Érik Moreau

**Érik Moreau** (born **Érik Jadran Delacroix**; 7 April 1898) is the son of Linnéa Bergström and Adrien Delacroix, though ever since he was born, he believed that Dominique Moreau is his father. Like his real father, he is highly inclined to music and plays the piano like a prodigy with a lack of formal lessons. It is also later on revealed that his mother revealed to The Phantom that he didn't only leave her alone at that night that the two of them married in secret and consummated their union, but left her with a son as well, which is Érik. Though he first shone his father due to his scar, he later accepted the truth.

In the epilogue, he said that he finally understands the happiness that his mother had felt when she was with his father, and that though they need to love in secret for years and he knows that they are happy with the simple fact that they love each other truly and deeply.

## Biography

### Early life

Érik was born on 7 April 1898 to Swedish Soprano singer Linnéa Bergström and Lord Adrien Delacroix, Duke of Cadore, the man behind the famed masked Phantom of the Opéra Garnier, as **Lord Érik Jadran Delacroix, Marquis of Cadore**. He was the product of his parents' long and lasting affair that ended on a secret and private matrimonial rites, validating his right as the biological heir to the vast richness and wealth of the duchy of Cadore. His birth also rendered his mother's marriage to his known father, Lord Dominique Moreau, Count of Flanders, who happens to be originally his paternal uncle instead. In order to protect his mother's honor, his father had faked his death as the Phantom, who've been falsely haunted by the law for his non-existent crimes. Due to that, his mother accepted Dominique's marriage proposal and had insisted to rush the wedding in order not to be considered a disgrace and make it appear that Érik was Dominique's son.

According to Linnéa, his marriage with Dominique, which is firstly invalid already since she is already married before theirs; their invalid marriage was also never consummated. Instead, Linnéa had placed sleeping drops to Dominique's drink at night, faked her innocence, and told him that they've done the deed. After all, Dominique believed her excuse and believed that Érik was his son, and he returned to his old ways of engulfing himself to alcohol, wasting their money, and infidelity.

## Physical description

He was described to be an absolute younger replica of his father (both known and real father, since the two were twins). He was a handsome young man with jet black hair that tapers his nape and matching dark blue eyes. He has the attributes of a boy growing up, and was predicted to be of an absolute handsome lad as he became a young man.

## Personality

Érik was described to as innocent, carefree and strong-willed in nature just like his mother Linnéa, and as sensitive, analytical and genius like his father Adrien. He was an adventure seeker, interested in mysteries and in the unknown that were surely caused by Linnéa's influenced to him, too.

## Skills & abilities

Growing up, people around Érik had always questioned to whom he had inherited such innate skills. But when Adrien was revealed to be his real father, no questions had been arise that it is a lie for he is almost a replica of his father, not just physically but in such abilities. Like his father, he is a genius in both music and arts. He was a prodigy with composing and playing the piano even without professional lessons. He was also a gifted artist for the sketches he'd been keeping of mostly landscapes of the places he'd been and portraits of his mother. He was also mentioned to be an innovator. Though he isn't a par to his father, his skills are still exceptional for someone his age. He is also said to have a beautiful voice that surely had been influenced by both of his parents. Like his mother, he is known to have a very good deductive skills.

## Relationships

### Romance

* Immediate family
* Descendants

### Family

* Linnéa Bergström
* The Phantom
* Dominique Moreau

Linnéa Bergström is Érik's mother. A popular Opera singer, Érik grew up in the comforts of his mother being a celebrity, who received countless invitations to return to the center stage of the arts. However, due to his Dominique Moreau's influence that forbids her to sing, Érik only occasionally hear her singing. He once mentioned that she sings him to sleep in whispers because his foster father forbids music in their household, and says that whenever she sings, her eyes light up like the sun. In short, it is through her that he was influenced by his interest of music.

The Phantom is Érik's biological father. However, for majority of Érik's life, he believes that his father is Dominique Moreau, which is also later revealed to be his uncle. His father is unaware of his birth and had truly considered him to be Dominique's son, but had grown cautious and curious of its truthfulness upon seeing that he has more similarities with Érik than the other. The Phantom officially had his doubt upon hearing Érik play the piano, surprisingly playing the same song that he had last written for Linnéa to perform but never successfully done so to the public, and learned that he never had a teacher with playing it since Dominique had been against the idea of him learning professionally.

A confrontation of his real appearance had surprised Érik, enough to scare him, which was then followed by Linnéa revealing the truth to him that Érik is his son and not Dominique's. In exchange that he'll help her and his son escape Dominique's grasps, and let them go afterwards, she promised that she'll perform the song that he had composed for her to sing. Later on, when Linnéa finally chose to live with him along with their son, Érik opened up to him and accepted him as his father.

Dominique Moreau is Érik's foster father, which is originally his paternal uncle being his biological father's younger brother. Érik grew up believing that he is his father, and vice versa. However, he didn't doubted being Érik's father despite Érik's proficiency and love for music and his genius intellect.
### Others

* Immediate family
* Descendants

## Quotes

* The Mask
* The Ghost
* The Aria

## Trivia

* Etymology
* Character descriptions
* Author's notes

* The name **Érik** is the Croatian or Norwegian form of the name "Eric" that means "ever ruler", from the Old Norse name *Eiríkr*, derived from the elements *ei* that means "ever, always" and *ríkr* "ruler, mighty".. The last name **Moreau** is derived from a diminutive of "Maurus" that comes from Latin meaning "dark-skinned, Moorish".
* Érik's birth name is **Érik Jadran Delacroix**. The name **Jadran**, actually an honor of his biological father's alias as "Arie Jadranko", is the Croatian, Serbian and Slovene form of his name "Adrien". The last name **Delacroix** means "of the cross" in French.

## References

1. ↑ Behind the Name: Eric
2. ↑ Behind the Name: Moreau and Maurus
3. ↑ Behind the Name: Jadran
4. ↑ Behind the Name: Delacroix