203 The Chase Begins (1/2)
Sh*t, I burned Winter's communication device.
”Dad?” Winter, who got up while rubbing his eyes with his hand, called him. ”Is everything alright?”
His conscience kicked him in the gut.
”Winter, I'm sorry but I used your communication device and I somehow destroyed it in the end,” Kiho said, his voice filled with guilt. ”When I noticed that your communication device was alarming, I had a feeling that it was your mother calling so I picked it up without asking for your permission. Please forgive Dad. I will buy you a new one.”
”It's okay, Dad,” his son assured him. ”That was a disposable communication device that can only be used once. It was only connected to Mommy's device and after the call from hers ended, the earring will automatically self-destruct. Mom designed it that way so that people won't be able to record our conversation or track her using the device.”
”Wow,” he said. ”That's so innovative.”
”Well, Mommy is a genius,” his son said proudly. ”So, Dad. How was it talking to Mommy after five years?”
”Wonderful,” he said right away. ”But I was reminded that just like me, your mother's memories were erased. When you said that your mommy reminded you to not hate me, I somehow ended up hoping that she remembers me already.”
”Mommy remembers you the way you remember her, Dad– through the videos, pictures, and documents that she left to you,” Winter explained. ”She has copies of those. And we also have allies who personally know the two of you. They were the ones who told Mommy what kind of relationship the two of you had in the past.”
Ah, that made sense.
Still, his heart sank knowing that both he and his wife were deprived of their beautiful memories together.
His thoughts were cut-off when Winter yawned widely.
Kiho smiled at how adorable his son was. ”Sleep, little rascal,” he said, then he gently flickered his forehead. His son laughed and plopped himself on the bed. He joined him and hugged him to secure that he would still be beside him next morning. ”Good night, Winter.”
Winter smiled and hugged him back. ”Good night, Dad.”
***
”HOW was your mission, Lord Ripperton?” Aku asked Elis Ripperton. He was still having tea in the lounge area of his room when the Blue Dragon returned from being rejected by Lady Nystrom again. Well, the two talked in his balcony so even if he didn't want to, he was able to hear their conversation. ”Did Lord Huxley manage to get valuable information from the servants of House Nystrom?”
When he didn't receive a report from Lord Huxley that he sent to apprehend Louisa and David, he ordered the Blue Dragon to check on the count.
He closed his eyes tight. ”Lady Nystrom…”
If the Supreme had the audacity to show up in his room, it only meant that she had a concrete plan before appearing before him.
He wouldn't be surprised if Lady Nystrom had already gathered her allies that had somehow managed to hide under his radar for the past five years. Even though he sent Elis Ripperton to the North, the Blue Dragon returned with nothing. It was as if the Golden Tiger, the Black Serpent Knights, and Saint Forrester disappeared into thin air.
”Is this what it's like to fight against the child favored by the gods?” he asked bitterly when he opened his eyes. ”No matter how many times Lady Nystrom dies, she gets reborn again and again. Not only that. It also seems like she's getting stronger and wiser each time she gets reincarnated.”
It was true that he won the previous wars against her.
But he wouldn't say that all of that was complete victory. He wouldn't say this aloud but to be honest, he barely won during those times. The only thing that he could truly be proud of was the fact that he managed to exile the Fire Mages from the empire.
”What else did you find?” he asked the Blue Dragon. ”Don't tell me you just went home after you found Lord Huxley's ashes?”
Elis Ripperton gave him a dire stare. ”You just asked me to check on Eugene Huxley and the captured servants. Investigating the scene or chasing after the enemies aren't part of my job.”
”Lord Ripperton.”
”Aku Moonchester,” he warned, matching his threatening tone. ”I'm not your servant,” he reminded him coldly. ”I did follow you on my own volition. But I wouldn't have done that if he didn't order me to. Know your place.”
”He still gave me the power to order you around,” Aku said with a smirk. ”You have no choice but to follow me if you don't want to be put into slumber again, Lord Ripperton.”
Elis Ripperton just laughed at his warning. ”You don't have the charisma to control the Beast Gods, Aku Moonchester. You're not the Beast Priestess that we worship,” he reminded him. ”Unfortunately for you, we are only drawn to the sun– don't ever forget that.”
***
WINTER almost messed up last night.
Because of his excitement upon reuniting with his father, he almost forgot that his mother was pretending that she hadn't retrieved her memories yet. Thankfully, he was able to come up with a plausible excuse.
I must have inherited Mommy's intelligence.
And perhaps, her cunningness as well.
His thoughts were cut-off when he heard a knock on the door. A few moments later, his daddy entered the room with a tray filled with food.
”Good morning, little rascal,” his father greeted him brightly. ”I made pancakes and a glass of milk for you. I also brought some fresh fruits. But if you have anything else that you want to eat for breakfast, don't hesitate to tell me.”
”I love pancakes and milk, Dad,” Winter said and he was being genuine. ”And I like milk because Mommy tells me that I need to drink it if I want to grow taller.”
Well, he knew that he would grow tall since he was just like that in his first life.
And to be honest, he was already pretty tall for a five year old child. In fact, he could easily pass as a seven to nine year old boy instead of five. He shouldn't be surprised by that though. After all, his father was over six feet tall.
Thank you for the good genes, Dad.