The two people in the room were no longer embracing and crying. Instead, they sat together on the sofa.
Eda didn't say anything. She had no idea what she ought to say—should she ask directly about her parents, comfort the old woman, or maybe try acting cute and spoiled first?
People always said a coquettish woman had the best luck, but Eda had never practiced that! She honestly didn't know how.
Vinda Rosier also remained silent. She simply held Eda's hand and quietly looked at her granddaughter. She knew exactly how much this girl had suffered—how many hardships she had endured.
Vinda knew very well what orphanages were like. She was relieved that Eda had met the kind-hearted Mrs. Mary rather than ending up like Credence, falling into the hands of an anti-wizard group like the Second Salem.
The origin of the Second Salem traced back to the witch trials in 1692 in the British colony of Massachusetts. The local pastor's daughter fell ill, and rumors of witchcraft spread quickly through the village.
But in truth, the children were afflicted by "dancing sickness" and it had nothing whatsoever to do with wizards.
By then it was already 1692, and the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy signed in 1689 had taken effect. Wizards were already in hiding and had absolutely no interest in that North American village.
This disease, caused by fungus, was misinterpreted as bewitchment by wizards. In the end, three so-called witches were chosen to stand trial.
That summer, nineteen people were sent to the gallows, four died in prison, and more than two hundred were arrested and interrogated.
It was only last year, in 1992, that the Salem witch trials were finally redressed and the victims' reputations restored. But in the three centuries since, the organization born from that injustice—the Second Salem—had become an evil force that persecuted countless people.
What was laughable was that the leader of the Second Salem was actually a Squib's descendant.
Vinda thought of Credence, who had also grown up in an orphanage, and felt relieved that Eda hadn't turned into an Obscurial. But what she didn't know was that Eda had become an Obscurial—the number of people aware of this secret was no more than four.
"I know you have many questions right now, but don't worry," Vinda said, holding Eda's hand. "I will tell you everything. We still have plenty of time."
"What kind of person was my father?" Eda asked. "And what kind of person was my mother?"
Vinda took Louis's photo album, pointing out each picture one by one, explaining how old Louis was in the photo or under what circumstances it had been taken. Through the images and Vinda's stories, Eda began to gain some understanding of her father by blood.
A man's face reflected his heart—Louis was as cold as a winter wind toward outsiders, yet warm as spring toward his family. In this, he and Eda were somewhat alike. Only Louis was gentler, without the forcefulness that Eda possessed.
At Vinda's arrangement, Louis attended Durmstrang Institute and graduated with outstanding marks. Vinda placed all her hopes upon him, and Louis never once disappointed her.
After graduation, the brilliant Louis joined the French Ministry of Magic. He treated every colleague the same—he didn't favor pure-bloods nor distance himself from those who weren't.
Combined with the prestige of the Rosier name, Louis soon earned great renown.
With Vinda's backing, Louis also began vying for the position of head of the Rosier family, and his opponent was the first rival of his life—Alain Rosier.
The French branch of the Rosiers might not be as illustrious as the Malfoys of Britain, nor as notorious as the Lestranges, but they were by no means a minor family. The family head was the helmsman of the entire lineage; the rise or fall of the Rosiers rested upon that person's shoulders.
That position had once belonged to Vinda Rosier.
In the competition for family leadership, Louis, with his exceptional talent and Vinda's personal guidance, had always remained far in the lead—Alain Rosier couldn't even glimpse his shadow.
But in the summer of 1975, a girl from Britain walked into Louis Rosier's world, and changed his life forever.
The blonde girl was named Jessica Taylor—Eda's mother, an ordinary Muggle.
And Eda's full name was Esmeralda Jessica Twist.
Her given name, her surname, even her baptismal name had little to do with the wizarding world, and Louis had never been a Hogwarts student.
Even if Eda found someone at Hogwarts with a similar name, she would never have been able to uncover her origins through that.
The summer of 1975 in Paris—or more accurately, Louis's summer—began to shine because of the arrival of the blonde Jessica.
That day, Louis inexplicably took a walk along the Seine, and near Notre-Dame Cathedral, he encountered Jessica Taylor. Louis swore he had never seen a girl so beautiful.
All so-called love at first sight begins with desire. Louis's love at first sight for Jessica was no different—he was simply captivated by her beauty. If only Jessica weren't a Muggle, or Louis weren't a wizard—how wonderful that would have been.
Louis knew his mother would never approve, so he didn't dare get close to the girl. He merely followed her from a distance, protected her, and discreetly dealt with a few pickpockets who had bad intentions toward her.
Everything that happened that day felt like a dream. The heir of an ancient pure-blood family falling in love with an ordinary Muggle girl—there were no words to describe it other than utterly melodramatic.
Louis buried his budding feelings deep in his heart. He didn't want to go against his mother's wishes, nor defy her plans.
A few years later, he would marry the daughter of some pure-blood family chosen by her, and then produce a pure-blood heir.
That was Louis's fate—a meticulously arranged life. As for the girl, she was meant to remain only in his memories forever.
But fate loves its little jokes.
Louis Rosier encountered Jessica Taylor again. This time, he could no longer restrain his heart.
He changed his name to Louis Twist and accompanied Jessica as they toured all of Paris.
Because of Jessica, Louis was stripped of his right to inherit the Rosier family; because of Jessica, he became a disgrace to his lineage; because of Jessica, Louis defied his mother for the first time in his life.
In the winter of 1975, ignoring Vinda's objections, Louis left home without permission, abandoning all honor. Alone, he went to Britain, then shrouded under Voldemort's shadow.
It was a marriage without blessings, a union no one believed in—but Louis and Jessica used every ounce of their strength to protect that small, warm home.
In 1977, the arrival of a small new life made that little home even warmer.
Louis named his daughter Esmeralda to commemorate the place where he and Jessica first met—Notre-Dame de Paris. At the same time, Louis and Jessica hoped their daughter would grow up to be like Esmeralda in the book—beautiful and kind.
Well, the intention and the wish were good, but Eda only fulfilled the first half—beautiful.
"This was the most mistaken decision of my entire life." Vinda's tears streamed down her cheeks; never in her life had she appeared so fragile.
"Because of that one wrong decision, I lost the son I was so proud of, I lost my daughter-in-law, and I lost you."
Eda tightened her grip around Vinda's hand, giving her strength. These hands—hands that had once stirred storms—could not protect her own son, nor could they even avenge him.
"I only found your father's corpse," Vinda continued. "There were no visible wounds on his body."
Eda gently wiped away the tears at the corner of Vinda's eyes and asked softly, "Then what about my mother?"
"I don't know. Louis left behind no clues about you or your mother," Vinda replied. "For a long time, I even thought you were living somewhere together with Jessica."
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