Chapter 86: Father, Mother (Last Part)
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“Peipei, what are you making a fuss about? Sit down!”
I paid no attention to Madam’s scolding, nor to Parsifal secretly tugging at the corner of my clothes from below.
“Ugh!”
I let out a wine burp, scanning the room with hazy, drunken eyes, lingering on each person’s face for a mont.
Then I realized I couldn’t see anyone clearly… but that didn’t matter.
“I… am called… Sylvia… no, I am… Peylo…”
Another burst of laughter erupted.
“Miss Peylo, I’m Andrew, pleased to et you.”
“I’m Uncle Wyatt~”
Soone was introducing themselves in a teasing tone, and among them I could hear Sister Annie’s voice: “Peipei is drunk… let help her back to her room…”
I didn’t want to pay attention to anyone, just waved my small hand dismissively.
“Maybe, I won’t express myself… very well. It’s just that, I know… you all… want to go to war… I know. But I want to say, I don’t want… things to be like this…”
At this point, it seed like the Duke was speaking: “Peipei, no one said we must go to war.”
“You all… don’t need to deceive , I understand. I understand everything, I haven’t lived… any shorter than you… haven’t seen… any less than you…”
“Miss Peylo is really drunk…”
“Haha, got drunk so quickly…”
At this mont, I suddenly felt soone walk up beside , grabbing my hand and pulling backward. The familiar warm touch ca from their palm. I turned to look and could vaguely make out that fire-red armor in the haze.
“Let … finish speaking. I have… sothing to say…”
“Let her finish what she has to say, okay?”
A lazy voice ca from beside my ear, and then the force pulling at weakened.
“You all… want to go to war… when there’s war… people die, many people die. That day, the city guard… many died, Count Lafayette’s… guards, also died… several of them… I don’t want this, but I… can’t stop it. I know, if we don’t fight, they… will fight us. But… this matter… started because of … I’m afraid…”
“Peipei, this matter has nothing to do with you. You’re just a victim who was forced to get involved. Don’t feel any psychological burden.”
I gently shook my head, then imdiately felt my head splitting with pain, quickly pressing my hands against my temples.
“I hate… that. But, I hate even more, the thought that soday, Winter City… might beco like that, Shanter Castle… might beco like that.”
The noisy voices gradually quieted down.
Everyone now put away their smiles, just seriously staring at this drunk, sowhat adorable girl in front of them, listening to her incoherent rambling.
“This place… is my ho… I have… another ho, in Sylgaria, but here… is my real… ho.”
“Many things, I don’t rember. But I… know, when there’s war, everywhere will… beco like that… little village. So, all you grandfathers… uncles, elder brothers, older sisters and brothers… I beg you.”
I wanted to bow to them, but my body really wouldn’t obey, and I stumbled and nearly collapsed.
Count Lafayette caught in one swift motion… he seed to be smiling at , but I really couldn’t see clearly anymore, and felt sowhat sleepy.
But… I hadn’t finished saying what I wanted to say.
“…I beg… you all. Don’t… kill civilians, don’t steal their… things. I know… what I’m saying is… very naive, but Duke, my father, he promised … he won’t lie to .”
“If… we really go to war… please, you must… achieve victory. And I, I am a Pontifical Knight, I can also… help, please… definitely help… my father… and mother, help my brother, Count Lafayette… achieve victory. I thank… you all…”
My legs felt sowhat weak, my body leaned backward, and soone caught before I fell.
The touch was hard and cold.
“Duke, let help her back first.”
“Very well.”
“I’m fine… just wanted to… thank them…”
Intense drowsiness struck , my eyelids began to fight each other, and then soone picked up.
“So light.”
It seed like Sister Annie’s voice… she’s so strong.
Half-asleep, I vaguely heard Madam’s sobbing voice.
“She called mother… Scalliger, did you hear that? She called us…”
“Yes, I heard.”
…………
Divine Birth Day, the banquet at Shanter Castle was held very successfully.
After the banquet ended, the Duke and Madam had lengthy private discussions in the study with Bishop Hobbs, Marquis Oliver, Annie, and others. Afterward, the plump Marquis Oliver left first with the Kariye family mbers.
Starting in the afternoon, people began leaving one after another. Only those whose journeys were too distant chose to stay, though even so, there were quite a few people. Fortunately, Shanter Castle was large enough, with plenty of guest rooms to accommodate them all.
I eventually did get to eat the desserts from the banquet. Actually, by the ti the desserts were served at the end, very few people were eating them, so most of what was made was left over.
So after having a good sleep, when I woke up for dinner, I got to eat my fill of dessert cakes all at once.
Eating such rich food at night will make gain weight… but I’ll think about that after I’m full.
Sister Annie stayed behind. Before nightfall, she ca to my room once.
Having changed into casual clothes, she had less of that rigid quality and more of the gentle beauty that belonged to won.
“Peipei, you got drunk today…”
Hearing this made pout.
“Don’t ntion it, so embarrassing… I’m never… drinking alcohol again.”
Annie smiled and shook her head.
“I just wanted to say, the way you acted drunk was really adorable.”
…Acting drunk was certainly true… but how was that adorable?
“As I thought—”
She walked to the bedside and opened the window. A gentle cool breeze blew in. Goat Cheese outside was startled, let out a loud cry, and flew toward the sky.
“After 3 years of not seeing you, you haven’t changed at all… can you tell the story behind this?”
After that, I repeated the lie I’d beco accustod to telling. By the ti she left, the night was already deep.
I didn’t really want to sleep, but didn’t know what else to do. I changed into my pajamas and lay on the bed, my dark eyes wide open and round, staring at the ceiling in a daze.
Tomorrow morning, I would be heading to Order City in Isenbell, to report to the Royal Academy there. The carriage was already prepared.
I’m leaving this place…
My heart suddenly felt sowhat empty.
Reluctant emotions slowly seeped out from my heart, drop by drop falling onto my soul. That feeling was surprisingly similar to when I was little, every ti I went to kindergarten, in that mont before leaving ho, that sincere panic and uneasiness, and the deep attachnt to “ho” as a safe haven.
I don’t want to go to school…
This thought flashed through my mind and nearly made laugh at myself.
At my age, what am I thinking about?
At this mont, the door suddenly opened with a “click,” and light footsteps entered the room. Without looking, I knew who it was.
“Peipei, still not asleep?”
Madam walked toward . I slowly sat up and let out a leisurely yawn.
“No.”
“I ca to give you sothing.” Madam sat down beside my bed and winked at . “Give your hand.”
I saw that her right hand seed to be clutching sothing, and imdiately asked curiously: “Is it a donut?”
Madam imdiately glared at with annoyance.
“What donut? You ate so much tonight already, how can you still be thinking about eating… give your hand!”
She took my hand and placed a cold, hard object into my palm. When I opened it to look, it was an ice-blue crystal necklace with a moon-shaped gemstone pendant.
“I originally wanted to give it to you tomorrow when you left, but I was afraid I’d forget… its na is Heart of Wintermoon, the identity symbol of the Wintermoon family. Very pretty, isn’t it?”
I picked up the gemstone and held it in front of for comparison.
The crystal-clear blue gemstone shimred with flowing colors under the firelight, extrely beautiful.
“Beautiful!” I happily tucked the necklace under my pillow. “Thank you… Mother.”
Madam’s radiant smile blood instantly, and the stars flowing in her beautiful eyes were even brighter than the gemstone.
“When no one’s around, call Mom — tonight I’ll sleep here, okay?”
“Mm.”
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