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Chapter 19
Chapter 19. My Great Talent
Warm yellow candlelight flickered inside the house. The long table was packed full. Fick sat in the middle, with Shulia on his left and Alex on his right.
The two were still at odds. Neither was willing to so much as glance toward the other, and they only passed bowls and utensils across Fick.
The four Royal Knights had removed their armor, revealing the dark cotton padding underneath. Together with the three guards, they squatted in the corner, each holding a wooden bowl as they drank meat soup with black bread.
They ate quickly, occasionally exchanging a few low murmurs that only old soldiers would understand.
Е̇ñ ŭ m̄а̀
Granny Philoga sat opposite Fick, with Alice beside her. As the old woman urged everyone to “eat more, eat more,” she placed the pieces with the most meat into Alice’s and Fick’s bowls. Alice kept her head lowered, her fork poking at the food in her bowl.
Fick took out a key and the remaining money from his chest and pushed them in front of Granny Philoga.
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“Granny, this key is yours. I am returning it. This money is what I saved over the past few days. Please keep it.”
Granny Philoga lowered her head and looked at the pile of copper coins and silver coins. Then she lifted her head and looked at Fick. The candlelight danced across her face, making each wrinkle look deeper.
“This...” She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but swallowed it back.
She sighed, reached out, accepted the key and money, then put them into her pocket.
Е̇ n̂ùm̃ ӓ.ǐ ď
Alex had been holding his teacup the entire time, his gaze resting lightly on Fick. When he saw this scene, he lowered his eyes, set down the teacup, took out two gold coins from his chest, and gently placed them on the table.
“You have worked hard, Elder,” he said in his usual gentle voice. “A small token of appreciation, to thank you for your hospitality tonight.”
The two gold coins gleamed warmly beneath the candlelight, looking far heavier than silver coins.
Granny Philoga hurriedly waved her hands. “This is too much. I cannot accept it, I cannot...”
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The four knights and three guards in the corner also set down their bowls one after another. They took out copper and silver coins from their own pockets, walked forward, and placed them by the edge of the table. Shulia’s thin guard even grinned. “Granny, we are joining in too. Please do not think it too little.”
A small pile of loose change immediately appeared on the table.
È ňu m̄а̀
Granny Philoga looked at the pile of money, but still shook her head. “I appreciate everyone’s kindness.”
As she was speaking, Shulia suddenly reached into her pocket, took out a money pouch, counted out fifty silver coins, and stacked them neatly on the table.
“It is a commoner’s duty to provide service to royalty. This is not payment for the meal.” Shulia’s voice was clear enough for everyone in the room to hear. “Aside from living expenses at the Military Witch Academy, one must also grease the palms of the local officials.”
Alex frowned. “Shulia, can you not speak properly in front of the elderly?”
The atmosphere immediately became tense, and the room fell silent at once.
Granny Philoga opened her mouth, unable to say anything.
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Alice lifted her head and looked at the pile of silver coins, then at Shulia. Shulia did not look at her. She merely folded her arms, wearing an expression that said, I only did this casually.
Fick smiled slightly from the side, but did not speak.
Granny Philoga was silent for a long while before finally sighing.
“I truly appreciate everyone’s kindness.” She stood up and gently pushed the pile of gold coins and loose change back, leaving only Shulia’s fifty silver coins.
She paused, then turned to look at Shulia with a solemn gaze. “Lady Shulia, I will accept these fifty silver coins on Alice’s behalf. We will repay you in the future.”
She took a piece of rough cloth, carefully wrapped the silver coins, and handed the bundle to Alice. “Keep this safe.”
W ĕb́ n̄ ovѐl̆ Ё_nu m а̊
Alice accepted the cloth bundle. It felt heavy in her palm.
She stood up, faced Shulia, and bowed deeply.
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“Please take care of my foolish Big Brother, Lady Shulia.”
An unnatural hint of red flashed across Shulia’s face, but she quickly returned to her usual proud and contrary expression. “All right, all right. Hurry up and eat. The bread is going to get cold.”
Alice said nothing. She merely straightened, held the cloth bundle, and turned to walk toward the inner room.
Fick watched her back disappear behind the door curtain, and his chest suddenly felt a little blocked.
Ẽ n̈ũmа́.i̇d
In the corner, the guards had already returned to their original positions and continued lowering their heads to drink soup. The four knights also picked up their bowls again.
Granny Philoga sat down once more, took a bottle of homemade rum from the cabinet, and brought a wooden cup each for Alex and Fick, filling both to the brim.
Alex lifted the wooden cup and took a sip. His gaze landed on Fick’s face, carrying a hint of approval.
Fick also took a sip, then lowered his head and continued eating. Shulia kicked him from the side.
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Fick lifted his head and met her golden eye. Shulia did not speak. She only raised her chin and gestured toward the inner room with her mouth.
Fick understood what she meant. He gently shook his head.
Ĕ n̆ um̄а̌ . ĭ d̊_
Candlelight flickered, stretching the shadows of everyone in the room until they swayed unsteadily. Outside the door, moonlight quietly spilled across the earthen wall. A few dog barks occasionally sounded in the distance, making this night of parting seem especially quiet.
After dinner, the carriages disappeared one after another at the entrance of the alley.
Before Shulia got into her carriage, she looked back at Fick. Her lips moved, but in the end, she only waved.
Alex did not say much either. He only nodded faintly, then climbed into the large carriage drawn by four white horses.
The sound of wheels rolling over flagstones gradually faded.
Fick stood at the doorway, looking at the oil lamp Granny Philoga had given him. The flame flickered again and again in the night wind.
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He did not turn back into the house. Instead, he carried the lamp and walked alone into the depths of the alley.
The night wind blew, making the hem of his clothes snap and flutter. By the time he stopped, he was already standing before that familiar wooden door.
House Louis.
The wooden door’s paint was still peeling. The doorframe was still crooked. Light shone from the window.
He stood at the crossroads, holding the oil lamp and looking at that window. Laughter came from inside, and he could faintly see several figures moving around.
They were probably the new noble residents who had bought it from the Azure Crystal shop.
Ë n úm̂ а
Fick stood where he was, motionless.
He remembered the moment when he had only just recovered his memories, with his father’s corpse lying beside him. He remembered Alice pushing open the door and coming in, with nothing in her eyes. He remembered the Azure Crystals scattered across the table, and that cloying, nauseating smell.
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A hand suddenly patted his shoulder.
Fick abruptly turned his head.
The light of the oil lamp swayed, illuminating a delicate face—Alex Saphile stood behind him, wrapped in a dark cloak, looking at him.
“You...” Fick froze for a moment. “Did you not leave?”
Èn̄ u m̆ã
Alex did not answer. He merely raised his head and looked at the lit window.
“Do you need me to buy it back for you?” he asked.
Fick was silent for two seconds.
“How did you know I was here?”
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“In chivalric novels, as long as the lord doubles back, he can discover that a great talent is troubled, then successfully solve the problem.” Alex spoke with perfect seriousness, though there was a faint smile at the corner of his mouth. “I do this often. I pretend to leave, then get out of the carriage alone and follow the target.”
Is that not blatant stalker behavior? Fick did not know what to say.
W е̌ b̄ n̂ оv̈ êľ E n̄um̈ а
Alex took a step forward and stood beside him, looking at that window together with him.
“I estimate this plot of land would cost around ten gold. Your father absorbed quite a lot.” He paused. “I will go withdraw the money tomorrow. Come to Saint-Denis with me. Saphile needs a great talent like you to set chivalry right.”
The wind blew, and the flame of the oil lamp swayed. Fick looked up at the starry sky.
“No. I am not some great talent. And this place no longer has anything to do with House Louis.”
“Wherever Alice and I are, that is House Louis.”
Alex froze.
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Then he suddenly reached out, hooked an arm around Fick’s shoulders, and patted him hard.
“You casually say something worth recording, and you still claim you are not a great talent?” He laughed, and beneath the moonlight, his smile looked especially sincere. “Come, come, my great talent. Let us go drink.”
Fick was pulled a step forward by him, and the oil lamp in his hand swayed violently.
“Hey, hey, hey, the lamp is going to go out...”
“If it goes out, then it goes out. With moonlight this beautiful, who needs a lamp?”
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