Author: 冬瓜茶仙人 / Winter Melon Tea Immortal

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

Chapter 214

George remembered that his uncle was holding him before he fell asleep, but when he woke up, he found himself lying on top of “Charlie”.

Charlie hadn’t opened his eyes yet. George wanted to climb off him but was afraid of waking him, so he nervously lifted his head to look at Charlie.

At his age, George had a basic concept of beauty but couldn’t discern the degrees of handsomeness—he thought his uncle was slightly better looking than Charlie, but since his uncle said Charlie looked just like his father, George decided Charlie was also very handsome.

How should he address him? He couldn’t call him Dad because he wasn’t his dad. Uncle? George had many uncles; the entire Brandenburg Knight Order was his uncles. Was Charlie a knight too?

This concept puzzled George. After thinking for a while, his neck got tired, and he lay back down on Charlie.

Last night, Charlie had held him while he slept, making George feel closer to him. George was a child who loved to be cuddled, pampered, and the adults always humored him.

His uncle wasn’t unwilling to hold him, but the Duke of Brandenburg was very strict with himself and others. Everything had to follow rules and systems, and George had a limited number of times he could act spoiled in a day. Once he used them up, no amount of pleading would work. Sleeping while being held was too indulgent and not allowed.

But Charlie was willing to hold him all the time. Once George understood this, he didn’t want to escape anymore, especially since his uncle was right beside him—George closed his eyes and fell asleep again.

After George’s breathing steadied, Charlie and Dwight opened their eyes.

“That’s why I said to put him back in his room before he wakes up.” The Duke’s voice was still hoarse in the early morning. “Otherwise, he will keep wanting to sleep here.”

Charlie said, “Last night was special. George was sick.”

“He will ask to sleep here every time he has a fever.”

“Is that not allowed?”

“No.”

“Must you be so strict?”

Dwight’s response was to sit up and move George off Charlie.

Charlie watched in amazement as Dwight moved, and George showed no signs of waking up.

“He easily gets anxious, but my presence calms him,” Dwight said as he tucked George into bed. “He won’t wake up that quickly.”

“Oh—George loves his uncle so much,” Charlie mocked in a drawling tone.

“I’ve spent the most time with him since he was born. Even if I were a monkey, George would instinctively rely on me,” Dwight said.

“Did Priscilla just let you take him back?” Charlie asked.

“The environment in Doran is unstable,” Dwight replied matter-of-factly. “I believe George’s tendency to be clingy is due to the unstable environment Priscilla experienced during her pregnancy, affecting George in the womb.”

This was the Duke’s personal theory, with no evidence to support it, but he felt it was the only explanation for George’s personality.

Neither Priscilla, himself, nor Louis or Charlie were the type to be dependent, so Dwight couldn’t understand where George’s clinginess and dependence came from.

Moreover, after returning to Brandenburg, George was almost second in status only to Dwight in Lemena. Dwight raised him as an heir, with everyone revolving around him. In both material and emotional aspects, George was one of the wealthiest children on the continent. But the boy lacked any sense of leadership and was extremely clingy.

The only explanation Dwight could think of was that Priscilla’s anxiety during late pregnancy affected George. Although George had no memory of being in the womb, he hadn’t forgotten the feeling.

There was another detail the Duke wouldn’t mention: his initial time with George hadn’t been smooth, and both of them suffered a lot.

When George was born, Charlie had disappeared due to magic. The Wolf and Monkey families were in chaos due to their leaders’ sudden deaths. If not for a lack of manpower, they could have been divided by the covetous Lion and Fox families.

Coincidentally, the forces of the Modicon Empire had secretly arrived at White Bridge. Emperor Zoltar, warned by Dwight, had sent a small force to Doran to eliminate the Holy Grail legend forever. When they arrived, they found the Black Gold Families in civil war. Not only was the Holy Grail’s whereabouts unknown, but most of those who knew of its existence were dead.

Dwight had done Louis a favor by using this force to reorganize White Bridge. Representing Wolf, Louis, with Dwight’s support, reshuffled the two family factions in White Bridge using extremely harsh methods. The Monkey became a branch of the Wolf family, even losing their surname.

After the situation stabilized, Priscilla took George back to Mokwen. The news of Duke Dwight’s uninvited arrival shocked the entire capital. Tifa, who had a weak personality, felt guilty after killing Priscilla’s husband, his own brother, and handed over all of Lestrop’s inheritance to Priscilla, even giving the title to George, who wasn’t even a month old. Priscilla became the acting Countess.

This outcome wasn’t without opposition from the Mokwen royal family, but Priscilla handed George over to Duke Dwight, claiming her frail health prevented her from raising him personally and asking him to take care of the child.

A reasonable request from a sibling.

The problem was that the Count had left, and Priscilla, exercising the Count’s authority, remained in place. This meant the title was effectively given to Priscilla, and dealing with a weak infant was entirely different from dealing with a politically savvy woman who had survived and secured her family’s assets and position.

Priscilla ignored those who openly and secretly expressed dissatisfaction and refused all attempts to probe her upon returning to her territory, under the guise of mourning her late husband.

Dwight unconditionally supported Priscilla. The little one she entrusted to him was also a Dwight by blood. But this nephew was so young that the newly adult Duke of Brandenburg felt completely out of his depth.

Priscilla and Louis arranged for a nanny to accompany the child to ensure his safe and smooth arrival at Lemena. However, it was only when little George grew older, began to think, and had emotional needs that the greatest challenge for Dwight arose. The peculiar yet familiar hug between uncle and nephew that Charlie saw last night was one of the results of that period.

“Don’t dawdle,” Dwight, determined not to share his rather embarrassing parenting history, urged Charlie with a stern face. “We have things to do.”

“Where to? What about George?”

“His fever has already subsided. He will get up when he wakes.”

“He will be sad if he wakes up and finds no one around!”

“The nanny will stay with him.” Dwight simply pulled Charlie out of bed and dragged him to the dressing room to change clothes.

Charlie asked, “Shouldn’t we still—”

“The place we’re going is not suitable for George,” Dwight said quickly, giving Charlie no room to bargain.

Charlie, who had hardly seen any friends except Shivers since returning, felt a bit helpless and had no idea what the rush was about. But from the other’s smooth arrangements, it didn’t seem like a spur-of-the-moment decision. As he was almost pushed down the spiral stairs into the central garden, a small, two-seater carriage was already waiting.

“If I ask where we’re going, you wouldn’t tell me, right?” Charlie, arms crossed, sat in the carriage and looked at Dwight—then at the scenery outside the window. One had to say, his elf lineage hadn’t been wasted. Though he had grown up, his facial features hadn’t lost their delicacy. Instead, the subtle changes in his bones had altered his aura. He used to resemble an angel in a religious mural, now he looked like a handsome statue in a domed hall.

The common point was that his beauty set him apart from ordinary people. Just looking at him could dissipate anger.

“We’re almost there,” Dwight said.

He was telling the truth. The carriage didn’t travel far after leaving Brandenburg but wound up to a small hill with a woodland area at the top.

Charlie recognized it immediately as the place where Dwight had moved Khalif’s basement: a small depression at the base of the hill.

Dwight didn’t lead him to the basement but instead walked toward the woods on the hillside. This area was evidently part of Brandenburg, with maintained lawns and woods and clean paths.

It seemed it had rained last night. The air in the woods was particularly fresh, lifting Charlie’s spirits. He walked beside Dwight on the stone path, looking around curiously.

There was only one path in the woods, ending at a stone dome building, flanked by various beautiful trees with rain-washed leaves glistening.

As they got closer, Charlie noticed that this building looked more like a temple than a hall—it had no doors—only twelve marble pillars arranged in sequence, each topped with a lifelike carving of a horse.

Dwight led Charlie into the central hall without stopping. Inside was an empty circular space, resembling…

Charlie stopped.

It resembled Brandenburg.

Facing the entrance was a circular staircase, at the top of which were two stone high chairs with two statues sitting on them—Dwight’s late parents, the previous Duke and Duchess.

The former Duke, in his prime, had a calm face, looking straight ahead, the only non-stone part being the staff he held, topped with a glittering red gemstone.

The Duchess beside him wore a veil—a strange blend of cold stone and soft veil—and her face beneath was as serene as Charlie remembered. Her stone veil was adorned with a beautiful silver tiara, exquisitely crafted, clearly of elven make.

The two statues sat in their places, with many more statues below them. Charlie saw a tall, handsome man nearest the former Duke. He wore no helmet, his stone cloak only half draped, looking up slightly at the Duke and Duchess.

Statues couldn’t smile, but in Charlie’s memory, this man often did.

“Alfred,” he said softly.

Charlie stood at the entrance, suddenly a bit hesitant to move forward—something he rarely felt.

But Dwight gave him no chance to hesitate, pulling him forward while giving a simple introduction.

“Flora, mother’s maid, very kind.”

“Joseph, father’s assistant, in charge of clerical work.”

“Mrs. Eloise, mother’s assistant, used to manage Brandenburg’s finances with the steward.”

“Eddie, father’s attendant, very clever.”

Charlie tightened his grip on Dwight’s hand, but he seemed oblivious.

“…Sherrill, former Brandenburg knight, excellent rider and very intelligent.” Dwight was familiar with every statue. He led Charlie up the steps. Most of the statues on the steps were knights.

“Alfred, you know.” Dwight’s gaze passed over Alfred’s statue, landing on the only man standing beside the Duke’s statue—a young, handsome man without armor.

“Albert, the steward’s eldest son,” Dwight said to Charlie. “Erica’s brother.”

Charlie stood before the Duke’s statue, unable to speak.

“Back then, they were all on the same ship, a large one built by the Empire’s finest craftsmen, accompanied by a fleet of warships, claiming even sea monsters wouldn’t be their match.” Dwight lowered his eyes. “Humans are ultimately too arrogant. Even someone as strong as Alfred… The Brandenburg knights couldn’t conquer the storm with swords.”

The former Emperor lost Duke Dwight, the fleet, and the will to cross the seas, but his loss wasn’t as tragic as that of the Brandenburg siblings.

Dwight and Priscilla couldn’t even build graves for their parents, only adorning the statues with their cherished staff and tiara.

“My conflicting feelings toward George are also influenced by this place.” Dwight’s gaze fell on the Duke and Duchess’s laps, where, due to their sitting posture, there was space for a child to sit.

“Even if there was only a one percent chance, I worried George would become like me, seeking solace from statues in times of helplessness and loneliness. So, on one hand, I want him to grow up immediately. On the other hand, I think he deserves to be spoiled and rely on his elders because I’m still here,” Dwight said.

Charlie turned to look at him.

“It wasn’t until Priscilla got married that I stopped coming here. This is the first time in many years.” Dwight suddenly smiled. “Because I thought I had grown up and couldn’t rely on my parents anymore—even imaginary reliance. But after returning from Doran, I didn’t hesitate to choose the hill as the site for rebuilding the basement, within their line of sight.”

Charlie hugged him. “Alright.”

Dwight continued, “Last night, when I saw you holding George, I suddenly realized I might not be as mature as I thought. Father and Mother saw the childish side of my soul in a panic but still responded to my plea, bringing my lover back.”

“Who said that?” Charlie blinked, trying to hold back tears. “Duke Dwight has always been particularly reliable and the most handsome—did I ever tell you? The first time you stood on my porch, I was stunned.”

Dwight pressed his fingers to Charlie’s eye corners. “Really?”

“In front of your parents, I can’t lie.” Charlie pressed his forehead against Dwight’s. “The well-traveled rabbit shopkeeper couldn’t have fallen in love at first sight with anyone less than extraordinarily handsome, wise, calm, and brave, right?”

Dwight closed his eyes. Warm sunlight spread through the pillars, in this exceptionally tranquil space, they could feel each other’s breaths mingling.

It felt like they had just experienced a long adventure, a bit tired yet somewhat happy, not wanting to speak, just quietly leaning on each other.

Like every ordinary day and night to come.

The End

The author has something to say:

Thank you all for your support! The rabbit-headed character was just a sudden idea, and I didn’t expect this story to take so long to write. I initially planned to finish between 400,000 to 500,000 words, but it doubled, hahaha.

I should ideally announce the next book, but as someone who runs on instinct with no plans (probably why I get stuck), I’ll let it happen naturally.

Don’t leave yet. I’ll slowly write extras. Although the update schedule won’t be fixed, unless the book status is marked complete, it still means extra updates are coming.

Kinky Thoughts:

With this, we reach the conclusion of the main story. I’ve always been on the lookout for western fantasy in danmei after reading Stray, and this came highly recommended to me.

My overall thoughts are, it’s quite good. The story really pulled me in and had me turning pages, wanting to find out more. The writing was pretty good overall (with a huge asterisk, which will be explained later). However, compared to Stray, it falls quite short, but then again, there’s not much that can compare to Stray (my bias).

My biggest gripe with this novel is the romance. As I expressed before, it was hardly ever developed when, suddenly, 130+ chapters later, they shared a kiss out of nowhere. It felt definitely shoehorned in because the author is writing a “danmei”. Honestly, the author could just remove the romance from this novel and just call it fantasy. The development was just too awkward—that being said, Shivers and Yitzfa’s relationship is lit. The author has noted that she’s not very good at writing romance, so I guess that’s why we have such an awkward relationship with the main CP.

Second, the last part of this novel is quite convoluted. The author spent quite some time developing the setting and world, so I was expecting more political intrigue and war, yet all we got when Charlie returned back from the past was a few chapters that basically wrapped everything up. What about the World Dragon? What about the Holy Grail? It seems like a missed opportunity to not explore more on this subject. The author seems to have many ideas she wanted to incorporate but couldn’t fit them in cohesively, especially in the last part of the novel where everything seemed to be crammed in all at once to rush the ending. 

Third, the setting the author developed seemed quite inconsistent. For instance, Dwight constantly talks about the difference between nobility and the common people, what his status meant, and how he should act. Even Priscilla acknowledges she cannot be with Louis due to their different status… but everyone is seemingly okay with Dwight just shacking up with Charlie? A man? Like what…? Especially when he’s the only male heir of the Dwight family. I supposed George now can take over the family’s title and name but still… Why is there no acknowledgement of their relationship and how scandalous this would be in such a setting? I mean this issue wasn’t even glossed over—it was entirely not acknowledged at all!

Finally, the most headache-inducing were the typos in the original raws—and my god, there were so many. This wouldn’t be too bad of a problem if not many of the typos were the names the author herself made (and this novel seriously has A LOT of names). It was hard to tell when I saw a new “name” whether it was an actual new name or just a typo the author made. At some point, the author even forgot some of the side character names she made, asking readers to help her out in the comments (WTF… keep tabs on your characters) and there was also another name where she at some point reversed the Chinese characters, leading me to believe it was a newly introduced person (it wasn’t—that was a fucking pain to fix all the previous chapters).

However, with that said, it was quite a great read. Don’t let my opinion influence your views. Though I rant, I did really enjoy this novel.

If you did enjoy it, please consider supporting the author by buying the raws. You can use Google Chrome with their auto translate and this guide on how to buy novels on jjwxc. Remember, only with your (financial) support can artists continue to produce more great works.

Finally, I like to thank everyone for your comments, encouragement, help with my translations, and ko-fi donations.

There are still extras, so look forward to them. Hopefully I can get more Shivers x Yitzfa.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 冬瓜茶仙人 / Winter Melon Tea Immortal

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

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.”

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 冬瓜茶仙人 / Winter Melon Tea Immortal

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

Chapter 212

Charlie thought he was about to choke on the water—he was extremely reluctant to open his mouth and let the dirty green water enter his body, but the instinctive need for oxygen made it impossible to hold on. Just when he was about to succumb, the water around him suddenly vanished, and he fell face-first onto the ground.

He finally coughed, intending only to relieve the discomfort, but the coughing became uncontrollable and increasingly severe. His throat itched, making it hard to breathe. He barely managed to flip over and kneel on the ground, hoping to expel the non-existent dirty water from his throat.

Apparently, his coughing was loud enough to alert someone, as he heard a shout followed by hurried footsteps.

Great, just what he needed—an audience. Charlie thought as he coughed, hoping that among the onlookers there might be a doctor.

To his surprise, not many people approached him—only one, in fact. The person roughly lifted him, pushing his wet hair aside.

“Cough, cough! You… cough!” Charlie raised his hand to wipe the water from his face, but something cool was shoved into his mouth.

A mint.

Charlie stopped coughing and suspiciously looked at the person, unsure if he was seeing things.

“Dwight?” he asked.

Logically, this question shouldn’t have come from him, but the person before him looked different from the Duke he remembered.

The facial contours were still sharp, and the light golden eyes and hair were the same, but the nose and brows seemed slightly different, and his height had changed.

“It’s me,” Dwight said, looking directly at him. “Is that all you have to say?”

Charlie suddenly tackled him, catching Dwight off guard, causing both of them to fall to the ground.

“I don’t know how long I’ve been gone,” Charlie whispered into Dwight’s neck, “but I knew you were waiting for me.”

Dwight grasped the back of his neck, pulling back a bit to look at him, then gave him a wet kiss.

Both were breathless by the end of the kiss. Dwight shook his fingers to flick off the waterweed from Charlie’s hair.

“Where did you go?” Dwight asked. “You smell awful.”

Charlie laughed heartily, then kissed him again before looking around. “Where are we?”

“Where else? Khalif’s secret chamber,” Dwight said sternly.

“No, the magical aura is different,” Charlie said firmly, wanting to look around, but Dwight didn’t let go.

“You had someone make changes, didn’t you?” Charlie asked.

Dwight finally helped him up from the ground.

“The people from the Empire arrived at White Bridge a few hours later. His Majesty the Emperor highly values the Holy Grail’s existence, and there were two Grand Magus in the delegation,” Dwight said. “At that time, Khalif was dead, and Louis had stabilized the remaining members of the Wolf Family. His assistant was quite capable. Although it cost a lot of money, all unrelated personnel were dismissed.”

The Emperor had been prepared to use force to seal the Holy Grail’s history, but the Wolf and Monkey families had torn each other apart, leaving the lesser powers, the Lion and the Fox, to exit early. Their only role was to assist the Duke of Brandenburg in deconstructing Khalif’s magic to bring back the innocent victims.

“Initially, everyone thought you were dead. No one could survive such chaotic magic,” Dwight said calmly. “But then Elena’s magic was suddenly drained significantly, and I knew you were still alive.”

“Kurt said there would always be a return, but the stars couldn’t pinpoint the exact time, so I had the mages move Khalif’s entire basement here.”

Charlie sensed something was off. “What do you mean by ‘moved it here’?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. I dismantled his house, brought every piece of wood and stone back to Lemena, and reconstructed the basement, including the last door’s magic—right where you are now.” Dwight led him out of the room, and they saw the damp hallway and stone steps. Even the humidity in the air was similar.

It was much brighter outside the room, and Charlie finally realized what was different about Dwight.

“You’ve grown taller!” Charlie said in surprise. “So much taller—” Even his build was different. His facial features were still delicate, but now he looked tall and slender, completely different from the lanky boy Charlie remembered. If Duke Dwight before their parting had a fragile, elf-like grace, the current Duke looked more like a majestic Ice Prince, whose gaze no one dared to meet.

“If you had taken any longer, I’d be old by now,” Dwight said irritably. “I already decided that if you returned when I was thirty, I’d beat you up first, then send Kurt back to Doran.”

Charlie: “…So you think thirty is old? How old are you now?”

Dwight didn’t answer, pulling him up the stone steps. At the end of the passage, there was no reconstruction of Khalif’s house. The mages had built the basement under a recessed, gentle slope, and the distant castle was bathed in the soft golden light of the setting sun.

It was Brandenburg.

Charlie squinted, unaccustomed to the light. Seeing Brandenburg, he couldn’t help but think of Arnie.

Interestingly, from the time he and Dwight met until their unexpected separation, they never had the chance to see the castle. Yet, half of his brief time with Arnie was spent there.

He looked at the much taller Duke, who had been a small, short-limbed boy with chubby cheeks, easy to carry around. Now, realizing he would never experience that again, he felt a sharp pang of loss.

Dwight noticed Charlie’s strange look. “What’s with that expression?”

Charlie said nothing, accepting a towel from a nearby servant to dry off (mostly Charlie). In the basement, it hadn’t felt cold, but once they were outside, the breeze made him want to sneeze.

Charlie took the towel and laughed as soon as he saw it.

“Of course, it’s you, Shivers.” Despite his wet clothes, Charlie hugged him. “I knew you’d be here.”

Shivers hadn’t changed much in appearance and smiled back. “Welcome back, Charlie.”

“Are you planning to hug everyone looking like this?” Dwight draped the towel over Charlie’s head. Although his tone was less than polite, his actions were unexpectedly practiced and natural. Charlie felt that the smell of water on him was too strong, and sitting in Dwight’s spotless, shiny carriage in such a state seemed like a crime, but neither Dwight nor Shivers seemed to think it was a problem.

The journey back was short. Before getting off, Dwight asked, “Where’s Emerald?”

“It just went back to the castle, so I guess everyone knows by now,” Shivers said, in a good mood. “Shiloh happened to be out, but everyone else is here, waiting for you, especially—”

Dwight lifted his eyelids and gave Shivers a glance, making him stop talking.

But Charlie picked up the conversation himself, “Especially Dwight!”

He said cheerfully, “You came within minutes. You must have missed me very, very much, right?”

It had only been about a month for him since he went back in time, but several years had passed here. Even though Dwight wouldn’t admit it, Charlie could feel his longing, whether from the kiss that ignored the waterweed and mud or from the hand that still held onto his tightly.

Dwight initially had no intention of responding to his boasting, but Charlie was never someone who needed an audience’s cooperation. He persisted in asking several times, “Right? Right?”

Annoyed, the Duke reached out, intending to pull the towel down over Charlie’s face to stop his chatter. Instead, his hand changed course, and he flicked Charlie’s forehead lightly.

“Yes,” Dwight said.

Charlie was stunned.

Partly because the Dwight he knew rarely indulged others’ teasing, and partly because the gesture was very familiar.

When little Arnie was being stubborn, a few people who weren’t afraid of his status would flick his forehead like this. Charlie had seen Alfred do it once, and he later used this method to teach Arnie. After he left, Alfred…

Dwight frowned, wondering why such a small gesture suddenly made Charlie sad.

“We’re here,” Shivers said, pretending not to notice their exchange and was the first to jump out of the carriage.

Charlie was pulled along by Dwight, striding into the castle, through the main hall, the drawing room, and the garden, arriving at the large bath on the first floor.

The antechamber to the large bath was semi-open, with warm mist spreading from the bath and soft towels piled on a couch. Dwight deftly threw the towel off Charlie and started to undress him.

Charlie was a bit surprised by his enthusiasm but thought it was fitting for a grown-up Duke to be so straightforward. So he eagerly stripped down and began to touch him in return.

Dwight grabbed Charlie’s wandering hand and sighed, “I meant for you to take a bath.”

“Aren’t we bathing together?” Charlie asked.

“I don’t mind, but now isn’t the right time.” Dwight stared at Charlie openly, thinking the same as Charlie, but—

“What do you mean, ‘not the right time’?” Charlie said, “You’ve already grown up.”

Dwight jerked his chin towards something.

Charlie realized and turned around to see.

A three- or four-year-old boy was clinging to the edge of the bath, his face steamed red, watching them with wide eyes. Except for the eye color, he looked exactly like Louis when he was young.

“Before I went to get you, I was giving him a bath,” Dwight said lazily. “I didn’t have time to explain—George, this is Charlie.”

The author has something to say:

Charlie: You’ve grown up.

Dwight: That’s because you immediately started stripping.

Charlie: With a child present, what’s the point of growing up? You should have reminded me sooner.

Dwight: No, I wait until you’re undressed to tell you.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 冬瓜茶仙人 / Winter Melon Tea Immortal

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

Chapter 211

The elven ruins were deeper in the forest, with paths overgrown by vegetation, making it impossible for even mounts to enter. Only the giant birds trained by the Nawen tribe could reach them.

Arnie had long wanted to ride the giant birds, and his rare eagerness made it hard for the Duke and Duchess to refuse him.

Additionally, with the knights accompanying the Duke into the forest, the situation had completely shifted, and Arnie was no longer a pitiable child restricted in his movements. The Nawen tribe had lowered their stance sufficiently. As long as they remained rational, they wouldn’t harm Arnie under these circumstances—the Duke and the knights were confident of this.

However, the seer had limited the number of people allowed to enter. Besides Arnie, Charlie, and Alfred, only one more person could follow.

Having nearly lost her child, the Duchess was adamant about not compromising this time, and Duke Dwight had no choice but to agree to let his wife go in his stead.

This was actually a good thing for the Nawen tribe, as they were quite resistant to “outsiders” entering elven territory (Arnie and the Duchess didn’t count because of their bloodline advantage). Alfred was already an exception, and as for Charlie, the seer personally agreed to his presence, so it didn’t count either.

After finalizing the personnel, the Nawen tribe summoned two giant eagles large enough to carry people, which landed in the clearing of the settlement.

Duke Dwight frowned at the sharp beaks of the two birds, feeling a bit regretful.

“Arnie, how about I go with you?” he suggested to his son.

The Duchess picked up Arnie and firmly looked at her husband.

“I will not be separated from Arnie again,” she said. The Duke knew that Arnie’s experiences over the past few days had shattered her heart, so he had to give in.

Charlie initially thought that after passing through the spatial magic barrier, the elven ruins would be a combination of buildings and trees covered in vines.

But when the giant birds circled down and finally set them down, everyone was stunned.

It was a city.

Unlike the envisioned elven huts and seas of flowers, this was a pristine, exquisite marble city hidden within the vast sea of trees.

Although vines had integrated with the intricate carvings and the once smooth floor was covered with fallen leaves and branches, the precisely cut stones were combined in an unimaginably aesthetic manner, beautiful and majestic. Despite being abandoned for centuries, it still amazed and shocked the viewers.

“The elves took all the books and stationery,” the seer said as he led them across the square, with the massive, long-silent clock tower watching silently as they walked towards the palace.

“But they left the murals and sculptures on the walls.” The seer’s withered fingers lightly touched the cold, hard wall. “We can only glimpse a bit of their former glory from these.”

There was no need for him to say more. Everyone was already mesmerized.

The high dome had large crystal windows that let light through, with sunlight falling on the two thrones in the main hall. Stone-carved swords stood beside the chairs, and the curved walls were filled with historical scenes depicting the elves migrating from the cold north to be accepted by the southern forest and building this city with the help of the treants.

The Duchess and Arnie were almost entranced by the details in the murals, while Alfred’s attention was more on the mother and son.

The seer crossed the main hall, with Charlie quietly following.

In the center of the palace was an open-air garden with beautiful trees and a jade fountain. Grass grew in the cracks of the floor, and while the fountain no longer flowed, it was still full of water.

“This is the place,” the seer said calmly.

Charlie glanced inside and frowned. “Where does this water come from? Rainwater?”

After so many years, the fountain should have dried up. Yet now, the fountain was still more than half full of greenish, murky water, with small twigs and leaves floating on the surface, looking dirty.

“The large fish at the foot of the gryphon statue is the water outlet,” the seer said calmly, seemingly not hearing Charlie’s disdain. “Please place the gem in the fish’s mouth, and I will activate the magic for you.”

Charlie looked back. The other three were still in the main hall. Except for Alfred, who might have sensed something, the Duchess and Arnie were unaware that the seer and Charlie had already left the hall.

“I have a question.” Charlie hesitated, which was rare for him. “Arnie…”

“His memory?” The sharp-minded seer nodded. “Besides me, everyone else will not remember the specific details about the elven ruins—they will retain impressions but won’t remember the way, as if they had a very vivid dream.”

This was to protect the secrets of the elven ruins, which Charlie understood. But he wanted to ask something else. “I wasn’t supposed to be here. When I leave, will Arnie and the others’ memories of me also fade?”

The seer asked him in return, “Do you want everyone to remember you?”

Charlie shook his head. “No.”

This answer seemed to please the seer. For once, his usually calm face showed a hint of approval towards Charlie. He slowly stepped forward and stood beside Charlie.

“I can correct everyone’s memory, erasing the impressions of all who remember you—this is one of the powers granted to me: maintaining the law,” the seer said. “The moment you leave, everything will be corrected.”

Although knowing it was supposed to be this way, hearing himself being treated as an error to be corrected still felt strange.

“If your power can do that, I have a request,” Charlie said. “Consider it… as payment for helping you place the gem in the fountain’s center.”

“That depends on what the request is.”

“When erasing Arnie’s memory, leave a little bit.” Charlie saw the seer’s expression and added, “Just a little bit.”

The seer disapprovingly looked at him. “You and he will meet again.”

Charlie said, “I don’t want to emphasize my existence. I just want to leave the story I told Arnie. Only that… it doesn’t matter if he thinks someone else told him.”

Although five-year-old Arnie had a unique personality, he was generally a happy child, loved and cherished by countless people. Charlie’s presence at this time was just another source of joy for him. Occasionally, Charlie would think about how, if he could return to Dwight’s side when he was a teenager, during his loneliest moments when he had lost so many important people, he could have held his cold hand.

He couldn’t make any warnings or change the past, and he couldn’t leave any mementos. He could only hope that the happy memories he gave Arnie would leave a small mark, becoming an insignificant but essential foundation to support him through the dark years.

The seer looked at him, neither agreeing nor refusing.

Charlie took it as a yes, turned, and stepped onto the fountain’s stone steps. He estimated the distance from the edge to the central sculpture, deciding he could make it with a big leap.

“The one under the gryphon’s foot, right?” Charlie confirmed without turning around. As he bent his knees, he was suddenly shoved hard in the lower back. The narrow edge of the fountain was difficult to balance on. His center of gravity shifted, and in a moment of shock, he helplessly fell into the pool of murky water, only managing to hold his breath and tightly close his eyes.

Splash.

Arnie, held in the Duchess’s arms and looking at the angel image on the mural, turned back in confusion.

“What was that sound?” he asked.

Alfred looked around. “I didn’t hear anything.”

The Duchess didn’t hear it either. She hugged Arnie a bit tighter. “My Arnie is as adorable as a little angel.”

Arnie had been secretly homesick these past few days. Hearing his mother say this, he wrapped his arms tightly around her neck.

……

Charlie didn’t consider himself a clean freak, but—the water in this centuries-old fountain was just too dirty! After falling in, he didn’t dare open his eyes because the thick green water might cause an eye infection.

He tried to find his balance in the water. The fountain wasn’t very big, so he should be able to touch the bottom, but the dead water was inexplicably thick and seemed to offer no buoyancy, making movement extremely difficult. Charlie reached out to touch the fountain’s edge, realizing that he still had the elven gem in his hand.

Why did the seer push him into the water? As he started feeling the need for air, a thought struck him.

Whether it sensed Charlie’s thoughts or not, the elven gem began to heat up, especially noticeable in the cold pool water. Charlie stopped struggling and let himself sink until his back touched the bottom of the pool, where something poked his lower back.

Charlie used his right hand, which was holding the gem, to feel around and found it was shaped like a doorknob. Without hesitation, he grasped it, and the gem slipped from his hand.

The doorknob seemed to be attached to a heavy, rusty iron door. No matter how hard he tried, Charlie couldn’t open it underwater. His lungs were running out of oxygen, but he was determined not to surface for air.

The seer stood by the fountain, watching Charlie struggle in the green water, saying nothing. After a while, as Charlie’s movements slowed, the seer lowered his head.

Suddenly, a whirlpool formed in the once-stagnant pool, and the water began to drain rapidly. Within minutes, the pool was dry.

The person in the water was gone. Sunlight fell on the thick green algae, reflecting off something.

The seer tilted his head, recognizing it as the elf gem.

The author has something to say:

Elf Gem: What’s going on? Doesn’t anyone want me?!

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