Dear Eddert - Chapter 80
Chapter 80
Translator: effe
Her head was throbbing. Hyemi muttered quietly towards Walter, who was waiting for her without saying anything. She felt anxious that her words might reach Ayla inside the room.
“Cedric….Where is he?”
“He said he was going to get some herbs, so he should be back soon.”
“When Cedric comes back, can we talk….somewhere quiet?”
Walter glanced at her for a moment and nodded. He had noticed that Hyemi’s expression had been off since meeting Ayla.
“Let’s wait by the lake. I’ll let Vincent know.”
“….yes.”
Hyemi followed Walter and left the tower. As they passed the barn, the horses, which had returned to the scorched stables, whinnied weakly at her.
The snowfall of the past week had subsided momentarily, and the castle was entirely white. It was a peaceful sight, as if the battles of a few days ago had been a dream.
“Eden, Walter! Are you going for a walk or something?”
One of the knights who was fixing the stable fence looked at them and greeted them with a smile.
“Yes. Eden said she wanted to get some fresh air.”
“Right. It would be a bit stuffy since she had been lying down all the time. Should I ask Aunt Katrina to prepare something? We were all getting a bit hungry.”
“Do you want to?”
Walter looked at Hyemi and asked. Seeing her hesitating, Lena raised her voice.
“You’re asking the obvious. Eden wouldn’t refuse food. Just wait a moment. I’ll be right back….”
Lena got up with a grin and dusted off her back. She was grateful to Eden, who had saved her from being stabbed by Kaplan. It went without saying that she had avenged her twin brother, Fabian.
“Oh…”
Lena stood up with a slightly stiff expression and her words trailed off. Hyemi and Walter looked at where her gaze was directed.
“It seems like everyone….might be hungry….so I brought some pie…”
She felt a deja vu when she saw the towering figure with disheveled red hair and light green eyes.
“Uncle Frank.”
Lena spoke to him in a slightly lowered voice. It was then that Hyemi realized he was Peter’s father, the butcher Frank. He extended a covered basket, his large fingers and hairy knuckles trembling slightly.
“….I added freshly baked meat and cheese, so it should still be warm. It’s cold, so please eat up quickly…”
The knights only watched Lena’s reaction, hesitating to accept Frank’s basket. Walter stepped forward and extended his hand to him.
“Thank you, Uncle.”
“Walter…”
After taking her gaze away from the speechless Frank, Hyemi watched as Walter handed the basket to Lena.
“Here.”
Hyemi keenly observed Lena’s black pupils shaking before the whites of her eyes glistened.
By now, everyone in Sernotti Castle knew that Peter was working for Kaplan. Walter had spoken with Peter’s father, Frank, for a whole day, and it was concluded that he had no knowledge of Peter’s betrayal.
However, the knights were still human. It was perhaps natural that they could no longer look at Frank the same way they used to.
“What should we do, Lena? Should we throw it away?”
Walter’s voice was low but distinct. Hyemi grimaced at him. It was a painful moment for the families of the criminal and the victim to face each other. Walter’s gesture of offering the choice to Lena felt cruel and harsh.
“Walter.”
When Hyemi tugged on his shirt, Lena let out a long sigh and pulled out a pie from the basket.
“….It’s delicious.”
Lena smiled with tears in her eyes towards the speechless Frank.
“What are you all doing? Don’t you know that Uncle Frank’s meat pie is the best in the world? If you guys won’t eat, I’ll eat them all.”
The knights, who had been watching Lena, eagerly grabbed a pie each from the basket and took a bite.
“It’s delicious, Uncle.”
“Ah… I thought I was going to starve to death.”
Frank could only draw breath in front of them.
“Let’s have one too.”
Walter muttered to her, but Hyemi couldn’t extend her hand. It was because of the image of Peter, with a face similar to Frank, that haunted her mind. The memory of her cutting Peter’s throat vividly played in her head.
“Eden…”
It was Frank who cautiously called her. Hyemi took a startled step back. She wanted nothing more than to avoid facing Peter’s father. He picked up the biggest and warmest pie from the basket and offered it to Hyemi.
“…Thank you for waking up.”
Hyemi couldn’t bring herself to look at him directly. No matter how much of a criminal he might have been, Frank was still Peter’s parent. Unable to meet Frank’s gaze, which wasn’t accusing her but rather apologetic, she couldn’t bring herself to meet his eye.
“Even though I know I can’t treat you the same as before…”
His large green eyes glistened with wetness.
“In my heart….you still look like that little child, standing in my shop with your hands up…”
Hyemi held the pie he offered in both hands, unable to lift her head for a long time.
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