novelzi Chapter 96
Chapter 96
【 Epilogue 】
So, that’s when Hans and I were enjoying teatime at home.
“Owen’s here again, make yourself comfortable.”
Mom really adored Hans. Dad did too.
Hans was staying at a nearby orphanage. It seemed he was enjoying this break quite a lot.
“Owen, do you want some of my strawberry too?”
“No, you have it.”
We were offering each other the strawberry on top of the cake, and Mom watched us with a fond smile.
“I’m so glad Owen and Camila get along like siblings. If our situation was a bit better, we would’ve welcomed Owen into our family.”
“No, that’s alright.”
“No way.”
Hans and I responded in turn to Mom’s words. It would be a huge deal if Hans were to be adopted into our family.
“Ha-ha, you kids. I’m going to go help your dad at the diner. You two have fun.”
“Okay, thank you.”
Mom, perhaps wanting to help Dad, gathered her things and left the house.
Finally, we dropped the act and heaved a deep sigh.
“Pretending to be a child is quite exhausting.”
“You don’t seem to be trying very hard.”
“Shush.”
As we were having this light-hearted conversation, there was a knock on the door.
“Are you expecting someone?”
“Maybe the neighbor?”
We were on good terms with the neighbors, so it was a natural assumption.
Ignoring Hans, I got up from the chair and headed towards the door.
“Who is it......”
When I opened the door, there was someone standing there I never expected to see.
“I found you.”
It was Davi.
She looked much more mature than the last time I saw her.
“......?”
I stared at Davi, baffled. She looked very upset.
“Davi?”
“Yes, that’s me. You’re the ‘former’ Anais, right?”
Davi emphasized the word “former” as he spoke.
I nodded, somewhat bewildered.
Then Davi began to vent his frustration.
“Really, would it kill you to come find me first? If it wasn’t for Venecia, I might have never found you!”
“You had a reason to find me?”
“Don’t you have any sense of responsibility?”
It was odd being called “sister” by someone who looked at least ten years older than me.
But it seemed Davi did have some affection for me. I was touched.
“Did you come looking for me because you missed me?”
“Not at all.”
Davi remained resolute. After all this time, not even a courtesy greeting.
“Then why?”
Davi answered simply to my question.
“The prince has come to the temple.”
It wasn’t particularly surprising news. After all, it was part of my plan.
Jamon had come to keep the promise I asked of him in my past life. I was glad I had asked Jamon for this favor.
“Come to the temple as soon as possible. I’ve delivered the message.”
Davi left after dropping those words. His blunt nature hadn’t changed.
‘She’s still as adorable as ever.’
She should be in her twenties by now, but Davi had always been cute.
After the conversation, I returned to where Hans was. He was leisurely enjoying his cake.
“Who was it? It sounded noisy.”
“Davi.”
“She came?”
“Yes. Jamon is looking for me.”
The priest’s eyes widened in shock.
“Anais, the Lady?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Good heavens, Venecia!”
The priest brought his hands together in prayer, seemingly quite astonished.
The temple folks all remembered me. They were touched by divine power, after all.
The priest’s attitude changed from treating me like a child to bowing and apologizing.
“I’m sorry for not recognizing you! How dare I treat Anais like...”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s fine.”
“I’ll fetch Shailo immediately! You, take these guests to the reception room right away!”
The priest shouted to an attendant nearby. The attendant, though puzzled, obediently followed the command.
“Effective.”
“Well, you are of a divine maiden’s rank, after all.”
The temple people had no choice but to treat me with reverence. I was someone who communicated directly with Venecia, also known as Ian. To them, I was no different from Davi, another divine maiden.
We didn’t have to wait long in the reception room before someone burst into the room.
“Lady!”
It was Shailo. He, too, had aged over the 7 years.
“It’s been a while, Shailo.”
“It’s an honor to meet you again! How have you been?”
“Yes, well.”
I had been doing very well. I was showered with love and happiness for 7 years.
“But, who is this with you...?”
“It’s Hans.”
“My goodness.”
Shailo covered his mouth with one hand. Hans, without even glancing at Shailo, continued to drink his tea.
“So, the saintess went to meet someone, and it turned out to be the lady...”
“It’s awkward to be called a lady now that I’m not one anymore. Just call me Camilla.”
“Understood, Lady Camilla!”
‘I wish he’d drop the formalities too. But if Shailo is comfortable with it, I won’t insist.’
“I heard His Highness the Prince came to the temple.”
“Yes, he’s still here!”
Davi would have traveled by carriage, and it would have taken a few days to get here. So, he must have stayed at the temple for a few days.
‘He did all that just to see me?’
While I was grateful for him keeping the promise, Jamon’s consistent nature was still something I hadn’t gotten used to.
Hans and I followed Shailo’s lead to the place where Jamon was.
As expected, it was the best room, fitting for hosting a prince.
‘It’s been a while since I saw Jamon.’
I wonder if he’s still getting along with Nemoh. Nemoh must have grown into an adult cat by now. I started to miss him.
“You seem excited.”
Hans was looking at me with a blank expression.
Maybe because of the previous engagement with Jamon, but Hans seemed to get filled with dissatisfaction whenever Jamon was mentioned.
I gently grabbed Hans’s hand.
“Don’t be upset.”
“I’m not upset.”
What a liar.
As we chatted, we finally arrived.
“Here we are. Have a comfortable conversation...”
Shailo tactfully left us alone.
Hans and I entered the room.
And there was.
‘Jamon.’
Jamon was there.
He was leaning on the table with his chin propped on his arms. And he had a rather fierce expression.
Not that I expected any affection (since he probably wouldn’t even remember me), but it was somewhat disappointing to be met with such a look.
We just locked eyes, neither of us uttering a word.
Finally, Jamon spoke.
“What are you doing here?”
It was a rather abrupt question.