CHAPTER 3

Chapter 3

5 years later

“Mom?”

A little girl called her mother worriedly. She got up from bed and realize she was alone. Her breakfast is ready and neatly laid on the table. Her parents must have attended something important.

Before Adele gave birth to Lily, she already quit being a maid in order to take care of her daughter properly and so does Arnold, her husband.

“Please come back safely. I… I am afraid, if Lily knew this, she’ll.” Adele tighten her hold on her husband, she looked up with a teary eye and asked.

Arnold, too, had a complicated expression on his face. In order to be with Lily, his daughter, leaving his position as a palace guard and work as woodpecker is worth it.

Being with the woman he loved and seeing his daughter’s smile light up his day. He will do anything to be with his family even if he had to leave his hard-earned position.

But now, watching her wife pleading silently, his heart ached. Arnold wanted to be with them for a little longer before going to the border to fight the barbarians.

He wanted to witness his daughter grow up having a mother and father but he knew it’s a miracle to come back alive to them, knowing how brutal those barbarians can be.

When you entered the battlefield, there’s no going back. Your life was already hanging on a thread. There’s only a little chance for you to survive.

He had to fight for the kingdom he grew up in order to protect his daughter and wife. They are after all his everything, his world and life. Without them, he had nothing.

Hugging his wife, he spoke solemnly,

“I’ll give up my life just to protect you and Ly.” He caressed her head gently while Adele only tighten her grasp on him.

“Men, we need to leave. Say your goodbyes!” A soldier in charge of sending them to the border shouted.

“Please, promise me you’ll come back safely. Think about Ly.” Adele can’t hold her tears anymore and weep in Arnold’s embrace.

He sighed.

“If the gods will.” He kissed her lips deeply before parting.

Several carriages lined waiting for the recruits to enter inside. The women, children and ladies send their farewell lamentably to their loved ones.

“I love you. Take care of Ly.”

Arnold had his back when he spoke. He went inside the carriage with trembling hands.

The horses neigh, wheels rolling repeatedly accompanied by the peoples’ cries and shouting their goodbyes, then just like that her *other half left.

(Means, husband)

“We love you, too.” She said to no one.

```````````````

In the cute cottage she called home, Akira munches the cookies, which was

prepared by her mother for her.

She knew that her mother avoids disturbing her sleep, especially her father. They left their jobs in the palace so that they can spend more time

with her. What a lucky girl I am.

She was never left alone in the house in a long period of time. When her father went out her mother was with her and vice versa, so she can’t help but be nervous.

Creak.

Akira quickly turns her head towards the door’s direction.

The door opens revealing a brown haired woman smiling dejectedly. Her eyes speak the words she can’t even utter to the girl sitting on the chair munching cookies.

“Mom!” Akira jumps from her sit and started running to Adele.

She got used to them. They manage to open her heart little by little and at last, they stole her love. Of course, her aunt Wilma is still in her heart.

Hugging her mother’s leg, she started asking questions innocently.

“Mom, where did you go?”

“…” Adele don’t know whether to laugh or cry seeing her cute face full of worry.

“Mom, did you cry?”

“…” how can she tell her daughter that her father left to protect the border, fighting the barbarians to death?

“Mom?” Akira tilted her head to the side while blinking her twinkling eyes innocently.

“Sweetie, don’t cry, alright?” Adele stroke her daughter’s head lovingly.

Akira was puzzled by her words, but she still nods.

I’m sorry, Lily.

“Your father went to work on the neighboring country to give us a better life. You know that your father’s income is not adequate to make you study like those nobles.”

Adele was not lying when she said those except for the neighboring country part.

Akira hurriedly refuted,

“But mom, I don’t need to go to school. I can read and write. I even knew different languages.”

Adele was speechless, indeed her daughter was smart for a 5-year-old child, that’s why her husband wanted to make her talents bloom more.

“It’s already too late, sweetheart.” She needed to keep Lily away from the truth. If she discovers it someday, Adele hoped her daughter would understand why she hid it to her and forgive her for keeping her in the dark for a very long time.

“Then, when is dad coming back?” that’s the question Adele wanted to know too.

When are you coming back to us, Arnold?

“When he had enough money, I think.” There’s no exact answer when, so she needed to make at least a close response to her child’s question.

Just thinking about the future, her head throb. She hopes her husband would come back to them safe in sound.

Glancing on the table, she almost forgot to scold her troublemaker for hopping like a rabbit earlier.

“Sweetheart, next time don’t jump while you’re still eating, or you’ll get a tummy ache.”

Akira let go of her mother. Her hands rest on the back, pouting cutely and head bowing down, with her cute acting, Adele shuts her mouth.

She picks her up and carried her like she was still a baby.

“Oh?” she spotted the glass containing the untouched milk.

“Lily? Why didn’t you finish your milk? Did you know how much your father sweat for that just so you could drink that milk…?”

Akira cut her mother’s scolding, saying that she just woke up.

Sigh. Adele regretted saying those.

“Sorry, sweetie. Drink your milk, I had to do something.” Adele place her on the chair. She kissed Akira’s cheek before walking outside the house.

(Hi guys! Hope you like this chapter. If you caught some misspelled words, grammar errors, something that confused you, etc. feel free to comment below. Have fun reading. Wink.)

1049 words

05/22/2022  3:21 pm

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***