Chapter 177 - The Assassin Maid

  “My son!” my mother excimed, leaping towards me and pullio a tight hug.

  She immediately began sh my face with affeate kisses.

  “Mom… that’s enough,” I tried to say, unfortable with so much attention.

  “It’s never enough,” she replied, pnting o firm kiss on my cheek before finally letting go of me.

  , she ed my cousin, Chloe, in an equally warm embrace.

  “I’ve missed you both so much,” she said, visibly emotional.

  My mother then crouched down to greet Cyl, who was in her gray cat form.

  “I’ve missed you too,” she said, stroking Cyl’s head, which earned a tented purr from her.

  “It’s only been a few days, Auntie,” Chloe ughed at the exaggerated rea.

  “For me, it felt like ay,” my mother responded, her tone full of affe.

  Suddenly, she gnced behind us, her face lighting up.

  “Kinue?”

  “I came too, Auntie…” Kinue replied shyly.

  My mother hurried over to hug the fox girl with just as muthusiasm.

  “You’ve grown so much these past few years. Have you beeing well? You’ve got the body of a woman now,” my mother teased, causing Kio blush deeply.

  “I’m seventeen now... that’s why,” Kinue mumbled, slightly embarrassed.

  “I’ll ask Martha to prepare something for us,” my mother said, heading towards the kit. “So, how have things been at the academy?”

  We walked into the house and began telling my mother about our daily life at the academy. Martha greeted us with a warm smile, and Kinue was especially happy to reuh her former teacher. The two quickly dove into a versation about battle training, discussing whether Kinue had kept up with her practice.

  My mother looked genuinely proud as we reted the wonders of the academy and everything we had learned. She never had the ce to attend a traditional academy; from what I knew, she learned magi her own and ter enlisted in the Evenhart military, where she gained her military training.

  As the versation drifted into topics full of feminine chatter I didn’t quite uand, I quietly excused myself.

  “Martha?” I called out as I headed toward the kit.

  “Young master, do you need something?” Martha asked, always attentive.

  “I o talk to you about something private,” I said, my tourning more serious.

  Martha raised an eyebrow at me.

  “Is this about advi how to talk to girls?” she teased, smirking.

  “No… it’s about our work. There’s a little rat we o take care of.”

  Without hesitation, Martha grabbed a long knife from the ter, her expression instantly being serious.

  “Tell me everything,” she said, ready for a.

  Chloe Evenhart:

  Kinue had gone upstairs with Cyl to find a room, and I took the opportunity, while Nate wasn’t around, to have a versation with Aunt Katie. I’d been wanting to ask for her help for a long time, but I could never gather the ce.

  “Aunt…” I begaantly.

  She was talking to me about things in the duchy, mentioning that my mother had left a few days ago to handle some important matters, probably reted to Nate. My mom oold me that his situation was plicated because he was an elf.

  “Aunt Katie, I need your help,” I finally said, summoning every ounce of ce I had.

  My aunt frowned slightly, curious.

  “Is it something about the academy? I help with what I know, but I’m not too familiar with other races,” she replied, trying to guess.

  “No… it’s not about csses,” I said, feeling my face heat up. “I need help… with Nathan.”

  She looked at me with a teasing smile.

  “Oh?” she nudged me pyfully. “What kind of help?”

  I tried to brush it off, but ended up ughing at her pyful tone.

  “You know… about my feelings?”

  “And who doesn’t?” she ughed.

  “Is it really okay with you that I like him?” I asked nervously.

  Aunt Katie gnced around, making sure we were alone.

  “You already know what your mother and I did years ago, so you already know my ahat decision was made when you were just five years old.”

  “But it’s different… you did that to protect us. I want to know, if that situation hadn’t happened, would you still let me… be with him?”

  “No.”

  “WHAT?!” I asked, shocked. My heart pounded in my chest when I heard her answer.

  She ughed, ping my cheek.

  "I would never let my soh anyone," she said, smiling.

  I looked down, not knowing what to say.

  “But,” she tinued, “I’ll make an exception for you. I know you’ll take good care of him, and I need more eyes to watch over that boy.” She wi me.

  I tried to hold back my smile, but I couldn’t. Happiness filled me at hearing those words. A part of me had felt guilty because of the arranged e, but now, I felt relieved.

  “Aunt Katie… thank you,” I said, giving her a tight hug.

  She returhe hug, kissing the top of my head.

  “So, what kind of help do you need with him?” she asked, curious.

  I had almost fotten, I was so nervous, hehe.

  I gowards the kit, making sure Nate wasn’t around.

  “How do I make him realize I like him?”

  “Everyone realizes you like him,” she answered bluntly.

  I felt my face flush with embarrassment.

  Did she have to be that direct… this is so embarrassing… I’m dying of shame.

  “You-you know what I mean… how do I get him to notice me? I’ve tried everything.”

  She pced her hand on my shoulder, her expression softening.

  “I help you, but there’s something you o uand first,” she said.

  “What?” I asked.

  Aunt Katie gnced around again, making sure we were alone, and leaned in closer.

  “Your mother and I sidered telling him about the e, but we weren’t sure how he would react to you.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, fused.

  “Would you prefer we tell him about the e before you fess? That was the dilemma we faced. The moment we knew you had feelings for him, we couldn’t tell him.”

  “But why couldn’t you tell him about the e? I still don’t uand.”

  Aunt Katie paused for a moment, thinking.

  "Chloe, if we told Nathan, we’d be overriding your feelings. You o tell him how you feel without him knowing about the e. It will be mueaningful if he responds to your true feelings without that pressure."

  I uood what she meant. I didn’t want o respond to me just because of the e. I wanted him to respond based on what he truly felt.

  "I think I get it, but what do you think I should do? How do I even approaething like this? I’ve tried expressing my feelings a little, but it seems like he’s always running away."

  Aunt Katie leaned in closer.

  "Then don’t let him run away. er Nathan in a way he ’t escape. It’s the only way to catch a runner."

  I nodded in agreement, but as I realized what I’d have to do, my arted to ki.

  It's the only way! I o make that silly boy give me an answer!