he could do was whisper defeatedly, “Don’t be scared.”
Norton subconsciously turned to Sylvia.
Sylvia didn’t know what was happening, but she noticed Norton’s pleading gaze and Ye Muo’s abnormal demeanour. She went over to collect the child.
She scooped Ye Muo up and softly coaxed him, “Be good, Muomuo.”
Norton quietly backed off to the side.
Ye Muo burst into tears the second time Sylvia kissed him on the forehead. “Daddy’s mean! He scared Muomuo!”
All the grievances he had bottled up inside welled up. “Muomuo’s so scared.”
He glanced at Norton as he cried.
Norton stiffened and subconsciously took a step back to avoid Ye Muo’s gaze.
Fortunately, Ye Muo looked away after confirming Norton was still there and continued to sob his little heart out in Sylvia’s arms. He even started hiccupping because he was crying so hard.
Sylvia’s heart wept as she stroked his back. “Daddy was mean, but don’t be scared, Muomuo. Muomuo is a good boy.”
Norton soundlessly retreated. He quietly told Ano as he passed by, “He should trust you.”
It was Ano who stopped Norton and took Ye Muo back to the palace back then.
Norton paused, “I’ll stay away for now. Take care of him.”
Ano subconsciously clenched his fists as he looked at Norton. “Big Brother…”
Norton nodded at him and left.
Sylvia comforted Ye Muo, “Daddy’s so mean. We don’t need him anymore.”
Ye Muo cried out between sobs, “No! He’s Muomuo’s Daddy!”
His sobs slowly subsided as he turned to look for the man. Tears continued to trickle down his face. “W-where’s Daddy?”
