"You were preserved in a giant owl nest for about two centuries. Your father, who is the Eldar, did it. He wanted to keep that explanation with you. The moment you wake up, your power remains sealed, your appearance is altered, and memories are concealed from you. But of course, your father won't let you wander alone.
"My ancestors are direct relatives to your father. They adopted him at a young age and trained him to live with humans. A similitude with your experience. To watch over you was his plea. He wanted you to end someone's condemnation and weaken the enmity of the werewolf race. Not even that reason is clear to me. Maybe you'll understand soon. I entrusted you to my brother when the Vengeance pack has their eyes on me. I had to hide in this dimension throughout those years. That also means that I cannot guarantee your safety if you're with me."
"It was all your fault after all," Zaeramil is glaring at me when I look at him, "why my family suffered separation for years."
"Hey, grow up," I switched my eyes on Dandeline in shock when she said that. "Your mother has an important role to play as a mage. You have to understand that fact if you're ambitious to become an Eldar."
"Okay, calm down." Lanasia raises her hands. "It was my choice. I was the one who executed the plan. And we shouldn't be giving room to blaming each other now."
Matheo didn't remain silent as well. "The situation we're in needs higher understanding."
"I understand!" Zaeramil exclaims. "I'm not holding a grudge or starting a fire here. But knowing these reasons makes me overwhelmed. Most importantly, I won't waste my time arguing with them."
Dandeline makes a sound of her chuckle. "Good. You'll lose anyway."
While these two are disputing, I raise another question to Lanasia. "I've heard so much now about my father, but did you know anything about my mother?"
"All I know is she's a pureblood like you."
A smile formed automatically on me. The only restored memory I have of her was her death. I should've known more if my father's office wasn't burnt. I engulf the water in one glass after finishing up the meal. Then I hear a scratching sound beneath this wooden chair. Pishnies were caught when I squinted there, they're gnawing the feet of this chair like rats.
"What're you doing?" But instead of answering, these two pishnies pick stones and strike the fragile feet! The chair crashed on my side, forcing me to lean on one arm, and caught Dandeline on the other when she slid sideward to me. I was typically frozen the moment I met her face closer. "It's the pishnies' fault."
"Are you alright!?" Lanasia almost slammed the table and ran to aid us, while the father and son were tittering with those two pishnies. Lanasia helped me to stand and I help Dandeline. She restored the chair with her enchantment as well. "And why are you boys laughing!?"
Matheo ceases in an instant. But Zaeramil keeps on the mood. He dares to question, "Don't you think the space between you two isn't obvious? When will you fix that pride?"
"Zaeramil, it's rude to rave in someone else's disagreements."
"I was trying to help them. It's so awkward to see them like that."
"Hon, what are you teaching our son?"
Matheo defends, "I didn't teach him that. He inherited the behavior from you, hon."
Lanasia folds her arms. "You two are standing against me now? You have no idea how I longed for this day!" she said with her deep emotions. Her husband starts propitiating and Zaeramil remains silent. This journey became loud ever since they came. When I look at Dandeline, instead of madness, she's happy as she watches this family's futile feud.
I sit closer to her and eat the fruits. "I bet I know what you're thinking," I whispered under the voices of arguments.
"Shut up," she replies, then eats casually.
"You're welcome." I smiled to myself and she didn't respond anymore. It's my fault and I shouldn't blame her pride. Perhaps I need to find a way to mend the wound of our relationship. And I'm thinking about that until the end of lunch.
Alone in the tent, I unwrap the bandage on my arm and find no wound. Dandeline was there to heal me, just like Rossy was. Although it was around 300 years ago, the feelings I have whenever I'm around them are the same. It isn't approximate to suspect that she's Rossy's reincarnation, but a descendant. And the truth, that after all those years of slumber, she's still here. That makes me happy.
Lanasia comes inside the tent and approaches me motherly. I move a little on the cot to give her a seat beside me. "I'm here to ask about my brother. I'm not receiving letters from him lately. How was he when you left?"
I look down at my busy hands as I fold the bandage idly, balking to tell her the truth. "He... was almost killed by the knights of Lanbarc metropolis because he fostered me. He was in a state of coma when I left him at his friend's house. I felt that I have to figure things out on my own... and tell him everything when I get back."
"I see. You should surely come back to him. When everything is settled with the Alpha, we'll all live peacefully again in Plandreas." She looks down to my collar. "The necklace? Do you have it?" I pull out the necklace under my cloth and she looks at it intensely. "Keep it until you find out the instructions on how or when to use it."
"Do you have any clue on what this necklace is all about?"
"... It contains power from your father. He made it for you. I can't answer your questions about your parents but I can take you to the answers. Before anything else, what's your next move with Dandeline?" She nudges me with a smirking lip. "Did you know? She spent her whole time taking care and watching over you while you were unconscious! I thought she brought romantic news for me. But you're just a lucky close friend."
My tongue holds back any words to respond as my heart pounds abnormally. It's heating up again. I remember her crying when I was dying. She outbursted when I woke up. What kind of service did she do for me? I don't want to exaggerate my thoughts.
Lanasia adds, "Ever since she lost her loved ones, she became cautious if someone she's attached with dies. You must be important to her. She was angry at me when she thought I was dead. It's sometimes fascinating how pain changes people, especially for the best." Then she stood up and stretched her arms. "Anyway, take your time to rest for today. We're leaving tomorrow."
She's about to leave the tent when I ask her, "Wait, Mrs. Lanasia, what do you think? I want to be honest with her this time."
"Ooh~ you want to court her?"
"Y-You won't stop me?"
"I don't have a reason to do it. Well, if you ask about my opinion, courting her is a difficult idea but not impossible to succeed. Let me give you a tip! We love to be treated like a lady. A gentleman is also our weakness. It makes us feel special. And that boosts the romantic sensation other than being romantic with words. But about courting Dandeline, you have to be patient, too."
"I know the reason why." I smile at her confidently. "Thank you."
The very first and next move I should make is to clear the conflict we have. I don't think I have the confidence to do that alone. Remembering my father's ways in courting my mother and with the help of the pishnies' charisma, I had an idea on how to approach her in a special way. A group of pishnies with Acro riding on them follow me until I choose a perfect spot for the perpetration of my courtship.
The pishnies are the ones who'll build the surprise planned and suggested by them as well since they're proficient with this place. They all seem cheerful even after the appalling incident, which makes them the cutest creatures I've seen. I'm only assisting them with the plan. And the result marveled me further. This abundant forest made by my father never depletes every resource needed.
My arms are folded while looking at it then ask Acro, "Why do I need to do this? I just want to talk to her."
["Effort."]
My mouth formed before my voice vibrated, "Aaah." I've been rubbing my hands to reduce the coldness crawling throughout my body! I need to discharge first!
Afterward, Acro led me on the way to Dandeline is at the moment. The night takes over the sky now. She's sitting beside a river and submerging her hand into the water, she stares at the drop of the water on her palm, then reads the book of her enchantment. I approach her in my cutest form then I watch her beside studying the book she's holding.
["Dan? Can I... talk to you?"]
She closes the book and turns her gaze on me. "What is your intention?"
["Just wanna make up things with you."] My answer made her silent for a short moment.
"... I'm over it. Forget it."
["I won't."]
"What?"
["Follow me."]
I lead the way while turning my head behind to see if she's following. She made the book disappear, then act compelled to follow my lead. I jump on the swing first and watch her reaction. It's just the two of us under this fire tree with glowing hanging flowers—but there are pishnies stalking behind other trees, a swing is attached to its branch designed with glowing flowers as well. Setting up ropes and designs is one of the specialties of pishnies.
"What is this for?"
["Effort!"]
"You're being weird today. Did Elibur bump your head that hard?"
I shifted back after I jumped to the ground. I gesture to her to take the seat on the swing. She cooperated while looking suspicious at me. "Alright? Did you want to talk about this kind of place? What a standard."
I stood in front of her politely. "I... like to make it romantic. And one of the best memories I have in my legend." Coldness is possessing me again up to the very tips of my fingers. I've never been so nervous my whole peddling life as this! "Dan, I'm still sorry about what I've done. And I want to recoup from it. It must be an inevitable mistake but that doesn't mean I'll hold this back forever. I'm determined to make it the beginning.
"Even if this is against the Moon Goddess, I won't hold back what I feel for you, and I can't. So, I'll live it. Because that's what I'd love to choose, too. I've shown my lust for you by mistake. I hope you'll give me a chance to show my love from henceforth. I will show how much I esteem you, how much I adore you, and how much I want to care for you. Because Dan, this is serious and it's making me overthink if I leave it unsaid."
"Are you always like this?"
I gulp from that dense response. Maybe she doesn't like speeches! Nevertheless, I look straight into her eyes—sincerely and answer, "In short, I love you."
She became speechless for a short moment again while staring back at me. We heard the pishnies making controlled screams a few steps away.
"And that makes you beautiful in my eyes. I'll make courtship alive again with you. And induce you that it is still the best way to express my love before I lust with you forever. So when you stumble... allow me to catch you."
I heard the tiny screams again.
"What about you mate? You were supposed to look for her."
"I've made up my mind."
"Why me?" she asked, daring. "You've seen what kind of woman I am."
"Yes. When the world treats me as a villain, you told me that I can be a hero. That's the kind of woman you are to me. You believed in me while no one else does, not even myself. So," I knelt down in front of her, remove her right shoe, hold her leg gently, and kiss her foot, "please, let me have you. Then you'll have my strength, my loyalty," I said, leaning my forehead to her knee, "you can have me," and kiss it, too.
"Hessuel..."
"And I promise I will treat you like my lady. I will remind you that you're not a dumb woman. I will always show you how special you are."
I felt her hand caressing my hair down to my cheek. Then she lifts my chin up to her. "I'm pleased with your courage. You never fail to amaze me with how unique you are." She leans closer with a smirk on her lip. "I'll let you court me under one condition. I will be the one to tell you how."
"How?"
"Let's begin with... your hair. Cut your hair."
I was dumbfounded while she was smiling widely at me. I nod. "Cut my hair?"
"Ya. Cut your hair."
A hand of mine gradually reaches for my hair. All of a sudden, the pishnies came rushing toward us and joyfully tossing petals on us like newlyweds. Meanwhile, I'm still sinking in the condition. "Ugh!" I fake a cry.
I know this isn't going to be easy. But it's better than impossible. Oh, how I wish my hair had nothing to do with this!