Chapter 111: ¹¹¹Days In Valen
The spring dawn had just swept away the remaining fog in Valen Village. Inside the old stone residence, the rhythm of bustling activity began to beat rapidly.
The aroma of beef broth and toasted bread wafted from the kitchen.
Berta moved in a state of half-panic. The middle-aged woman stirred the iron pot rapidly, while the edge of her apron was already covered in flour stains. The fact that a high-ranking noble lady was sleeping under their roof had successfully kept her awake all night.
"Yuna, make sure the tablecloth is perfectly smooth! Don’t let there be a single speck of dust!" Berta exclaimed while setting down her wooden spoon. She rushed to bring out the best porcelain set, which was rarely used.
Yuna accepted the plates with a nod. The brown-haired girl walked toward the dining room. However, the corner of her eye kept glancing toward the guest room door where Kaelia was spending the night.
A soft sigh escaped Yuna’s lips. She arranged the spoons neatly, but her grip was a little too tight. The reality of their social class difference slapped her mercilessly.
"Aunt Berta..." Yuna called out softly, returning to the kitchen. "Will Lady Kaelia even be willing to eat rustic food like this?"
Berta stopped her stirring. She wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Hah... I don’t know, Yuna. But these are our best ingredients. The Young Master likes it, so hopefully his guest can be understanding."
Amidst that anxiety, firm footsteps broke the atmosphere. Asrof stepped in wearing an impeccably neat butler’s suit. His former military posture could not be hidden.
"Just focus on breakfast," Asrof cut in calmly. "I just checked the carriage. Its iron axle is wearing thin. After this, I’m heading to the blacksmith in the neighboring village. Everything must be perfect for the Young Master’s journey."
Berta merely nodded in relief. The head butler’s presence always managed to cool the atmosphere.
The dining room began to warm up from the blazing fireplace. Before long, the sound of footsteps descending from the main staircase could be heard.
Ethan Valen stepped inside.
The young man was dressed only in a simple black tunic. His hair was slightly damp. His eyes now looked far more relaxed as they swept across the room.
From the hallway, Elara Valen appeared with slow steps. The girl wore a cream cotton dress with a knitted shawl. Even though her eyes were clouded with white film, a bright smile adorned her pale face.
Beside her, Miya Evarett guided Elara’s arm carefully. The Elf healer wore a standard black-and-white maid dress, lowering her gaze like an obedient servant.
"Come here, Elara," Ethan called out.
The tone of his voice was extraordinarily gentle. A tone that was impossible to hear in the corridors of Zenithar Academy.
Elara let go of Miya’s hold. She felt the air for a moment before Ethan’s large hand welcomed hers, guiding his sister to sit in the chair beside him.
"Did you sleep well?" Ethan asked, pouring a glass of water and placing it right near the tips of Elara’s fingers.
"Very well, Brother," Elara answered cheerfully. "This house feels much warmer when you’re here."
Ethan didn’t answer. His right hand raised, gently stroking the top of Elara’s head. In the corner of the room, Yuna held her breath seeing her master’s fragile side.
Another set of footsteps was heard hesitantly entering the room.
Kaelia von Ashford arrived in a dark red tunic adorned with gold threads. Her red hair was tied back. Her steps halted briefly upon realizing the simplicity of the dining table—starkly contrasting the ten-meter marble table at the Ashford residence.
However, her noble pride quickly took over. Kaelia lifted her chin, walked gracefully, and pulled out the chair to Ethan’s right.
Elara’s sharp ears caught the rustle of the silk fabric.
"Sister Kaelia?" Elara greeted warmly, tilting her head. "Good morning."
Seeing the blind girl’s sincere smile, Kaelia’s haughty defenses crumbled instantly. "G-Good morning to you too, Elara," she replied, trying to soften her voice.
Berta and Yuna began serving warm soup and toast. At the threshold of the dim kitchen doorway, the figure of a woman leaned casually.
Lilith crossed her arms under her chest. Her maid dress was intentionally left loose. Her reddish-gold eyes observed the dynamics of the dining table in silence, accompanied by a small smirk that revealed her fangs.
The dining room was filled with the clinking of porcelain. Berta could breathe a sigh of relief when she saw Kaelia spooning her soup without complaint, even though the noble girl’s dining etiquette looked incredibly stiff.
"Brother..." Elara called out suddenly, setting down her spoon. "I had a dream last night."
Ethan’s hand movement paused. "What did you dream about?"
"I saw Father and Mother." Elara’s brows furrowed, trying to piece together her abstract memory. "It’s strange... I can’t see, but in that dream, their faces were so clear."
The room suddenly fell dead silent. Kaelia stopped chewing. Miya held her breath. In the dark corner, Lilith’s eyes narrowed sharply.
"What did they look like?" Ethan asked flatly.
Elara smiled faintly, her hand feeling the air. "Mother... looked very dark. But there was a blazing red color from within her, like the shadow of a hearth fire. Warm, but... a little scary."
Kaelia and Miya unconsciously exchanged glances. That poetic description implied something extraordinarily dark.
"And Father?" Ethan prodded again.
Elara’s smile turned bright. "Father was so bright! Incredibly bright like the midday sun. His light made me feel safe." Elara turned her head exactly toward Ethan. "Brother, did Father and Mother really look like that back then?"
Silence hung in the air. Ethan’s right hand moved, gently grasping the back of Elara’s hand on the table. His facial expression was unreadable.
"Perhaps," Ethan answered ambiguously. "Perhaps they really were like that, Elara."
Elara nodded in satisfaction, reaching for her spoon again. She was unaware of the heavy significance of her description to those who knew who their parents truly were.
Breakfast concluded. Ethan stood up.
"The weather outside is quite warm. Do you want to take a walk around the village?" he offered.
Elara’s face beamed. "I’d love to, Brother!"
"Miya, fetch her thick scarf. The wind is still quite sharp," Ethan ordered. The Elf healer promptly wrapped a bone-white scarf around Elara’s neck.
Seeing that, Kaelia hurriedly stood up while straightening her tunic. "I’m coming too."
Ethan glanced over from the corner of his eye. "No need. You still have the residual fatigue from last night’s journey. Just rest for now."
Kaelia frowned, unwilling to be bossed around. "Tch, I’m not that fragi—"
"Sister Kaelia..." Elara interrupted innocently, gently squeezing Ethan’s arm. "May I ask for permission to take a walk just the two of us with Brother Ethan? It’s been so long since we’ve chatted alone."
Checkmate.
Kaelia’s pride got stuck in her throat. Faced with the blind girl’s sincere request, she was rendered helpless. Kaelia forced a faint smile, even though she was grumbling internally.
"V-Very well," Kaelia mumbled, forced to sit back down. "Have fun."
Ethan guided Elara’s hand as they stepped out of the gate.
The village’s dirt roads were beginning to dry up. Along the way, Ethan deliberately positioned his body on the outer side, ensuring the hem of Elara’s dress wasn’t touched by mud puddles.
The villagers who were chopping wood instantly froze seeing the black-clad young man. The fear of the Young Master’s rumors still clung tightly to them.
"Good morning, Uncle! Morning, Auntie!" Elara greeted cheerfully, waving her hand toward the sound of the axe.
The villagers could only smile stiffly and mumble a reply in return. They stared in disbelief. The feared monster was now walking with absolute patience, guarding his sister like fragile glass porcelain.
Their steps halted at the edge of the eastern wheat field of the village. There, the giant oak tree, the pride of the Valen family, stood towering and sturdy.
Elara let go of her brother’s hand. Her tiny fingers felt the rough, old-grooved bark of the oak tree.
"This tree... keeps getting bigger and stronger, doesn’t it, Brother," Elara murmured in awe. "Winter couldn’t kill it."
Elara’s hand slowly dropped. She lowered her head.
"I... I want to be as strong as this tree too, Brother. I don’t want to constantly be a burden you have to protect."
Ethan fell silent. He stepped forward, holding his sister’s fragile shoulders.
"You are already strong, Elara," Ethan said with an absolute baritone voice. "You’ve survived until today, and that is more than enough."
Ethan guided Elara to sit on a giant protruding root, then sat beside her. Feeling safe, Elara rested her head on her brother’s shoulder.
The spring wind shed the remaining dry leaves.
"Brother..." Elara called out softly. "Are you happy now?"
𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
Ethan stared at the meadow in the distance. There were no shadows of academy intrigue, power ambitions, or demonic lust in his eyes at this moment.
"Enough," Ethan answered honestly. "All of this is enough, as long as you are alright."
Elara smiled very sweetly, finding the most comfortable position on her brother’s shoulder. "I promise I will continue to be alright, Brother."
That peace lasted quite a while, until the sun slowly climbed higher. The two of them finally stood up and walked home.
However, when they arrived at the main gate of the house, a large black horse covered in dust stood blocking the path.
Someone dismounted from the saddle with heavy movements.
Valera Voss stood there. The knight looked disheveled. Her leather armor was dull, covered in road dust. Her right arm was still wrapped in black bandages, and her giant Zweihander sword rested firmly on her back.
She had spurred her horse through the night just to arrive as quickly as possible to become her master’s shield.
Valera lifted her face. Her eyes widened instantly.
Her steps halted. Before her, the Demon King who had tortured her at the dark altar just last night was now guiding a fragile girl’s hand with impossible gentleness.
Within seconds, Valera’s instincts read the situation. This blind girl was the ’anchor’. The single weakness, and simultaneously the main reason the monster before her intended to devour the world.
Noticing a foreign presence in front of the gate, Elara tilted her head. "Brother? Is someone there?"
Ethan’s gaze immediately turned sharply cold, though his hand kept a tight grip on Elara’s fingers.
"You’ve finally arrived," Ethan said flatly.
Jolted by those words, Valera quickly tossed away her fatigue. The female knight smirked slightly, then bowed very politely in front of Elara.
"The southern roads were quite muddy," Valera answered, making an excuse, softening her voice. "Allow me to introduce myself, Little Miss. My name is Valera. I am... your brother’s new bodyguard."