147 Make Them All Understand (1/2)

Reed wanted to complain, but he knew that he couldn't. He had asked for help and Lu'um had delivered as promised. Truth be told, he felt embarrassed that he had missed something that obvious from the outset?

”Why didn't I think of that? Even I could have done that. Did you follow my lead just so you could see me look like an idiot?”

Lu'um shrugged her shoulders and said, ”Are you sure about that? Which one of us deleted their list of contacts and disappeared off social media like a pariah when we left in exile? Because I'm pretty sure it wasn't me.”

Ah... t-that's right, I did do that... Wait, what did she just say? She never deleted her list of contacts?!!

Lu'um fiddled with her tome for a bit and a holographic screen popped out in front of Reed, as if to clear up his confusion. It was a stylish homepage for a social media account, to his horror — a Spacebook profile page.

The profile page read, ”Maia Evergreen, Coproprietor of Summer's Ambrosia, Baking Goddess of Cem-Elle and Two-time Award-winning Barista.”

Reed's eyes nearly popped out their sockets when he saw her profile page. He instantly recognized her profile picture... because he had been the one who took it. That charming picture of her outside of their bakery seemed a lot more painful to him now.

Even now, he still remembered how long it had taken until Lu'um had finally been satisfied with that godforsaken picture...

”...What? It's not like I kept my old profile up. I deleted it a long time ago and made a brand new one,” said Lu'um with an innocent expression. In her eyes, she had done nothing wrong.

”What the hell's the matter with you?! We're supposed to be dead, woman! Dead people don't make alternate accounts on Spacebook! They! Stay! Dead!” said Reed.

Lu'um sighed and said, ”Do you see now, grandfather? ...Need I explain myself any further?”

”I understand... but he's trying his hardest, so don't go too hard on him, okay? He's still got plenty of time to grow. It would be highly remiss to judge someone on their.. flaws,” said Velvund.

These bastards are the worst when they're together!! I always hated how they were always on the same wavelength...!

Reed rolled his eyes and said, ”Can we get back to the main conversation at hand? Or should I leave the two of you to your nonsense and come back in a couple of hours?”

”Don't be such a princess, Dear.”

”You're a fool, but you're our fool, my boy. You should know better than take anything we've said to heart. It's unbefitting of a sacred son of the Alf.”

”I'm not a prince anymore,” Reed said, ”Have you forgotten the part where I 'died,' gramps? Leon Goldentree is dead; I'm just a normal person, now. ”

Don't think for a second that you're out of the woods just because you've been dead for a couple of years and have taken up a new name. You're still an Avunian prince and will continue to be one for all perpetuity or until the end of time. Whichever comes first.”

Reed suddenly felt a tinge of worry. He was beginning to suspect that this had been... orchestrated. There was something about the old man's tone that made him feel suspicious.

Oh, god help me... This can't be happening.

He wasn't a hundred percent sure, but he trusted his intuition. Lu'um and the old man definitely had something in the works that he didn't know about.

”...You're up to something, aren't you? The both of you. I can smell the particular stench of evil a mile from the both of you a mile away.”

Velvund awkwardly coughed when he heard Reed's accusation and kept quiet. It was painfully obvious that Reed had gotten them on the dot.

Lu'um, on the other hand, nestled herself into Reed's arms and said, ”You're just imagining things, Dear. We would never plot something behind your back. Especially not because you'd dislike the idea and outright reject it. Nope, we'd never do that.”

Keep calm, Reed. Don't let her get to you. Stay cool, stay cool. If you get mad, they'll win.

Reed took a deep breath in a futile attempt to calm himself down and said, ”What have you done? What suffering have the two of you set upon me that I do not yet know?”

Velvund summoned two documents out of thin air, handed it to Reed, and said, ”...Welcome back to the land of the living, my boy. Consider it a... reunion gift of sorts.”