As I entered the dining room, I quietly made my way towards a maid who was waiting to assist me in seating. As I approached, she gently pulled the chair back. Following her gesture, I delicately sat down on the chair. As I settled in, my eyes turned once again to my mother, whose face displayed a soft smile. She had always been like this, an incredibly gentle and kind queen. She frequently devoted herself to visiting orphanages and made generous donations to these places.
"Mother... how are you feeling today?"
Upon asking this question, my mother looked at me and gently wiped her mouth with a handkerchief before responding.
"I'm feeling much better, sorry for worrying you"
Her said, with a look of apology etched on her face.
"No need to apologize, mother. I'm glad to hear you're feeling better"
I replied, conveying my relief through the words.
I said to my mother with a smile on my face. Then, we continued eating in silence. It seemed like nobody had anything to say, so dinner remained quiet for a while. Suddenly, the door was opened again, and a man dressed as a butler entered, heading towards my father. As he approached him, the man whispered something in his ear. After a few seconds, my father nodded to the butler, and he exited again. Apart from my mother, everyone in the room was confused by what had just happened.
As we pondered over what could be going on, the door opened again, and to our surprise, someone we hadn't seen in a long time entered: my Aunt Arisa. She walked into the room with her blond hair and eyes of the same color, traits that reminded me a lot of my father. If I had to describe her, I would say she is quite eccentric. According to my father, she decided to relinquish her place in the line of succession simply because she believed ruling a kingdom would be bothersome.
Although many interpreted this as disrespect, I have always admired this aspect of her. Arisa is not afraid to express her opinion, and to prove that, she created the Guild of Merchants, which continues to financially support the Kingdom of Solaris to this day. As soon as she entered, she headed towards one of the empty chairs next to my father, facing my mother.
"It's good to see you again after so long. Couldn't you visit us more often?"
my father said, casting an accusing look at my Aunt Arisa, who simply put her hand at the back of her head and started apologizing.
"Hahaha, sorry about that. Lately, I've been busy with guild matters. Plus, today I met the creator of the manual water pump"
My aunt said with a smile. I had heard about this person before, but unfortunately, everything about him was a mystery. All we knew was his pseudonym, which was X. We were unaware of his age, where he lived, and much less where he was at the moment. So, when we heard that my aunt had met him, we were truly excited about the subject.
"So, you met him. Is there anything you can tell us about him?"
My father said.
"I was about to get to that part. Initially, I couldn't tell you much about him because it was part of our agreement. But today, when he left the guild, he suddenly came back and said I could reveal some things about him to the royalty"
My aunt said. As she said that, she took out a piece of paper and placed it on the table.
"This is his new project, which was presented today"
My aunt said. As soon as she spoke, my father picked up the paper and began examining it. Within seconds, his expression changed from normal to surprise and then to astonishment.
"This... is truly incredible. It would completely change the way we schedule appointments"
My dad said, still looking at the paper.
"I think the same"
My aunt said with a smile.
"If this idea really comes to life, many things will change. This person is truly amazing in so many ways"
With my dad's words, we all grew curious about what was on the paper. Soon after, he passed the paper to my mom, who also seemed interested. Her expressions reflected the same astonishment and admiration as my dad's.
"Oh my, this is truly incredible"
Exclaimed my mom. After that, the paper was passed to my two brothers, starting with the eldest and then to my sister, until it finally reached my hands. I was impressed by what was before my eyes: a device capable of displaying the exact time. It would certainly be something that would change our daily lives. Every time I looked at what was written on the paper, my interest in this person only grew.
"He said his current goal is to get into the Solaris Academy"
My aunt announced. As soon as she said that, everyone, including myself, became puzzled by one particularity. My dad was the first to try to clarify this doubt.
"If he wants to get into the academy, does that mean he's young?"
My dad questioned. Hearing his words, my aunt smiled.
"He's the same age as Emi"
Her replied. The room fell silent for a few seconds before surprised voices echoed.
"Are you sure about that, Aria?"
My dad asked, not believing what he was hearing.
"Absolutely sure. I saw him in person, so I know what I'm talking about"
Affirmed my aunt, looking at me, which made everyone turn their gaze towards me.
"Furthermore, he seems to have knowledge in various fields, including medicine, but he said he wouldn't be able to perform surgeries or anything like that"
My aunt continued. Upon hearing her, my mind started working intensely. Several ideas raced through my head.
"If it's that person, maybe he can help my mom"
I thought. All my thoughts converged in that direction. I needed to meet this person.