area51novel Chapter 64 Celebration
Chapter 64 Celebration
Vanilla had been troubled by this problem for a long time, but Cecilia's appearance made her realize that the best option had appeared.
An existence without a known origin, yet possessing the bloodline of the Lawrence family, and even having a close relationship with the boy and his companions from the very beginning—could there be a more fitting existence?
Cecilia stared blankly, completely unprepared for the many twists and turns involved in this house arrest. But this explained why Vanila had been so kind to her from beginning to end, and why Vanila cared so much about her answer.
"You want me to be a bridge for the Lawrence family to establish itself in the New World, yet you don't want to take any risks—" Cecilia pondered, "Your ambition is truly terrifying."
Vanilla shook her head: "This has nothing to do with ambition. I'm just a pathetic dreamer who wants to protect everyone in my territory."
Cecilia didn't think this was wishful thinking. Vanilla had almost figured everything out, and the Lawrence family was enough to become the ultimate winner through her schemes.
"Don't look at me like that, Cecilia. For us, this deal is just a win-win situation." Vanilla chuckled. "Don't you think your current team is still too shallow? I know you've been trying to spread the idea of freedom to the masses, but it hasn't been going well because of the Lawrence family's control. But if we reach an agreement, everything you want will become a piece of cake."
It can be said that wherever the Lawrence family has a say, they can find a shortcut.
Vanilla laid out the benefits before Cecilia, making it impossible for her to refuse. However—after all, she wasn't from this era and didn't want to interfere in a decision that would involve too much.
"...You shouldn't be telling me this." In the end, Cecilia could only give this answer: "The one who truly makes the decision among us is the boy."
"I know. I'll find a suitable opportunity to renegotiate the details of the cooperation with the young man afterwards. You don't really think I'd casually reveal the Lawrence family's secrets to others, do you? What I'm sharing with you today is just what I wanted to tell you." Vanilla walked to her side and raised her hand.
Perhaps because she didn't sense any malice, Cecilia was somewhat taken aback but didn't flinch. Instead, the wind sprite, who had been drowsy from exhaustion, instantly became alert, staring intently at her, fully prepared to protect Cecilia at any moment, until she realized that Vanillari had only patted her head before she relaxed.
Vanilla noticed this and raised an eyebrow, remarking, "You see, he cares about you a lot."
The topic changed so abruptly that Cecilia didn't react immediately: "What?"
"Although I had planned to cooperate with the boys before you appeared, what truly made me decide and willing to offer such generous terms was him." Vanila pointed to the wind spirit in Cecilia's palm. "At that time, I felt an aura in him that was almost identical to that of Lord Dekalapian. If anyone could truly overthrow that lord's rule, I think it would be you who possess him."
"However, I can't put all my eggs in one basket with you; your chances of winning are still too slim. So I hope that you will stick to what you said today in the future. Even if you fail in the end, please insist that you have nothing to do with the Lawrence family, even if you have to kneel before Lord Dekalapian's throne."
At this point, Cecilia suddenly asked, "What if I answered 'yes' today? What would you do?"
This question had nothing to do with anything else; it was simply a matter of her own confusion, and she hoped to get an answer from Vanillari.
"Then I will protect you, no matter what happens next, that's all."
*
"How should I put it? It's really unbelievable—"
In a roadside tavern, after listening to her story, the young man couldn't help but sigh, "I never imagined that the Lawrence family, who are widely regarded as Lord Dekalapian's most loyal subordinates, would also harbor ulterior motives. I thought they really didn't care at all what that lord had done."
Gunnhildr and Legenfender also found it incredible.
Especially Legend, of the three, he was always the one who was questioned by the Lawrence family because of his lack of caution. He even said a lot of bad things about the Lawrence family in private. But now it can also explain why he was always released unharmed.
Just thinking about how he had mocked the Lawrence family for being useless and how they had been unable to find out anything about him even after capturing him, Legend felt embarrassed and quickly took a sip of wine to cover his already red neck.
Gunnhildr was not to be outdone. She felt embarrassed when she thought about how she had privately asked the boy to analyze just how cunning, treacherous, and profit-driven the matriarch of the Lawrence family really was.
The two of them started drinking, one cup after another.
With the boy already drinking happily, Cecilia was the only one left who hadn't drunk alcohol.
The boy, always quick to lighten the mood, immediately called out to her, "Cecilia, look, everyone's drinking! Aren't you going to join us? We're here today to celebrate our partnership with the Lawrence family, so relax!"
Cecilia didn't want to spoil the fun, but she had never drunk alcohol before. She had only tasted a tiny bit and found it harsh on her throat. She couldn't understand why the boy could drink so happily.
After thinking it over, she decided to use the Wind Sprite as a scapegoat: "Let's forget it. The Wind Sprite is still resting in my room. If I go back smelling of alcohol, the little guy might get angry."
Cecilia found the smell of the wine rather unpleasant and, putting herself in the wind spirits' shoes, thought the wind spirits probably wouldn't like it either.
To her surprise, the boy burst into laughter upon hearing her words: "If the wind spirit heard you say that, he would be truly angry!"
"Huh?" Cecilia asked, bewildered.
The boy was laughing so hard he couldn't stand up straight, so Gunnhildr had no choice but to lean over and explain for him, "The wind sprite is the one among us who drinks the most."
Cecilia felt like she was dreaming and asked incredulously, "The one who drinks the most?"
"Yeah, right. I was just saying we were supposed to be drinking today, but why didn't that guy come? Now it seems you probably didn't tell him when you went back? But it's probably for the best, the way he drinks is terrifying, I don't know how his little belly can hold so much." Gunnhildr teased, "Looks like you really can't drink anymore, otherwise if the wind spirit smells it when you get back, he might cause a scene."
The boy, who had finished laughing, leaned closer and said, "That's not necessarily true. I think that guy might come sniffing around before Cecilia even gets back~"
As it turns out, the person who understands the wind spirit best is none other than the boy.
Not long after they finished chatting, Cecilia suddenly heard a frantic chirping sound. Turning her head, she saw a shadow faintly visible through the window—it was none other than the wind sprite.
She hurriedly opened the window, and the wind sprite darted in, but this time its target was not her arms as before, but the table.
Only when he discovered that there were exactly four cups on the table, none of which were his, did he look up at Cecilia, who was standing guiltily to the side, her round eyes filled with tears and accusation.
Cecilia felt even more guilty, her eyes darting away, completely unable to look at him again.
The wind sprite got even angrier, crossed her arms, puffed out her cheeks, and sat on the boy's shoulder, refusing to pay any attention to him.
Hearing the whispering of the wind sprite in his ear, the boy chuckled and said, "Alright, alright, don't be angry. We'll order for you right now! It's on me today. Tell me, what do you want to drink?"
The wind sprite felt a little better then, stared at the menu for a long time, and finally pointed to the most expensive one: "Chirp!"
Those who make mistakes must pay the price; today he's going to drink the most expensive one!
The boy felt a pang of regret, but he did have some savings, so he eventually called the waiter over and ordered a bottle for him.
The wind sprite was finally satisfied, and its expression improved considerably.
Cecilia seized the opportunity to lean closer to him, softening her voice as she whispered an apology: "I'm sorry, I didn't know you liked to drink. I was just thinking you worked so hard yesterday, you need to rest well today—"
The wind sprite snorted, looking very cool, the kind that you can't coax!
Cecilia hadn't expected things to turn out this way. She didn't have many friends and naturally had no experience in comforting people. The wind sprite had only just shown a slight refusal to communicate, and Cecilia almost made herself cry from anxiety.
This completely baffled the wind spirit.
He stared blankly at the girl who was trying to comfort him, her voice already tinged with a hint of sobbing, and felt completely at a loss.
The boy, who had found something amusing, quietly nudged him with his elbow: "Hey buddy, making a girl cry isn't gentlemanly behavior~"
The wind sprite knew this, of course, but he didn't understand why Cecilia would cry over such a small thing. He was usually very easy to coax; all Cecilia needed was a kiss, and that would be enough. He hadn't even been able to state his conditions yet!
Even though he didn't understand Cecilia's question, he could tell that the boy was laughing at him, and he glared at him angrily.
Just then, the waiter brought the wine over. Seeing that there was only one bottle, the wind sprite immediately found a reason to criticize him and started nagging at the boy.
"Hey, hey, don't take it out on me!" the boy pleaded, covering his ears. "This wine is expensive! I only have enough money for one bottle!"
The little guy didn't care about any of that. For a little elf who was far removed from human society, money was not important at all. All he wanted was to drink!
The boy was chased around the table until Cecilia spoke up to help him out, and her words startled everyone present.
"Bring five more bottles of this kind of bar."
"Five bottles!" The boy was stunned. "This wine is expensive! Cecilia, don't be impulsive! I really don't have that much money!"
"It's alright, I'll treat you today, both what we just ordered and these five bottles of wine," Cecilia reassured her. "Don't worry, I just checked, I can definitely afford it."
The boy stared in disbelief, stammering, "How did you suddenly become so rich? Weren't you from out of town? You were penniless when we found you!"
Cecilia scratched her head sheepishly, "It was given to me by the mistress..."
After answering her question, Vanilla gave her a sum of money, and specifically instructed her not to tell the boy about it. The Lawrence family would prepare another sum of money for the boy as an investment. This was just pocket money she gave her in her personal capacity.
Although Cecilia never admitted her identity, Vanillari treated her like a junior from the beginning, especially when it came to giving her pocket money. She was just like an old person who was afraid that the child's parents would confiscate the pocket money she was giving to her grandchildren.
—Although Cecilia found it hard to accept the sense of déjà vu when looking at Vanilla's beautiful face.
The boy gasped, "She's really generous—"
However, judging from the funds provided by the Lawrence family, their resources are indeed abundant. Even though they say their treasury is currently empty, they can still come up with enough money for an average person to last a lifetime.
The young man, unusually serious for once, said, "With their family's help, our next operation will surely go much more smoothly."
However, this seriousness didn't last long. After the five bottles of wine arrived, he immediately pounced on them: "Hehe, since there are so many bottles, it's not unreasonable for me to drink one, right?"
Before he could touch the bottle, his hand was blocked by the wind summoned by the wind spirit.
"Seriously? So stingy!" the boy cried out, looking up in anguish.
"Hmph." The wind sprite didn't care about any of that. Cecilia had bought this especially for him, and he wasn't going to share it with anyone else.
However, considering their long-standing friendship, he could still take pity on the boy.
The wind sprite pointed to the lonely bottle of wine that had been moved aside and decided to give it to the boy to drink, since the boy had ordered it for him.
"...Shameless!" the boy cursed angrily, but still happily went to drink the bottle.
Even so, he still couldn't enjoy the bottle all to himself, because Gunnhildr and Legnfender also unceremoniously came over to ask for a share.
The boy was dissatisfied, angry, and exasperated.
Even so, he still couldn't snatch the wine back from those two bastards in a fight.
The boy was crying.
But that had nothing to do with the wind sprite. He was excitedly drinking with Cecilia, though she didn't seem interested in drinking at all and was even planning to ask the waiter for a glass of juice.
"Chirp chirp!" The wind sprite stopped her and pushed the wine bottle towards her.
Having just angered him, Cecilia hesitated for a moment but ultimately didn't dare refuse. She poured a little into her cup, just a sip.
It must be said that this most expensive wine is indeed completely different from the others. Although Cecilia was still a little unaccustomed to it, she could still taste the wine's fragrance and smooth, mellow texture.
She smacked her lips, as if she still wanted a drink.
Cecilia glanced at the wind sprite and met the little one's expectant eyes, as if asking her how she felt and if she wanted some more.
Cecilia, feeling embarrassed by the delicious aroma, pushed the cup towards him.
The wind sprites happily hopped around.
In the end, all five bottles of wine actually ended up in the stomachs of the two of them.
However, Cecilia drank relatively little; most of it ended up in the wind spirit's stomach, which even swelled up.
The boys had also drunk too much. One of them was so drunk that he ignored Gunnhildr's advice and lay down on the table to play the piano. Leigenfender was not to be outdone and squatted next to him, singing wildly.
Cecilia was dumbfounded.
Should we be thankful that they came at the worst possible time, since there's practically no one else in the tavern now except for them?
Gunnhildr was clearly already familiar with the behavior of these two, and sighed helplessly.
The wind sprite lay sprawled on the table, laughing heartily, completely unaware that she too had drunk too much. Although not drunk, she was so full that she couldn't even fly.
Cecilia had no choice but to lift him up and place him on her head. The wind sprite even adjusted himself to a more comfortable position.
In short, it was a pretty perfect celebration party, if you ignore how difficult it was for the two of them to get the group of drunkards back afterwards.
(End of this chapter)
The author says: This chapter is way over the word limit because I didn't want to split the drinking part into separate chapters, since the atmosphere of the story will take a 180-degree turn from here on out (scareful face).