CHAPTER #29:What will the future hold?

"The pain's...gone?" I put my hand on my forehead to check if I had any relapsing fever. But it was a miracle that I was fine.

"Let's take it slowly now. Or the fever might come back." She teased me.

"I'm not a child!" I brushed off her hand.

"Yes, I know everything. I know you very well Luna. Or shall I say a body of a child with a mind of a grown-up adult?" She narrowed her eyes and passed a cunning smile.

But it was not funny at all. I received yet another shock.

"Grown-up? What...do you mean?"I started to sweat despite the cool breeze that filled the room.

" Time reveals everything. Don't sweat over something trivial. I wouldn't care less."She shrugged.

Before I could say another word the door slammed open and I saw my father rush up to me without any awareness.

"Luna!" He yelled out loud enough to pierce my ears.

"F-Father?How did you come here? Shouldn't you be on your job to survey the armory?" I asked him as if nothing happened. I hoped he didn't hear the conversation just now.

"You-!" He ignored my question and kept on advancing until he towered over me.

-"Did I upset him that much?"I was a bit shaken to see him this furious.

I couldn't read his facial expressions. He clenched his hands and stood there for a moment.

"D-daddy?" I once again called out nervously to lighten the heavy air in the room.

He suddenly grabbed me enough to just give me a light jerk and pulled me to him embracing me in his arms.

"Thank goodness! Oh, thank God!" He exclaimed. He was nearly in tears while his body trembled in fear.

"I should never have left you alone. Surely neither Inina nor Lucien would forgive me for this sin."

"Daddy...are you...crying?" I tried to look at his handsome face but he tightened the grip around me.

"Ow!" I cried in pain.

"Ah sorry, my princess! Are you feeling unwell anywhere? C-call the doctors!"

"No!" I cut him off before the servants rushed out to get one.

"Give us a moment," I commanded the servants to leave the room.

"Yes, lady." Freya was the last to leave. She looked quite hesitant but prioritized my command.

I gently placed my small hands on his face and reassured him that I was alright.

"Fathers are supposed to be strong and tough in front of their daughters. Am I not your princess?" I asked him wiping off the teary eyes.

"Yes, I'm your protection." He smiled bitterly placing his big, heavy, calloused hand and took my small soft hand into his that was on his face.

"I don't want my father to become weak because of me." I smiled.

"So don't ever cry like this. Or Lucien will be ashamed of you."

The woman interrupted us as I remembered that she was here in the room.

"It's been a while, Count Vanderberg." She smiled.

Father hastily got up to greet her. He bowed deeply which was quite odd of him to greet a stranger like that.

"I greet the eternal moonlight Yo-"

"Shhhh~!" She indicated to him a signal of silence.

"I-I apologize...my lady." He got up slowly but didn't make eye contact with her.

"Can I have a word with you, my Lord?" She posed a concern over something that pertained to me.

"Y-yes.As you wish my lady." He gave a light peck on my forehead and hastily followed the woman out of the room.

It was a bit strange from what I witnessed today but they seemed to have a debatable conversation.

It was nearly afternoon when my father entered the room with a grim look on his face.

"Father? Why look so glum?" I asked him curiously.

"Luna..."

He summarized the whole conversation and in short, told me about their plans not to enroll me in the Royal Academy as an official student.

I was frustrated for a moment after hearing this since I had to go back on my words with Eirlyn. But then again, it was the best way to avoid an unnecessary death flag.

"Alright, I shall follow what papa wants."

"Really? Did you not want to join the Academy?" he asked me hesitantly.

"Would there be a reason to deny I'm in the first place?" I retorted. I knew that he was pressured by that woman to some point. Or he might've refused her proposal.

"Leaving that aside Father." I looked him in the eye.

"I want to have my questions answered to clear things up."

"What do you want to know about? Just name it my princess." He asked me with keen interest.

"What were those dark creatures who attacked us? How come I never knew that such things existed?" I raised a question about the weird-looking species that we're a half-human who was called a werewolf.

He was once again hesitant about opening up about this subject.

He slowly let out a sigh and explained it to me slowly.

"There are five species other than the human races in our world. First, the dragons. Their species have been said to become extinct a few centuries ago. Then comes the elves. The elves are of two different classes. The light elves. Who allied with humans to fight off the evil of this world. The second is the dark elves. They as known by their name and are the wielders of black magic. Half the darkness of this world is under their control. They are the mysterious beings as we've heard from light elves who will do anything to cause harm to both the humans and the light elves. The third is the mermaids. The dwellers of the ocean. It has been said that their species is now endangered due to human hunters and sea pirates who hunted them for their jeweled eyes, tears that turn into pearls, and scales that have numerous benefits to us, humans."

"Is this why they must despise us more than any other species? They are pitiful."

"Yes, it is the fault of our forefathers who lost themselves to desires...Now continuing to the vilest of all the races-"

"Werewolves?" I said since this was what I was after.

"Yes, dear. They unlike other dignified species are far worse than them. They are taller than the average person. They have sharp long talons that can rip out an average human's body into countless masses of dead meat. They have tanned skin and furry ears and tails like that of a real wolf. They are extremely uncultured."

"Uncultured?" I wondered if that's because they got predatorial instincts like that of a wild animal.

"Not only do they act like wild animals but they grab a female of any species they like as their partner. Be it a human or an elf. Just like humans they too hunt mermaids for their meat."

The room fell silent. Neither of us talked about it anymore. But I only grew interested in these species.

-"Why was it not mentioned in the novel. Except for that of light elves or werewolves in some parts, there was no mention of the other species in the book."

-"I'll have to look deeper into this subject."

"Are you satisfied now?"He looked concerned as if he let out a danger past his lips.

"But why keep it a secret?"

I had the right to know the reason behind such secrecy.

"It was...to protect you." He smiled bitterly.

"To...protect me? From them?"

He nodded and put me back to sleep and silently left the room.

"We'll see what the future holds for me."