CHAPTER 75

THE AWKWARD DINNER

  As Delmira stepped into Hans's room, she was greeted by an impressive collection of books that lined every available surface. It was hard not to notice the sheer volume of research that he had accumulated within a single year of his stay in Concordia. Delimira turned to him in doubt, she was sure that Hans could barely understand Half of the books but still bought them.

  She glanced at the collection once more and thought, Hans had undoubtedly splurged an obscene amount of money on these treasures, mostly original editions that boasted the same content as their more affordable counterparts, but with a staggering price difference.

  As she examined the books, Delmira couldn't help but understand why Rudolf had whined about Hans being scammed left and right. Whereas Hans quietly observed her, not saying anything, he had a favour to ask her but felt awkward starting the conversation. It was not like he was hiding his zeal. And Delimira being sensitive to these things broke the silence with a perplexed expression on her face, as she blurted out, "What?"

Hans, in response, posed the same question back to her,

What ..?

She remarked,

You look like you're dying to ask me something.

After a moment of hesitation, Hans let out a heavy sigh and spoke with a sense of urgency in his voice,

Promise me you won't tell anyone about gramps and grandma.

Without missing a beat, she responded, unlike every other time when she would have pried for more information, with simple words, FINE

  As his eyes caught her glance, lingering over his collection of books, a thought suddenly struck him. They had spent the past year together, but he couldn't honestly say that they were true friends. Rather, they had been give-and-take companions, always striking deals whenever they needed something from each other. He had grown accustomed to this dynamic, but her sudden acceptance of his request caught him off guard, however, he couldn't deny the relief he felt knowing that his secret was safe with her.

Delmira also realised what Hans was thinking and clarified,

I can’t spread my teacher’s family info like anything.

  Despite the existing distance between them, Hans couldn't help but feel that the gulf between them had widened even further. Her tone was noticeably colder and more distant than before. The unease didn't sit well with him so he asked point blank.

Why do you sound so… FORMAL.

  With a hint of reluctance, Delmira finally revealed what she had been withholding all this time. "I'm sorry, but I cannot simply get chummy with the one who nearly took my life," she confessed, her voice laced with obvious unease. "Every night, I am haunted by the memories of that harrowing day. But it's not the face of my abductor that lingers in my mind; it's yours, the one who valiantly saved me," she explained, her voice filled with sarcasm.

Hans, on the other hand, staunchly defended himself, his voice brimming with a sense of wounded pride. "You seem to have forgotten, Winters, I SAVED YOU" he interjected, his eyes fixed unwaveringly on Delmira.

"I admit that I was initially swayed by your explanation in the morning", she said with a tone of defiance and counted, "But upon deeper reflection, it's clear to me that you had no qualms about leaving me in that explosion."(referring to ManaStorm)

Hans, clearly annoyed by her accusations, cut in,

Hey, It was obvious that he wouldn't have let any harm come to you, given that-...

Before Hans could finish his sentence, Delmira interjected, completing his thought with a hint of bitterness in her voice. "Because a dead hostage is of no use to him. At that moment, I ceased to be your liability and instead became a bargaining chip that Xandor had to protect."

  Hans wanted to say the same words to her but hearing from her mouth felt like he had done something bad. He believed that a strategic person like Delimira would not object to his actions, but her current expression suggested otherwise. It was apparent that she was thinking emotionally and wanted to hear him apologising at the least. But doing so here would mean acknowledging all the accusations she had made against him. Thus, he found himself unable to articulate his words.

  An awkward silence descended upon the room as both children fixed their gazes on each other, each waiting for the other to back down first. However, they never determined who gave in first since Sierra summoned them downstairs.

  Hans and Delimira descended the stairs, surrounded by an awkward atmosphere. Hans hadn't had the opportunity to dispel the negative energy that hung between them. Initially, he had assumed that this mother-daughter duo had come for a brief encounter, but he now found himself seated across from them at the dining table, fearing for his future indigestion.

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  As they began to eat, Hans's eyes kept darting towards Rudolf, who seemed to be ignoring him completely. Instead, Rudolf was busy praising his wife in front of the guests, while occasionally stealing glances at Delimira which was bothering Hans more and more.

Hans was taken aback by his grandfather's sudden acting, but before he could say anything, Rudolf spoke up, declaring

Winters, your daughter will not be participating in the Glory Wars.

Aredhel did not argue and simply agreed, saying,

Whatever you deem safe.

  Delmira remained as quiet as a mouse, unlike her argumentative nature. Hans felt that her competitiveness only ignited in front of him but in front of adults, she seemed to adopt a meek persona. It was all because her decisions were always made for her, whether it was Eleanor, her uncle in Clandor, or now her mother. But the thought of not being able to participate in the event that she had been preparing for the entire year left her feeling disheartened.

  Hans stopped eating upon hearing the conversation. Unlike Delmira, who had been thoroughly educated in etiquette and manners, Hans was raised to be a free spirit. And now adults hindering his plan to embarrass her in front of everyone opposed his free-spirited nature, he longed for a public victory against Delmira, but his gramps was standing in the way of his plan for no apparent reason that he could understand.

Feeling increasingly irritated, he interjected while glaring at Delmira,

Oye, Winters, if you don't speak up for yourself, no one else will.

  Delimira looked at Hans, who was nonchalantly munching on his food, and then everyone else turned to her with expectant looks. A little nudge and encouragement could wield a great deal of influence over a child's mind, and Hans's words had precisely that effect. For once, Delmira felt she had to speak

"I want to participate in the Glory Wars next year," she spoke up, her voice barely above a whisper.

Hans let out a sigh and mocked Delmira,

Looks like someone didn't eat enough, tsk..tsk...

But Rudolf outright denied her words making Hans interject once again,

Why are you putting your finger in someone else's pie?

Rudolf warned sternly.

Because it's dangerous,

Hans was caught off guard and almost choked on a piece of bread. He quickly patted his chest and took a gulp of water before turning to Rudolf.

Others might think she is your grandchild. You didn't even stop me.

Rudolf instantly retorted, saying,

Because you're stubborn as a mule.

Hans couldn't deny that, but he was still taken aback, so he asked,

But why are you suddenly being nosy, all of a sudden?

Rudolf's voice softened slightly as he replied,

Her value has sky-rocketed. She's become far more valuable than you, squeaky.

"But you have no right to stop her." Hans protested.

Rudolf flicked a bean right at his forehead and said,

Her mother has no problem with it. Why are you flaring up? Do you care for her that much?

Hans shot back one too, defensively saying,

She's not some weak mage, old man,

Rudolf grunted at Hans's obstinance. He did not want to involve him in the previous discussion. So he looked past them and asked Sierra,

Where is Vanessa? he would listen to her.

Hans immediately opposed,

Don't drag her into this.

Rudolf snapped back,

Then mind your own damn business.

  They were arguing over her participation while she sat there silently. Delmira never thought that Hans would take her side, let alone argue for her choice, she appreciated Hans a little in her heart without knowing his true motives.

To mediate between the intense Rudolf and Hans, Sierra chimed in,

Hans, Glory Wars is not just an event. It rarely happens, but people die in it. If someone aimed for her head, can you guarantee she would survive?

Instead of Hans, Delmira finally spoke up,

Why would he need to guarantee that? I am far stronger than him.

  Hans might have taken her side because he wanted to face her at the event, not because of the friendship that everyone there was thinking about. But declaring this in front of everyone meant challenging his pride, and he was not one to take that lying down.

Rudolf realized the direction the conversation was taking, but he was too late to intervene. Hans stood, pushing his chair back and declared,

Hey, let's duke it out and settle the hierarchy once and for all.

"You better not regret this, Squeaky." she taunted, accepting the challenge.

Hans felt a vein pop in his forehead in irritation at her mockery, and he held back the urge to lash out. He told her to stop calling him that, and she politely responded, "Make me if you can." mocking him further.

Her polite words filled with a challenge which only made Hans more irritated, and he reminded her,

Hey, I was on your side earlier.

Delmira stared at Hans for a moment, and he had the feeling that she was peering into his thoughts. She clicked her tongue and replied,

Nah, you have your own motives for it.

Hans fell silent. He never knew how she could always detect whenever he lied or tried to manipulate her. No one else was this skilled at catching his lies. Breaking his thoughts, Delmira added, "Fine, if you win, I promise I will never call you by that name. But what if I win?"

Hans asked her,

What do you want?

She responded with a smirk,

Another favour from you.

Hans said teasing her.

Is collecting favours your hobby?

She spoke, pointing out and wagging her finger at him

I am a merchant's daughter. Money is valuable in business, but 'favours' outrank them. Do you accept it?

Hans retorted.

Fine by me. Just don't cry after you lose,

  Dinner was interrupted as everyone came to the training field of the Dean's quarters. A place which is regularly razed by Hans's ManaStorm. Rudolf was facepalming himself, as he had wanted to avoid this situation, but his grandson was influenced by him and had inherited the trait of not taking blows to his pride unwillingly.

Before the duel began, Rudolf asked his boy,

Brat, she's a girl. Take it easy, understand?

Hans smirked and replied out loud,

All I see is a mage, and in the name of gender equality, I will nail every necessary fact into thick skulls like hers.

***