Chapitre 12: Chapter 12 - The Stubborn Boy
Nathaniel nervously crossed his arms. He looked down at the stubborn puppy that ignored all his pleading so far. But this time, he was prepared to persist till the end.
Cassiel's transforming ability was kept secret so far as his younger brother couldn't control it properly. What's more, each time the child took on a different form, his body grew weaker and he would lose most of his memories due to high fever, making him a vulnerable target for the duke's enemies.
"You have been away from home for a long time already… It's time to come back," Nathaniel urged him, but the puppy looked back with disdain. Even if his abilities in this form were limited, he could still understand human words.
"So, how long do you plan on bothering miss Violet? What will you do if the mercenaries return and pick on her again?"
The young duke hasn't given up. He couldn't focus on his work when his brother was roaming outside. Even though the girl took great care of him, Nathaniel still couldn't stop worrying and visited the restaurant every day, wasting the time he should be spending on governing his territory.
He must bring Cassiel back today. Fortunately, he could feel a slight shift in his brother's mood when Violet's name was mentioned.
"She almost got hurt because of you today… You know what to do if you want to protect her…"
The puppy's will be almost broken as he looked at the carriage deep in thought. Nathaniel could see his chance and pressed on more. There was no meaning in bringing Cassiel back by force as the child would just run away at the next opportunity. But if he decided by himself, his brother was unusually stubborn at things he had decided upon.
The duke thanked Violet silently for thousands of times. Not only did Cassiel get healthier under her care, but he was also chubbier and happier. It was a shame, that his brother probably won't even remember the girl once he transforms back.
The puppy reluctantly jumped into the carriage and Nathaniel quickly closed the door before Cassiel could change his mind. He then signalled the coach to drive away and the luxurious vehicle quickly left the narrow street.
Only when the carriage couldn't be seen anymore, did Violet slowly leave her hiding place. She was sitting in the corner, listening to the whole conversation.
It wasn't her intention to eavesdrop on them, but she knew that her presence would only hinder the progress of the story. Cassiel has strangely grown accustomed to living with her, and she also enjoyed his company. Having a puppy with her day and night made her forget she was alone in this world.
But the trials that awaited him could only be overcome with Ophelia's help. The two need to forget their childhood encounter and meet again in the future as they fall in love.
But what about Violet?
"My role is to be an observer, I need to guide children to the right path and atone for the pain the story will cause them in the future…"
"Miss, I'm back!"
The pink-haired girl jumped on her as Violet was getting depressed due to the sudden parting. Ophelia was disguised as a pirate today, judging by her clothes and the dirty eyepatch covering one of her eyes.
"We had a competition today, and I was crowned the king of my crew!" She swung the dried-up branch around as she demonstrated her move.
Violet's heart skipped a beat. Cassiel was already a hot potato, but what about this wild child? Ophelia will be called a flower in society in the future, but the current girl is far from it. As they said in her past life, puberty will change the person entirely. Was something similar awaiting the heroine in the future?
"Oh, but where is your puppy?" Ophelia asked as she followed the waitress around.
"Its master has taken him back…" Violet answered with a bit of sadness. The parting was too sudden, and even if she expected it, she still needed some time to get used to being alone again.
"That's good then… He was so small, and couldn't play with us, anyway!" Ophelia giggled and seemed to be happy for an unknown reason. But for Violet, it was like a child trying to mask her longing. The heroine and male lead are connected, they will miss each other even if they won't admit it.
For now, it was acceptable. With Cassiel out of the picture, Violet could focus on teaching Ophelia how to be mentally stable for future events.
Or that was what she thought and hoped.
Several days have passed and Violet lived a life that you would expect from a simple girl from the countryside. She worked in the restaurant every day, but no more problems occurred.
The owner and the rest of the staff even went so far as to promise that if the mercenaries return, they will not hold back and properly kick their buttocks out. The chef even demonstrated his knife's skill as if he was ready to chop the enemy the next time, assuring the girl that there would be no danger under his watch in the future.
Violet smiled and thanked them for their care, even though she knew that no one in a restaurant would stand a chance at a real fight. But fortunately, the security on the street grew tighter as more duke's knights patrolled the area. Not only that, but she also even thought that the streets were cleaner like someone took extra care to improve her living condition.
Ophelia also came over almost every day and she was especially happy with the games that Violet had introduced her. That child was more interested in the lives on the street, and the etiquette class she was forced to take at home were regarded as hell by her. If anything, she dreamed about running in the fields outside the city and sleeping under the sky, while other girls her age were learning about the importance of connections in high society.
The life was slow, but Violet enjoyed the tranquillity of it. She thought that this simple life wasn't so bad.
Until one day, when she discovered the ash-hair boy with dark eyes sitting in the backyard at the same place she first found the puppy.
Cadeaux
-- Cadeau
reçu État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone