Chapter 90: A Reunion
[A Few Hours Before Adrian’s Death]
Renelle nervously exited the carriage the moment it reached the Ardent mansion, hesitant to walk through the doors.
Standing there was Margaret, with a small smile on her face, though tear streaks were still visible on her cheeks.
Renelle let out a sigh as she finally made up her mind and walked up the stairs.
"Are they here?" She asked as she got close enough to the head maid.
"Yes, young mistress," Margaret answered with a nod, "they’re waiting in the study room."
"I see," Renelle nodded before walking past the door and the head maid followed behind her.
Even as she currently walked to meet them, this moment still felt as if it were just a dream, one that she would wake up from if she just blinked.
It might be just a bit over a year for them, but for her, it was almost ten.
And she had no hope of seeing them ever again, and yet here she was, about to see them again.
She looked ahead and spotted another familiar face, another he thought he wouldn’t ever see again.
"Sebastian?" Renelle called out the moment she spotted the butler standing by the door that led to the study.
"Lady Renelle," the butler spoke up as he adjusted his monocle slightly and a rare expression appeared on his face, a smile, "you’ve grown."
"And you haven’t changed at all," she replied softly, though her voice trembled a bit as she spoke.
Sebastian let out a chuckle, stepping aside as he placed a hand over his chest in a respectful bow.
"I’d like to say the same, but I suppose time treated you better than it did this old man," he said with a chuckle. He then turned towards the door. "They’re waiting."
Renelle nodded before walking past him and approaching the door.
Sebastian, on the other hand, had a small frown on his face as he couldn’t sense the presence of that young butler.
But his expression soon returned to neutral when he noticed a strange shift in the lady’s shadow.
He then stood up and watched Renelle hesitantly push open the door and walk in, leaving him with the head maid.
Sebastian looked at her for a short while before smiling again, an expression that would truly shock anyone who knew him.
"You did well," he said, referring to the fact that Margaret had been raising Renelle for the past year.
"I appreciate the praise, Sebastian," Margaret replied before adding with a chuckle, "but are you sure you’re fine?"
"What?" Sebastian asked a bit confused.
"Because the Sebastian I know would never give out praises this lightly," the head maid added.
"Is that so?" The old butler muttered, "Then I guess I’ve changed."
"It’s a good change then," Margaret answered, before turning back, "if you’ll excuse me, I have a few more things to handle."
***
Meanwhile, inside the study, Renelle stood frozen as she looked at the two before her.
"M-mother?" The words left her mouth before she realized, but it sounded pretty uncertain.
The woman sitting by the Grand Duke suddenly stood up, her pupils trembling as she also looked at Renelle.
Without hesitation, she moved from the Duke’s side and walked towards the frozen Renelle, whose brain was still struggling to accept the scene before her.
Before she could even process it, the woman closed the distance between them and pulled her into an embrace.
It was warm.
For someone who had been bedridden for most of her life, her arms still carried a gentle strength as they wrapped tightly around her daughter, as if afraid she might disappear.
"I thought... I thought I’d never see you again," the woman whispered, her voice breaking as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Renelle remained frozen for a few moments, and then her hands slowly lifted before clutching onto her mother’s back just as tightly.
She was certain that she wouldn’t see them again, after all, she had seen them die in her past life, and she could do nothing about it.
But now?
Now they were both in front of her, very much alive, and her sick mother was completely fine.
Behind them, Boreas Ardent watched the scene unfold with a calm expression just as he always had.
But the way his fingers subtly tightened against the armrest of his chair betrayed his true thoughts.
This was what he had been hoping for.
For years.
Well, one person was missing, but he’d soon return, so he didn’t have to worry about his whereabouts.
Eventually, the woman pulled back slightly, her hands cupping Renelle’s face as if trying to memorize every detail.
"You’ve grown so much..." she said softly, her trembling fingers brushing against Renelle’s cheek, "you’re even more beautiful than I imagined."
Renelle let out a laugh, though her eyes were still wet.
"You’re not supposed to say that when I look like this," she muttered, wiping at her tears.
"Nonsense," her mother replied immediately, her tone carrying a faint hint of stubbornness, "you could come covered in mud and I’d still say the same thing."
With that, the Grand Duchess curiously looked behind Renelle before asking, "By the way, where’s your Butler?"
"Adrian?" Renelle asked, wondering why her mother was curious about him, but she still replied, "I ordered him to stay back and help at the academy."
"Ah, I see," the grand duchess nodded in understanding, "then I guess I’ll have to thank him later."
That caused her even more confusion, but before she could ask, Grand Duke Boreas interrupted.
"Renelle," he called out.
"Father," Renelle greeted.
Boreas looked at his daughter for a while, of course he had been keeping an eye on her, and he very much knew about her behavior towards the prince.
But it seems she had outgrown that childishness and he was glad she did.
"I heard about the prince’s decision to annul the engagement," Boreas said, "I assume you have your own thoughts on the matter."
He quietly waited for her answer, truly wondering if her obsession with the prince was still there.
And even if it was, although he’d be a bit disappointed, he would still get the king to reverse the decision.
"No," Renelle shook her head, "I believe the prince and I were not a good match."
"I see," Boreas tapped his fingers lightly against the armrest before speaking again, "then we won’t delay this matter any further."
"Prepare yourself," he said, standing up, "we will be heading to the Royal Palace."
"Now?" The Grand Duchess asked.
"Yes, if the royal family wishes to annul the engagement," Boreas nodded as he continued, adjusting his coat, "then they will do so properly, in my presence."