Chapter 82: Refusing to be Controlled
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Vlad looked at Coney with a collected and cold gaze as he stayed on a seat around a small tea table, while the old lady remained silent, taking a long breath of air before asking the man opposite her.
"What would make someone like you, interested in that little girl? Someone who could even survive and kill that abomination that controlled Taelar for 20 years?"
Her question was direct, but Vlad still found it amusing about how she was so worried about letting Bonney stay with him, while lurking around the slums and other places of Everfall were greenlighted.
"What's not to make me interested in little Bonney? She is a bright child with a lot of intelligence that is beyond what I consider the "High-Class" commoners and nobles that I wouldn't wish to rot in such a place.
I will give you that, since you did a decent job at instilling and nourishing her intelligence. Or better said, her parents did a so-so job, but left her with a trauma."
Conney's expression shifted into a colder one, when Vlad mentioned about Bonney's parents, and the elude that she might be traumatized by that incident. Vlad's response lingered into what would call a "Status Quo" not wanting to tell much of his motives for being interested in her granddaughter apart from her intelligence.
"Really now? Are you interested only in her intelligence? Such a gentleman, to look after the well-being of my granddaughter without even asking for something."
"Of course, when it comes to little Bonney, I will offer her the greatest education she can receive. From teaching her true arts that would be useful to her, to how to defend herself, and you know what? She is talented, moving with large steps past the walls I place for her to climb, reaching higher, above my initial expectations."
The Queen could hear that Vlad wasn't speaking false words and there was some sense of pride when he was reminiscing about Bonney, but this wasn't the answer she was looking for, and it required her to throw the random question which would place him in check, cornering him so he could reveal his true intents.
"I see. It eases my mind a bit when you view my granddaughter so highly. However, another question for you mister Dracul? There's no chance that you would be interested in her Devil Powers? Just thinking about using her as your toy?"
Vlad kept a straight expression, shielding his emotions, only to begin saying a slow. "Well, well."
"Interesting … By chance are you aware of your granddaughter's powers?
"Obviously, I am the first person she shared this information about eating a Devil Fruit, and it's exactly this reason that made me grant her freedom to explore around, and to discover her Devil Powers."
When Vlad heard that, he couldn't help but laugh in the old lady's face, finding this logic of the Queen amusing.
"Let her explore her powers randomly? Ridiculous. I feel like I should tell you some cruel possibilities regarding her future if she were in your care."
"Either she is captured by some cruel pirate after word spreads from the townspeople that there is a Witch who can turn people into children or old people, by extension reaching the ears of dangerous pirates that there exists a Devil Fruit user with mysterious powers.
Or we can go with the most dangerous entity of this World, all the grace goes to the World Government and the Marines. Ask yourself, wouldn't they be interested in Bonney's powers once they find out about it?
Both of us are adults and old enough to understand what type of future little Anne would have under such people. I myself, at least have my empathy intact and actually feel a connection with this girl from her fate. And just want to nourish this young seed into a tree capable of withstanding all storms on her own."
The Queen remained silent when Vlad was telling her what he was worried about in letting Bonney explore around her Powers without the guidance of someone strong to shelter her from the unwanted attention she would receive.
She looked at the black-haired man, who compared to the last month grew tremendously, reaching a state of maturity similar to a familiar person she was correlating Vlad with.
"Yeah? And what about using her powers as you choose fit? Turning yourself older, and reaching full maturity? Otherwise, how can you explain your sudden growth."
"This is unrelated to Anne's powers." responded Vlad coldly, not liking the direction Queen Conney was thinking about him.
While he was a cold killer void of emotions at times, he was bound by his morality and empathy, and wouldn't use Bonney's powers so randomly on him, only when the situation was right.
Like this, the two's pace of discussion returned to a calmer one, when understanding that both had good intentions for the young girl's future. They discussed Bonney's Devil Powers, and her future, either being here in her motherland the Sorbet Kingdom, or by joining Vlad in his extensive Journey that would make her grow into a strong person capable of fully taking her life in her hands.
The two slowly reached an understanding, especially Conney who felt Vlad's sincerity when talking about wanting to see her grow and reach her full potential.
"It's good that we settled this problem, and there are no longer any misunderstandings from you, mister Dracul."
"... It doesn't change anything for me. Regardless of what point of talk we reach, there will always be ignorant people to get involved with in our dealings. Now that we cleared our initial "misunderstanding" can we get back to the deal?"
"Of course. We can reach a deal, if you respond to one of my questions, and if you agree to it."
Vlad, who watched this old woman, heard a question that silenced him only listening cautiously in case he was to miss something important formulated between words.
"If, and only if, Anne would be faced in the near future by both of us and she would have to choose between one of the parties. Would you be fine with her answers, regardless of her standing in choosing … her own blood family and relatives or you a total stranger?"
Vlad stroked his chin, while looking coldly at the old woman, taking his time in coming up with an answer building some nervousness for the Queen.
"As long as she isn't threatened and coerced to do a forced pick, I have no problem since her pick would come from her heart. But the same applies for you Queen Conney Cormac. If Anne chooses to journey with me on the sea, I don't want to hear any excuse or threats about how the Marines would hunt me down.
And if I remember correctly, I've committed no infringements or committed any crime in your Kingdom. In fact, I've done plenty for the betterment of this place."
"So your deal for me is, what?" asked Vlad, making sure he said everything that was to be said in this matter.
"This proposal of not interfering with Anne's pick. You teaching some promising youngsters the art of medicine, while also healing Viril and those 4 old fools, in exchange for a full access to the Royal Library and its contents, along with no interference if Anne chooses to join you in your journeys."
Faced with the list of requirements and what he will get, based on their past discussion that was clearly remembered by the old lady, he had no reason to be a jerk and increase his profits.
In this exchange of interests, even though one might consider it a win-win situation for both parties, Vlad was the one with the advantage.
"... Fine."
While Vlad and Conney were having their behind-the-doors negotiation, inside the City Center of Everfall where most of the Shops and Taverns were located two women were standing in front of a blue-haired man who was wearing aristocratic clothes, native to Sorbet Kingdom.
"Uncle Kylian, what are you doing here? Aren't you busy with the administrative dealings of the Kingdom?"
"I've taken a break from that to spend some time with my niece. Why? Am I not allowed to see what my little niece has been doing all the time I was away? Don't you want to eat something with Uncle?"
Bonney, Eleine and Titania looked at the middle-aged man who was giving off a friendly smile, clearly not intending to do anything rash at this moment. This made the pink-haired girl glance at Eleine and Titania who nodded their heads, already guessing that this man wanted to have a private talk with her.
"Don't worry Bonney. We'll be around the City Center, checking the shops." commented Eleine, as she tapped the back of the young girl, who was left with Kylian, who was slightly surprised to see those girls accompanying Vlad didn't get in his way.
"Should we go to old Mabs Pub? It's been 5 months since I've last been there and I eat traditional Sorbet food."
"Sure, I didn't eat there for one month too."
Then the two move to [Night Snow] tavern, and settle on a table positioned at the corner of the establishment, and with minutes passing followed by the food arriving at their table.
Kylian after having an open discussion with Bonney where he mentioned various events that appeared in his life and journeys to Valent City of Kaysang Kingdom and Briss Kingdom, she too didn't shy away from telling Kylian about her adventure inside Yehimal Mountain.
"The journey on the sea has so much to offer. It's an eye opening experience when you reach so many different cultures, having to interact with all sorts of people from trustworthy merchants to shady ones."
"But, the pirates are a nuisance when it comes to trading goods, and couldn't help but notice how frequent they were when I got to the Briss Kingdom. And when you find out why this is the case, you'll be captured by this curiosity, to step on the Grand Line."
"Afterall, Briss Kingdom leads to the Reverse Mountain Pass, with its channel spilling in the Grand Line, the land of Paradise. Uncle will go there one day, after the situation at home stabilizes. What about you Niece, what were you up so far, apart from playing around with dangerous people?"
'... Dangerous? Well, whatever, he probably was sent by Grandmother or Grandfather to convince me to return to the Castle. For that, I will rub some salt on you, because I remember you wanting to summit Yehimal Mountain.'
"Not so much, Uncle. When you saw me at the Harbor in that ship, I was returning with my friends from a successful journey to Yehimal Mountain, where we even managed to summit the peak."
Kylian's expression shifted along with his passing emotions, which brought a lot of satisfaction for the young girl.
Hearing about Bonney's adventure, he couldn't believe it.
He wasn't fully aware since Taelar or Reverscar didn't mention Bonney climbing the mountain, and initially he congratulated her for being the first person in the Sorbet Kingdom to summit Yehimal.
"Really? Don't play with me, Niece. How could you do that at such a tender age? Not even a grown-up woman."
"I got help from my companion, Vlad. He was the one to bring me to the summit, where I was able to see a New World in itself placed not far in the clouds."
This crumbles Kylian's expression when he hears about Vlad, and as he talked with Bonney, his name kept on appearing more frequently, until he snapped and asked her a simple question.
"Do you really think he is kind to you just because? There's obviously a deeper reason why he wants to "help" you, and most likely wants to use you to take over Sorbet Kingdom."
Bonney stopped herself from eating, and looked at Kylian with a straight expression, before telling the middle-aged man what she thought about it.
"Initially, I also believed he wanted to use me, allowing me to hide from Grandmother's soldiers. But, over time, I never felt I was used, instead it was the opposite, I feel I use him for my own benefit and safety."
"He is manipulating you, Anne, just like your grandfather Taelar mentioned to me. He is a bad influence for you, and will make your life miserable for sure." mentioned Kylian to the young lady, not giving her a chance to retort him as he asked her, trying to get some sense into her.
"Why? Why, can't you understand that we want everything to be good for you? Anne, you'll be the future Queen of this Kingdom, and the people will need you, not some stranger you only met one month ago."
"Please, don't force my hand, and take you by force to a safe place where you'll never meet that guy."
The tone of the discussion shifted all on its head, having Bonney's calm appearance slowly turn colder when talking with Kylian.
"No, you still don't understand me, uncle. What I want is to meet dad, and ask him a simple question "Why" … "Why did he abandon me?"
Kylian's expression saddened, and with his hand trembling a bit, he told the girl. "He, Kuma … Did what was right to protect the Kingdom from the wrath of the Celestials."
"Yeah? You say so? Everything for the Kingdom, was it? The words Grandmother kept on telling me when I was younger? Screw that. It doesn't answer my questions at all."
"... Hah, you can only have this discussion with your Grandmother, since I was away when everything happened."
"You were always away when it was the hardest for the people. Then, let me ask you, Uncle Kylian, if I return to the Castle, returning myself to a life as Princess Anne, wouldn't I be just the same foolish girl waiting for dad to return?
All but just a caged bird with its wings bound to invisible walls called a Kingdom."
Kylian was surprised by this outburst of emotions, something he never experienced in the quiet girl since she was little.
"Little girl, see … you never talked with me about such subjects, this is all because of that manipulative guy who brought up all those ideas and implanted them in your mind."
"Stop fooling yourself, Uncle. No one implanted anything in my mind, these are just my pent-up emotions that I've kept inside of me for so long. You can't even stand straight in front of me, and face the truth.
"Haha, you can't even understand what I've been through the years and months you've been away, travelling, seeing the world with its good and bads. "Don't worry, little Anne. Once you are the Queen, you'll have everything in your hands, and be able to do as you see fit."
"Screw this. I didn't ask to be born a Princess."
Ramping Emotions, this was what was happening inside the young lady's body, as she was making sure to share her own mind with her adoptive uncle.
"Don't you say those words, girl. You'll sadden your mother watching you from Heaven. What about her sacrifices? Will you just ignore them, and abandon your home?"
"If it so requires of me, I'll abandon any claims to being a Queen and even take on a new name, if this brings shame to the Cormac House."
Seeing how her adoptive niece was headstrong on her implanted ideas, trying to rebel against her own family and responsibilities, he couldn't help himself but give an angry look to Bonney matched back by the young girl with one of the looks of disdain Vlad would make when talking with individuals he called "vermins"
Taken by surprise by the disgust in Bonney's expression, Kylian still asked her. "What if that person abandons you? You will be all alone in this world, with no place to call home."
"Uncle, even if that might happen, I will be fine because it was something I chose, not something someone else chose in my stead. Besides, you probably have the wrong impression of Vlad, believing he is some heartless person who only intends on controlling me."
Then the young girl started telling Kylian about how her new life compared to her constrained one, the life of the Kingdom's Princess.
"That's just him manipulating you little girl."
"Even if it's manipulation, I'll rather live in that lie where I have all the freedom I want, and someone I can talk to without being watched like how you do right now."
Kylian mentions about the people of Picodras, trying to paint a bad image of Vlad, which only failed on his face, because his niece was truly spellbound by the charismatic and charming Dracul who looked at life with different eyes.
When she first shared her life story inside Yehimal Mountain, Vlad was the one to pat her head, telling her she must have suffered a lot, holding so much in her frail body, later on telling the pink-haired girl about the story of a Foreigner Prince who had his entire family killed, with his own blood, his little brother betraying him later on when the World was turning upside down for him.
Hearing her life story, made Vlad in those cold nights to share his own life story but in a simplified way, and cutting any leads that make a point in his direction for being the protagonist of the story.
Getting enough of listening to Kylian, she starts wolfing down the food and while getting up, she tells the blue-haired man.
"You are wrong about everything, and it clears who tries to manipulate who. Stay well, Uncle. But don't worry, I will think about visiting Grandmother, and getting my answers from her."
Bonney's discussion with Kylian ends with a frosty turn, but the middle-aged man wasn't done, and is unwilling to give up on the chance of bringing the young girl who lost her ways in her right home.
Not bothering with paying the bill or the watching eyes of the people in the pub, he follows her outside, seeing her looking around for someone, clearly her "friends" from his perspective.
Continuing after her, with an alert movement and in a desperate attempt, he tries to kidnap her by grabbing her hand forcefully, only to be thrown to the ground by a smooth shoulder throw.
"What? Upset about the truth you just heard and are going about with forceful methods to see your way out?" commented Bonney, staring with cold eyes at the middle-aged man, taking a long dagger from her hidden pocket.