Chapter 86: Father, Mother (Part Two)
“Pepé, what kind of nonsense are you up to? Sit down!”
I ignored the lady’s scolding and the tugging at my clothes by Pasifal down below.
“Ugh!”
I let out a drunken hiccup and scanned the room with my blurry eyes, pausing on everyone’s faces for a moment.
But I couldn’t make out a thing… but that’s okay.
“I… am called… Silvya… no, I’m Peilo…”
Another round of laughter erupted.
“Miss Peilo, I’m Andrew, nice to meet you.”
“I’m Uncle Wyatt~”
Someone was introducing themselves in a teasing tone, and I think I even heard Annie’s voice: “Pepé is drunk… I’ll help her back…”
I didn’t care to respond, flailing my little hand about.
“Maybe, I won’t express myself… very well. But I know… you all want to fight… I know. But I want to say, I don’t want that…”
At this point, it seemed the Duke was talking: “Pepé, no one said we have to fight.”
“You don’t have to lie to me, I get it. I understand everything; I’ve lived just as long as you have… I’ve seen just as much… as you…”
“Miss Peilo is really drunk…”
“Haha, she’s getting tipsy fast…”
Suddenly, I felt someone move next to me, grabbing my hand and tugging me back. I felt a familiar warmth in my palm and turned to see a blurry figure in bright red armor.
“Let me finish. I have… something to say…”
“Let her finish, okay?”
A lazy voice drifted into my ear, and the pulling force on me weakened.
“You all want to fight… fighting means people will d*e, lots of people will d*e. That day, the City Guard… lost many lives, and Lafael’s… guards lost several too… I don’t want that, but I can’t stop it. I know, if we don’t fight, they will come for us. But… this all started because of me… I’m scared…”
“Pepé, this has nothing to do with you. You’re just a victim who got dragged into this, don’t feel burdened.”
I shook my head softly, and then my head started throbbing, so I hastily pressed my hand against my temples.
“I hate it like that. But I don’t want one day, Winter City to become like that, or Shanter Castle to become like that.”
The noisy chatter gradually quieted down.
Everyone now wore serious expressions, focusing intently on this drunken, somewhat clumsy young woman as they listened to her incoherent ramblings.
“This place… is my home… I have another home in Silgaya, but this is my real home.”
“I can’t remember many things. But I know, if fighting breaks out, everything will look like that… little village. So, dear grandpas, uncles, aunts, big brothers and sisters… please…”
I wanted to bow to them, but my body was not cooperating, and I stumbled a little as I leaned back.
Lafael caught me… he seemed to be smiling at me, but I couldn’t see clearly. I felt sleepy.
But… I still had words to say.
“… Please, don’t k*ll the civilians, don’t rob them of their things. I know… saying this is very childish, but Duke, my father, he promised me… he wouldn’t lie to me.”
“If… there really is a fight… please make sure to win. And I, I am Pope Knight, I can help too. Please make sure to help my father and mother, help my brother, Lafael, achieve victory. Thank you… so much…”
My legs felt weak, and just before I toppled over, someone caught me.
The touch was hard and chilly.
“Duke, let me take her back.”
“Alright.”
“I’m fine… I just want to thank them…”
An intense wave of fatigue washed over me, and my eyelids began to droop. Someone picked me up.
“So light!”
That sounded like Annie… she must be really strong.
In a half-dazed state, I faintly heard the lady’s sobbing.
“She called me mother… Skarlij, did you hear? She called us…”
“Yeah, I heard…”
…………
On the Day of the Divine Birth, the banquet at Shanter Castle went splendidly.
After the banquet, the Duke and the lady spent a long time in the study having a private talk with Bishop Hobbs, Marquis Oliver, and Annie among others. Then, the plump Marquis Oliver took the Carie family out first.
Starting in the afternoon, people trickled out one by one, and only those with long journeys chose to stay behind; even so, there were still quite a few guests left. Fortunately, Shanter Castle was big enough, with plenty of guest rooms to accommodate them.
I finally got to enjoy the dessert from the banquet. By the time the dessert came out, hardly anyone was eating it anymore, and most of it was left uneaten.
So, after a good nap, I fully indulged in the dessert cake during dinner.
Eating something so rich at night might make me gain weight… but I’ll think about that after I’m done eating.
Annie stayed behind. Before it got too late, she came to my room once.
Now dressed in casual clothes, she seemed less rigid and a bit more feminine.
“Pepé, you got drunk today…”
Hearing this, I puckered my lips.
“Don’t mention it, so embarrassing… I’ll never drink again.”
Annie shook her head with a smile.
“I just wanted to say, you’re really cute when you’re tipsy.”
… Well, I was truly tipsy… but that look was cute?
“Indeed—”
She walked over to the window and opened it, letting in a gentle breeze. Outside, the goat cheese got startled and flew off into the sky with a shriek.
“It’s been three years, and you haven’t changed one bit… can you tell me the story behind this?”
After that, I repeated the little white lies I had gotten used to telling. By the time she left, it was already quite late.
I didn’t really want to sleep, but I didn’t know what else to do. After changing into my pajamas and lying in bed, I stared blankly at the ceiling with wide, dark eyes.
Tomorrow morning, I would set off for the Order Royal City in Ethanbel to report to the Royal Academy, and the carriage was already prepared.
I was leaving this place…
Suddenly, my heart felt a little hollow.
A feeling of reluctance seeped out, drop by drop, resting heavy on my heart. It felt somewhat like the nervousness I felt as a child every time I went to kindergarten, right at the moment before leaving home—a deep-seated fondness for the “home” that felt so safe.
I don’t want to go to school…
That thought flashed through my mind and almost made me laugh at myself.
At my age, what am I thinking about?
Just then, the door suddenly squeaked open, and gentle footsteps slipped into the room. Without looking, I knew who it was.
“Pepé, still not asleep?”
The lady walked over to me. I slowly sat up and let out a big yawn.
“Nope.”
“I came to bring you something.” She sat down by my bed and winked at me. “Give me your hand.”
I noticed she seemed to be holding something in her right hand, and I immediately got curious: “Is it a donut?”
The lady shot me a look, not pleased at all.
“What donut? You already ate so much tonight; what are you thinking about… hand me your hand!”
She took my hand and stuffed a cold, hard object into my palm. I opened it up and saw it was an ice-blue crystal necklace, with a moon-shaped gem hanging from it.
“I wanted to give this to you tomorrow when you leave, but I was afraid I’d forget… it’s called the Heart of Winter Moon, a symbol of the Winter Moon family identity. Isn’t it pretty?”
I grabbed the gem, holding it up to admire it. The translucent blue gem sparkled beautifully under the firelight.
“Looks great!” I happily pressed the necklace down under my pillow. “Thank you… Mother.”
In an instant, the lady’s smile bloomed like a flower, her starry eyes shining even brighter than the gem.
“When there’s no one around, you should call me ‘Mom’—I’ll sleep here tonight, alright?”
“Sure.”
