Ch#218
* * *
"Wow, Marshal. This is delicious! When would we ever get to eat fancy snacks like Remi-nuts? Haha!"
"Rio! Why don't you get another bowl yourself!"
"Don't you have hands?! Go get it yourself!"
The dining hall bustled with members for the first time in a while.
"......Sigh."
Suddenly, a small sigh echoed through.
The dining hall fell silent as if the noise had never been.
Libia, who had been scooping a big spoonful of Marshal's homemade pudding into her mouth, also paused and lowered her gaze.
Next to her.
Tie was sitting with his lips pouted, swinging his legs dangling off the chair.
"Miss, you okay?"
As Libia asked, Tie lifted his dejected face.
The child puffed his cheeks and shook his head.
"No. Not at all."
Libia set down her spoon.
She roughly chewed and swallowed the pudding filling her mouth, then hurriedly climbed down from her chair.
"What's wrong! Who bullied you again! Tell me right now! I'll go rip out their guts... Mmph."
Aleric appeared from somewhere and clamped his hand over Libia's mouth.
"Can't you watch your words in front of the miss, Libia?"
"Mmph! What did I say!"
"Guts this, dismantle that— is that talk for in front of the miss? I get it when we didn't know, but now we know she's a girl. You gotta be careful."
"That's!"
At that moment, Victor stood from his seat.
He gestured to the members eating pudding, and everyone in the dining hall rose.
"Alright, alright. Let's eat outside."
"Yeah, ma'am. Just one more bowl here..."
As the members filed out, the dining hall emptied.
The only ones left were the executives, Marshal, and Tie.
"Tch, what did I even do wrong..."
Libia grumbled and plopped back into her seat.
Embarrassed, she glanced around the empty seats.
In Agavert, Tie's situation wasn't completely secret.
But when sensitive topics like this arose, Victor or Basto would clear the area.
"We have to mind her education too. Though you're already doing great."
Aleric said, gazing at Tie with honey-dripping eyes.
"A-alright! Got it!"
Libia yelled unnecessarily loud, then stared at Tie again.
Tie was still sitting sullenly, swinging his legs.
"Miss. Is it because of that old geezer?"
As Libia asked carefully, Tie lifted his head.
The child clamped his mouth shut before answering.
"......He's not an old geezer. He's Grandpa Nordics."
"Ha, I'm going crazy! Kid. That old man betrayed us, didn't he?"
At that instant, Veil wedged himself between Tie and Libia.
"Can't you see? He bolted from the Clock Tower when we were all about to die!"
"No he didn't!"
Veil flinched and stepped back.
Tie jumped down from his chair and yelled with teary eyes.
"Grandpa Nordics didn't run away! Back then, when the T-Rex monster almost hurt me, he saved me!"
The child's tightly clenched fists trembled.
"And all this time, how much he... snff! How much!"
Unable to continue, the child huffed before collapsing to the floor with a wail.
"Veil. See? That's why I said! Ha, whatever."
Basto approached, scooped up Tie, and glared at Veil.
Veil hesitated and shut his mouth.
But his expression remained hard.
After a long silence, Veil spoke in a lowered voice.
"You think I like doing this?"
Basto stared at Veil.
Tie was still sobbing in his arms.
"Just thinking of that old geezer boils my blood too! What if he knew everything?! That we'd be summoned to the Central Continent, that the Church would target the kid! That's why he ran, right?!"
Basto sighed.
Even he couldn't easily deny Veil's words.
"He's always been a shady old man. Always acting so rational alone, like age makes him superior!"
Veil irritably tossed the handkerchief he held onto the table.
"If he was gonna leave, he shouldn't have been so nice to the kid! The fool's waiting cluelessly! Even if we tell him, huh?! Even if we say that old man's a traitor, he won't listen!"
"Waaah!"
Tie cried even harder.
"Enough now, even for me! Keep sulking forever for all I care!"
The dining hall door swung open and slammed shut.
Basto sighed, and Libia clicked her tongue.
"That guy's a real piece of work the more you see him. How can someone have such a foul temper? Even a street mutt would be tamer!"
Basto looked up.
"He's hurt too, that's why."
Libia blinked, not expecting Basto to defend Veil.
"He called him old man, grandpa, whatever. Veil liked Nordics."
"Well, yeah... probably."
Truth be told, she knew too.
That Nordics was a founding member of Agavert and very close to Tie.
"Miss. It's okay. People come and go in life."
Libia approached and took Tie from Basto.
Tie looked up at her with teary eyes.
"Life's no big deal? You gotta know how to send people off well to welcome new ones."
"But...!"
"It's fine, it's fine! There."
Libia gently wiped Tie's eye corners.
Then grinned to lighten the mood.
"So, how about finishing that pudding?"
Tie, who had been pouting, nodded.
But as he climbed down from Libia's arms, he paused.
A familiar face was entering through the now-open dining hall door.
"Daddyyy!"
Grinning widely, the child dashed to the entrance.
Tese tan, who had just opened the door, lightly scooped up Tie.
"Was our princess having a snack?"
Tie burst into giggles as Tese tan peppered his cheeks with kisses.
"Yeah! Aunt Marshal made pudding, so we all ate together!"
"Good job."
"Yeah!"
"Then your tummy's full..."
Grinning, Tie followed Tese tan's gaze and widened his eyes.
"Huh?"
Come to think of it.
Dad was still holding the dining hall door open with one hand.
Behind him stood four awkward figures.
Tie's eyes slowly widened.
"......Lord Valentis?"
It was Valentis and the three Young Lords of Luminen.
* * *
"Uh, uh..."
Tese tan set Tie down.
But Tie fidgeted in place, not approaching Valentis right away, glancing back at his dad.
"D-Dad."
Tie called Tese tan in an uncertain voice.
"Did you tell Lord Valentis?"
But Tese tan gave no answer.
He just gazed down at Tie with a faint smile.
Tie anxiously tugged at Tese tan's clothes.
Then cupped his hand over his mouth and whispered in his ear.
"Did you tell Lord Valentis that Tie's your granddaughter?"
The child's mind was spinning at the moment.
'If Dad told him, did Lord Valentis come to see me?'
They were close to begin with.
Now that he knew she was his granddaughter, would he treat her even kinder?
'No. A sudden granddaughter might embarrass him, make him wanna run.'
As Tie pondered deeply, he reluctantly turned to Valentis.
"......From the first time I saw you."
Suddenly, strong arms pulled Tie into a firm embrace.
Tie blinked up at Valentis, who had approached silently.
"I strangely... strangely wanted to hold you."
Valentis stroked Tie's head and back repeatedly.
"I felt oddly fond. Oddly like I saw her in you..."
Tie turned at the warm touch on his shoulder.
Tears streamed down Valentis's cheek, famous for his stoic expression.
Valentis whispered in a fading voice.
"You came well, so well. You came so very well..."
"......"
"My child."