Mom released me and wiped the corners of her mouth as the string of saliva between us broke. Mom would’ve swallowed that string of saliva if she could. She looked at me with an amorous look, and then stroked my face gently. She kissed my cheek again with a smile. Voice soft, she said, “My son, I’m so glad. I’m so glad that you’re back. Mommy is so glad to see you. Let Mommy hug you. Mommy wants to kiss you some more.”
“Put that aside for now, Vyvyan.”
I finally noticed that there was somebody in the chair that had its back facing toward me. It was an old elf. His white hair was eye-catching. It was as if I was looking at the snow in the North. I didn’t know who he was. I had never seen him before, but I felt a sense of familiarity…
He noticed my puzzlement, so he chuckled. “Hello, my dear child. Perhaps you have never seen me before, but I saw your every moment as a child. I am your grandpa, Zelal. I went to the deep part of the tribe’s forest when you were growing up to explore how to communicate with god.”
“Ah!! Grandpa. Hello, grandpa. This is my first time seeing you.”
I never thought he was my grandpa, in other words, Vyvyan’s father. Obviously, that made him my grandpa…
The elder laughed. Vyvyan clicked her tongue with displeasure next to my ear. It seemed that she was upset, as affection hour was interrupted.
“It’s all right. However, I am very pleased with your transformation. You are most certainly our Galadriel tribe’s proud descendant. You conquered the North this time, which means that you must’ve seen the elves we exiled to the North, right?”
I nodded. “That is right. The elves in the North were surprisingly the rulers of the North, as well. Although their power to rule was stolen, there is no question that they ruled the North before that. That must also be why the North never attacked us. The elves in the North still had feelings for us.”
The elder wore a grin on, one that brimmed with disdain and ridicule. He coldly insulted them. “They’re just a bunch of trash with an inferior lineage. The North is trash to us. That’s where we dump defects and failures. That’s also why our most outstanding descendant was able to defeat them with ease. Defects can never win against excellent products. So, my child, what did you do with the elves in the North?”
I noticed that Vyvyan’s entire face twitched when she heard “My child”. If he wasn’t her father, he probably would’ve been on the receiving end of her anger.
“I… did not do anything. Mm, the Queen of the North wanted to come home, so I want to…”
I suddenly remembered that I forgot her outside when I entered. The Queen had remained among the guards the entire time, never speaking to me. I was too consumed with trying to see Lucia and ended up forgetting about her.
“That’s impossible. That’s impossible. My child, how could you be so soft?” interjected Zelal, before I could finish. He looked displeased. “My child, you can’t be so soft. The elves in the North were elves we exiled. They are by no accounts the type to know their place. They aren’t the type to work and live for the elves as we do. They are scum among elves. They’re failures and defects. Those useless beings will only waste our food and water. They must be removed from our elven society, and yet you brought her back? That’s impossible.”
“But she is no different to us. She did not commit any wrongs. Perhaps her parents were bad people, but that is her parents. She has never offended us. She did not start this war, either. She gave her best to end this war. I think she has the right to return!”
I looked at the elder in front of me. I was very unhappy with the way he spoke of the elves in the North. He had never interacted with them. He said what he said purely because those elves hailed from an inferior lineage!
I detested that sort of thinking, as Lucia’s lineage wasn’t superior, yet she still gave so much for my sake. Lineages don’t qualify as a measurement tool. A person is to be evaluated based on their behaviours and deeds. Even if her parents were the most annoying among elves, that still had nothing to do with her.’
Zelal looked at me sternly and exclaimed, “No! Never! If you bring her into the Imperial Palace, she must die. The Galadriel tribe will not accept defects. They are abandoned defects. My child, you should help provide the Galadriel tribe with a more outstanding descendant, not haul trash back!”
I clenched my teeth. Mommy Vyvyan patted me on my back as I went to respond. I, therefore, suppressed my anger. I looked back at Mommy Vyvyan, and she shook her head to tell me not to continue. I took in a deep breath to prevent myself from getting agitated.
All right. That had nothing to do with my schedule this time around. I was slightly that I didn’t bring the Queen in, or I probably couldn’t stop the Imperial Guards from killing her.
‘I’ll just have to get Mommy Vyvyan to go and see her, then. It’s just that it’s going to be very awkward for two Queens to meet. Wait, Evelyn is no longer a Queen. She’s just my prisoner now.’
I chose not to look at him. I turned back and looked at Vyvyan. “Mom, I want to know how Lucia is. I haven’t received a letter from her in a long time, so I’m a little worried about her.”
“Lucia is fine right now. It’s just that she’s a bit weak, so she always needs to sleep.”
Vyvyan looked at me… Although she looked at me, I noticed her gaze was unsettled. I froze for a moment.
‘Don’t tell me what I was most worried about happened! Don’t tell me something happened to Lucia! I don’t care if she’s sleeping or not! I want to see her, right, now!!’
“Mom! I want to see Lucia! I want to see Lucia right now! I don’t care if she’s sleeping. I want to see Lucia right now! I want to see Lucia!!”
I pressed a hand onto Mommy Vyvyan’s shoulder, looked at her face and shouted in a muffled voice. I did my absolute best to not shout loudly at her.
‘Where is my wife? Where is my Lucia? I want to see my Lucia. I want to see my wife safe and sound!! My Lucia has done so much for me. I must see her safe and sound! My romance with her doesn’t come with all the bells and whistles as my love with Nier and Ling Yue did. I just want to see Lucia’s blissful and happy smile!! Return me my Lucia! Return me my Lucia!!’
‘If something happens to my Lucia, I’ll kill even Vyvyan!! Nobody can hurt my Lucia! Nobody! Lucia is my wife! She’s mine forever!!’
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