Chương 34: Love

The Victory Festivals, although usually lasting another week, were nearing their end for Neonidas and many other dukes, who planned to return home the next day. After all, leaving an entire duchy unsupervised was unwise. History had already shown that many dukes of various empires and kingdoms had died during such festivals. While Neonidas was immune to poison, he felt it was time to leave the capital.

However, there was an important place he needed to visit after breakfast. Donning his cloak, Neonidas left the palace with Soren and Solara. The capital was alive with grand celebrations, but the streets were littered with trash from the festivities, especially after last night's events. Yet, thanks to the small river running through the city and its breathtakingly beautiful gardens, the capital still smelled pleasant. Of course, the same could not be said for the impoverished districts outside the city walls.

Accompanied by the twin siblings, Neonidas entered a fair. It would be more accurate to call it a sprawling marketplace—a primitive version of a modern shopping mall. Here, Neonidas sought a few specific things. The first was two little girls. Not for sinister reasons, of course—Neonidas was no deviant. He needed them for a particular purpose, or rather, he needed their father.

For now, though, Neonidas wanted to buy something for Soren and Solara. The fair was filled with genuinely valuable items, and, as the story dictated, Avelina would arrive here in a few hours and "coincidentally" discover a few treasures. Neonidas approached a shabby stall run by an elderly man. True to another cliché from novels, hidden treasures lay unnoticed in such neglected places. Despite having valuable items, the old man was too foolish to market them properly, even though he could barely feed his two young wards.

The frail old man was stunned to see three well-dressed young people enter his stall. When he realized they were interested in his goods, he was nearly moved to tears. As for how such precious items had fallen into his hands... Well, trying to find logic in a story written by Neonidas's ex-girlfriend was an exercise in futility.

Neonidas picked up a seemingly unimpressive ring and wiped the dust off. Once cleaned, it looked far less ordinary. It was baffling how the old man, ignorant of even the most basic rules of trade, hadn't bothered to present his wares in a more appealing way.

Neonidas calmly asked, "How much for this, old man?"

The elderly merchant, struggling to keep his composure, nearly had a heart attack at the prospect of finally making a sale. However, he needed to offer a low price to avoid scaring off this rare customer. His two young wards hadn't eaten properly in days.

"Thirty silver coins, my lord," he replied.

"Thirty? I wouldn't pay more than ten silver coins for this," Neonidas said bluntly, even though the ring's actual worth was likely around a hundred gold coins.

The old man panicked, his throat tightening. Ten silver coins would barely cover a few days' expenses for him and the children. If he didn't sell anything today, they wouldn't eat at all. Of course, in reality, if he waited a few hours, Avelina would come by and offer a gold coin, but the old man had no way of knowing that.

"M-my lord... twenty-five silver coins, please. I have two young girls to care for," the old man pleaded. He knew the ring was worth at least fifty silver coins, but couldn't risk losing this miserly customer.

"Fifteen silver coins. Last offer," Neonidas said firmly.

The old man hesitated for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he calculated. Feeding the children's empty stomachs meant seizing this opportunity. His gaze briefly shifted to Soren and Solara, whose refined demeanor and luxurious attire made it clear they were no ordinary companions. Yet the determined look in Neonidas's eyes made it clear the negotiation was over.

"Fine... fifteen silver coins. But please, understand that this ring is worth much more," the old man said, his voice trembling with resignation.

Neonidas smirked, pulling out fifteen silver coins and handing them over. "Old man, learn to present your goods better. Maybe then you won't have to sell them so cheaply."

Soren and Solara watched in silence. Solara's expression betrayed sympathy for the old man, while Soren wondered why Neonidas seemed so interested in the ring.

After taking the ring, Neonidas began to walk away but stopped abruptly. He turned back to the old man. "Those hungry children—are they your grandchildren?" he asked suddenly.

The question caught the old man off guard. His eyes filled with sorrow as he lowered his head slightly. "No, they're not. I found them scavenging for scraps a few years ago and took them in. I tried to find their parents, but I failed. So I've been trying to be both mother and father to them... but it's not easy," he said, his voice frail and tinged with despair.

Neonidas showed little emotion in response to the man's confession. His gaze shifted to the children playing nearby. Two little girls, one around six and the other about four, were joyfully tossing a doll back and forth despite their patched and worn clothing. No matter how dire their circumstances, their innocent laughter seemed to momentarily erase all worries.

"I see," Neonidas said coolly. He looked once more at the ring in his hand and thought, or pretended to think, of its shabby but precious nature. "Setting aside how inept you are as a merchant, you shouldn't leave these children in such a miserable state. Why don't you give them to me? After all, I'm a noble, and I can care for them far better than you ever could. What do you say, old man?"

The elderly man paled at Neonidas's proposal. His eyes widened, and his hands began to tremble. "G-give them away?" he stammered, his voice filled with both shock and fear. He glanced at the children, then back at Neonidas's resolute expression.

"Yes, you heard me," Neonidas continued with a cold smile. "I can provide them with a much better life than you. They'll receive proper education, be well-fed, and have a far brighter future. And you'll be free of the burden."

The old man took a deep breath, his gaze falling to the ground. Neonidas's words seemed to hold truth; he wasn't able to provide the life he wished for the children. Yet, he had been both mother and father to them for years. The thought of leaving them in the care of a stranger tightened his chest.

"I... love them," the old man said with difficulty. "They've become my family. But... you're right. If they stay with me, they'll suffer. If you truly can give them a better life... I might agree. But please, swear to me that their happiness will be guaranteed."

For a moment, Neonidas hesitated. The man's genuine despair and love for the children seemed to touch him, if only fleetingly—or perhaps, he was just putting on a show. Regardless, he quickly brushed aside any sentimentality and spoke with a firm voice: "No one can care for them better than I can. Consider that as well as a vow. Tell me their names."

"The older one, who's six, is named Cirenna... The younger one, four years old, is Erylia," the old man said, tears streaming down his face.

"Cirenna and Erylia," Neonidas repeated, nodding slightly. "Beautiful names. Fine, you have one hour to prepare them. I'll return then to take them. You can use the time to say your farewells."

The old man wiped his tears and nodded in resignation. The children remained blissfully unaware of the conversation and continued playing happily. Neonidas turned to Soren and Solara and said, "Come, we have other places to visit," before striding off into the crowded streets of the fair.

Soren leaned in and whispered, "Are you really going to take them, my lord? I didn't know you had an interest in children."

Neonidas smirked mockingly. "Patience, Soren. There's a time and place for everything."

Solara, on the other hand, pursed her lips, still appearing troubled over the old man and the children. Yet, she didn't dare question Neonidas's decisions.

As the group disappeared into the bustling fair, they left behind the silent tears of an old man and the innocent laughter of two little girls. Despite her sadness, Solara felt her heart warm slightly at the thought of her master taking an interest in helping the children. Although Solara knew that her master was a very good person, the fact that he was so good to children... It had touched her. Her heart was beating fast, and although Neonidas wasn't looking at her, she was embarrassed and turned her face away... Solara didn't realise it, but the feeling was called "love".

Then she looked at the children again and she silently promised herself to watch over them when the time came.

H H H H H H