After getting seated, the male officer noticed the crimson tea and asked.
"Crimson tea. It's not sold in any shops that I know of in Kornacis."
"Yes… I receive my tea from the Kornacis family's rchants. They bring monthly deliveries, free of charge, as a reward for my services there."
Madam Agnes said.
"You worked for the Kornacis family?"
The female officer asked in surprise.
"I was a servant of ghan Kornacis, yes, but unfortunately, Smog Blindness took my sight away."
Madam Agnes said with a deep sigh.
"Oh…"
The female officer responded sympathetically, as she also knew a few of her relatives had been affected by the sa condition.
"You ca here to talk about my daughter and grandson? Is everything alright?"
She asked.
"…"
The female officer awkwardly scratched the back of her head, which Madam Agnes didn't notice because of her blindness.
Aren sat next to Madam Agnes, staying quiet, and was just keeping his presence as small as possible.
He didn't want to garner the attention of the Kornacis Yard and thought it was better for them to think of him as just an ordinary tenant of this residence.
'…Kornacis Yard deals with ordinary cris—they don't deal with Blessed Ones—and since they are here, they believe what I did was done by an ordinary person.
'Good.'
Aren thought.
"I don't know how to say this, so I'll just say it—we found your daughter's and grandson's corpses late last night."
The male officer said.
Taken aback, Madam Agnes's body started trembling, and she started shedding tears uncontrollably.
This news hit her like a sledgehamr, and it was hard to bear for her old heart.
"That's horrible…"
Aren said, put his arm around Madam Agnes' shoulders, and hugged her tightly with a serious look on his face.
He didn't want her to accidentally have a heart attack now.
"No…"
She cried against his chest, and it made everyone's heart lt in sadness to see her crying like this.
They were the last of her relatives that she knew of, and now she didn't have anyone left.
"How did they die…?"
Aren asked with a serious look.
"…A few days ago, they ca to report a cri to us, Kornacis Yard, as they were apparently attacked by so holess person.
"An attempted robbery, they said.
"We took so witness reports, and one of their neighbors heard screaming last night. They then saw a man, resembling the description that they gave, fleeing the scene.
"We do have a reason to believe that they were killed by the sa person that tried robbing them a few days ago. A revenge maybe, that they ca to us to report the cri, or sothing else. We don't know yet."
The male officer said.
"…Horrible. I hope you guys catch the guy."
Aren said with a serious look.
With nods, the two officers said their goodbyes and said that they were going to do everything in their power to catch the guy.
Aren just nodded and closed the door behind them.
However, the officers knew that finding that guy was hard. The holess epidemic had grown out of control in Kornacis.
It was like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
"Whoo…"
Aren took a deep breath and returned back to the living room to see Madam Agnes crying into her hands.
She looked feeble, as if she could collapse at any mont.
'…It truly hurts too to see you like this.'
Aren sat beside her, putting a comforting arm around her shoulders, and she leaned into his embrace.
"I-I have no one left…"
She whispered.
'…I had no idea that she didn't have any more relatives. It pains . But I also did this for her, as those two weren't trustworthy.'
"That's not true, Agnes. I also carry the na of redica. You are not alone."
Aren said.
"…"
She stayed silent, but she also felt slightly better hearing that, but still, she had no blood relatives left in this world.
Knowing that hurt her more than anything else in the world, as she felt so alone, but Aren's warmth was a small comfort in her ti of need.
"You need to get out of the house. Shall we take a walk?"
Aren asked, stood up, and took her hand before pulling her to her feet. She slightly stumbled, fell into his arms, and then grabbed her walking cane.
"Walk… That does sound nice…"
She said, grabbed Aren's hand tightly, and they walked out of the house together, slowly making their way down the avenue.
The city was slowly coming alive around them, and their neighbors also left their houses, exchanging smiles and greetings as they passed by.
"Agnes! Good morning! Oh my, who is this?"
An old woman stepped down from her porch while her old husband was also stepping out of the house.
They had umbrellas ready in hand as it felt like it could rain at any mont, but they planned to visit quickly at the marketplace.
"Aren… I am her grandson. Nice to et you."
Aren flashed a handso smile, and Agnes also flashed a surprised look, but she didn't say anything to refute that.
"Grandson… How envious I am. Mine and my husband's offspring have all left already, and their children have left for either Scholar Schools, Kahn University, or for the military!"
The old woman said with an envious sigh and then gave a farewell wave to the two as she left with her husband.
"Your real family… Where are they?"
Agnes asked.
"…Earth."
Aren said, looking down at his feet, and then helped Madam Agnes to avoid a few puddles in the sidewalk.
"Is any one of them here?"
She asked.
"No…"
"Do you miss them?"
"…I don't know. I have been too occupied with everything else that I haven't thought of them much."
Aren said with a sigh.
"I am only scared of eting them again."
"Scared? Why?"
Agnes asked.
"…They might hate . My twin brother was here before , and he died. I ca here in his footsteps, and I don't think my parents like that very much.
"I don't know how they're feeling currently, and I am scared to find out."
Aren said, but then he pretended a smile and said.
"I have many things left to do in Whitesky before I return ho anyway. I am only just starting!"
'…What are you planning to do, I wonder, Aren?'
Agnes thought to herself, grabbed Aren's hand tighter, and then, from the dark clouds, a few raindrops started falling.
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