Chapter 115 – To Look Like a Family
Hir rejected a hug to avoid looking like a child, but meanwhile Lacias, a grown man, pleaded for attention. The visible contrast made Lila giggle. She must be out of her mind, thinking him cute for his insistence to be included.
“You don’t like the thought of holding my hand?” Lacias asked.
“It’s not that, it’s…”
“Lila.” Lacias hastily interrupted, as if frightened to take ‘no’ for an answer. “Wouldn’t three be better than two?”
“What do you mean?”
“We would look more like a family if we all held hands. What a beautiful sight we would be. Don’t you agree?”
He wasn’t wrong, but Lila knew his true intentions. He didn’t want to look like a family, he wanted an excuse to hold her hand.
“We would look good together.” Lacias would not give up easily.
“That’s reasonable.” Lila smiled as she saw Lacias’ face brighten with anticipation. His eyes glistened like a puppy who had been told it would be taken for a walk. “That is, to look like a family,” she continued.
She took Lacias’ wrist and positioned his hand to face Hir. “This would look more natural. Hir, why don’t you hold hands with your father? He wants us to appear like a family.”
Hir looked confused. He wasn’t sure why his mother did not want to hold hands with Lacias. He chose not to question, and obediently took hold of the offered hand. It was cold, which caused him to grasp tighter. Lacias, in response, stroked Hir’s hair.
Lila observed the whole exchange proudly. “Do you like it?” she asked.
“Yes, I like it very much.” His expression said otherwise. He would have preferred holding Lila’s hands, but he also enjoyed holding hands with the little child.
Hir and Lila did not look alike, but Lacias could notice resemblances such as their sweet personalities, their kind attitude, and their warm aura.
“You two look alike.” Lila said, echoing his thoughts
“You think so?” he asked. Lacias looked down at the small head beside him. The unusually black hair did resemble his own, and also that of Wipere. The deep blue eyes reflected Lacias’ eyes. If Hir had not been Marshmell’s child, someone would have suspected him to be Lacias’ own son.
If Lila and I had a child… Lacias’ thoughts drifted to possibilities
“What’s wrong?” Lila asked, noticing his attention had wavered.
“Nothing.” He replied, embarrassed to admit his fantasies. Lila could see how uncomfortable he had become and didn’t question him further.
The hand-holding family arrived at the gymnasium. In a flash, Hir let go of the two adults and ran to the sound of swords clashing. The knights of Wipere were training. Hir stood fascinated at the sight of rapiers slicing through the air, closely following every flourish and parry.
Lila walked up to Hir and poked him in the arm. “What do you think?” she asked.
“It’s so fancy!” Hir exclaimed.
“Really? Which part?” Hir had been talented with swords in the original story. Lila was curious as to why he became fascinated by them.
“Everything! All of it looks so spectacular! The lights, the swords…just everything! Wow!”
Lila already began debating on which teacher she should hire for sword fighting lessons. Hir had been so captivated by the show, he didn’t even notice Lila’s hand gripping his shoulder.
Lila scanned the gymnasium. Roxana and Hizette stood the closest. “Who do you like the most? Who do you think looks the best today?” she asked the boy.
Hir appeared lost in thought at the question. Lila focused on him, waiting for a response. She wasn’t sure why he hesitated. After an awkward silence, he blushed and shouted, “You! You look amazing, mother!”
“What?” Lila smiled at the response.
“The ring too. Yours is the most beautiful, mother! I’m gonna go look around!”
Hir took off behind Lacias, his face burning with embarrassment. Lacias smirked at Lila’s bewildered expression. It hadn’t been the answer she anticipated. Laughing, the couple headed over to where Hir had engaged in a conversation with the knights.
“Oh my, look who it is. I finally get to call you Count! I never expected this to happen in my lifetime, but…ow!” Lugar ceased his excited babble to Hir as he grabbed his stomach. Roxana had slapped his belly to shut him up. Hir seemed unsure how to react, until Roxana gave him the friendliest grin.
“My friend overreacts…” Lugar grunted. Roxana smirked and shoved him with her elbow.
“Not the best first impression to make, carrying on like you did,” Roxana joked to the bent over man.
“Look who’s talking,” he chided back, as he massaged his stomach. “You just exposed how violent you become.”
Roxana wanted to threaten him to silence, but suppressed the urge with Hir standing in front of her. Instead, she bowed to the young man with her right hand on her chest. “Greetings, Count Hir. I’m Roxana Stelle, a knight of Wipere.”
Hir looked confused at the courteous greeting. He glanced back at his mother, his eyes searching for a hint of instruction on how to react. Lila shrugged and smiled.
Hir responded awkwardly, “Ah, hello…”
Roxana could see the boy resembled Lacias, but his demeanor did not. Lacias remained infamous for his chaotic personality.
“This is Lugar, my over-dramatic friend.” Roxana introduced the man she had been tormenting.
“I have a mouth too, thank you,” Lugar responded
“Would have been better if you didn’t.”
Lugar ignored Roxana’s sarcasm and grinned at Hir. The boy muttered another awkward greeting and Lila burst out laughing. Her child was too adorable for his own good.
Chapter 115 – To Look Like a Family
Hir rejected a hug to avoid looking like a child, but meanwhile Lacias, a grown man, pleaded for attention. The visible contrast made Lila giggle. She must be out of her mind, thinking him cute for his insistence to be included.
“You don’t like the thought of holding my hand?” Lacias asked.
“It’s not that, it’s…”
“Lila.” Lacias hastily interrupted, as if frightened to take ‘no’ for an answer. “Wouldn’t three be better than two?”
“What do you mean?”
“We would look more like a family if we all held hands. What a beautiful sight we would be. Don’t you agree?”
He wasn’t wrong, but Lila knew his true intentions. He didn’t want to look like a family, he wanted an excuse to hold her hand.
“We would look good together.” Lacias would not give up easily.
“That’s reasonable.” Lila smiled as she saw Lacias’ face brighten with anticipation. His eyes glistened like a puppy who had been told it would be taken for a walk. “That is, to look like a family,” she continued.
She took Lacias’ wrist and positioned his hand to face Hir. “This would look more natural. Hir, why don’t you hold hands with your father? He wants us to appear like a family.”
Hir looked confused. He wasn’t sure why his mother did not want to hold hands with Lacias. He chose not to question, and obediently took hold of the offered hand. It was cold, which caused him to grasp tighter. Lacias, in response, stroked Hir’s hair.
Lila observed the whole exchange proudly. “Do you like it?” she asked.
“Yes, I like it very much.” His expression said otherwise. He would have preferred holding Lila’s hands, but he also enjoyed holding hands with the little child.
Hir and Lila did not look alike, but Lacias could notice resemblances such as their sweet personalities, their kind attitude, and their warm aura.
“You two look alike.” Lila said, echoing his thoughts
“You think so?” he asked. Lacias looked down at the small head beside him. The unusually black hair did resemble his own, and also that of Wipere. The deep blue eyes reflected Lacias’ eyes. If Hir had not been Marshmell’s child, someone would have suspected him to be Lacias’ own son.
If Lila and I had a child… Lacias’ thoughts drifted to possibilities
“What’s wrong?” Lila asked, noticing his attention had wavered.
“Nothing.” He replied, embarrassed to admit his fantasies. Lila could see how uncomfortable he had become and didn’t question him further.
The hand-holding family arrived at the gymnasium. In a flash, Hir let go of the two adults and ran to the sound of swords clashing. The knights of Wipere were training. Hir stood fascinated at the sight of rapiers slicing through the air, closely following every flourish and parry.
Lila walked up to Hir and poked him in the arm. “What do you think?” she asked.
“It’s so fancy!” Hir exclaimed.
“Really? Which part?” Hir had been talented with swords in the original story. Lila was curious as to why he became fascinated by them.
“Everything! All of it looks so spectacular! The lights, the swords…just everything! Wow!”
Lila already began debating on which teacher she should hire for sword fighting lessons. Hir had been so captivated by the show, he didn’t even notice Lila’s hand gripping his shoulder.
Lila scanned the gymnasium. Roxana and Hizette stood the closest. “Who do you like the most? Who do you think looks the best today?” she asked the boy.
Hir appeared lost in thought at the question. Lila focused on him, waiting for a response. She wasn’t sure why he hesitated. After an awkward silence, he blushed and shouted, “You! You look amazing, mother!”
“What?” Lila smiled at the response.
“The ring too. Yours is the most beautiful, mother! I’m gonna go look around!”
Hir took off behind Lacias, his face burning with embarrassment. Lacias smirked at Lila’s bewildered expression. It hadn’t been the answer she anticipated. Laughing, the couple headed over to where Hir had engaged in a conversation with the knights.
“Oh my, look who it is. I finally get to call you Count! I never expected this to happen in my lifetime, but…ow!” Lugar ceased his excited babble to Hir as he grabbed his stomach. Roxana had slapped his belly to shut him up. Hir seemed unsure how to react, until Roxana gave him the friendliest grin.
“My friend overreacts…” Lugar grunted. Roxana smirked and shoved him with her elbow.
“Not the best first impression to make, carrying on like you did,” Roxana joked to the bent over man.
“Look who’s talking,” he chided back, as he massaged his stomach. “You just exposed how violent you become.”
Roxana wanted to threaten him to silence, but suppressed the urge with Hir standing in front of her. Instead, she bowed to the young man with her right hand on her chest. “Greetings, Count Hir. I’m Roxana Stelle, a knight of Wipere.”
Hir looked confused at the courteous greeting. He glanced back at his mother, his eyes searching for a hint of instruction on how to react. Lila shrugged and smiled.
Hir responded awkwardly, “Ah, hello…”
Roxana could see the boy resembled Lacias, but his demeanor did not. Lacias remained infamous for his chaotic personality.
“This is Lugar, my over-dramatic friend.” Roxana introduced the man she had been tormenting.
“I have a mouth too, thank you,” Lugar responded
“Would have been better if you didn’t.”
Lugar ignored Roxana’s sarcasm and grinned at Hir. The boy muttered another awkward greeting and Lila burst out laughing. Her child was too adorable for his own good.