"I'm even more upset now!"
Annelisa, arms crossed in frustration, stood amidst the vibrant flowers of the chamber, which all mimicked her posture with their sprawling branches.
Saville, helpless, glanced at Ansel, who gently raised his scepter. The old butler respectfully excused himself from Annelisa and disappeared into the flower room, leaving only the mother and son in a "standoff".
"I will return before dinner," Ansel said, still in a gentle tone.
"Not missing a single al!"
Annelisa glared stubbornly at her son. "I know, once you're out, you won't even care what you eat!"
"I will report to you what I have eaten today, and Saville can attest to it."
"You're eating well just to appease ? That's even less acceptable!"
Lady Hydral possesses an unparalleled talent and skill in being unreasonably demanding — they are unparalleled because her confusing words, though headache-inducing, sohow fail to anger anyone and instead provoke laughter.
After expressing her anger, Annelisa sorrowfully caressed the flowers beside her, wallowing in self-pity:
"My husband disappears for months at a ti, barely returns for a few days and then vanishes again; my son refuses even to share a al with …sob... I truly am a failure as a woman…"
The mature and serene Lady Hydral, whose gentleness anyone would praise, wept behind her hands, the flowers in the room withering, losing their vibrant colors and luster, genuinely saddening to behold.
Yet the cold-hearted young Hydral replied with a voice still tinged with youth, "Only father is willing to be so utterly deceived by you, mother."
Annelisa's trembling form suddenly froze, and from the gaps between her covered face, a dangerous gaze that could imdiately make Mr. Flalle beg for rcy shot forth.
"Ans~"
The woman revealed a mother's tender smile, "So, will you stay and dine with ?"
"..."
Ansel opened his mouth, glanced at the flowers in the room miming a throat-slitting gesture, and finally sighed in resignation, "... Very well, I shall join you, mother."
Only then did Annelisa reveal a truly heartwarming, radiant smile, lifting her skirt and running towards Ansel, embracing him joyfully.
"This is my dear Ans! Much better than your father who has been running around for the past few years!"
Although you spoke ill of him daily, every day you would place the freshest flowers in father's study.
Held in his mother's embrace, Ansel did not voice this thought, lest he provoke his mother's playful wrath.
But perhaps... that is exactly why father so dearly loves mother.
Ansel closed his eyes, gently rubbing his cheek against his mother's, feeling the warmth that always brought him peace.
He resolved to protect all of this, with every effort, sparing no expense.
*
"...So, the lunch you wish for my company…"
In the utterly silent, ordinary restaurant, Ansel sighed while holding his fork and knife: "Is it here?"
A few kiloters from Hydral Manor lies a very ordinary, unremarkable restaurant with no signature dishes to speak of—this is where Ansel and Annelisa are enjoying their lunch.
All the patrons appeared to be dining, but in reality, they were stealthily observing the young Hydral and Lady Hydral.
"One can grow weary of eating the sa fare every day~"
Annelisa elegantly wiped her mouth and smiled with narrowed eyes:
"Besides, Ans, you wanted to co to a place like this, didn't you?"
"...Hmm?"
"Listen to the voice of the people."
The mother, deeply understanding her son, supported her cheeks with her hands and smiled tenderly: "This is what you've always wanted, isn't it?"
After swallowing a piece of steak, Ansel looked at his mother's smiling face and softly said, "I thought you just wanted to accompany you."
"What are you saying? Do I seem like such an irresponsible, capricious woman?"
Annelisa used a silk scarf to dab at the corner of Ansel's mouth, humming proudly: "Your mother is quite smart."
As she spoke, she turned to look out the restaurant window, scraping at the glass to see their children, who imdiately ducked their heads in fright, but soon, they sneakily peeked out again.
The woman smiled and gestured with her palm, signaling the children outside to look.
The children looked down and then their faces lit up with surprised and joyful smiles as they held up beautiful bouquets that suddenly appeared in their hands, shaking them at Annelisa.
"Ta-da!"
Lady Hydral also laughed happily, gesturing expansively with her hands, making the children outside laugh even more joyously.
"See?" she said proudly, lifting her head, "Not only smarter than Ans but also more beloved!"
Annelisa Delian, Flalle Hydral's first and only wife, is indeed a lady of the Hydral territory deeply adored by the populace.
Unlike those ladies who spend their days in the manor, appearing only at balls and social gatherings or hosting fancy salons, Annelisa enjoys spending her ti with nature and sharing its beauty with the people of Hydral territory.
Her gentle, approachable, and amiable personality is beyond reproach, and everyone says that Lady de Lian is the finest mistress of Hydral.
Indeed, Mr. Flalle is also the finest of Hydral, and young Ansel...
Upon hearing Annelisa's words, Ansel slightly raised his eyebrows, then set down his knife and fork, and spoke in a very calm tone:
"Mr. Riley, how have you been lately?"
The restaurant remained silent, yet many eyes turned towards a bewildered, bearded man, whose friends looked at him in disbelief.
"Not just you, but also your colleagues, Mr. Koflo, Mr. Bilal, Mr. Matt... How have you all been doing recently?"
The boy turned his head, smiling at the n gathered at a nearby table.
"I... I..."
The first to be nad, Riley, responded with a trembling voice:
"I've been very well... thanks to you, Lord Ansel. Last month, I took my wife and daughter to Maple City in the east for a vacation, and we all had a wonderful ti."
Ansel nodded with a smile, then looked at the n beside him, who, as if awakening from a dream, described their recent lives amidst the envious glances of others.
Without exception, all were doing well.
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