Free Web NovelChapter 171: Love & Warmth
"Come in, please."
Victor pushed open the library door carefully so as not to make a sound. The solid wood slid smoothly open, revealing the cozy interior of the room. The library on the second floor was slightly larger than the other small libraries scattered around the mansion, as the others served more as reading rooms.
This larger library had a harmonious blend of sophistication and comfort, with high shelves full of books and thick carpets that muffled footsteps, as well as a crackling, warm fireplace.
Luísa was sitting in an armchair near the fireplace with an open book on her lap. Her shoulders were slumped and she didn’t have a big smile on her face, probably because she was tired, but a faint smile formed on her lips when she noticed that it was Victor who had entered.
"Victor, how nice to see you," she said, closing the book with a sigh. "Come, sit with me."
Victor obeyed, taking a seat in the armchair next to hers. He noticed the way Luisa rubbed her temples, a gesture that indicated mental exhaustion. He held the present in his hands, but hid it in a simple way.
"How was the meeting?" he asked, trying to sound casual.
Luísa tilted her head back and sighed. "It was long and complicated. It seems there are so many issues to resolve, and every decision leads to more problems."
Victor noticed the worry lines on her face. "If you like, I can try to help. I’ve had a lot of free time while I’ve been waiting for Mari to complete her research."
"Asking you to do something would be a bit much, but your opinion could be valuable. We discussed port security today, especially with the latest mysterious case of Garret Darksoul’s shed fire. The merchants want assurances that nothing dangerous will happen during the festival. What do you think I should do?"
Victor put a hand to his chin and thought, "In fact, it’s too difficult to guarantee that nothing bad will happen with so many different kinds of people gathered in one town. The hunters, the pirates, the knights, everything gets potentially more dangerous. What about the other years? What did you do to ensure safety?"
"Apart from talking to the Knights’ Order and the Hunters’ Association? Not much. There’s no way to control the pirates, and they always manage to come to Klento somehow and so they cause trouble in the taverns when they’re drunk."
"I see, so the pirates are your main problem. Hunters and knights fight too, but they’re more restrained and avoid killing. If you focus on intercepting the pirates’ approach, you can solve it."
"I tried that, but it was useless. Last year, from the day the festival started, we carried out a rigorous search system on all the boats, including the passenger ones, but we didn’t arrest many of them."
"What if they come a few days earlier?"
"That’s... possible. How come I didn’t think of that before?" She said and rested her back on the armchair. "Ah, sometimes I wonder if I’m really making progress or just dealing with one crisis after another."
Victor leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "It seems that the more we try to solve things, the more complicated they get."
Luísa nodded, grateful for Victor’s empathy. "Yes, exactly. It’s like trying to tame a storm. And in the midst of it all, I feel like I’m losing sight of what really matters."
She paused, looking into the fireplace and the fire lightened the black band that covered her eyes. "But enough about me and my problems, Victor. What have you been doing now that you’re no longer training Bel?"
Victor smiled, a little embarrassed, but with a touch of pride. "I’ve been doing a few small things, nothing important. I did buy you something, though."
"Something for me?"
He held up the gift-wrapped snow globe and handed it to Luisa. "I hope you like it. I thought it might bring a little peace amidst the chaos of your responsibilities."
Luísa’s face lit up with surprise and curiosity. She took the gift carefully, undoing the wrapping with delicate fingers. When the paper fell away, revealing the snow globe, a beautifully genuine smile appeared on her lips.
The snow globe depicted the scene of the main square completely lit up by the Winter Festival, with food stalls, hanging lights and miniature people enjoying themselves.
"Victor, this is... just beautiful," she said, admiring the scene inside the globe.
She shook it slightly, and snow began to fall, creating a magical spectacle as a soft melody filled the air. This melody was exactly the one she played every year at the Winter Festivals and also her favorite song, because she had often heard her father play it on the family piano when she was just a child.
Her lips drew back and, before she could stop herself, the tears fell, sliding gently down the smooth skin of her face and out from under her blindfold.
"It’s exactly what I needed, Victor," she said, her voice a little emotional. "Thank you so much, really."
Victor smiled with his mouth closed. "I’m glad you liked it." ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
Luísa dried the tears that were involuntarily streaming down her face. "Are you kidding? If you gave me an apple cut in half I’d still be happy, let alone with such a beautiful gift. Now it’s clearer than ever that your years as a father have made you a little more sensitive to people."
"What do you mean?" He asked, stepping back and looking a little shy. "I’ve always cared about people, including you."
"Yes, of course you have," Luísa replied, her face a little red. "I know you’ve always cared about me, but in the past I’ve been very confused about this. I wondered if we were really friends or not, because you were cold, direct and... well, the important thing is that you’ve changed and for the better."
"For the better? I don’t know about that. If my master met me today, he’d say I’d become weak. I have no doubt about that." Victor said and slumped back in his armchair, his eyes fixed on the polished wooden floor of the library.
The crackle of the fire in the fireplace filled the silence, and Luisa’s gaze remained fixed on the snow globe while his mind quickly wandered to another point, another time. She went far away, immersing herself in thoughts and feelings that she was trying to overlap with work.
"I don’t know who your master was because you never wanted to tell me, but I can’t believe that he would look at you and say that you’ve become weak. Having the sensitivity to read the people around you doesn’t make you weak. Think of it this way: in the past, you would never have agreed to train someone like Bel. You were so... closed off. And I don’t mean that as a criticism, but as an observation of how much you’ve changed."
Victor looked up, finding Luisa’s face partially illuminated by the flames. He could see the sincerity in her words.
"You’re right, I think we all change over time. Raising Wanda and watching her grow up has made me better."
Luisa smiled, a smile full of tenderness and understanding. "And it’s exactly this change that makes me believe that you are the man I always dreamed you would become. Before, you were a formidable warrior, but distant, almost inaccessible. Now, you’re someone who can connect with others. I feel closer to you now than I did twenty years ago." ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
Silence fell over them again, but this time it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was a gentle silence, and when he opened his mouth to reply to what she had just said, Luísa was quicker.
"Victor," she said with a touch of hesitation. "I need to ask you something. The other night, when you kissed me... was it just a way of convincing me to let you go or was it something sincere?"
Victor’s heart beat faster, and he almost got up from his chair, but stayed there to look at her.
"Luísa, that kiss was... everything I wanted it to be. It was a moment of truth, an urge I felt, but I can’t say it was sincere."
Luísa nodded as a sad smile touched her lips. "I understand, Victor. So maybe it’s time to be completely honest with you."
She got up from the armchair, moving with a grace that had always come naturally to her. She walked over to the fireplace, where the heat of the flames warmed the room, and stood with her back to him, staring into the flames.
"Victor, do you remember when we first met? You were a young hunter and I was an apprentice magician determined to prove myself to my family."
Victor smiled slightly. "Of course I remember. You were the only one who dared to challenge me, both in word and deed."
She laughed softly, a laugh full of nostalgia. "Yes, I was always stubborn. But you never understood the real reason behind my actions, did you?"
He frowned, curious. "What do you mean, Luísa?"
She turned to face him, this time without the blindfolds and looking at him with the magenta eyes he hadn’t seen for a long time. "I didn’t love you, Victor. Not in the romantic sense that you may have thought at the time. I was looking for something more... pragmatic. I wanted a child from you."
