"O-Our relationship isn’t like that!" Lucian blurted out, panicking. He could easily push them away if he wanted, but he knew it would only make things worse. The situation was already a disaster, and getting physical would turn it into a war. "We’re together because we love each other!"
Eldon shouted without hesitation, "Love, my ass! You’re just trying to take advantage of her!"
"Love is not a sin!" Lucian shot back, raising his voice. "I love her, and she loves me! That’s the only thing that matters!"
Gideon almost choked on his own breath. "You ... you shameless bastard!"
Meanwhile, Medeia could barely hold it in. She quickly covered her mouth to hide her laugh. She never expected watching a live scene of a ridiculous, dramatic love story would be this fun.
So this is what it feels like to have a family that cares for her? It felt strange ... but also kind of warm. Somehow, Medeia didn’t want this moment to end too quickly.
Just as things were about to get even worse, Medeia finally stepped up to defend Lucian.
"No! No! He’s not bad at all!" she said loudly, waving her hands like she was stopping a fight between children.
Lucian’s eyes quietly screamed thank you, while the old men still looked ready to explode.
Medeia stepped right between them and gently pushed the old men away from Lucian. "He’s saved me from death so many times I lost count! If it weren’t for him, you wouldn’t even have the chance to see me standing here today."
As soon as she said that, the old men froze, their hands slowly letting go of Lucian’s collar.
Medeia wrapped her arms around Lucian’s and spoke firmly. "He’s done so much for me. He protects me every single day, makes sure I always have enough to eat, and gives me a safe place to sleep. He’s never once hurt me or even raised his voice at me."
She pointed at Lucian’s confused face. "And look at him! Just look at that face! How can anyone see that gentle smile and believe he’s someone evil?"
The old men awkwardly glanced at each other, then stared at Lucian for a good while. The more they looked, the more their anger seemed to fade.
To be honest, Lucian didn’t even look like someone capable of hurting a fly. He looked more like a tired husband who was dragged into this situation without warning.
But Eldon still tried to be stubborn. He coughed and said, "Even so, there are a lot of people with kind faces and rotten hearts. We can’t just trust people too quickly."
"I know," Medeia said, "but Lucian isn’t just anyone. He’s saved me so many times, always making sure I don’t get hurt whenever we’re fighting monsters or bad people. And more than that, he always makes me happy."
Medeia looked at them with determination burning in her eyes. "He is my savior, my reason to stay alive, and my beloved boyfriend."
The old men’s anger, which had already cooled down a little, instantly flared up again the moment Medeia said the word boyfriend. However, this time, they tried their best not to explode right away.
"And we even have a daughter together!" Medeia added without hesitation.
Veins immediately popped on their foreheads, and their blood boiled so hard it felt like they were standing on molten lava.
But just as they were about to yell at Lucian, a loud rumble shook the ground. Medeia lifted her head, noticing lightning flashing wildly across the dark sky.
"Why are you all still out there?!" Sora shouted from the church’s doorway. "A snowstorm is coming! Get inside and finish scolding that man later!"
A sudden gust of wind swept past them, almost knocking Medeia off balance if Lucian hadn’t quickly grabbed her arm.
Walter stepped forward. "Come on, let’s get inside first!" he said urgently.
They stepped into the church one by one. The moment Sora slammed the door shut, the wind outside howled even louder, making the old front door rattle like it might come off its hinges.
"What the hell," Ethan muttered with a frown. "It was perfectly fine a second ago."
Sora spoke calmly, as if this wasn’t strange to her. "That’s just how this city is. One second, the sun’s out like nothing’s wrong, and the next, a storm sneaks up on you."
Naomi tilted her head. "So you’ve been living here for a while?"
Sora gave a small glance at Ethan before answering. "Not too long. We’ve only been here since we escaped the military. To be honest, I’m surprised you found us at all."
Medeia smiled. "Let’s just say we have our ways. Normal people wouldn’t be able to track you down, so you don’t have to worry about your hideout getting exposed."
Of course, Medeia knew very well what they were worried about.
These old survivors were afraid. Afraid the military would find them one day and finish what they started. No matter how clever or skilled they were, if the military decided to strike, Medeia could already guess their bad ending.
"The church looks pretty good," Tian said, walking toward the altar. "Did you fix it up yourselves?"
Eldon crossed his arms. "It was already in decent shape compared to the buildings outside. We just cleaned off the dust and patched a few things so we could stay here until the winter ends."
Medeia stayed by the door, hesitant to go further inside. It wasn’t like she thought she’d burn for stepping into a church, but the place gave her a strange feeling.
The air felt heavy, like the leftover prayers from long ago still lingered on the cracked walls and faded stained-glass windows.
The candlelight made the peeling murals look like they were moving, and the old pews creaked softly with every gust of wind.
It wasn’t the holiness that bothered her, it was the silence, thick and suffocating, like the building itself was watching her.
Maybe it was God, displeased by the presence of something unholy in His house.
But who cared? It wasn’t like He could suddenly show up in front of Medeia and drag her back to hell.
"Have you eaten, dear?" Sora’s soft voice broke the tension and snapped Medeia from her thoughts. "I was just in the middle of cooking something when you arrived."