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After a week, things start to calm down a bit in Kinsel. Everyone starts to just do their own things. Also not to mention, due to Eker still needing some rest for his Rin, some workers from the holiday manor are still around every day to care for him while Yanyi is at work.
Speaking of which, it is already a long past clocking out hour and both Yanyi and Luyao are currently on their way back home after buying some groceries.
Irene had been spending long hours of the day and night with Kazuto. Speak and discuss about their community project. So that leaves Yanyi and Eker to have dinner alone most of the time.
And with how much Luyao had been spending time with both of them, Yanyi figured that it wouldn't hurt for him to join in for dinner once in a while —- once every three days. This day is just like any other.
When they pulled up to the streets, they were blocked by many pedestrians crowding the entrance of the street. "Is something happening?" Yanyi question. Usually they would be able to drive up to their house.
"Not sure. Want to check it out?" Both of them went out and slipped through the crowds onto the front of the commotion. The thing that lies before them is neither a dead body or something sinister. But a line of cars.
She watches the side of the car and her eyes turn a bit furrowed. Without wasting any time, Yanyi walked by foot to her apartment.
The cars have the Xue Militants crest.
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After reaching the front of the gate, she was met face to face with a squadron of soldiers, all with the Xue Militants attire.
A bit enraged, "Where is your superior?" A path part ways into the gate and there stood the man that he hadn't seen for nearly a year. The man whom she had made proud 5 years ago.
"General Cinth Kerinil." She uttered the name with seemingly no animosity.
General Kerinil bowed before Yanyi and so did all the others under his orders. "Greetings, Lady Xue Licia Yanyi."
Luyao stood by her side and watched. Keeping a close eye to what her expression is saying. So far nothing close to animosity.
Yanyi strode, paying no mind to the squadron of her family along the path and went inside the gate. She was met with the butler of the holiday manor, Eker in his arms.
He then proceeded to explain everything to Yanyi. Eker was handed out to Eker.
He explained that he hadn't anticipated any of this to occurred. He admits that he had informed Marquess Xue about Yanyi and Eker but received no orders from him. He gave his own apology and take his leave.
Turning his head back, Luyao asks. "What are you going to do now?"
To that, Yanyi's eyes stare directly at General Kerinil's and, "I wish to talk privately with you, General Kerinil." General Kerinil nodded and went inside the gate.
"Keep Eker safe and don't let any of these men enter the gate." She asked Luyao silently before going up to the living room. General Kerinil followed close.
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A good 5 minutes of silence passed before any of them started up the conversation. It didn't start with any spoken words however.
General Kerinil took out an envelope from his chest pocket before sliding it across the coffee table. A sign for Yanyi to open and read it.
And she did.
After doing so, her shoulder slumps in a more delighted way. "Thank goodness." She mutters under her breath. Seemingly quite relieved at what she had read inside.
Kerinil —- "I was ordered by the Marquess to only observe her surroundings. Both environment and people. If it was found that anything could endanger your own life, then forgive me for following the order. We would have to take you back to Ashrin, my lady."
Yanyi —- "That's fine. I understood your position. Though there is something that I was quite shocked by. His choice of not forcing you to take me back."
Kerinil —- "Allow me to speak as your former mentor. Ever since your disappearance nearly a year ago, the Marquess and the Marchioness relationship has come across a bit of a strain."
Yanyi — "Wow… That's a different one. Father would never disagree with whatever Mama wants."
Kerinil — "That is true. Which is precisely the reason why their relationship starts to mend again after your eventual involvement with cases across Kinsel. They have started to understand each others' perspective of the family and have come to a decision of this mission."
Yanyi — "Out of all the women in his prime, only Mama can thaw that cold glare of father. Still, thank you. I do have a question for you, General Kerinil."
Kerinil — "Uncle Cinth is enough my lady."
Yanyi — "Right, Uncle Cinth. Why bring a whole squadron for an observation task. It makes much more sense to bring only a couple of people. Considering your prowess in strategising, you could've handled it easily, no?"
General Kerinil — I'm calling him Cinth from now — look towards the living room door silently. The student before him can feel a presence of disgust and anger.
He explained how he had been finding a few crooks of soldiers in the ranks and wished to get rid from the militants. He had brought almost all of the crooks that he had uncovered and wished for Yanyi to assert her own judgment upon them.
Essentially, although Cinth can fire them, he has discovered far more graver action that deserves even more than losing a job. He had asked permission from the Marquess and he had given explicit permission for him to ask Yanyi first.
He then starts to list out who the crooks are among some good ones to Yanyi. Slowly, her eyebrows turn sour as a list of absurd actions that they had taken.
He had also explained that didn't mention any of the mission details to most of the squadron members. He only spoke of going to Kinsel for Yanyi but never elaborate on that. They are all on board.
"Understood then. I'll cooperate with you then Uncle Cinth."
Silence permits through their conversation. Cinth is waiting for Yanyi to move first but she doesn't. And so he has to wait. Looking down onto the coffee table with no thoughts across his mind.
"So your life… How is it going so far?" her lips utter the question after much deliberation. It seems to be a sensitive topic for her to hold back until the atmosphere is no longer tense and they can speak freely as mentee and mentor.
Cinth — "The same old me. Focus on work and that's it…"
Yanyi — "You know that he lives here now right?... Are you really okay being here? With him around?"
Cinth — "...Huh… So my lady knew all along…"
Another silence…
Cinth — "I will try to not be bothered by it… I'll try to avoid him as much as possible. Thank you for… noticing…"
Yanyi — "Uncle Cinth. I do not wish any animosity between you two… But if you can mend your happiness again, I wish that you would speak to each other."
Cinth — "It's quite hard to do when your happiness left 13 years ago. Disappeared 5 years ago without a trace until last year… I think I'm long past with happiness in that department."
Yanyi — "Uncle…"
Cinth — "All I wish right now… Is to hear his answer… That and I'll be more than content."
Their meeting comes to an end.
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During dinner, Luyao asks about the whole thing and Yanyi explains what they are here for. She had also mentioned about the personal request of Cinth just so that Luyao would be aware of their current movement in the future.
"So who is he? Another close family acquaintance?" His fork played with the spaghetti that Yanyi had cooked for their supper.
"More like a mentor. Really caring if anything." She placed down her fork and sprinkled some black peppers on Eker's plate.
This statement earned a confused face from Luyao. "I thought, General Konse is your mentor? " Is he not?"
Yanyi — "He was. But he was only my mentor until I received my signia at seven years old. After that he was too busy to teach me so Uncle Cinth ended up being my mentor for 10 years."
Luyao — "I thought that you hated training."
Yanyi — "I did. But most of them are unscheduled training. I will always go to training with Uncle Cinth on a fixed schedule and he is more than acceptable to my rebellious nature."
"At least you still have some people in your home that care for you." Her fork stopped before it reached her mouth. Putting down her utensils a bit, she gave out a small smile.
"Yeah… I do…"
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As the night approaches, Luyao returns home and Irene eventually comes home from the long quest she had.
Since she would return quite late, Yanyi and Eker would usually already be in bed by then. To her surprise, the living room light is still on and so instead of heading to her room, she first looks at who could be awake at such an hour.
Irene saw her friend, in her sleeping robe, sitting on her arm chair. Her head hanging to the side, leaning against the headboard. Eyes looking down on the coffee table with emptiness.
"Yanyi? Aren't you going to sleep?" Irene walked to her friend and took notice of the envelope in her hands. It belongs to the Xue family.
"Is it an order to return?" The girl on the chair shakes her head lightly before holding out the envelope so that Irene can read it. And she did.
A sigh of relief exited her own lung. She gave back the envelope to Yanyi and proceeded to take a seat on the long couch. "So why are you sitting here alone?"
"Just… Thinking…" About someone's life.
Irene wasn't convinced that everything was okay with Yanyi. However since it has nothing to do with her family, she figured that it could be something more personal to her or others she cared for.
Stopping from her trance, Yanyi properly sat up and asked Irene a few questions about her project. To which the girl obliged greatly to answering everything she wished to ask.
Apparently they had found the perfect manor that is not to run down to the point of unrecoverable without high cost. It also has a large area around the premises that allows for various facilities to be built.
She also explained that all of the children in the orphanage will be given stable future jobs to work with Ryuichi or whoever they wish. It essentially became a training and caring field for children coming from horrible backgrounds — drug addict families.
She had also explained that since it is closely related to Ryuichi's own interest, they have no need of receiving funds from the Empire but rather pocketing it out themselves. So Kazuto get the approval of the Marquess to personally employ a lot of highly competent and trusted contractors to start on the project.
Yanyi — "When will it be finished?"
Irene — "The construction will start as early as tomorrow afternoon so maybe around 6 weeks at most. For the main building of course. The other areas require their own planning."
Yanyi — "So now our Irene will be the benefactor of many children in the future huh. Maybe… was it worthwhile coming here for you?"
Irene — "Yeah… I knew at least somewhere up there. She would be proud of where I am situated."
Just like how Irene knew about Yanyi's struggle. She also knew of Irene's own obstacles. Regardless, both of them will rejoice with glee just with some simple improvement.
One mended their relationship back to their parents.
The other has found a meaning to a dying will of a late parent.
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-~*~-