Author: 冬瓜茶仙人 / Winter Melon Tea Immortal

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 213

George was a bit shy. The first time he saw Charlie, he didn’t say anything, and when his uncle called his name, he tried to hide in the water.

But Charlie liked him very much.

“Louis looked just like this when he was little,” he said happily to Dwight. “Exactly the same, except for the color of the eyes and hair.”

“Why don’t you say he looks like you?” Dwight absentmindedly rubbed Charlie’s ear. This was a habitual action. Dwight had always been particularly attentive to Charlie’s ears, even when he had a rabbit’s head. After Charlie reverted to his human form, Dwight discovered that, whether as a human or a rabbit, Charlie’s ears reflected his emotional state. For example, now they moved slightly because he was happy.

“We didn’t often look in the mirror when we were young because seeing each other was like seeing ourselves. Louis and I were both very cute when we were kids, so George is especially cute too.” Charlie added, “And so are you.”

Dwight snorted. “Do you think I’d be jealous of a little kid?”

“No, I’m being serious.” Young Arnie was indeed lovable, and Charlie felt a bit regretful as he reached out to touch Dwight’s stomach, feeling the muscles under his pajamas.

Overall, there were gains and losses, he thought.

Dwight was about to speak when they heard a faint noise outside the door. Both of them paused to listen.

After a while, a sparrow-shaped clock near the door began chirping.

“It’s George,” Dwight said. He lay still, letting Charlie, barefoot, jump out of bed to open the door.

Dwight had converted his adjacent reading room into George’s bedroom because the child was too young and needed to be close. The sparrow-shaped clock was something Erica had gotten for George, as he couldn’t knock on the door yet.

When Charlie opened the door, he saw George standing on a soft stool, holding a gold cord. Seeing Charlie instead of Dwight, he looked a bit disappointed.

“George, do you have a fever?” Charlie noticed a small towel draped over George’s collar and reached out to feel his neck. The nanny following George stepped back after seeing the door open, allowing Charlie to pick him up.

George squirmed in Charlie’s arms. He wasn’t very familiar with Charlie and wanted to go to his uncle. But he didn’t dare say so and just craned his neck to look into the inner room, his legs kicking involuntarily when he saw Dwight coming out.

Charlie, experienced in handling children with nighttime fevers, handed George to Dwight and found a soft blanket to wrap him in, giving him water to drink.

Dwight held George with one arm and used the other to ring a bell for the doctor. Charlie thought the child was almost hanging from Dwight’s arm, but both seemed accustomed to the awkward posture.

“He was in the bath too long yesterday,” Dwight said, examining George. He had rushed to fetch Charlie and left George in the large bath for a long time. Although there were maids supervising, they didn’t dare interrupt George’s fun, so when they returned, he was still soaking in the water.

George buried his face in his uncle’s arm, sneaking glances at Charlie. Technically, Charlie wasn’t a stranger. He had heard people around him talk about Charlie since he was born—though his uncle mentioned him less frequently, everyone said Dwight was waiting for Charlie to return.

George had once thought Charlie was a child like him and feared his uncle would like Charlie more. Later, Dwight gradually taught him that Charlie was his father’s brother.

Seeing George’s curiosity, Dwight placed him, still wrapped in the blanket, next to Charlie.

“Your father looks just like Charlie. Aren’t you curious?” Dwight said. “Even their voices are similar.”

Charlie gently stroked George’s back like he was a small animal. “George, where is your dad?”

George hesitated, then whispered, “In a faraway place.”

Charlie looked up at Dwight with a bit of reproach. That’s an ominous way to put it.

Dwight said flatly, “He’s the current head of the Wolf Family.”

Charlie: “Huh?”

Dwight: “But he’s not in White Bridge. After Khalif died, the Wolf Family had no leader, and only Louis received support. He’s been rebuilding and helping Khalif’s daughter with the business… Later, he even gave her his assistant.”

“What do you mean by ‘later’?” Charlie glanced at George, who seemed to understand little. Dwight, however, spoke naturally and openly, making Charlie wonder if Dwight allowed George to listen in on political discussions while sitting on his knee—or wherever—while working in his study.

“Later, he left. The real power at White Bridge now lies with those two. Louis hasn’t officially stepped down because they don’t yet have the reputation or authority, but it’s only a matter of time.”

“So where did he go?” Charlie pressed.

Dwight looked at him as if he were an idiot. “How would I know? No one knows but him. When you were running around two continents back then, did you ever tell anyone your ticket’s destination?”

Charlie sulked. “But he doesn’t know I’m back.”

“Then send Emerald to find him,” Dwight suggested.

“Does Emerald know where Louis is?”

“No, but it can fly to look for him. It’s gotten fat, so it could use the exercise,” Dwight said matter-of-factly. Just then, the doctor arrived. Dwight looked down, preparing to lift George, but found he had fallen asleep.

“Since he’s asleep, don’t wake him. I’ll prepare the medicine. He can take it when he wakes up,” the doctor said, curious about Charlie. Charlie nodded to him.

“Louis used to get fevers a lot as a child. Rubbing his back made him feel better,” Charlie said softly, bending down to look at the sleeping George. The little boy’s soft face was squished into an adorable and funny shape. Though his features weren’t very similar, his sleeping expression was very much like Arnie’s.

“George doesn’t get sick often but is timid and doesn’t like sleeping alone,” Dwight said, looking at them.

“Then why don’t you sleep with him?”

“He’s the heir of Brandenburg. How can I allow him to be weak?”

“How old is he?” Charlie couldn’t help but sit up and argue.

“Age doesn’t matter. When I was his age—”

“Weren’t you also fond of being coddled? Arnie.”

Dwight suddenly straightened up, almost waking George with the motion. Charlie quickly steadied George and patted his back to soothe him. Once George was sound asleep again, Charlie gently placed him on the large bed in the inner room.

Dwight followed him in, grabbed Charlie’s hand, and asked in a low voice, “How do you know that name?”

“Which name are you asking about? Arnie?”

“I’m asking you—” Dwight pulled him closer until their noses almost touched. Charlie could see the complex mix of excitement and astonishment in his light, golden eyes. “Where exactly did you go?”

“I thought you wouldn’t ask.” Charlie chuckled. “It’s been 24 hours already.”

“I didn’t have time to ask,” Dwight said discontentedly.

“I’m not sure if the seer agreed to my request. How much do you remember from many years ago?” Charlie asked in return.

“What stories?”

“The story of the forest and the dragon. The story of the little chick’s adventure in the kitchen. And the story of the Kingdom of Gold in Dreamland. I told you many, many stories.”

“Those were miscellaneous books I read when I was little.” Dwight scrutinized his expression. “No one told me those.”

Charlie then knew the Nawen seer had granted his request. He wrapped his arms around Dwight’s neck and told him everything, starting from when he fell into the river and was swept away.

“I did go to the southern elven forest,” Dwight said. “The Nawen tribe gradually migrated out in batches. Most stayed in the area, some children came to Lemena, and some even went to the Imperial Capital when they grew up.”

“Hasting is also a child of the Nawen tribe, right?” Charlie said. “I told Alfred not to miss him… on the night you were sound asleep.”

At the mention of Alfred, Dwight took a deep breath.

“Alright.” He repeated as if convincing himself. “Alright.”

He was very displeased that someone had tampered with his memory, considering it an outrageous violation. This also explained why his memories from when he was five were unusually vague. It wasn’t that he should remember everything, but exceptional memory had always been a talent of the Duke of Brandenburg. Until Charlie mentioned it now, he hadn’t realized that only Hasting’s presence vaguely reminded him of what had happened years ago.

As Charlie narrated, this extraordinary past seemed to have the dust of time wiped away, revealing its true form.

“Alfred took a liking to Hasting. At that time, cooperation between Lemena and the Nawen tribe hadn’t been formally discussed. The knights wanted to take only one child, but Hasting’s brother didn’t want him to go alone and volunteered to go along.” Dwight tightened his embrace around Charlie, leaning on his shoulder, not wanting him to see his expression.

“His brother… unlike Hastings, had magical talent. He started learning elven magic at a very young age and was also physically strong, so both brothers came—they were the first batch.”

Initially, the Nawen tribe was reluctant to let their children be taken away, but as time passed and they realized how enriching the cities and life outside the forest could be, they changed their minds and actively sent children willing to leave to Lemena and even the Imperial Capital to study and live.

Charlie pulled away a bit and saw that the usually stoic Duke of Brandenburg looked somewhat sad—a rare moment of emotional vulnerability.

“You make me regret it.” Charlie sighed. “I shouldn’t have told you all this.”

“No,” Dwight said softly. “I’m glad you know them.”

At that moment, George suddenly turned over on the bed, and they both fell silent, watching him.

“You were only a little older than George then, Arnie,” Charlie said wistfully.

Dwight pinched his ear.

“When I see George, it’s like seeing you. I don’t want to raise him to be so spoiled, but I find it hard to refuse that face.” Dwight sat on the edge of the bed and tucked George in. “The Grand Magus could replicate Khalif’s magic but couldn’t ensure giving me the same landing point as you. The only way was to wait for you to come back.”

“Thank you for taking care of Arnie, and thank you for coming back,” Dwight said. “I missed you very much.”

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