Chapter 64: Much More Alike Than They Thought (II)
The wind blew softly.
The first lights of the city were beginning to turn on as the sun slowly disappeared behind the mountains.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Kael simply remained seated beside Seraphina.
He didn’t try to find pretty words.
Or phrases that sounded intelligent.
He just stayed there.
As if saying anything was unnecessary.
Seraphina took a deep breath.
The tears had barely moistened her eyes.
It was so unusual to see her like this that even she seemed uncomfortable with herself.
Kael smiled gently.
"You know?"
She lifted her head a little.
"What?"
"I think crying a little doesn’t make you weaker."
Seraphina remained silent.
"It just shows you’re human."
She looked down again.
"My father never thought that."
"Then...
Maybe your father was wrong sometimes too."
Kael spoke without harshness.
Just calmly.
Those words seemed to surprise her.
She had never allowed herself to think that way.
To her, her father had always been someone she had to obey.
Even if it hurt.
Even if it made her suffer.
Kael looked back at the lake.
"Adults make mistakes too.
A lot.
It’s just that when we’re kids, we think they’re always right."
Seraphina let out a small laugh.
"Luna says something similar."
Kael smiled.
"Luna is smarter than me."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
They both laughed.
And that laugh finally dispelled the weight of the previous conversation.
After a few seconds, Kael spoke again.
This time with curiosity.
"I’ve always wanted to ask you something."
"What?"
"Why do you like cats so much?"
Seraphina blinked.
It was a simple question.
But the answer...
Wasn’t.
She looked at the lake once more.
As if searching there for a very old memory.
"When I was six years old..."
She began to say slowly.
"I found a kitten on the street.
It was very small.
All alone.
And shivering from the cold."
Kael listened without interrupting.
"I hid it inside the mansion’s garden.
The gardeners helped me give it milk.
And every afternoon...
After finishing my lessons...
I’d go play with him."
A small smile appeared on her face.
"He always waited for me.
Even if I was late.
Even if it was raining.
He was always there."
Kael could perfectly imagine that scene.
A tiny Seraphina.
Much less serious.
Running toward a tiny stray cat.
"It was...
The first time I felt that someone loved me...
Without expecting anything in return."
Her voice almost broke.
"He didn’t care if I was the Vale family heiress.
He didn’t care if I trained well.
Or if I learned magic.
He just wanted to sleep on my lap."
Kael felt a lump in his throat.
Seraphina took a deep breath before continuing.
"One day...
My father found out."
Silence returned.
"He told me...
That an heiress of the Vale family couldn’t be distracted by stray animals.
That it would only make me weak.
That a future leader shouldn’t be emotionally dependent on something so insignificant."
She slowly clenched her hands.
"When I went back to the garden...
He was gone."
Kael didn’t need to ask.
He knew exactly what had happened.
"I looked for him for weeks.
Every day.
I thought maybe he had gone back to the street.
Or that he had just gotten lost."
Her voice was barely a whisper.
"But he never came back."
For the first time since she had begun speaking...
A small tear finally slid down her cheek.
Kael saw it.
Without thinking too much...
He took a handkerchief from his pocket.
And offered it to her.
Seraphina accepted it.
"Thanks."
"Don’t mention it."
She discreetly wiped that single tear.
Then she smiled with a hint of embarrassment.
"I think I talked too much."
Kael immediately shook his head.
"No.
I think I understand a lot of things now."
She looked at him.
"Like what?"
Kael smiled.
"The day I showed up...
And the Fat King came out of my summoning circle...
You didn’t even know who I was."
Seraphina shook her head.
"No.
I’d never heard your name.
But...
When I saw the Fat King...
I felt something strange.
A mix of nostalgia...
And relief."
Kael remained completely attentive.
"I thought...
That no matter what my father wanted...
He could never take away a cat like that."
A small laugh escaped Kael.
It wasn’t a mocking laugh.
It was a laugh full of understanding.
"Against that lazy bastard...
He wouldn’t be able to do absolutely anything."
Seraphina also ended up laughing.
"Exactly."
They both imagined Seraphina’s father trying to remove the Little Fat King from the mansion.
And the cat responding with a slap capable of piercing through a mountain.
The image was so absurd...
That they both started laughing again.
When they finally caught their breath...
Seraphina spoke again.
"Do you think...
Your mother knows how important you’ve become?"
Kael stopped smiling.
He thought for a few seconds before answering.
"Probably.
The whole city talks about the Fat King.
And now also about Sir Dogerino.
I guess sooner or later...
The news will reach everywhere."
Seraphina hesitated for a few seconds.
"And...
What if she comes back?"
Kael remained silent.
The question was hard.
Very hard.
"Would you accept her back?"
He looked at the calm surface of the lake.
Then he slowly shook his head.
"I don’t know."
And he was completely sincere.
"Years ago I would have said yes.
Because I was still a kid.
But now..."
He sighed.
"Truth is...
I don’t really care anymore."
Seraphina listened attentively.
"If she ever comes back...
I don’t think it’ll be for me.
Maybe for my fame.
Maybe for the money.
Maybe out of guilt.
I can’t know anymore."
He paused briefly.
"But...
There is something I would like."
"What?"
Kael smiled sadly.
"For her to apologize to Luna."
Seraphina blinked.
He continued.
"Luna was very small.
She missed her terribly.
I’m sure she still has some good memories of her.
And...
I think Luna deserved much more than to keep waiting for someone who never came back."
Silence returned once more.
But this time...
Seraphina looked at him differently.
She didn’t see the stranger who had summoned the Fat King.
Nor the supposed fiancé that everyone talked about.
She saw...
A young man who, even after everything he had been through...
Still thought of others first.
Of Luna.
Of the Fat King.
Even of her.
Before himself.
She felt her heart beat a little faster.
Without thinking too much...
She slowly reached out her hand.
And took Kael’s.
He turned, surprised.
Their eyes met again.
There was no manual.
No instructions.
No one telling them what to do.
It was just them.
Kael smiled.
Seraphina did too.
And, almost at the same time...
They both leaned slightly forward.
The kiss was short.
Very short.
Awkward.
Neither knew exactly what they were doing.
Their noses even bumped a little beforehand.
They both pulled back immediately.
They stood completely still.
With slightly flushed cheeks.
Kael was the first to break the silence.
"..."
"I think that came out a little weird."
Seraphina nodded with total honesty.
"Yes."
She paused briefly.
"But...
It wasn’t bad."
Kael ended up laughing.
"No.
Honestly...
It wasn’t bad."
---
When they returned to the house...
It was already night.
Kael opened the door while stretching.
"I hope the Fat King and Sir Dogerino didn’t cause too much trouble."
Luna appeared immediately.
"Big brother!"
Her smile was... suspiciously nervous.
"What happened?"
"Hehehe...
Well...
They helped.
More or less."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"Where are they?"
"Well...
Come."
They walked to the backyard.
Kael turned the corner.
And stood completely still.
The Little Fat King was chained to a post.
He had an expression of absolute indignation.
"MEOW!!"
Beside him...
Sir Dogerino was also chained up.
But he wagged his tail happily.
As if he believed it was all part of a game.
"Woof!"
Kael blinked several times.
Then he looked at Luna.
"..."
"What happened here?"
She scratched her head.
"They weren’t cooperating...
So...
I improvised."
At that moment...
Some bushes began to move.
Out came Aurelion and Darius.
Covered in dirt.
Full of leaves.
With their clothes completely torn.
Aurelion raised a hand.
"Good evening."
Darius had completely red eyes.
"I’m not crying."
Kael looked at him.
"You sure?"
"I’m...
Sweating through my eyes."
Aurelion burst out laughing.
"The dog chased half the city.
The cat took a nap on the guild’s roof.
Then another on a statue.
And then another on top of Darius."
"It was a long day."
Kael looked at everyone.
Then at the Fat King.
Then at Sir Dogerino.
Finally, he let out a long sigh.
"..."
"I don’t want to know what happened here."
Aurelion smiled.
"Trust me.
It’s better if you never find out."
And for once...
Kael completely agreed.
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