The Alchemists

He then looked at Rory with a confused look. "The last time we met was in the 90's... at that time, you were still the same as you have always been: adventurous and not attracted to women. Ever since your girlfriend died during the war, you've always been alone. Have you changed now?"

Rory shrugged. "When we last met, you were with Katia. How are you?"

"I'm not with her anymore..." Caspar answered quietly. He took out a bottle of red wine and two glasses. "She left me because, after 50 years of being in a relationship, I still hadn't married her..."

"She should have left you a long time ago. You were never faithful to her." Rory shook his head. He received a glass of wine from Caspar and gulped it down little by little.

Aleksis, who was attracted by the red wine, tried to hold his glass while chattering. Caspar's heart felt warm seeing the scene in front of him. Aleksis was indeed a very beautiful child, and Caspar was very excited to see her. However, he also felt a sense of pain in his chest.

"I don't need to be reminded of that all the time. I've received my karma, okay?" Caspar looked at Aleksis and thought about the only girl he ever loved, who also had a child with another man. Even though she sold her egg cells because she needed money, he still felt very sad whenever he thought about it.

Now even Lauriel, who was known for being a loner, had his own family and child...

"Aleksis has very beautiful eyes..." commented Caspar. "Very similar to yours."

Rory just smiled and nodded.

"Actually, I have something to ask you," said Rory later. Before he could continue with his question, there was a knock and the sound of a door opening. A very beautiful girl entered the room they were at. She had a long hair and purple eyes. She squealed at Rory's presence.

"Heyy... geez, who do we have here? Lauriel the great… the mysterious Lauriel... I didn't expect to see you here! You've been off the grid for so long!"

Rory narrowed his eyes when he saw Sophia, then turned towards Caspar.

"I didn't know you two were on good terms," he teased. He knew about Sophia and her family's views on purity, which had long been incompatible with Caspar's family views.

"Sophia helped me..." Caspar answered curtly. "Did you hear about what happened in Paris early last year?"

"I do not follow what's going on in the world." Rory shrugged.

"Yeah, I know..." Caspar sighed. "Alexei managed to find my weakness and he set me up to kill Famke, one of the Alchemists who was my bodyguard."

"You made the unforgivable mistake?" Rory asked in surprise.

"I was framed. For over a year I was able to evade the killers sent by the Meier family. Sophia then came to me and told me that Famke was actually Alexei's girlfriend. She was sent to infiltrate my group and gain my trust. Everything had been planned by Alexei from the start..."

"And you just believe Sophia?"

"Hey, watch your words!" said Sophia. "Just because you're the most senior among us, it doesn't give you the right to talk about me like that. I am sincerely helping Caspar."

"I don't believe your intention is sincere. I know that you have been carrying a torch for him for a long time." Rory looked at the two of them with a complicated look. He was about to ask Caspar about Finland, but Sophia's arrival changed his mind.

"My feelings are sincere to him .." Sophia said firmly. "I even betrayed my own family by giving that information. The Alchemist council of four families has acquitted Caspar of all charges, and now my family disowned me..."

"Hmmm ... So now you are with her?" Rory asked Caspar. "You haven't changed either."

The man did not reply. He poured another glass of wine and gulped it down.

"What do you mean?" Sophia asked in protest.

"During his engagement to Katia, Caspar was never faithful," Rory answered indifferently, "What assures you that he won't sleep with other women while he is with you? Maybe he even has children out there."

"You insult me too much, Lauriel..." Caspar said suddenly. "I know you are a perfect man who is wise and always right. But I can change... I'm not like who I was before."

Rory stared at Aleksis for a long time, then looked at Caspar and shook his head. "I'm afraid I still see you as who you were before."

***

Finland was reading several reports when Rory came in with Aleksis.

"Where are you guys from?" she asked. She put down her documents and took Aleksis from Rory.

"Here nearby, I met with an old friend." Rory turned the water on boiler to prepare tea. "What tea would you like?"

"Fruit-flavored tea, thank you." Finland answered. She kissed her child lovingly. "How long have you not seen your friend?"

"Quite a long time. We used to go on adventures together. We parted when I had a girlfriend and no longer dated one woman after another. But it turns out that he hasn't changed until now."

Rory handed Finland a cup of tea and sat on the couch to enjoy his own tea.

"Oh, I didn't know you had a girlfriend," Finland was interested to hear it. "Where is she now?"

"She is dead. I have lived alone for a long time. Until I met you." Rory looked at Finland and Aleksis with loving eyes.

"Oh... I'm sorry."

"It's okay. It has been a long time..." Rory took a sip of his tea and was suddenly lost in thought. He actually sent a message to Caspar to see each other when they arrived in Hong Kong.

Caspar agreed and arrived three days later. Rory did not expect that Sophia would come along with Caspar and it immediately discouraged him from telling Caspar about Finland. He saw that Caspar was still a womanizer who hooked up with different women.

He suspected Finland was just one of the many women Caspar dated when he was still engaged to Katia. For that reason Caspar did not know that Finland was pregnant. If Finland was really important to him, Caspar would certainly have no difficulties finding the girl… then he would know that she was pregnant with his child.

He looked at the mother and child who were sitting on the sofa opposite of him with a look of pity. He could not bear to tell Finland that the father of her child was currently with another woman and was not thinking about them at all.

"Finland... how are you going to look for Aleksis' father?" Rory asked later. "If he doesn't want to be found, how will you find him?"

"That's impossible..." Finland said quickly. "He will definitely be happy to meet me..."

"I'm just asking..." Rory's voice turned soft, "What would you do if he didn't want to be found? If you really meant something to him, wouldn't he already be looking for you?"

Finland knew Rory was right. If Caspar did not want to be found, Finland couldn't do anything.

For nearly two years Caspar did not look for her, even though Jean had long woken up from his coma.

Did that mean Caspar had forgotten about her? Finland remembered that when she left Caspar, she said that their relationship had ended, and that he was free to meet and be with another woman if he met her before Jean woke up.

Did this mean Caspar had indeed forgotten about her...?

Those thoughts made her heart feel very heavy.