Book 12: Chapter 29


    Elizabeth ced her ss of wine down and looked at Vyvyan. Vyvyan looked at the ss of wine in Elizabeths hand and pouted. Slightly unhappy, she admonished Elizabeth: Youve started drinking when its daytime? This is different to what youre supposed to do. Didnt youe here to take care of Nier? Why are you drinking during the day? Youre the Empress of an empire, and yet youre now acting as if youre an unemployed tramp?


    Elizabeth curled her lips, and then asked, Has it got anything to do with you?


    No. What happenedst night also has nothing to do with me. I dont care about that sort of thing. My child wont get the short end of the stick no matter what you do with him. What I want to know is what you see my child as?


    Elizabeth shook her head and timidly replied, I dont know. I dont know myself. Troy isnt Inard. I know that, but hes bing more and more simr to Inard now. Hes ambitious, suave, persistent and brave. Should I say He sure is Inards son or He sure is my son?


    Vyvyan snickered: Elizabeth, remember that Inard is your husband, while Troy is your son. How do you see it now? How did you do itst night? You mustve been very sad these eighteen years. I know you. Youre a more emotional woman than I am. You definitely loved my Onii-sama, right? Therefore, you looked at Troy with the same gaze you looked at Inard with, didnt you?


    Elizabeth replied in a soft tone: I dont deny it. I know that this is a bit cruel on my child, but I have no choice. My son is the same as his fath-


    Theyre not the same, interjected Vyvyan. My son is fearless, because we are his backing. Therefore, hes not the same as Onii-sama. Theyrepletely different. Onii-sama will abandon you for the Gdriels, but my son wont abandon you for tribes or whatever danger.


    You mean


    This morning, he asked me what the situation in the West is.


    The West?


    Elizabeths hand suddenly froze stiff in mid-air when she raised her ss of wine. The wine inside swished and reflected Elizabeths stunned expression. Humanity might not have considered the West to be where the dragon race was located, but she understood what Vyvyan implied.


    Vyvyan coldly answered, Thats right. In other words, its Inards, my brothers, and your husbands grave. My son wants to go to the West, since you mentioned Inard in his presence. He wants to go and see where his father died. Dont you think this is ironic? His son wants to go and see where his father left, but the reason is because his mom mentioned his father?


    That ce


    Correct. I will not allow my child to go there. I wiped his memory of yesterday. My child wont understand this if I tell him. He wont listen to me. Ive been disappointed many times already, so I dont have any delusions of him listening to me anymore. Hence, I had to take matters into my own hands to stop him from going. Anyway, you understand what I mean now, right?


    Elizabeth gave a gentle nod: You mean that want happened yesterday never happened, correct?


    It never did in the first ce, stated Vyvyan, as she snatched Elizabeths bottle of wine and drank straight out of it. What could you two do even if it did happen? What? Are you going to fight with Nier? Please, have some self-respect, okay? You didnt do thatst night for my childs future. You did that just to satisfy your own emptiness. Its best for my child that nothing happened yesterday. That way, he wont go to the West. I dont want to alter your memory, either, as injecting mana into you could easily destroy you. Point being, practice self-awareness and behave yourself. If you dont want my son to go to the West where his father was killed, then pretend nothing happened yesterday!


    Elizabeths gaze was void of all emotion. It wasparable to an empty hole. Ending her short silence, he replied, Understood.


    Vyvyan nodded, and then picked up a ss of wine by the side. Though she said drinking in the day was what a useless person would do, some promises needed to be sealed with alcohol. In some cases, alcohol is akin to ink. There may be no invoice, but sometimes, you may trust the person merrily drinking in front of you.


    The two of them raised their full ss of wine, and then looked at each others faces. Tone serious, Vyvyan warned, To you, Troy is just your child. Wait. Hes not even your child. If you didnt even have that minute rtion, he wouldnt be rted to you in any capacity. I, on the other hand, am different. I can have countless identities. I could even be my childs wife.


    Elizabeth snickered: No, its impossible for you to be his wife. His wives are Lucia and Nier. You can forget it, you hag.


    Vyvyan smiled: Perhaps. Were both old now.


    The two shared a smile. They then drank the hot and spicy wine carrying a bitter taste together.


    ========


    Freya sorted out a pile of documents next to me. Smiling, she asked, Onii-sama, you seem absentminded today. Are you concerned about the uing dinner?


    We had finished the days work and were having a short break, so we could afford dinner together. To be honest, the dinner was very important. Elizabeth, Vyvyan and Nier would sit together. Lucia still couldnt move, so she regretfully couldnt join in at the family gathering.


    No, Im all right. Thats not why. I was thinking that Ive forgotten some things, but then I feel as if I didnt. My brain is a mess. I cant make sense of it. Its something very important, but I cant recall a single thing. I think I wanted to go somewhere, but then I dont know where or why I wanted to go there.


    Freya smiled: It does not matter, Onii-sama. People forget lots of things every day, so you do not need to be concerned about one thing. It must not be that important; otherwise, how could you have forgotten? Today is not your mothers birthday or your wedding anniversary, so I am sure it is nothing important.


    Uhm, I responded with a nod. Youre right. Lets get going, then. Todays work is done, so lets go eat now.