CHAPTER 99
The OVERSTAYING GUEST
Aredhel desired for her daughter to live a life free of concerns and entrusted her care to Sierra. However, even with this arrangement, others continued to pose a threat to her child. Her daughter was the sole remaining family member she could call her own. Worrying about her safety, even more, due to the confirmed words of Rudolf. Emotions surged within her, overpowering her rational thinking as she was compelled to take the decision.
"I will send her back to Clandor, she will be safe in the royal palace," she said in a sombre tone, expressing regret to her daughter, for she was aware of how much her child dreaded the idea of returning to Clandor. But it was the only place that kept her safe till now, Rudolf was strong but even with his name backing her daughter was not enough to stop those who targeted her and she was right to think so.
Delimira on the other hand had no say in the matter and her sunken mood was affecting Hans very badly for some reason. She lifted her head and looked Hans in the eye and just like that it was over for him. He started mumbling, "I am gonna regret this, am gonna regret this, gonna regret this, regret this, shit." He cleared his throat and said to Aredhel while clenching his teeth hoping no one hears him,
"HAU ABAT LEEVING HAR HEER?"
Everyone's questioning gaze looked at Hans in bewilderment and sighing he responded to their unasked question,
"Damn it, how about you leave her here, professor."
Not receiving her response he explained further, "With the stunt my gramps pulled, I don’t think anyone would be ballsy enough to attack her again, at least for three months and that Sad or whatever death, Dijkstra won’t rest till he kills the perpetrators. So there is no need for her to leave this place, after all, she is the disciple of the Iron Lady, do you think anyone could harm one under her protection? She could even resurrect someone from death." with this he said everything he wanted in a single breath and this was the extent of what he could do right now, so he signalled her to stop giving him the sad eyes treatment.
Aredhel calmed as the words brought some rationality back to her and she said to Hans,
"Fine, but I have a condition."
"Lady, I don’t think you are in a position to ask anything else."
"No, I want the same words from you, the very words you said before leaving for the Dead Gor…I mean Frozen tooth. Your promise that she will live here without trouble."
Hans got irritated and replied to her,
"There is a dominion knight, a former pope and even a Warlord here, what assurance I can give that they won’t?"
"I was assured that my daughter would be safe with them, but see what happened."
"That was just an.., who could have predicted that?"
"But you kept your promise, you brought back her safe and sound even fooling the shrewdest man in the land, this speaks something. So do I have your word?"
Hans irritatingly replied,
"I've enough on my plate, I can't take - "
"I have your words then" she declared cutting off his words in the middle, " I'll leave her here,"
The visible happiness came back to Delimira's face and looking at her, Hans couldn't resist thinking that he might have unwillingly fallen into this viper's scheme.
"Ah damn, I think, I got played again," he mumbled.
Shaking his head at Hans's mumbling, Rudolf went ahead and asked Ardehel,
"So when are you leaving Winters - "
"Hush," Sierra stopped him, adding "Hans learn these impolite things from you."
Hans snapped out of his self-mumbling when his name was mentioned and commented,
"Yes, Gramps is the bad influence, Grandma."
"You little - ." Rudolf managed to knuckle Hans’s head and finally got rid of the stuffy feeling in his chest that he was feeling from suppressing his anger for so long. whereas Hans was rubbing his head while mumbling something as Vanessa caressed him, chiding him to behave. She said, "Can’t you irritate him less, I can’t even shout at him."
"Soon sister, soon, I will have my revenge."
Hans had made a mindmap of how he would spend his time here. It was dangerous to open the Book Limitless in Concordia but this was his home. He was planning to finish the book in these three months. Acting like a child of his age he went to his grandma asking her to numb the pain, he wanted to get back at his old man and suddenly a thought clicked in, so he asked Rudolf,
"So the royals just let you go?"
"Who can stop me"
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
"Is that why you could even not respond to your communication orb"
"What can I do, they confiscated my things, even my second dearrest, thunderclap was not with me."
"And you are the so-called bewitched knight, whom the world fears."
Rudolf felt irritated again and wanted to beat Hans once more and something appeared in front of Hans,
Notice : The subject in vision is exploding with anger, calculating the odds, running is advised.
Hans smiled on seeing this message but Rudolf took it as a challenge to his pride, another message appeared,
Notice :it is evident that the subject in vision will try to harm you in just moments, running is advised with the highest priority.
Hans was quickly flung back by his vines to the second floor. Rudolf on the other hand was just a moment away from delivering his tough love knuckle but Hans dodging at the perfect timing startled him, he felt like the boy read him. This came as another insult.
Notice : The subject in vision will make another move, creating distance is advised.
This started because he received a blow from Rudolf, Hans thought another privilege is activated but he does not have any time to open up the command centre and read things thoroughly. Instead of running further, Hans appeared right behind his grandma and teased Rudolf to come at him if he could.
Hans was acting his age and the people in the mansion were already familiar with this but the guests were seeing it as a surprise. Delimira never had imagined Hans who was killing people here and there just some time ago could act like a child.
Sierra stopped both of them and shouted at her husband, who once already behaved like a child in front of the guests. It was also a well-known fact in the house that Hans was prioritised over their lord by the lady and guests were witnessing that too. She asked Ardhel to stay with them for a few days but Aredhel excused herself because the holidays were the time when she managed the Winters company.
Hans kept showing his tongue to Rudolf in every window he could find while in Sierra’s embrace. The revenge he talked about with Vanessa was not this but he did not miss the chance. Ignoring both adult and young child, Sierra asked Aredhel again, "What you will be doing apart from managing things?"
"I should retaliate, now, enough is enough. I will investigate more freely since I am not sending my daughter back. She will be safe, right?"
"Didn't you get Hans’s words, forced or not, he treats his words as an unbreakable vow, and I'll not be the one who let his beliefs shatter."
"That's all I could ask for, thank you."
Ardehel took her daughter to the guest room for some more privacy. She asked her daughter,
"Do you want to stay here?"
"Yes, I like it here."
"You did not even spend a complete day here."
"It's lively here at least, with no one to watch out for, I feel free."
Aredhel was sad to know that even with the power and wealth she possessed, she couldn't let her daughter feel free. She smiled and said to her
"Then enjoy your stay here my daughter, and come back soon."
"Yes Mother, and...thank you."
It was the first time she heard her daughter say these words yet these words which were full of gratitude gave her heartache. Suppressing her emotions she left the guest room and since Delimira was going to be a long-term guest there, the servants prepared another room for her, right beside their young Lord with the notion that the two were close friends. And in just the next room Hans was lying in his bed, searching for something in the air. He had summoned the command centre but there was no extra privilege unlocked. It was still the same, only two privileges: SCAN and INGRESS. But he found something changed in SCAN.
COMMAND CENTRE
Status : Connected
Terminal : 05IRIS
Name : LittleSun
Health: 100%
Clearance level : Interim Administrator
PRIVILEGES
SOLAR BODY : INCOMPLETE
SCAN : [ AVAILABLE ] [ PASSIVE ]
it allows you to scan various things even a person and give the relevant results saved in the records. If not found, you can register it as a new entry to help others connected to the Command centre.
(Interim Administrator perk )
* * NO limits.
* you can assign clearance level to the thing you register.
* You can read other people's facial expressions to predict whether they are saying the truth or not.[note - it is not always true]
* Can automatically give you sound judgement when needed, can be toggle by setting SCAN to ACTIVE (NEW)
INGRESS: [ UNAVAILABLE ]
it allows you to call the space shift beam and transport you to the locations…
LOCKED
LOCKED
As Aredhel set off to return to Clandor, Hans occupied himself with his new toy. Meanwhile, Sierra invited Delimira to make herself at home in their humble abode. The warm hospitality extended to Delimira prompted her to consider exploring the mansion. In a contented state, she strolled towards Hans's room, where he was engrossed in playing with his latest acquisition. Though the mansion lacked the grandeur of the royal palace in Clandor, it exuded a sense of tranquillity that she found comforting.
***