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Chapter 52 - Chapter 3 — Stepping Out Of The Starting Point (14)

Leonelle's POV:

As I stood there outside the room, I couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness wash over me. The old man who had been my mentor and guide was no more. He had passed away, leaving behind a legacy that would be remembered for generations to come.

As I was lost in my thoughts, I suddenly saw a figure running towards me. It was a young girl with long purple hair, and tears streaming down her face. I recognized her as Shionne, the granddaughter of the old man.

Her eyes were filled with tears, and her cheeks were stained with them. I could see the pain etched on her face from even a distance away. She was running as fast as she could, and it was apparent that she was in a great deal of distress. I knew that the old man's passing had left a void in her life, one that would be difficult to fill.

Behind her was a maid, trying to keep pace with her. "Young Lady, please wait!" the maid was shouting.

"Grandfather!" Shionne cried out, trying to make her way into the room.

The maid stopped her from entering, "Please don't go in yet, Young Lady. The healers are still inside."

"But I have to see him now!" Shionne exclaimed, her voice trembling with emotion.

The maid held her back, trying to keep her from entering the room prematurely. "I'm sorry, Young Lady, but we have to wait. The healers need time to prepare the body."

The girl, who had been standing before the door, ceased her resistance and slowly took a step back, her body language indicating her reluctance. Her face was etched with sorrow and her tears were streaming down her cheeks, drenching her face in a cascade of salty droplets. Her shoulders shook as she heaved deep sobs, her heart filled with a tumult of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her.

As soon as the young lady seemed to have regained some semblance of composure, the maid turned her attention towards me. At first, her eyes widened in surprise, but then, her countenance softened, and she broke into a warm and welcoming smile. She was a familiar face, one that I hadn't seen in many years.

"You've grown so much, Lord Leonelle," she said, her voice laced with genuine fondness.

Though her words were kind, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of awkwardness at being addressed as a lord, especially given that I had been disinherited from my own house. "I am no longer your lord, Tris, so there's no need to call me that," I replied, attempting to deflect her reverence with a wry smile.

Tris had been a vital part of my life back when I was still living in the Asura Estate. I remembered her as a kind and caring person who always went out of her way to ensure my comfort and well-being. I had heard that after I left the estate, she was fired for not fulfilling her duties to watch over me.

Tris seemed undeterred by my protests. "It is only natural to call you my lord," she insisted. "I served you when you were little, after all." Her words held a certain weight to them, a reminder of a time long past when I was still the scion of my family.

As Tris and I conversed, my attention was drawn to a young girl who was still sobbing quietly in the corner. It was then that Tris turned her head slightly to address her. "Now, I am serving this little girl," she said, her voice soft and reassuring.

Tris continued solemnly, "This girl is the granddaughter of none other than Lord Aerith himself." I listened intently as Tris continued, "I supposed you already know the tragic tale of how Lord Aerith's son and his wife perished in the hands of ruthless bandits during their journey back to the capital city."

I was already familiar with that story as his son was a close friend of mine, so there was no way I could not have known it. The couple had spent a whole month in the hospital as the wife had just given birth and needed time to recover fully. After the wife had healed, they made the decision to return home to their family, looking forward to reuniting with loved ones and continuing with their daily routine. However, their journey back home was abruptly cut short as they were viciously attacked by a group of ruthless bandits.

Tris continued, "Lord Aerith, before his passing, had appointed the young lady as his successor. And now, with his demise, the responsibility of leading the prestigious Alistair house has fallen upon her young shoulders."

I looked over at the young girl, tears streaming down her face. It was hard to imagine being in her shoes, thrust into a position of power at such a young age. As a child, I had always shied away from taking on too much responsibility, feeling suffocated by the pressure that came with it. But this young girl had no choice but to shoulder the burden of running a prestigious house, a task that would surely test her strength and resilience.

Tris's voice broke through my thoughts, pulling me back to the present. "It's sad that she's lost her only family," she said, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

As I was about to offer my condolences to the young girl, the door suddenly opened, revealing a healer who stood waiting for us to enter.

"You may enter," he said, his voice soft and gentle, as he stepped aside to let us pass.

Without a moment's hesitation, the young girl rushed past us and entered the room. My heart went out to her as I watched her tears fall freely down her cheeks, already aware of the tragedy that had befallen her at such a young age. She made her way towards the bed, where two healers were standing by, their faces solemn and sympathetic.

As soon as she saw the white sheet that had been placed over the body, her sobs became louder, and she fell to her knees beside the bed. It was clear that the person beneath the sheet was someone who held great importance to her. And, unfortunately, it wasn't difficult to piece together who that person was—her grandfather, the former head of Alistair house, who had recently passed away.

The healer standing beside the bed solemnly reached for the white sheet covering the old man, and with a gentle tug, revealed the lifeless body beneath. The young girl's sobs grew louder at the sight of her beloved grandfather lying there, motionless and cold.

"Uwaaaaaaaaahhhh!" she wailed, her cries echoing throughout the room. It was clear that her grief ran deep, and her tears seemed to come from the very depths of her soul. Her grandfather had been the only family she had ever known, and the one who had cared for her since birth.

I watched in silence as the young girl's sobs continued, feeling a deep sense of empathy for her pain. I could only imagine how difficult it must be for her to lose the one person who had always been there for her, guiding and supporting her through the ups and downs of life. And now, she was left to face the world alone, with the weight of an entire house resting on her shoulders.

"Grandfather! Wake up! Uhhh! Wake up, grandfather!"

The young girl's cries were heart-wrenching, filled with desperation and disbelief. She shook her grandfather's lifeless body, pleading with him to wake up, to wipe away her tears and hold her close. But there was no response, no movement, no sign of life. Only the sound of her sobs filled the room, echoing off the walls and into my very soul.

As I watched from the doorway, my heart aching with sympathy for the young girl, I turned to Tris, who was quietly weeping beside me. Her tears were a testament to the depth of her compassion and understanding, as she too felt the weight of the girl's loss and the sorrow of her grief.

Knowing that it was not my place to intrude upon such a private and intimate moment, I silently slipped out of the room. Feeling a deep sense of respect and reverence for the young girl's grief, I quietly closed the door behind me, hoping to shield her cries from the ears of the world outside. It was a small gesture, but one that I hoped would bring her some measure of comfort and privacy in her time of need.

I took a moment to compose myself, realizing that I was about to challenge fate. It was crucial that I kept a watchful eye on Leon and Shionne, ensuring that their paths never crossed. If they did, the terrible future that I, Elisa, and the old man had dreaded could become a reality. It was my responsibility to ensure that they remained safe, and that no harm would come their way.