Episode 74 - Bound Reality 6 “Goodbye“

“Why?”

“Do you remember what happened when you were young?” Levis replied to Eugene’s question with a question.

“.....” Remember what happened when she was young? - Eugene paused. “The incident with the Crown Prince?” Eugene asked.

There are little incidents that occurred throughout the 3 years she’s lived here but those were petty little things. Judging by Levis’ question, he might mean the biggest incident that has happened--to date.

To this Levis’ eyebrows naturally rose in surprise. “... Yes.” He cautiously replied.

“I remember everything,” Eugene said without thinking. So what did that have to do with not having to train? Wouldn't training be better as insurance to protect herself? --She wondered.

“.... Oh?” Levis frowned.

Because of the incident, the children had to be counseled once in a while. But because the twins and Aernest were too young, he was told by Adele Graeme that the younger children will naturally forget about the incident.

To be completely sure, he had asked this question to Aernest a few days ago and his reply was. “I don’t remember.”

Seeing Levis frowning made Eugene frown as well. But just when she was about to question, Levis spoke. “And Euria? Does she remember anything?”

Taking a few seconds to answer, Eugene replied “No, I had asked her recently but she says she doesn’t remember. The same goes for Aernest.”

“Hmm..” Levis pondered, his finger came up to his chin as if he was thinking of something.

“Why? Did the ‘women’ say something?” Eugene asked. It has after all been years, yet there has been no news regarding that ‘women’ being executed, or just about anything in general. -- As if it was a taboo topic around Xenperia.

Alarmed, Levis quickly questioned. “How do you know about this?” His voice lowered by a notch.

“.... There has been nothing in the newspaper these past few years, so I wondered.” Eugene replied, surprised.

“..... oh.” Levis’ voice returned to normal. The reason why there have been no updates was that any information regarding ‘that’ woman was strictly monitored and forbidden to leak, hence why there have been no updates to the public-to date.

“So why can I choose not to train?” Eugene repeated her question. They have been going off-topic for a while now that Eugene was starting to become slightly impatient.

“... Adele reported that training might trigger your memories from the incident and that because of your age, you might not be able to handle the impact from that unpleasant memory.” Levis confessed, deeply exhaling. “ But you’ve never forgotten…” He sadly sighed.

To make sure the younger children didn’t remember, Adele Graeme made sure not to talk about the incident, but because she didn’t talk about it, she didn’t know that Eugene had never forgotten. This was no one's fault.

“Do you want to train?” Levis honestly asked. If she didn’t want to, he wouldn’t force her to.

“... I want to learn.” Eugene also honestly replied, swirling her empty teacup.

“.....” Levis looked at Eugene in the eyes. “There is no need for you to ever lift a sword if you don’t want to. Nor do you need to take responsibilities as a Paladin. Even before that happened, I had thought for you to lead a normal life, doing whatever you wanted to. All I want for you children is to be happy, safe, and healthy. These are your mother’s and my wish.”

“But that doesn’t mean we want to decide your life for you. When you turned 3, we had planned to give you the option to choose. To train to be able to protect yourself and take responsibilities of your titles, or for you to lead a normal life.” Levis slightly smiled seeing how serious Eugene was listening to him. -- This too had been Levis, Ramon, and Aernest’s options when they turned 3.

Badum.

Eugene’s heartbeat raised. It felt as if she broke through a layer of cement weighing down on her shoulders. Without a moment’s hesitation, she replied, “I want to learn.”

“Are you willing to take on this responsibility? The responsibility of being an aide to the future Emperor of Xenperia?” Levis seriously questioned, setting his empty teacup down.

Clink!

“....” Eugene stared into Levis’ eyes and replied. “Responsibility and such titles aren't something I have thought about.” Eugene also set her cup aside.

“.....”

“However, I want to learn to the best extent this title can give me.” Eugene clenched and released her fists.

“To learn to the best extent...Alright.” Levis breathed out. “If in the future, that title is something you want to discard, I will make that happen.” Levis slightly smiled.

“......” Now that the conversation is over, Eugene was curious about Levis’ words from before.

“......”

Curious. Eugene very curiously asked, “ If… If I want to be alone?”

“.... Alone?” Levis slanted his head, not comprehending Eugene’s words.

“As in… the duties of a lady. For the future.” Eugene could feel her heartbeat slightly raising. ‘Is this… embarrassment?’ She thought.

All the while, the title Paladin was something she had thought of as an escape route for those arranged marriages the books in the library always preached about. Not to mention Louis always adding in one or two cents to this matter. But if what Levis said was true about her leading a happy life, those idiotic traditions, wouldn’t have to apply to her.

“Oh, that… Louis again?” He shook his head as he questioned. “You don’t need to if you don’t want to.” Levis almost laughed when he understood Eugene’s words. “I’d prefer it this way anyway.” He mumbled under his breath.

“...?” Did he say something? - Eugene paused.

Unlike Eugene, Euria had different opinions. Just a few days ago Euria was happily shouting that she wanted to get married after Louis had read her a story about marriages and the lot.

Almost laughing again, Levis carelessly mentioned. “Although your grandmother might not be too happy about that.”

And as soon as those words left his lips, Eugene’s eyes darkened a bit. This was caught by Levis.

“Right…” Eugene replied.

“......” Exhaling for a bit, Levis asked the taboo question. “Do you dislike your grandmother?”

Towards this Eugene neither denied nor agreed.

“I won’t ask why, however your behavior today was out of the question.” Levis reprimanded Eugene.

“Yes… I lost control of my emotions. That won’t happen again.” Eugene calmly replied. With Euria’s logic, she had gotten over an emotional barricade and had separated her grandmother from her former world from this grandmother.

“.....” Levis nodded, not saying anything else.

“... You're really not going to ask?” Eugene couldn’t help but curiously ask, not knowing she walked into a trap.

“Why did your emotions explode today then?” Levis hurriedly asked.

“.......” Eugene blinked at Levis’ question speechlessly. “.... I dislike people shortening my name.” Eugene half-lied half said the truth.

In all honesty, when Levis had asked her to come to his study room, she thought he was going to bombard her with many questions related to this morning. But all that has happened so far was him asking about her future.

“... that’s it?” Levis speechlessly asked, his lips slightly twitching. -- So.. the murderous intent, her emotionless face, everything was because of his mother-in-law shortening her name? He did not want to believe this but if he thought carefully about whenever people shortened Eugene’s name, it was true that Eugene would have a blank face.

“That’s it,” Eugene replied.

“...Hmm…” Levis nodded. He understood now.

His nod surprised Eugene, but she was relieved he had accepted that answer. It was true that her emotions got the best of her because of the name ‘Eugene’, and it was also true that she disliked people calling her by friendly terms, especially people she dislikes or people she didn’t know.

“I will mention this to your grandmother,” Levis said, getting up. “However, Eugeneia there was another thing you did wrong today.” He stared at Eugene seriously.

“......” Something else? She thought. Getting up as well.

“You got hurt.” Levis stared at Eugene's bruised hands that weren’t covered up. “Don’t do this again alright?” Levis softly grabbed Eugene’s hands.

Eugene’s hands were bruised because she had taken out her anger on the dining table, but with a thorough check-up from their butler who had learned first aid from the Veria family doctor because of the bee incident with Euria, he had concluded that Eugene’s hands weren’t broken. She only needed to apply some gel day and night for her bruise to heal faster.

Eugene slanted her head in question.“..... But I will get hurt when I start training.” Eugene blinked at Levis’ impossible words.

“......” Bringing his hands to his mouth to cough, he reprimanded her. “Don’t hurt yourself on purpose!”

Eugene nodded.

“Alright then, you should head to bed as it is late.” Levis grabbed Eugene and lifted her. Carrying her back to her room, Levis sneaked a kiss on Eugene’s cheeks and bid her goodnight.

“Sweet dreams, my darling daughter”

----

Heading back to his and Moniqua’s shared bedroom, he told his wife about everything they had discussed and concluded that Eugene very dearly disliked people who are not close to her to call her by nicknames.

To this, Moniqua was slightly relieved and concluded that Eugene was just a sensitive child because this would explain her formal language with everyone as well.

That night, everyone except for Eugene and Moniqua’s mother peacefully slept.

On the grandmother’s side, she couldn’t help but have her thoughts run all night about Eugene’s peculiar behavior since the day they first met. Out of all her grandchild, the two she was most uncomfortable with were Louis and Eugene.

Louis was not as obvious as Eugene’s case but she could always feel him watching her every move whenever she had her back turned. To this, Moniqua and Levis only laughed it out saying she thought too much, but did she? She didn’t think so. Louis and Eugene’s behavior was as if they had something against her which was something she couldn’t comprehend. Like that, she was only able to sleep for a few hours when the first appearance of light hit her curtains.

On Eugene’s side, her eyes were opened all night. Levis’ words repeated in her mind all night making her twist and turn on her bed. Only a day has passed yet she felt as if she had experienced an entire 3 years of events today. Before long, Euria started to become annoyed by Eugene’s constant shifts that she couldn’t help but ‘lightly’ kick Eugene off the bed.

THUD!

“.......” Eugene speechlessly stared at the ceiling above her. Not getting up, she laid there for a few hours to think about Levis’ last words before they bid goodnight.

He told her.

“I won’t ask why you dislike your grandmother. If you don’t want to see her, there is no need to. You can hate her. You have every right to feel this certain way. Before you are your grandmother’s grandchild, you are my child. And as my child, your feelings come before anyone else.”

There was a slightly heavy, uncomfortable feeling in Eugene’s chest making her unable to sleep, and just like this, the sun has rotated around the world and brightly greeted everyone as usual.

Coming downstairs for breakfast the next day, Eugene’s very obvious dark eye circles surprised everyone. When asked what happened, Euria had beaten her to it and replied in her stead. “Sister was thinking about the books she bought all night and couldn’t sleep.” Euria told them what Eugene told her this morning.

“......” (Eugene)

Just like that, the following week passed by rather quickly, to Eugene’s surprise. What she thought would be suffocating, and a nauseating week was rather calm and peaceful. It might be because of Levis’ and her talk that Moniqua’s mother has been keeping their contacts to a minimum and has changed her speech to formal now; including properly calling her by her first name.

This world’s grandmother did not go out of her way to look for her and neither did she. This made it not uncomfortable when they had to be at the same place at the same time. Such as when they studied the Oriental culture from her.

Embroidery, Baking, and studying the ways of properly behaving as an oriental lady didn’t bother Eugene much, to her another surprise. In fact, she had learned a lot about their half heritage from this old lady.

The term oriental was used to describe what would be ‘Asia’ in her former world. There, women were fond of embroidering and baking for their loved ones. And unsurprisingly, Eugene was terrible at baking or at embroidering a handkerchief; Aernest taking first place in terms of skills, Euria taking 2nd, Louis taking 3rd, Ramon taking 4th, and Eugene taking the last place.

In the end, the siblings had to exchange their embroidery work to which she gave to Louis. With a dragon that looked like a chicken poop handkerchief, she tossed it to Louis who she thought was most suitable to admire her art. But who would have known her one week’s worth of work would immediately be trashed.

By the 6th day, everyone was given a traditional Qipao dress. This, to everyone’s surprise, Eugene said she liked. Qipao and Hanfu was something she wore for the holidays and sometimes wore when filming a historic drama; so owing one made her a bit nostalgic.

In her former world, her grandmother was widowed and only had one child but that day, she surprisingly learned that Moniqua had a younger sibling who was 4 years younger than her! This younger sibling is currently living with the old lady because she had yet to wed. Naturally, she also learned that her ‘grandfather’ of this world was alive and existed! He was doing well and was recently appointed as a village chief, helping people here and there.-- This family situation was massively different when compared to her former world.

That night, Eugene couldn’t help but stay away all night again, unable to sleep. And before she knew it, it was already time for this old lady to depart from Xenperia, ending her 1-week-long stay.

With a wave of goodbye, Eugene watched as the old lady waved towards them from her ship as it moved towards the far ocean until not even a dot could be seen.

Eugene’s eyes followed the ocean waves as it freely rose and fell whilst hitting against the walls of the port. Taking a deep inhalation of the salty breeze, she slowly looked towards the light blue sky where Seagulls freely roamed. And with one last look at the far ocean, she silent bid.

‘Goodbye’