Chapter 494: we shall heed the wisdom of the veteran in life
Great Aunt Nezja had been wanting to see me, Natha said. After all, we only had a chance to talk about Natha the last time, so she wanted to know me better this time. Seemed that she didn’t have any problem coming over since her problem with Natha was already resolved.
Well, I had nothing to do these days, so...of course, I wouldn’t refuse. She was one of the few who knew about Shwa, since she used to be Natha’s legal guardian, and she was immune to mindbending spells--if anything, she would be the one doing the mindbending. It was nice to talk to someone without skirting around trying to hide Shwa’s existence or location.
"How are you, my dear?" she asked with a soft smile that was totally different from the strict, headmaster’s face she had the first time we met. How she did it while still in a perfect posture and in an elegant tone...I had no idea.
I couldn’t even start to try to want to be like her--I had already given up when I looked at her straight back. It would be nice, though...if I could appear that put-together and elegant all the time, perhaps people would be less worrying about me. Perhaps Natha wouldn’t be so easy to ban me from doing things...
But, oh--it wasn’t time for me to daydream.
"I’m...fine?" I replied two seconds late with a sheepish grin.
She looked confused for a second, but I grabbed her arm and led her to the dining room. It was time for luncheon, and Natha was on the way to the Lord’s quarters to join us, so I shouldn’t look like I had a problem. I asked how she had been instead, and our conversation quickly shifted to her, which was also a good distraction for me. When Natha arrived, I was already in my hyper mode again--enough to distract myself from the tasteless food.
But how should I say this? Was it her instinct as someone who had been living for centuries? Once the lunch was over, she said she wanted to rest in the living room. But once we sat on the couch, and Natha was about to pour us some drink, she shifted her position so she could look at me, and Mother--she looked at me straight in the eyes.
"Valen, are you alright?"
"Huh?" I blinked in surprise. "...yeah?"
But even as I said it, I knew I was lying to myself, to everybody. Perhaps it was her eyes, that seemed like they could pierce through my soul like Natha did.