章節 18: How About I Go In His Place?
"Ei!"
"Good, you're doing great, Remi."
"Ei!"
Alessia didn't know whether she should laugh or cry as she watched her youngest daughter being taught a kicking move by Thirteen.
The five-year-old called this technique, the Nutcracker Kick, and he was teaching such a move to the two-year-old girl, whom he was supporting from behind.
The young boy was holding his sister's arms as support, while the latter kicked with her right foot, raising it as high as possible.
"Ei!"
"Good girl!"
"Ei!"
Not being able to take it any longer, the beautiful woman approached the two kids with a smile.
"Zion, isn't it too early for Remi to train?" Alessia asked.
"Not really," Thirteen replied. "The earlier she masters this move, the more effective it will be when she grows up. Right, Remi?"
"Ei!"
Instead of answering, the little girl kicked one more time, making Alessia shake her head helplessly.
Suddenly, a gentle breeze blew, making Thirteen and his mother frown.
A moment later, a middle-aged man wearing a butler suit appeared several meters away from them and bowed his head respectfully.
"I'm sorry for coming unannounced, Lady Alessia," the Butler said apologetically. "I wanted to come through the front door, but I didn't want to leave any trace of my arrival. I hope you don't mind."
Alessia's face softened after seeing the butler who served the Main Branch of the Leventis Family.
"Hans, it's been a while," Alessia replied with a smile. "If you are looking for my husband, I'm afraid that he just left for Solterra. He will not return for a month or two."
A sigh escaped Hans' lips after hearing the beautiful woman's words.
"… Don't tell me that Young Master Gerald is planning to run away this year again?" Hans asked.
"I'm afraid that is indeed the case." Alessia sighed. "He leaves around this time of the year."
"And here I thought I came early, but I'm still late it seems."
"Well, better luck next year, I guess?"
The butler of the Leventis Family pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling incredibly disappointed.
If only he had come a few days earlier, he might have been able to personally talk to his Young Master, who had been disowned by his Employer.
"Is there something wrong, Hans?" Alessia inquired.
Usually, the moment he knew that Gerald was not at home, he would leave immediately after a few pleasantries. But the Butler seemed to be conflicted, making Alessia wonder if something serious had happened back in the Leventis Residence.
Perhaps, being able to guess what she was thinking, Hans shook his head.
"It's not as grave as you think, Lady Alessia," Hans stated. "It's just that Lady Callista's health hasn't been the best as of late. I was hoping to convince the Young Master to see her, even for a brief moment, during the Patriarch's Birthday Celebration."
"Oh, dear. Is my mother-in-law sick?" Alessia asked.
"Even if she is, she won't say anything," Hans replied. "You know how stubborn she can be at times. Always pretending to be strong. But after spending many years with her, I could tell whenever she was not feeling well.
"Although the poison in her body has been suppressed, it's still not cured completely. It's getting worse with every passing year, especially since the Young Master left."
Alessia felt troubled because she and Gerald's mother got along very well.
In fact, it was Lady Callista who had encouraged her to confess her feelings to her dense son who didn't care about anything aside from fighting.
Hearing that her mother-in-law was still enduring the side effects of the poison, which she received from one of their Dimensional Raids when she accompanied her husband, made her heart ache.
"How about sending a representative instead?"
A calm voice reached both of their ears, making the two look at the five-year-old boy who was walking toward his Mother, holding his sister's hand.
"Since Father can't go, how about I go on his behalf?" Thirteen asked. "I also want to meet Grandmother."
Hans looked at the little boy who had the same black hair as his father and the same green eyes as his mother.
"Young Master Zion, I don't think it's appropriate for you to go to the Patriarch's Birthday Celebration," Hans replied in a respectful tone. "I'm afraid that the people at the party won't look kindly at your presence."
"Huh? What are you talking about, Hans?" Thirteen tilted his head in confusion. "I'm not going to the party to see those people. I only want to see and talk to Grandma. Those people you talk about can drink their piss for all I care."
"…" Hans blinked before shifting his gaze to Alessia. "Lady Alessia, is he really five years old?"
"You know, I've been asking that question a lot since we came back from the hospital," Alessia replied with a bitter smile. "He's changed a lot since the incident."
Hans nodded. "I can see that. In the past, Young Master Zion was a timid soul. But now, it seems that his personality has been flipped."
Thirteen didn't say anything and simply looked at Hans with great interest.
Although he currently had no way to gauge a person's exact Rank, he could instinctively tell that Hans was a very strong person.
In fact, Thirteen believed that the Butler was even stronger than his Father and Mother. The discovery surprised him at first.
'Since Pops and Mother are both Grandmasters, that can only mean that he's a Champion,' Thirteen thought. 'A Champion who is working as a Butler. The Leventis Family is truly one of the ten Prestigious Families. I need to see if I can put my family connections to good use.'
Hans was paying close attention to the little boy because he could sense great intellect in the boy's eyes.
These weren't the eyes of an ordinary five-year-old, and only direct descendants of the Five Monarch Clans and the Ten Prestigious Families had this kind of disposition at a young age.
'I don't think it's a good idea to bring this child to the Family Gathering,' Hans thought. 'But he somewhat resembles his Father, so Callista might feel better after seeing him.'
After pondering for a while, Hans agreed to bring Thirteen to the Birthday Celebration, which would commence in two weeks.
As to whether he would regret his decision or not, he would find out on the fateful day when Thirteen appeared in the Main Residence of the Leventis Family during their Patriarch's Birthday Party.
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