"After getting married and feeling too old to continue serving, Grandmother decided to retire and switched to working as a palace servant while taking care of our children," added the head servant, reminiscing about her youth under Reina's father's rule.
Elexon still remembered the time when he, his wife, and a few loyalists of Queen Lumina had to search for Reina, who had disappeared as if swallowed by the earth after being declared kidnapped by bandits.
Previously, the Queen had asked several trusted people to take Reina as far away as possible from the kingdom, which was then in heavy conflict. However, that plan didn't go as hoped.
As a result, some survivors of the bandit attack, who witnessed Reina's kidnapping, along with Elexon, his wife, and several of the Queen's loyal subordinates, traveled to various places until they finally found Reina in the kingdom of Turnia. She was under the care of the King of Turnia, a nation located in the heart of the Eastern Desert.
Lia was astonished, her pride swelling as she learned that her grandparents were far from ordinary. Just hearing snippets of their story convinced her they were extraordinary.
"So, Grandpa was a knight? I never thought Grandpa was a knight like Aunt Sylvia. And Grandma, too, is amazing!"
Elexon chuckled at his granddaughter's adorable amazement.
Harzel, who also laughed, then said to Lia, "It's actually more than that, Lia. Your grandfather is now the Grand Marshal of the Kingdom, holding the highest rank after the king and queen. His duties are to oversee the entire royal army and act as the chief advisor in military affairs."
Everyone nodded with smiles.
Lia grew even more excited upon hearing this. Her eyes sparkled, and she hugged Elexon, who was still carrying her. "Grandpa is so amazing! Does that mean Grandpa is the strongest person in the kingdom after Mom?"
Suddenly, she remembered something and continued innocently, "Because Mom said she's the strongest in the kingdom and that no one can beat her."
Lia recalled her mother's words about how strong, tough, and incredible she was, especially when she reclaimed her rightful place as queen. Of course, Reina had recounted this with pride, often praising herself in front of her daughter to appear cool and impressive.
Elexon chuckled at his granddaughter's innocent question. "Not exactly, Lia. Titles like that are not about who's the strongest. It's more about responsibility. The responsibility to protect the kingdom and the people living in it."
The head servant smiled kindly and added, "And it's a heavy duty. That's why we always work together, supporting each other. There's nothing we can achieve without teamwork."
Lia looked at her grandfather with admiration. "Grandpa and Grandma are amazing! I can't even imagine how incredible that must be."
Beile, overhearing the conversation, chimed in jokingly, "Of course they're amazing. How else could your mother turn out so great?"
Everyone laughed at Beile's joke, while Lia paused briefly before asking again, "Uncle Harzel said earlier that Grandpa is now the Grand Marshal with the highest rank after the king and queen. That must be hard, especially having to oversee the entire royal army and advise on military matters."
Elexon looked at Lia tenderly, filled with affection, while recalling his past challenges. "For now, Grandpa just wants to enjoy some relaxation. I feel I've done enough fighting on the front lines. It's time to give the next generation a chance."
Elexon continued wisely, "I'm also personally training your father, Yosan. But for now, I have to wait for him to recover from the injuries he sustained in his last training."
He smiled warmly and added, "And Grandpa wants to spend more time with family, watching this little granddaughter grow up healthy and happy."
Hearing this, Lia grinned widely, feeling both proud and happy.
However, the moment didn't last long as Nils suddenly said with a laugh, "Speaking of retirement, I wonder when Grandpa will really stop giving orders to all of us."
Elexon shot Nils a sharp, authoritative look, but his lips curved into a small smile, showing he was only teasing. "When I feel you all are competent enough to run this kingdom without any problems, Nils."
He then looked at Lia and said, "And your mother is truly incredible, Lia." Elexon smiled, then sighed deeply, as if reminiscing about someone. "I miss those two old fellows. They'd be so proud knowing they have such an adorable granddaughter like you, Lia."
Lia frowned, confused. "So I have other grandparents? Where are they? Why am I only learning about them now?"
The head servant nodded with a soft smile. "Not just grandparents, Lia. You also have other uncles and aunts out there. They currently live in the Kingdom of Turnia and in the village of Winterstell."
"Turnia? Where is that?" Lia asked curiously after her initial surprise faded. For Winterstell, a cold region often blanketed in snow, Lia already knew about it from Harzel's stories. She recalled how Harzel had often described the beauty and chill of that place. But she never expected to have other grandparents living there.
"In the desert lands, precisely at the heart of the eastern desert," replied Elexon, Harzel, Nils, Beile, and the head servant almost simultaneously.
Seeing Lia's adorable confused expression, Elexon pinched her cheek playfully.
"Grandpa, that hurts..." Lia pouted, glaring at Elexon in annoyance.
Elexon laughed, then kissed the cheek he had pinched earlier. "Forgive me, Grandpa couldn't help it. You were too adorable."
Lia ignored Elexon's words. Her face still showed irritation. "Tch, Grandpa is annoying," she muttered under her breath, but loud enough for everyone to hear. This earned her a scolding from her grandfather, grandmother, and uncles, making her cheeks puff out even more. The little girl now resembled a squirrel storing food in its cheeks.
But her irritation gradually faded, replaced by curiosity about her other family. "So, what are they like? I mean, my other grandparents, uncles, and aunts?" she asked, this time more clearly, though her eyes still brimmed with curiosity.
"And what does 'heart of the eastern desert' mean? And why are you only telling me now?"
"Even Mom and Dad never told me anything. I just found out I have other family in Winterstell. Uncle Harzel often talks about that village. Why didn't he mention it?" she continued, her small voice growing faster, with emphasis on almost every word, driven by her overflowing curiosity.
Elexon chuckled, shaking his head. Lia truly resembled Yosan at that moment. When they didn't find answers or weren't told, they'd get upset.
Pausing to think, Elexon wondered whether to tell Lia or not about her other family. Perhaps revealing a bit of the truth they had hidden wouldn't hurt.
Elexon finally asked, "Lia, do you already know the story of how your mother reclaimed this kingdom years ago, from your lessons at school?"
If not, Elexon thought he might have to tell it himself.
Lia nodded. "I've already learned about that in school. Right, Uncle Beile?" Lia turned to Beile, who had earlier asked something similar.
"Then there's no harm in Grandpa sharing a bit more detail," said Elexon, pausing briefly. He looked at his wife, Nils, Harzel, and Beile in turn.
The head servant, Nils, Harzel, and Beile nodded in agreement. To them, there was no harm in Lia knowing more about her other family, though not everything. Reina's past was too heavy and painful to be shared entirely with Lia.
"Alright, maybe Grandpa will start the story from…" Elexon began recounting Reina's life journey.