CHAPTER 57: DINNER AND CHATTER

"Good evening, my dear mother. Mina. Oh, who’s the little one?"

Aelindra was visibly in a very good mood, rising to her feet as soon as Cecilia and the others entered the room. At her side, a dark elf and a high elf were present, their faces familiar to Cecilia.

"Good evening, my dear daughter. Oh, Siraaeniel and Ephyrael, you’re here as well. It’s been too long. This little one is Marya, my apprentice. Marya, this is my daughter Aelindra and my friends Siraaeniel and Ephyrael."

Cecilia didn’t know exactly how to introduce the two, so she went with ’friends.’ In the game, she would say ’follower NPCs’ or ’followers,’ but it didn’t sound right for her in this new reality.

"H-Hi. I’m Marya. It’s an honor to meet you all!"

Her voice fluttered like a startled bird, and her wide, tea-colored eyes darted between the queen and the elves. The girl was a bit overwhelmed by the people present.

She already knew the identity of Aelindra, the queen, and assumed the other two were also Very Important People. At least the presence of those two was on the same level as the queen’s.

Siraaeniel, tall and austere, might have been carved from moonstone. Every motion was a theorem proven before it was made. His silver hair gleamed faintly, tied back with a clasp engraved with ’vaelir,’ a word that means ’truth.’

Meanwhile, Ephyrael is the direct opposite. He is like carved from incense and shadow, with a presence that seems to emanate calm and chill at the same time. His heavy makeup atop his dark elf skin makes him look morbid, like a Goth rockstar, with a smile that could’ve blessed a funeral.

Aelindra’s lips curved in amusement.

"An apprentice, Mother? That brings me back memories..."

She stepped forward and knelt slightly, meeting Marya’s gaze at eye level.

"You have kind eyes. Solenean, aren’t you?"

"Half, Your Majesty. My real mother was Solenean, but..."

Her voice trembled again as she was about to say that she didn’t know who her father was. Despite being the truth, the phrase wasn’t easy for her to say.

Aelindra smiled, soft and calming, noticing the hesitancy.

"I understand. The warmth of Solene’s blood and the resilience of humankind. A good balance."

It was both an acknowledgment of Marya’s inner troubles and a tentative attempt at comforting the girl.

Marya didn’t know how to respond. The queen’s compliment felt like being blessed by moonlight itself. Her cheeks reddened.

"Relax, she doesn’t bite."

Cecilia whispered, smiling faintly.

Siraaeniel made a quiet sound. Something between a scoff and a sigh.

"That remains unverified. Royalty is statistically unpredictable. But it’s really been a long time, Master. It’s good to see you back in our lives."

Ephyrael chuckled at Siraaeniel, the sound low and almost melodic.

"Coming from you, that’s rich, Siraaeniel. You lecture entropy itself on consistency."

He then turned to Cecilia.

"It’s so good to see you again, Master. And it’s even better to see you have a new disciple. It shows you’re ready to create ties to this world again."

Siraaeniel arched a brow.

"Entropy, unlike monarchs, doesn’t take offense when corrected."

Cecilia gave a small laugh, as old memories resurfaced unbidden.

"You two haven’t changed at all."

"Would you prefer that we had? Change is a symptom of chaos. I remain symptom-free."

Siraaeniel asked dryly. To which Ephyrael answered in a murmur.

"Except for the chronic infection called sarcasm."

Mina giggled softly behind Cecilia, covering her mouth.

"They sound like the kitchen staff arguing about spice proportions."

Cecilia had to agree to the keen observation.

"Indeed. But with greater vocabulary and lower culinary success."

The general laughter that followed was a comforting warmth in Cecilia’s heart.

((Is this what it means to have a family?))

:::

After a bit, they were all sitting comfortably around the dining table, except for Mina, who insisted on remaining in her maid position, serving the others.

She prepared cups of tea for everyone, her movements fluid and graceful. Each clink of porcelain seemed to fall into rhythm with the room’s gentle pulse of mana.

They were in a room on the second floor of the house, with double doors opening to a balcony that revealed the twilight thickening over Drakenhof’s gardens.

"We really are in the capital. It’s so incredible to be able to teleport."

Marya, sitting between Cecilia and Aelindra, felt like she was intruding on a dream. These were figures she had read about in books and half-believed myths. Players, rulers, scholars. Yet here they were, sipping tea, teasing each other, alive.

Aelindra looked at Marya with a pleased smile, then turned to Cecilia.

"So, tell me about your apprentice. What makes her special enough for you to break your chosen solitude?"

"Well, there are a lot of things. But one thing that made her special in this time and age is that she had managed to level up jobs and skills and even unlock techniques. The other is that she really loves to learn new things."

Everyone’s mood shifted when they heard that. Even the always skeptical Siraaeniel tilted his head.

"That’s really impressive. Even within the scholars of Elenwacht, there are very few who stumbled into the intricacies of the system without being former followers from the Age of Players."

Ephyraeon and Aelindra muttered in agreement. Then, Siraaeniel made the question Cecilia knew was coming.

"I assume she can read?"

Marya’s ears burned, embarrassed for being the center of attention.

"Y-yes! I can read and write. A little of the common script and... well, Miss Cecilia will begin to teach me Auralean."

"Oh, the language of high elves? It’s a risky choice. It’s a language that sings too easily. One might learn to feel before learning to think."

Cecilia intervened in her student’s favor.

"That’s why she’s learning with me. I’m making sure she doesn’t start quoting elven poetry before she understands verb moods."

"Mm. Admirable. But I expect her handwriting will be tragic."

"Everyone’s handwriting is tragic when they begin to learn. That’s where the desire for knowledge and the perseverance enter the scene. And she has both."

The argument might have gone on indefinitely had Aelindra not intervened, smiling over her cup.

"Be kind, Siraaeniel. You’re frightening the poor girl."

Marya shook her head quickly.

"Not at all, Your Majesty. I-I like hearing them talk. It’s like being inside a story."

At that moment, Mina spoke.

"Your Majesty, Master, the dinner is ready. Should I begin serving you?"