### Chapter 149: Reunion (Part One)
“Uncle Hoover…”
As soon as I thought of that name, it slipped out of my mouth instinctively.
Then, I saw the man freeze in surprise.
He had initially been looking toward Tarlasya, who stood by the door. His mouth moved as if he was about to speak, but suddenly hearing my whisper, his fierce expression faltered and he turned to look at me, as if he had just noticed my presence. After a brief moment of dazed shock, he slowly began to speak, his voice sounding somewhat sluggish.
“Who are you…?”
Uncle Hoover was puzzled.
He didn’t immediately recognize who I was.
This burly man, who in my memory was always cheerful and kind, now looked utterly exhausted. His dark bags under his eyes were heavy, his hair disheveled, like someone who hadn’t slept well for three days. The noble robe he wore was stained with splatters of bl**d that hadn’t been cleaned; he looked incredibly tense, with his left hand behind his back, likely gripping a weapon.
This man was the captain of Shanter Army’s Third Squad, one of my father’s most trusted individuals.
Of course, I remembered him.
When I was little, he was the one who told me there were silver foxes on the snow-capped mountains behind the castle, leading me to drag my two brothers to squat on the mountainside, freezing in the icy weather all day long. In the end, not only did we not see any silver foxes, but we also received a pretty harsh scolding from my mother.
I wondered how on earth Uncle Hoover ended up hiding here?
From the shadows of my wide hood, I stared at his face, filled with my own suspicions.
What on earth is going on…?
“Do you know her?”
Suddenly, the Pope Knight Tarlasya asked, directing his question at Uncle Hoover. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his right hand resting on the hilt of his sword, his expression calm, as though he was carefully observing our reactions… I imagined if Uncle Hoover said “No,” that sword would come swinging down at me.
“You—”
But in the next moment, the man named Hoover’s eyes widened.
After a brief moment of realization, it seemed he finally recognized who I was.
With a loud clatter, the thing he had been gripping behind his back dropped to the ground, echoing loudly in the quiet corridor. It was indeed a weapon, a strangely-shaped short dagger, but at that moment, no one had the presence of mind to care about it.
I watched as the man’s expression shifted wildly, his mouth slightly agape. In what felt like slow motion, I saw his pupils visibly dilate, the wariness in his eyes completely fading away. His head lowered, the dim light casting a glow on his face, transitioning from confusion to shock, and finally to disbelief and joy—all within a second, looking almost comical.
“Pepé…”
Almost instinctively, he was about to say my name.
Ha—
I sighed internally, feeling both helpless and unexpectedly surprised, quickly interrupting him: “It’s me, Uncle Hoover.”
Well…
He recognized me at a glance.
I was still wearing my hood, and my face was still wrapped in cloth… It seemed that this level of disguise was utterly ineffective against people who knew me well.
Oh well…
I guess it’s fine like this.
Even though I still wasn’t clear about Tarlasya’s purpose in bringing me here, Uncle Hoover…
Could always be trusted.
As my thoughts whirled, I noticed Hoover’s expression had morphed into one of ecstatic joy, so overwhelmed that he just stood there behind the door, red-eyed, hands beginning to tremble slightly. His earnest, heartfelt excitement was undeniable, and it didn’t escape the notice of Tarlasya beside him.
So, he suddenly lowered his hand from the sword hilt and said, “Let’s go inside and talk.”
His calm words cut through the emotions gradually brewing in Uncle Hoover’s heart.
“…Huh?”
The rugged man paused for a moment, as if awakening from a daze, “Oh, oh… you’re right, let’s head inside… you… we’ll go inside…”
His voice trembled as he stepped back and opened the door more widely, his eyes still glued to me, making me feel somewhat unnerved, a mix of emotions churning inside.
Because I…
Didn’t feel emotions as strong and evident as he did.
Not at all.
Creak—
Bang.
As we stepped into the room, the wooden door gently closed behind us.
I lifted my head slightly and glanced around.
To my surprise, the room besides Uncle Hoover had seven or eight Shanter Castle hunters.
They were either sitting or standing, holding peculiar weapons, yet each wore similar lavish noble coats like Hoover’s. Their fierce gazes swept over me and Tarlasya as soon as we stepped inside, their faces filled with wariness.
Naturally, my gaze swept over them too.
…I recognized a few familiar faces.
Couldn’t recall their names…
But I knew they were Hoover’s men, members of the elite Third Squad of Shanter Army.
“Don’t be nervous, everyone stay calm…”
Uncle Hoover suddenly stepped forward, pressing his hands down and repeatedly saying to them, “They’re our people, we… she… she is…”
I could see his profile; his complexion was still somewhat dazed, his eyes red, voice choked with emotion. As he struggled to find words, he took a deep breath, causing all the hunters to collectively freeze.
But soon, someone suddenly shot up from their seat.
“Boss…”
The man, whose fierce face mirrored Hoover’s, stood abruptly, startling everyone. They all turned their gazes toward him, but he ignored them, calling out “Boss” to Hoover while his eyes remained fixed on me and the half of my face hidden under the hood—his mouth opened, yet the words seemed to choke in his throat as he couldn’t bring himself to say anything more.
“Sit down, d*mn it… you sit down, don’t disturb the lady… no, wait, you go get the lady, hurry and get her!” Hoover waved his hand, fussing quietly at the man, whose hands were still trembling, his words somewhat jumbled. After he spoke, it seemed he remembered something and turned back to me, “Wait, let me see your face… can you take off your hood?”
It was a near pleading tone.
In my memory, Uncle Hoover had always been tough, never showing this kind of side in front of me or anyone else.
That made my heart skip a beat, as if something heavy pressed down on me—though it only lasted for a brief moment.
Without hesitation, I took off my hood.
I heard a sharp “crack” sound from behind my head; not sure if it was from the earlier brief but intense battle, or because the motion of removing my hood was too quick, the hairpin holding my hair suddenly snapped, and my long black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, spilling over my shoulders.
The unique scent of lilacs began to waft through the air, I could even smell it myself.
I didn’t rush to remove the cloth from my face.
Instead, I fixed my dark eyes on Uncle Hoover, who seemed on the verge of tears…
He looked so emotional.
Everyone else, too, seemed to be incredibly emotional…
Did they all recognize me?
I tilted my head to look up at him, as tears streamed down his reddened eyes. He slowly squatted down, reaching out his hand to touch my face. His rough, calloused palm brushed against my smooth skin, giving a slightly uncomfortable sensation. I wanted to pull away, but looking at his rugged, grief-stricken face, I hesitated and held back that hurtful instinct.
In fact…
At this point, my thoughts were still a bit chaotic.
I didn’t know what to say.
“Really… it’s you…”
“Pepé…”
“You… aren’t you already dead…?”
“How are you still alive…?”
“You were supposed to be dead…”
“Why are you still alive…?”
The man’s cracked lips trembled violently as he touched my face like a concerned elder, repeating the same sentences over and over, making it seem like he wished I were already gone. Still, the sadness on his face, mixed with an underlying relief, was utterly contrary, leaving no doubt about his feelings.
With a loud ‘thud’, someone knocked over a chair nearby.
I turned my gaze and saw the hunter who had stood up earlier. He also saw my face, my flowing black hair, and my deeply dark eyes—his face was vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place a name. After a moment of shock, he practically stumbled and rushed toward the back of the room, banging on the tightly shut side door by the candlelight.
“Lady—”
He shouted.
Lady…
It was only at that moment I realized what Hoover had stammered earlier.
Go get the lady…
The lady…
Mother!
She’s here too?!
As soon as I realized this, I suddenly felt a bit flustered.
Those emotions that had barely stirred since I entered now felt like a stone tossed into water, creating ripples that spread out continuously.
?
Mother…
She…
Ah, I’m about to meet her like this?
Is she in that side room?
“Uncle Hoover…”
I murmured, my eyes fixed on the little door. Suddenly, it swung open. The man who knocked on the door had pushed it with too much force and almost tumbled inside. From within, I could hear a voice scolding, “What the hell!? You made me think an enemy was attacking, almost slashed at you, are you crazy—”
There were clearly more hunters inside, but from the voice, it sounded like a female hunter, not my mother…
The man didn’t bother explaining to her, nor did he heed her efforts to stop him. He stumbled in, and again I heard voices; the man was talking to someone, and the woman was cursing non-stop, spewing out a few swear words. At that moment, Hoover stood up straight in front of me, turning his gaze towards the side room…
Soon, everyone was staring at the side room.
I heard another loud ‘thud’—something fell over.
Thump, thump, thump—
Sounds of hurried feet—barefoot and panicking—ran swiftly toward the door.
Two seconds later, there was another clatter, and in my view, a shadow dressed in a black skirt tumbled out of the door, accompanied by a fallen coat stand and a flying crow-feathered outer coat, crashing hard onto the ground.
“Lady—”
The hunters were instantly thrown into a frenzy, all wanting to rush forward, but the female hunter still in the door ahead of them rushed in first, trying to help the fallen woman up from behind. However, the disheveled woman on the ground forcefully shrugged her off and climbed right back to her feet, her smooth knees obviously scraping against the ground, bl**d oozing out. Ignoring the injury, she dashed forward a few steps, stumbling into the midst of the other hunters, a look of panic and confusion on her face…
Then, those eyes, as beautifully dark and exquisite as mine but looking somewhat dimmer, suddenly locked onto me.
