Chapter 153 Perhaps The Council Has Gone Mad
Chapter 153 Perhaps The Council Has Gone Mad
E L E A N O R
I let out a sharp gasp as the maids tightened the laces of my dress behind me, their fingers working quickly and efficiently. I stared at my reflection in the full-length mirror, taking in the woman who looked back at me.
There was a council meeting today, one I could no longer avoid. I had to keep it together, especially before he returns. I couldn’t break in front of them—not now. If I showed even a hint of weakness, it would give them a crack to slip through, a chance to manipulate things to their advantage.
I had been summoned to multiple meetings since Perseus disappeared, and I had turned every one of them down on purpose. But today felt different. Today, I had to step up. For him. For us.
A few maids accompanied me to the town hall where the meeting was scheduled. Just as I was about to leave, I spotted Severus heading out as well, and we decided to share a carriage. The ride was quiet at first, the rhythmic clatter of the wheels filling the space between us.
“You seem brighter today,” Severus remarked with a soft smile as the carriage began to move.
“I am trying,” I replied, offering a small smile in return. “How is Bernadette?”
“Much better now,” he said, his expression warming. “She still hasn’t been able to walk or talk, but she’s eating on her own. That’s progress.” He paused, his gaze drifting toward the window before he looked back at me. “I never really got to thank you for what you did back there.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, raising a brow.
“Letting me go find her, even when you were at risk,” he explained, his voice growing heavy. He shut his eyes briefly, then opened them with another sigh. “I shouldn’t have left without making sure you were with Marcus or Kai. If you had been properly protected, you wouldn’t have gotten injured, and Perseus wouldn’t have been distracted trying to save you—”
“You shouldn’t blame yourself, Severus,” I cut in gently, resting my hand on his for a moment before pulling away. “It doesn’t help, does it? I know he’s out there somewhere, and he’ll come back to us soon.”
“And what if he doesn’t?” Severus choked back tears, his voice cracking. “I know we’ve had our moments, but I can’t believe he’s gone so easily… not like that.”
“Me neither,” I said firmly. “So let’s not cry or mourn him. Of course, I miss him… more than anything, but he isn’t dead. We shouldn’t treat him like he is.”
“You’re right,” he nodded, wiping his tears with the back of his hand.
I could tell he was hurting deeply. There had been multiple times when Perseus was almost taken from us, and Severus had never handled it well. He had known Perseus longer than I had, and their bond was far more intense than just friendship. I had to stay strong for all of us, even if I was just pretending.
“Besides,” I added, trying to lighten the mood, “you already look horrible as it is. Perseus would tease you for hours about those eye bags.”
“Tell me about it,” Severus groaned, though a faint smile touched his lips. “Hildegard wouldn’t let me sleep last night. We spent the entire night talking about how she was born, her friends at school, and some soldier at the palace who got three maids pregnant.”
“Hildegard?” I asked, curious.
“Oh, right. I haven’t properly introduced you,” he said, his expression softening. “They’re the kids Bernadette wanted us to adopt. Raphael’s children. They made me bring them with me during the war, and now they refuse to leave because they want to be near Bernadette. I can’t wait until Asmodeus’s antidote helps her fully recover so they can go back.”
“They sound lovely,” I said warmly. “Are you sure you don’t want to keep them?”
“Well,” he began, a thoughtful look crossing his face, “James, the boy, is four. He’s an absolute soft-hearted plushie. He loves milk—a lot of it—and he loves to draw. Eliza is very cautious and obsessed with cleanliness. She can also play the piano beautifully. Can you imagine that?”
“That’s remarkable,” I replied, genuinely impressed.
“Indeed, and she’s only eight,” Severus said proudly. “Then there’s Hildegard…” His smile grew wider, almost fond. “She’s six, and her birthday is in a few days. I’ve heard so many stories about how her birthdays have been in the past. This year, she wants me to hang a large portrait of her in the living room so I can remember her every day. She loves talking—a lot. I think it’s more like gossiping, because I’ve stopped minding my business because of her. I took her to the market a few days ago, and every woman we passed reminded her of some story—like the lady who couldn’t brush her hair for days or the one with horrible hygiene. She bullies me sometimes, too.”
“Bullies you?” I repeated, amused.
“She threw out my morning tea because it had sugar in it,” he said with a mock sigh.
“Why?”
“She says adults shouldn’t drink tea with sugar,” he explained, shaking his head. “We argued about it for hours until Eliza finally intervened. It’s so chaotic with them around. You never know what James is up to—he always has some crazy idea or another. He ruined my favorite shirt with crayons because he loves to draw, and then he burst into tears when I got angry.”
“Is this what parenting is like?” I asked, laughing softly at his ordeal.
“Parenting? I’m not their father,” he said, though his voice lacked conviction.
“I know it might sound traditional, especially since I’m pregnant with my own children,” I said gently, “but if I had the opportunity to take in a child who wasn’t mine, I would do it without hesitation. Alpha Kai raised me with everything he had, even though I wasn’t related to him by blood. I think it’s a reminder that you don’t have to be blood-related to be family. From the looks of it, your heart has already chosen them. Your mind is still catching up, but if it needs confirmation, you already have your answer.”
The carriage came to a stop in front of the town hall just as I finished speaking. Severus remained silent, lost in thought, as I stepped out with the help of a guard. He followed shortly after, but my feet froze the moment my eyes landed on a large banner hanging near the entrance.
\[You're welcome to the engagement ceremony of Luna Eleanor Astrid Cage and Lord Bacchus Ford\]
My breath caught in my throat. What?