Chapter 8: A New Member.

It was time, Emilia's uncle arrived to take her home. But Grey couldn't shake off the feeling when he looked towards Emilia, his mind and heart couldn't let go of Emilia. The more he thought about it -the more he wanted to not let her go.

8-1

"How is the food Emilia?" Asked Alice. But she didn't get anything like a reply, Emilia was still afraid and wasn't ready to talk with anyone.

"Emilia, how is the food? Do you need something else?" Asked Grey.

"It's very tasty, Emilia doesn't need anything else," Said Emilia with a lower tone but it was still full of life.

Looking at Her wife Alice that just got ignored, Ranulf consoled his wife by keeping his on on her shoulder "it's fine, I was ignored the whole way home by her." With a face that was pitying her.

Over lunch, everyone was having the usual conversation about different random stuff and the lunch came to end. After a while it was time for Emilia to go with her, his uncle was still talking with Ranulf and Alice. Eira, Grey, and Emilia had sad looks on their face, they were all quiet they didn't want to speak anything. Emilia was sitting beside her uncle and her uncle didn't look like a bad person to Grey, so he thought it was better for Emilia to go with her uncle.

'She will be happy with her uncle's family and he doesn't seem like a bad person either. He made sure several times if Emilia was okay or not and he genuinely worried for Emilia' this was Grey's line of thought and it was true, Emilia's uncle was genuinely worried about her.

"Okay, Ranulf I should get going." Emilia's uncle stood up but he stood there for a while in silence, he had a lot to say but he couldn't find the words.

He was frustrated and he finally broke his silence "whatever you did was a very noble thing. I wish I could have saved my brother; I can't forgive the person who did this for him. He was the kindest person I knew, Ranulf. My brother never wanted to harm anyone, he had a wife and kid. All he wanted was to watch her daughter grow. He used to always talk about my dream, he always wanted to be the first customer when I open my restaurant.

I felt like the happiest when he used to praise my food. Why did someone have to kill him, why? Why? Why? why? why? why? why? It is so frustrating Ranulf, why I am so weak, why am I such a useless pathetic piece of shit" Said Emilia's uncle, tears were flowing through his eyes, he was angry and sad. His brother was killed in a cruel way and he couldn't do anything about him all he wanted to do now was avenge the death of his brother.

After hearing What Emilia's uncle just said, Grey felt a chill down his spine, what grey witnessed today, he won't be able to forget Emilia's uncle's face, the face he made while speaking those words, the face filled with rage and sorrow. Grey won't be able to forget it ever

"Don't think about revenge James, we don't even know who did this and leave this to knights and I heard a hero's team is assigned for this, let them do the job. Your brother wouldn't want you to take revenge for him. I was at the same party as him, your safety was always most important for him. If you want to do something, take care of his kid for him." Said Ranulf, James was the name of Emilia's uncle.

"But-"

"There is no but, take care off the kid. Don't forget it."

Alice patted James's head. For Alice, James was like a little brother. Alice, Ranulf, and James's brother were on the same team for years. They all shared a great close bond. There were times where the Whole team used to go to the James brothers' house, where His brother would always brag about his brother cooking, and for Alice, James was like a little brother. She would always gift him expensive cooking utensils and ingredients, which would always get Alice and James in trouble with James's brother.

After James calmed down, Alice gave James a small smack in the head "Oye, Kid next time you think about revenge, I'll kick your ass and no one will be able to stop me. Because –"

"-You are the strongest" James continued what Alice started, it was a thing between Alice and James. James knew his big sister was strongest.

"Okay, now then you have calmed down. You were recruited for a big restaurant in a neighboring kingdom, right? When are u starting your job there?" asked Alice.

"From next month"

"Fine, work hard there and about one more thing -."

Grey couldn't keep his silence anymore "Dad I want to ask you something" Alice was interrupted by Grey and what Grey wanted to say was the same thing as what Alice was going to say.

"What is it, Grey?"

Grey was still hesitant, he couldn't put it into words "Can we let Emilia stay at our house, ill take care of her. Like my own sister and ill play with her every day, ill protect her, ill never let her be sad. I am not asking to let her stay for a while, I am asking about forever. Basically, what I mean to say is.... Can we adopt her?" Grey didn't break eye contact while speaking to his dad.

Everyone was shocked after hearing what grey just said, everyone knew grey wasn't a normal kid but no one expected him to say something like this. It made Alice and Ranulf proud but things weren't as simple as adopting her. It wasn't them to decide, it was up to James and their family.

"Grey, son it's not up to us for it to decide." Said Ranulf but even James wanted to take care of Emilia, she was the kid of his dear comrade. So, Even Ranulf spoke up "James, Grey might be a kid but I agree with what he says, Even I want to adopt Emilia and ill keep her as my own daughter. No, ill love her more than ill love my daughter.

It might be selfish of me but I want to best future for the kid of my friend and my comrade. I'll let you take care of her but for that, I want you to promise me one thing. You would have to settle down first. pursue your dream and let us take care of Emilia.".

"Father and son, that's what I was going to ask James, You guys stole my line and a chance to look cool, that's not fair" Alice was sulky.

"Hahaha" James let out a laugh, "You guys are really like a family, I would be happy if Emilia got adopted in a family like this"

Grey and Alice couldn't contain their happiness " Yay" They both Grabbed Emilia's one hand each and started a weird dance and the best thing was even Emilia was happy. They both got a smack from Ranulf " Stop it, you are scaring Emilia." To which Grey disapproved " Look at her face, she is happy too. How is she scared?".

Emilia hugged Grey and Eira, then after letting them go. Emilia looked up to them before a big smiled appeared on her face "Hehe, I get to be with big sister and big brother." That smile melted both Grey and Eira's heart.

"Big sister will play with you every day, big sister will be the best big sister." To which grey said, " Just don't take her to your brutish training.". Eira turned towards Grey and covered her smug smile with her hand, said" No, you are my only partner for training and sparring, that spot will never be replaced."

" I want no such spot."

Everyone was happy and their family got bigger today.