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"Oh, my boy! I am so happy you are alright. I was so worried!" Grandma exclaimed as she came running. "Why didn't you say anything to me? I am your mother, you know? I could have helped you! Ever since I woke up, you have been so distant sometimes, even though you used to be such a mama's boy!"
My grandmother hugged my father tightly with her powerful arms, nearly suffocating him. He groaned and struggled to free himself from her grasp. My father was incredibly strong, yet Grandma possessed a truly herculean physique as both an Ice Giant and a Dragon hybrid. Even he found it difficult to escape her embrace.
"Hahaha, Louis, you're really mad," my mother giggled, covering her mouth while failing to hold back her laughter. "I have never seen him this grumpy before. He almost looks like an angry kitten the way he moves his tail."
"You're right, Mom!" I laughed along with her.
"A-Angry kitten?! What! I am the King!" my father complained. "Mother, that's enough. I am not a child! Don't treat me like this!"
He quickly decided to use his powers, bending space and blinking away from her through a Spatial Technique. "Haaa, you are really hopeless. Am I going to be a child to you until I grow old and get a beard?"
"Well, that is how a mother's love works!" Grandma Benladra giggled warmly. Her eyes then shifted toward me. "Oh, right! Thank you for helping your father, little Elizabeth! You have really done something truly amazing. We owe you a great deal."
My grandfather, standing close to her, nodded after readjusting his glasses. "Thank you, Elizabeth. Although we later discovered that your father's mental issues were caused by a Curse placed on him, I should have expected he would suffer from some kind of PTSD. We all did, after all."
My mother sighed and crossed her arms. "Well, seeing how he keeps everything to himself, it is really hard sometimes. Louis, you have to learn to express how you feel instead of bottling it all inside."
My father remained silent for a moment. He walked toward me and gently lifted me into his arms. "I know," he said, looking at me with a charming smile.
Kyaaaa! Why is my father so handsome?
I could not help but feel dazzled by his beauty and delicate features. He truly was a charming prince in dragon form. I bet many ladies were jealous of Mom. No wonder so many books were written about him.
"Thank you, Elizabeth," he continued. "You are really my treasure."
I could not miss this chance. I quickly hugged him tightly before he expected it. He smiled softly, a look of pure bliss spreading across his face.
"I love you, Daddy. I am glad you are better now," I said gently. "Though I know what I did was just a reminder. There is no real, easy cure for what you are going through. I think you just need to open your heart to us a little more so we can all help you get through this."
My father's eyes widened slightly. He looked at me, then at the rest of our family — my mother, Grandma, Grandpa, my little brother, and even Gigantia and Vlad, who stood smiling politely, always ready to serve. Behind them loomed the towering figure of Lady Catrise, the Head Maid and practically my father's second mother figure.
"Yeah…" my father sighed. "I guess I still cannot easily move on from what I was before, from everything I had to face. It is hard. So hard to move on from those times. Even if decades, hundreds of years, or thousands of years pass, I feel like they will all feel the same. I sometimes struggle to remember that this is really the future after what I saw and experienced. No, what we all experienced."
He looked back at everyone with a light smile. "I know we all went through similar things. It is selfish of me to think I am the only one who suffered, let alone to hold it all inside instead of sharing my thoughts and feelings. It is hard, I guess. Even now, it is difficult to articulate these words. I spent my whole life building a shell around myself to prevent the world or people from harming me again. Coming out of it is so hard. It is excruciating. But I guess I have to try."
"That is right, dear, but relax. We are not going to force you to do anything you do not want to," my mother said softly as she walked closer while carrying little Alistair. "We are your close family. Just talk to us a bit more about these things. That is all I ask."
"Yeah," Grandma nodded enthusiastically. "That is right! We should spend more time together as a big family and go on a vacation! How about that? It sounds great!"
My grandpa walked over and placed a hand on my father's shoulder. "I am sorry, Louis. Most of what you suffer through now was caused by my negligence. It is practically all my fault. I should have been there for you more. I spent my time worrying about so many things back then — about what the world would become, about what we had to face, about saving your mother…" He glanced at Grandma with a tender smile, and she returned it warmly. "I…"
"We have had this conversation before, Father," my dad stopped him gently, shaking his head. "Stop blaming yourself. I do not want to blame you or hold any grudges. Admitting fault will not solve things either. I understand what you were going through, and it is fine. Elizabeth is not wrong either. She did not offer me an instant cure, nor did she make me forget the old memories. She simply reminded me of the present."
My grandfather nodded and sighed. "I guess I just have to make sure I am a good grandfather now. The past is the past."
"Yep, that is right!" I nodded happily.
BRRRRR!
Suddenly, my stomach rumbled loudly with great hunger, shocking everyone and breaking the heavy silence.
"Hahahaha!"
After that tense moment, everyone burst into warm laughter.
"I am hungry," I said, blushing. "Can we have breakfast now?"
"Hahaha, I guess you are right. We did forget about that," my father nodded. "Let us have a good meal together."
"Abuuh…" Alistair looked at Dad with sparkling eyes and extended his tiny hands. "Pa…! Pa!"
"!!!" My father's eyes widened as he held the little hands. "You… your first word is Papa? Haha… Well, I guess the boy also wants to be seen."
"Ma!" Alistair then looked at my mother, and afterward at me. "El!"
"El?" I asked, smiling. "Yeah, I guess I am El… Elizabeth! But maybe that is too hard of a name for a baby to learn yet…"
"He is learning fast," my mother said with a gentle, loving smile.
Unlike me, my brother was clearly not a reincarnated soul — at least, I believed so. His innocent way of speaking and pure cuteness showed he had no clue about anything from a past life. Or maybe he was? Technically, all souls are reincarnated from somewhere. We simply do not remember. The true power of a Reincarnator lies in whether they remember or not.
Whatever the case, we enjoyed a great and bountiful breakfast together. Delicious aromatic tea, countless sweet pastries, fresh bread, cheese, savory meat, and more filled the table. Our family was massive, and among us, my grandmother ate the most. My father also ate plenty when he wanted to, though this morning he kept it modest with coffee, waffles, bacon, and eggs.
Aside from Grandma, I seemed to be the biggest glutton!
"I want cheesecake," I demanded. "Gigantia, give me a slice."
"Um, okay," she nodded and cut a very thin slice for me. "Here."
"This is too small…" I sighed.
"But young lady, you have already eaten like twenty pieces of pastries. Is your tummy going to be okay?" she asked worriedly. "It is like you are a bottomless pit… until you suddenly are not!"
"I am fine~" I shrugged. "We dragons eat a lot! Do not Mountain Giants eat a lot too?"
"Not as much as you do…" she muttered.
"It is fine," my grandmother said. "Let the girl have some more, Gigantia. She is still growing. Give her more fruit though. And milk."
"Understood, Lady Benladra," Gigantia replied. She quickly brought a huge bowl of fresh fruit salad. "Here, young lady, your fruit."
"Heh, you think I will dislike this?" I smiled, licking my lips. I grabbed a fork and began devouring the fresh fruit. "Hmm! So sweet and refreshing…!"
To her shock, I finished the entire bowl and finally felt slightly fuller.
"Phew! Now that was amazing…!" I sighed in relief.
"Haaa, I give up…" Gigantia sighed. "The young lady is truly insatiable."
"Nah, I am good for now," I smiled. "Anyway… Um, Dad!"
He looked back at me while wiping his mouth after finishing several plates.
"Yes, yes," he nodded, closing his eyes briefly. "I am well aware of your intentions. I also knew about your plan to escape the castle…"
"Eh?!" I gasped.
"But I also have to recognize that I have been too overprotective," he sighed. "However, before anything else, I want to ask you some questions. What do you want to do, Elizabeth?"
"What… do I want to do?" I raised an eyebrow. "Hmm…"
This entire time I had wanted to get out of the castle and explore, but what did I truly want to do while exploring and discovering new places?
Just walk around, or something more?
After thinking deeply, I realized I did have clear goals.
"I want to become an Adventurer or something similar," I said with a bright smile. "And I want to use that as an excuse to go around town, meet new people, and connect with all our citizens. I want to learn what it means to be part of Frostbane, see how the people live their daily lives, and try to help them! I was born with so many abilities and privileges, but I feel like half of them are useless if I do not use them to help people in need. Right?"
My father stayed quiet for a moment, then smiled warmly and nodded.
"You pass. Alright."
"Eh? That was a test?"
I was surprised, but then I noticed my mother chuckling softly beside him.
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