Chapter 246: Starting to Ease
The next day, Xavier, the coachman, was all pumped up.
Ava couldn't figure out how he did it. He looked like he hadn't slept a wink but was still buzzing with energy.
Sure, he had some serious bags under his eyes, but his face and eyes were practically glowing.
After chatting with Benjamin last night, the kid wasn't as freaked out by Xavier anymore. Every now and then, he'd peek out from behind the curtain to check out Xavier's back.
'Is he like my grandpa? If he's that badass, he only fights bad guys and won't hurt regular folks. No need to be scared of him,' Benjamin kept telling himself the whole way. Soon enough, Xavier started to feel like family to him, like his grandpa or dad. Plus, he was gonna be a close family member soon anyway.
By the time they hit the county, Benjamin was already making faces at Xavier and even let him hold his hand to buy snacks.
Ava was stoked to see this.
And the changes didn't stop there. Benjamin started trusting Xavier just like he trusted Ava. During meals, he'd sit right next to Xavier. Even though his fingers were weak, he'd still try to serve Xavier food.
At night, he wrote to Ava, saying she should be nice to her future hubby so he'd be nice to her too.
He was always such a sweet and thoughtful kid.
Slowly, a smile crept back onto his face, and the gloom in his eyes started to fade. But whenever he saw beggars along the way, he'd still look at them with those sympathetic eyes.
But these beggars weren't kids; they were the real deal.
He'd give them food.
Ava wanted to give them some cash, but he stopped her, gesturing that food would fill their bellies, but if they got money, someone would just take it from them. Plus, if they got money once but not again, they'd get beaten.
Even though these beggars were different from his past, he always felt for them.
Ava felt super sad but still smiled and ruffled his hair. "Alright, we'll do it your way."
Meanwhile, in the Imperial Palace in Capital City...
The King's assistant team was going through documents when they found one from the Meadowland administrator, sealed with wax, and addressed to the King, asking for Xavier's audience.
The team handed the document to Gideon, who took it and said, "I'll go see the King."
In the Privy Chamber, Zachary opened the document and slapped it on the desk with a loud thud after reading it, his face lighting up as he exclaimed, "Good! Good! Good!"
Seeing this, Gideon asked, "Your Majesty, what's got you so happy?"
Zachary had someone hand the document to Gideon. After reading it, Gideon's face lit up too. "This is awesome, Your Majesty. The Anderson Family has descendants."
He sighed repeatedly, almost losing his balance from excitement. He'd just recovered from an illness, and the joy was almost too much.
"Get him a seat!" Zachary quickly called for someone to help him, "Help him sit down."
Gideon thanked him and sat down, not caring about losing his cool in front of the King, tears streaming down his face. "So many things have caused the Anderson Family to suffer in silence. Every time I think about it, I feel guilty towards Yancy. I'm sure you feel the same. Having Anderson family descendants now feels like a blessing."
Zachary nodded, and amidst his excitement, Gideon's words took him back, reminding him of the times he often visited the Duke of the Realm's Mansion in his youth and the friendships he formed with the young generals there.
When Zachary was the crown prince, Yancy had often advised him, preventing many mistakes.
Since the Anderson Family's downfall, Zachary often thought about those past moments. Though the past couldn't be changed, the feelings remained in his heart.
The Anderson Family having descendants made him happier than anyone else.
"I still remember when Benjamin was just a year old, Molly brought him to pay respects. That kid was so adorable and lively, just like his dad. He loved to smile, truly endearing." As Zachary spoke, he recalled what was mentioned in the letter and couldn't help but sigh, "Poor kid. He's been through so much."