Free Web NovelChapter 43: Tessa’s Old House, the Pyrell Home...
The Capital of Frosthold was even larger than Nox had imagined.
As they walked through the wide cobblestone avenues, surrounded by stone buildings, the demon couldn’t help but look around in every direction.
Audrey walked beside him with Claws following behind her.
Misty skipped cheerfully a few steps ahead.
Tessa seemed to know every street perfectly.
And Catherine carried Felix in her arms.
What surprised Nox the most wasn’t the size of the city.
It was the people.
’Okay... why is nobody stopping to stare at them?’
The three villainesses were dressed in the elegant black outfits Ellen had made for them.
Back in his world, if three women like them walked down the street, half the city would stop and stare. Men would practically break their necks turning around to check out their curves. Women would watch them with envy while criticizing their dresses.
But here...
Nobody seemed particularly impressed.
Some glanced at them for a moment before continuing on their way.
"Is it just me, or is nobody paying attention to you girls?"
Misty let out a small giggle. freewebnoveℓ.com
"Were you expecting the entire city to kneel?"
"No, but..."
Nox shook his head.
"Never mind. Forget it."
However, as they continued through the streets, something else caught his attention.
The gap between the rich and the poor.
It was impossible to miss.
Some people walked around wearing elegant clothing similar to theirs.
Dresses, suits, expensive cloaks, and jewelry.
Yet only a few meters away, entire families slept on street corners. Covered in straw, worn blankets, scraps of wool, barefoot children, and elderly people trembling from the cold.
And the worst part was that nobody seemed to notice them.
As if they were part of the scenery.
As if they didn’t even exist.
Nox glanced at Catherine.
The cat girl fit in far better with the people on the streets than with the people in this wealthy district.
And yet...
Nobody seemed to care about her either.
After several more blocks, Tessa finally stopped.
"We’re here."
Everyone looked up.
Before them stood a massive estate surrounded by shining silver fences.
More than a house...
It looked like a mansion.
An elegant sign stood at the entrance.
Pyrell Home
Misty whistled.
"Who lives in a place this big?"
Tessa sighed.
"The person who lives here is named Senna."
Then she added with obvious annoyance:
"Though she prefers that I call her Mother."
◇◆◇
At that exact moment, a figure appeared, descending the stairs from the main entrance.
She was a woman with orange hair.
She wore an elegant black dress that hugged her figure.
A silver cloak rested across her shoulders.
And tears ran down her cheeks.
"Tessa..."
The woman hurried down the steps.
"What are you doing here?"
Tessa rolled her eyes.
"Stop pretending to cry and open the gate."
The woman looked offended.
"I’m not pretending."
She wiped away her tears.
"They announced your death today."
The atmosphere immediately became tense.
"What?"
"The Church’s messengers said you were killed by a demon in the mountains."
Audrey burst out laughing.
Nox looked uncomfortable.
"Well..."
He scratched the back of his neck.
"That’s technically not entirely inaccurate."
Senna finally opened the gates.
"Come in. All of you."
◇◆◇
A few minutes later, the group was resting beside a massive lit fireplace.
The warmth felt wonderful after so many days traveling through the snow.
Claws was lying in front of the fire.
And to everyone’s surprise, Senna was petting him as if he were an oversized puppy.
"He’s adorable."
The bear let out a satisfied rumble.
Meanwhile, Felix remained hidden among Catherine’s clothes.
The orange-haired woman smiled.
"You said your name was Catherine, right?"
The cat girl nodded.
"Yes."
"If you’d like to take a bath and wash your clothes, I can lend you something to wear."
Catherine made a face.
"I hate baths."
Misty placed a hand on her forehead.
"For health reasons alone, you should take that offer."
"And Felix?"
Misty glanced at the small yellow cat.
"I don’t think he’ll mind staying with us for a little while."
Audrey walked over and crouched in front of him.
"You can trust us."
Felix stared at her for a few seconds.
Then he nodded.
Catherine’s eyes widened, immediately convinced.
"Then okay."
And with that, she disappeared upstairs alongside a maid.
Senna watched the scene with fascination.
"It’s incredible how both of you can understand animals."
She sighed.
"I wish I could talk to them too."
Nox settled down near the fireplace.
"You really don’t mind lending us rooms for a few days?"
Senna smiled.
"It would make me very happy."
She looked toward the staircase.
"Thanks to all of you, Tessa came home."
Nox followed her gaze.
The former inquisitor sat alone in an armchair.
Her expression was serious.
She clearly didn’t seem happy to be there.
"I see..."
Senna continued speaking.
"Besides, nobody uses those rooms anymore since my children left home to become heroes."
Nox raised an eyebrow.
"All of your children are heroes?"
"You shouldn’t ask that."
Tessa’s voice was sharp.
Everyone turned toward her.
Senna sighed.
"It’s alright. I don’t mind talking about it."
Tessa immediately stood up.
"Then I’ll use the other bathroom."
Without waiting for a response, she started climbing the stairs.
Nox watched her disappear onto the second floor.
"I don’t understand why she’s so upset."
Audrey let out a dry laugh.
"I’m not surprised at all."
Senna remained silent for several seconds.
Then she spoke.
"She’s been like that for a long time."
She took a breath.
"But to answer your question..."
The woman stared into the flames.
"My eldest son was one of the Church’s heroes."
"And years ago, he disappeared during a mission."
Nox listened carefully.
"When he was declared dead..."
Senna’s voice weakened.
"The Church stripped him of his title."
Audrey frowned.
"And then?"
"They chose his younger brother to inherit that same title."
The demon fell silent.
He remembered what had happened to Tessa.
The Church had already declared her dead without even looking for her.
Without caring.
If he hadn’t intervened...
She really would have died.
’What a shitty organisation.’
Misty crossed her legs.
"So you only had three children?"
Senna nodded slowly.
Another tear rolled down her cheek.
"Yes."
The room fell silent.
The woman closed her eyes.
"Today, I received news that Tessa..."
Her voice broke.
"...had been killed by a demon during a mission."
Nox lowered his gaze.
Audrey stopped smiling.
Even Misty lost some of her usual relaxed expression.
Senna opened her eyes again and offered a weak smile.
"That’s why I was so surprised to see her standing at the entrance to my home."
She looked toward the staircase where her daughter had disappeared.
"I thought I’d never see her again."
For several seconds, nobody said anything.
As Nox watched the flames dance inside the fireplace, only one thought crossed his mind.
’Maybe giving Tessa that title really was the right decision after all.’
