Chapter Seven: An Unexpected Warmth

Noven was taken aback for a moment, confused as he repeated his question:

" W...What? "

Xenia answered him with a soft, sorrowful smile,

her eyes steady and unflinching in their honesty:

" I'm searching for a home… a quiet place to settle, open a modest business, and sustain myself with dignity,

I'm tired of wandering and uncertainty,

tired of standing in the same circle over and over again "

Noven's eyes widened, as if something inside him had suddenly shifted,

This person sitting beside him was strange... strange in their sincerity,

in their open vulnerability, He thought to himself:

' This is the first time we speak, and yet he's speaking so deeply? He doesn't feel embarrassed? doesn't pretend,

doesn't seem like he's lying...

I've met many people, Ican tell what's fake and what's real... but this?

This is new...

Have I lost my intuition?

Or is he simply… like this? '

Before he could find an answer to his thoughts,

the stranger stood up with a smile and extended his hand:

" It's getting late, Time for me to go...

It was a pleasure meeting you, Noven "

Noven shook his hand slowly, his voice calm:

" The feeling is mutual…

Will you be staying in Lorenval?

Perhaps we'll meet again? "

The stranger smiled wide,

and with a poetic sigh that seemed torn from a page of a sonnet, replied:

" If fate wills us to meet again,

then we shall ~ "

And he left,

leaving Noven behind...

enchanted by the stranger's mysterious presence, as though a cool breeze had passed through a scorching summer's day.

…

Xenia stepped out of the tavern with quiet strides, a sense of calm seeping into her chest.

She had gotten all she needed from the night,

and there were just two hours left until the ninth hour of morning.

Still, her old caution pulled her to return early,

while her curiosity urged her to wander around Edgar's cottage...

to acquaint herself with her surroundings.

As she walked through the cobbled alleys,

her thoughts began to scatter without order,

without a specific purpose:

" I'm in a strange world… Is it Victorian in nature? Or fantastical? It's a blend of both...

The people's clothing resembles - James Tissot's paintings, but with a touch of modernity...

Perhaps I really have crossed into another world…

That venison stew... it was delicious,

it melted in my mouth like sugar,

and those flavors!

So balanced it was almost admirable...

No foul smell, which is rare for meat!

I think it would pair well with plain boiled rice…

Strange, I never liked meat that much "

She whispered barely audibly to herself:

" I wonder…

what's changed? ~ "

She was pulled back to the present

by the laughter of children dancing around her...

Sunlight began brushing the old stone gently,

and the aroma of warm food drifted from windows...

That morning, the world felt joyful,

light, innocent.

She continued on toward the outskirts.

The cottages she had passed last night

were now waking... no longer still,

but pulsing with life,

Men had gone off to chop wood or hunt,

women cleaned, cooked, raised children,

or strode quickly to the market...

All were engaged in a race for survival…

All but Edgar.

' Everyone works and struggles…

But Edgar?

He knows only debauchery and waste!

I'll definitely ask for an increase in my allowance '

She returned to the cottage without a sound,

removed her coat, entered her small room,

and began to change, She washed her face,

and stood before the mirror combing her long hair.

' My hair's gotten too long… It's starting to bother me, I'll cut it soon,

if I can find the time '

She picked up the broom and began to tidy the room meticulously,

Cleaning, to her, was more than a habit...

it was a necessary ritual,

Chaos made her anxious,

and insects sent her into fits of panic,

She couldn't bear to live in a disordered space,

So she scrubbed and cleared the room with rigid precision.

Despite the cracks time had carved into the wooden floor,

the room was now clean,

calm…livable.

' Cleanliness first, Everything else can wait '

She made her way to the kitchen,

where she found Callista already at work, tidying the space,

She greeted her softly:

" Good morning, Cali "

Callista turned with energy and said:

" Good morning, Mom!

What are we making for breakfast today? "

Xenia raised an eyebrow and offered a faint smile:

" That's a secret ~ "

Callista froze for a second,

She wasn't used to this playful side of Xenia,

and her heartbeat quickened,

She asked with hesitation:

" Mom…

are you feeling okay? "

Xenia's eyes shimmered,

but she didn't laugh.

She stepped closer and spoke,

her voice on the verge of breaking:

" Cali…

there's something I want to tell you "

She paused briefly,

then continued in a whisper:

" I've reflected a lot recently,

I think I was wrong to ignore you completely

because of your biological mother,

You didn't choose to be born, so why should you suffer all this pain?

I'm nothing but a victim of my father,

who abandoned me after weaving lies around me,

And you?

You're a victim of your disgraceful father,

Isn't he the one who brought you into this world?

Why does he ignore you now? Why won't he look at your face?...

Didn't my father once pamper me, overprotect me?

Then why abandon me after caging me like a bird? Why leave me after making me ignorant of life's cruelties?

Cali… oh Cali,

aren't we both just victims of our fathers?

That's why I thought long and hard...

you're too young to know what to do, and I must gather my pieces, I won't apologize,

but from now on, I'll be your friend,

I'll protect you, and I'll be proud of you,

What do you think? "

Callista's shoulders trembled,

tears filled her eyes,

and she collapsed into Xenia's arms,

crying silently... like a child who had finally found the warmth she had always longed for.

Xenia's words were sincere,

even if not all the story she told was true...

She didn't actually know Xenia's real father,

but the bitterness she carried for her manipulative relative — that man who had shackled her since childhood and toyed with her heart — made her project that anger into the tale...

She didn't want to see Callista wounded in the same way, She saw her as a little sister,

as a reflection of a broken childhood… and so, she chose to embrace her.

They sat together on the cracked floor,

and Xenia held the girl until she drifted off to sleep in her arms, finally surrendered to comfort.

As she gently tried to lift her, Agony entered the kitchen,

He knelt on one knee,

gesturing for her to place Callista on his back, then he carried her out quietly.

Agony was fiercely protective of his sister,

And when he learned that his mother was heading to the kitchen, he hid, stood behind the door, and heard everything.

His feelings toward Xenia were complicated...

he hated her and pitied her at once

But in that moment, he made a silent vow:

' As long as she loves Callista and cares for her, I will care for her too,

when she grows old… Iwill repay her kindness '