Free Web NovelChapter 198: Guilt
To explain the situation better, Victor and Aluella sat down at the large table.
"Well..." Aluella was a little afraid to be the one to tell, so she looked at Victor.
"You can leave it to me. Well, after the charity party, while everyone was still a bit scared and many were leaving, as we were about to do, Luisa, Aluella recognized me and called me to talk."
"I remember a woman calling you to talk. She was masked, so..."
"Yes, that was me. I had heard the nobles call Victor by name. I had met him earlier, on the balcony, and we had a common conversation. As we’re both older, different, and wearing masks, we didn’t recognize each other at the time, but by chance that attack occurred and allowed me to discover that that grey-haired man is my Victor."
"It was an unexpected encounter, and to be honest, a bit shocking. She took off her mask and revealed her identity. Aluella, my old flame, who I thought I would never see again."
Everyone’s eyes were wide, especially Mari’s, who seemed to absorb every word like a sponge.
Victor squeezed Aluella’s hand a little tighter, feeling the support she offered.
"To make matters better, I found out that Aluella and I have a son," he continued, his voice softer now. "A boy of almost twenty-one. We split up because... it was too painful to discover at the time that we weren’t going to fulfill our biggest dream together. The problem was apparently me, and I believed that Aluella deserved to have a child and an ordinary marriage, so I left, as far away as possible."
"However, months later, I found out that I was pregnant and the only person I had ever had a relationship with in my life was Victor. It could only be him. I tried to look for him, I tried to find his whereabouts, but it was no use," explained Aluella.
Luisa looked a little shocked, massaging her temples. "And why didn’t you contact me? I knew where he was all along."
Aluella lowered her head and clasped her left hand tighter on the table. At that moment, Victor took her in, closing his right hand over hers to support her. That’s when Aluella raised her head and said:
"I tried... At the time, I knew about your plans with Victor, I knew you wanted a child from him too, as you’ve always been a mage, I knew you’d probably be able to track Victor down. However, I suspected that you might have been to blame for making him momentarily infertile or something."
"What? But I..."
"Yes, I know. You would never do that. That’s why, when my options ran out, I came to Klento and knocked on the door of your mansion. A white-haired man with a monocle answered, looked me up and down and said: ’Nobody has what you want here. Go away, Miss Falck’."
Luísa put a hand to her mouth, shocked.
"That was Bartholomew, the former butler of the Selvarum Mansion, wasn’t it, Luisa?" Victor asked.
She nodded, reluctantly, as if a lost flashback had just crossed her mind. "Y-yes... Bart, it’s been a long time since I’ve thought about him. He’s been gone for ten years. However, he was more than a butler to me. He was my master in the magical arts. In a family of swordsmen, the only person who could teach me how to handle my magical talents was an outsider... Bart must have seen me dejected when you left, because my greatest dream of having a son had gone too, and that’s why he treated Aluella so... I’m sorry, forgive me, I didn’t..."
"Don’t worry, Luisa." Aluella stood up, put her hands forward on the table and took Luisa’s hands in hers. "You didn’t know, you had no way of knowing..."
After things had calmed down, Luisa still looked a little down and a little guilty.
"It was an exciting and unexpected reunion for me. That’s why I brought her here. So that you could all get to know her."
Luísa nodded slowly. "I see. But what about Wanda? She’s due to arrive in the city in a few weeks. You had already decided to go to the capital to accompany her." Victor sighed.
Victor sighed. "I still plan to go to the capital to accompany Wanda. I won’t change that. She’s my daughter and I need to be there for her. But now, with Aluella and our son back in my life, I need to find a way to balance everything."
"I didn’t live in the capital, but I didn’t live that far away, and my son must return home too. I believe that with Victor and Wanda in the capital, we can have a great family reunion."
Mari, always quick to pick up on nuances, leaned forward, her eyes shining with curiosity. "So Victor has a son he’s never met? The direct son of two heroes?! That’s... fascinating. What’s he like? Has he also inherited any special talents from the two of you?"
Aluella smiled gently, her expression filled with maternal love. "Our son, Trawerr, is extraordinary. He didn’t exactly follow the path of the heroes, but he has incredible talents. He’s a talented swordsman like his father, but he prefers to use large swords that are disproportionate to his young body." Aluella said and let a drop of sweat fall, as if remembering shameful memories.
Frugeon, who had been silent until then, finally spoke. "It’s going to be hard for him to find out about his father so suddenly. How will he react?"
Victor ran a hand through his hair, a nervous gesture.
Aluella noticed. "It’ll be a shock, no doubt. But Trawerr is resilient. He’ll be fine."
The silence that followed was filled with the soft sound of the wind blowing through the open windows, bringing with it the fresh scent of the mansion’s garden.
"Victor, you need a plan." Mari said, putting a hand to her chin. "With Wanda coming and all THOSE changes in your life, how do you intend to manage it all?"
She said, using the word THOSE, obviously to mention the conversation they’d had about the prophecy involving his and Wanda’s elf-related future.
"I’ve been thinking about it a lot, Mari. I’ll need time to adjust to all these new responsibilities. However, it shouldn’t be too difficult considering that our children are already raised and grown up."
"Ours?" Gracela asked.
"Yes, I already consider Wanda my daughter too. I’ll try to be the mother she didn’t have if she’ll let me."
Luisa nodded with a serious but understanding expression. "You’ve always had our support, Victor. And now, with Aluella in the equation, we’re here to help as best we can and repay you for everything you do and have done for us. And also for me to make amends for past mistakes..." She looked at Aluella.
Aluella, who until then had let Victor lead the conversation, finally spoke up. "Thank you for welcoming us like this. I know it was great news."
Mari, with her curious nature and huge heart, smiled warmly. "Are you kidding? I still have so many questions."
The atmosphere in the room began to relax, the initial tensions easing. The conversation flowed more freely now, with everyone asking questions and finding out what was new.
Aluella talked about her past adventures, sharing stories about her battles alongside Victor. She also described how she had decided to move away from the life of battle in order to raise Trawerr in a safer, more stable environment.
Victor watched Aluella speak, feeling a deep admiration for her. There was always something magnetic about her presence, a quiet strength that drew people in. And now, seeing her connect so easily with her allies, he felt grateful to have her back in his life.
"Victor," said Luisa suddenly, interrupting his thoughts. "When Wanda arrives, we can organize a meeting for her to get to know Aluella. It will be important for her to understand this new dynamic, especially as she might feel jealous." freewebnovёl.ƈom
Victor nodded, recognizing the wisdom in Luisa’s words. "Yes, that would be a good idea. Wanda is a strong and intelligent young woman, but this will be a big change for her too. We need to make sure she feels supported and understood."
The conversation continued for some time, with laughter and stories shared. Mari kept asking questions, while Gracela offered practical advice and Frugeon told funny anecdotes. The atmosphere was full of camaraderie and solidarity, and Victor felt a weight come off his shoulders.
Finally, when the meal was over, everyone started to get up, ready to get on with their day. Victor, holding Aluella’s hand, felt more hopeful than ever.
"Thank you, all of you," he said, his voice full of emotion. "With your help, I know we’ll be able to overcome any challenge."
Luísa smiled, placing a hand on Victor’s shoulder. "We’re all in this together, Victor. Congratulations on your new son, I’m only 20 years too late."
