Chapter 31: WASN’T IN HER POWER TO GO BACK
"...!"
Aristia was greeted by stunned silence.
"Why do you want to learn them?" Catherine asked when she had finally gotten out of her surprise that her daughter was actually not joking.
Aristia was already prepared as she knew she’d be asked this, so she answered with ease. "For self-defense. Plus, it will not hurt to possess these skills."
"Self-defense? That is what the guards are for— to protect you." Wilson said.
"Yes, but the guards cannot always be with me, can they? Unexpected situations might occur, though I do not wish for that, and then I will be helpless." She said sadly, pouting her lips and alternating her gaze between the two of them.
"You do not want that, do you Mama, Papa?" She blinked her watery eyes at them and reverted back to her usual ’mama’ and ’papa’. She drew out her voice in a babyish tone just to convince them.
[It always works. C’mon! Don’t fail me now.]
Her parents frowned at the image that formed in their heads; Their cute and lovely daughter crawling on the dirt, helpless and tears streaming down her face as she cried out at them, ’Mama, Papa, you refused to let me train, now look what happened. It is all your fault. I hate you!’ The mental image wailed and beat her chest, grabbing onto their clothes and then falling back on the ground again.
That, and the fact that she blinked her big eyes cutely and called them ’mama and papa’, made them give in to her.
[Yes!] Aristia thought as she smiled victoriously, but it didn’t go unnoticed by Wilson who just smiled and shook his head at her antics.