novelonline Chapter 4264 "Mother" in the Rain
Chapter 4264 "Mother" in the Rain
Chapter 4264 "Mother" in the Rain
"Oh!"
On Tuesday morning, amidst the sound of rain, Shad abruptly opened his eyes in his bedroom. Vanessa, still sleepy but gently asking, "Had been woken by me, is here beside me?"
"You had a nightmare, didn't you?"
"No"
Xia Degang wanted to deny it, but worried that Vanessa would ask what he had dreamed about, so he changed his story:
"Yes, I had a nightmare, but it's okay. I've been having nightmares a lot lately."
"Poor Shad."
Vanessa immediately pulled Shad's head into her arms. Shad really didn't want to tell the girls in his family what he had dreamed about; even strangers can feel embarrassed sometimes.
Once they know the content of the dream, they'll definitely tease about it for a long time.
Winnie had gotten up early to prepare breakfast for everyone, and Vanessa went to help after washing up. She wasn't like Galina, a witch who was only now learning how to cook.
Daniste went to visit the dragon egg. The egg had been remarkably quiet during the night she slept with Mia. According to Winnie, even Mia herself made soft breathing sounds while asleep, but the egg hadn't moved an inch all night.
However, this was not because the egg was frightened by Mia. After Danist picked it up early in the morning, she was able to vaguely sense the weariness and satisfaction of the life about to be born inside the egg through her telepathic abilities.
"Well then, Winnie, I'll be looking after the teacher for the time being. I'll be coming over every night."
At the breakfast table, Danestress held Winnie's hand and said something. The crystal-clear maid smiled and agreed, saying that taking care of Egg, who didn't even need to eat or drink, was easier than taking care of Mia.
After breakfast, Daniste hurriedly left; she had many things to attend to at the academy. Vanessa, after telling Shad that he could go to Moon Bay to see Hillis at any time, also left; she was very satisfied with the previous night.
After saying goodbye to Winnie, Shad also left Tobesk from the basement. The weather in Arcadia was gloomy again today, and the air was very humid, looking like it was going to rain again.
Although it was still early, Vigo was not at home. After greeting Adelina, Shad sat down in the study to continue studying Miss Feliana's "Spark Source Secret Technique".
At 10:30 a.m., Mr. Bernhardt’s letter arrived at Fragrant House. After reading the letter, Shad hurriedly set off for Grayrock Pass Fortress, leaving only Agelina at Fragrant House.
The little princess's life in this city of scholars was busy but fulfilling. She was thinking about when the three people in contact with the Gray Gloves intelligence network would give feedback, and she was also worried that the learning tasks that Vige had recently arranged for her were becoming increasingly difficult.
With an hour to go before lunch, Adelina was actually quite worried that Shad wouldn't be back by noon. The sound of rain pattering outside the window then made her feel homesick, but her longing for her parents and sister didn't last long. After all, Lacey and Dorothy could come to visit her at any time, and "Mother" would come to pick her up at noon.
So Adelina timed it perfectly and left the underground palace's magic training ground at 11 a.m. that day. After returning to her room and changing her clothes, she obediently waited for her "mother" to arrive.
Although Viggo wasn't home, Miss Rowling, the housekeeper, was still in the house. Miss Rowling smiled and said to Adelina:
"Your Highness, your mother is supposed to pick you up at 11:30, so there are still ten minutes to go."
Adelina sat expectantly in the restaurant, looking towards the door leading to the foyer:
"I haven't seen my mother in a long time, and I really miss her. It's a pity that it's raining outside again, and I wonder what kind of schedule she has planned."
At 11:30 a.m., a knocking sound rang out. When the maid opened the door, she saw a tall woman who was nearly two meters tall, wearing a black robe and a hood, but whose figure was still quite good.
The other person's face was completely hidden under the hood, with only a pale chin visible. She looked as if she had just returned from a funeral; even when the maid opened the door, she did not enter the building, which had been subjected to a dense surveillance ritual by the witch.
"Mother!"
Adelina ran towards the door with a smile on her face, and the tall figure reached out from outside the door and embraced Adelina who was hugging him.
Miss Rowling smiled as she saw Adelina off. The housekeeper greeted the tall, black-robed woman very politely, and after reminding Adelina to remember to come back for dinner, she watched as the black carriage carried Adelina and her "mother" down the gentle slope.
"Princess Adelina's mother is so gentle~"
Even though the tall figure hadn't uttered a single word since appearing, Miss Rowling still murmured this praise as she watched the carriage depart.
"But why did Mother only take Adelina and not me?"
She felt saddened by this, and then instinctively sensed something was amiss. As a follower of the High Rings witch, her inspiration and mental strength were naturally much higher than Adelina's. Although Miss Rowling couldn't immediately figure out where the strange feeling of unease came from, she still made a note of it, intending to consult Shad or Viggo when they returned.
The departing black carriage traveled through the rain-soaked city. Not only was the exterior black, but the interior was also completely opaque, without even windows. Although Adelina found the all-metal carriage strange, she didn't delve into it. Sitting opposite the tall "mother," she excitedly told her about her recent learning experiences under Visor's tutelage.
Although she didn't receive praise from that silent, tall figure, Adelina was already very happy to be able to share her growth with her mother.
The carriage moved from the upper city down to the foot of the mountain. This strange black carriage had a very peculiar appearance, but it seemed that no one in the entire city could see it.
Because there were no windows in the carriage, Adelina had no idea where it was headed. But when the carriage stopped and the door opened, and her "mother" led Adelina out of the carriage by the hand, Adelina saw an abandoned orphanage in the rain.
This place is probably located in a desolate area between the outer city and Gray Rock Pass. The carriage stopped in front of the orphanage's rusty wrought iron gate. The iron gate was already twisted and deformed, and the carved iron bars were covered with thick, mottled dark red rust. The gaps in the door hinges were filled with rotten blackish-brown dead leaves and slippery moss.
The gate opened silently, and the moment Adelina was led by her "mother" into the orphanage's courtyard, the oppressive smell of mildew mixed with rotten wood, decaying leaves, and dust filled her chest, causing the little princess to cough twice.
The two walked in the rain toward the buildings in the orphanage. Adelina wondered why she was shivering. But her attention quickly shifted to her feet. The flagstones on the ground were loose and cracked, some of them broken and collapsed, forming potholes of varying depths. If she accidentally stepped on the wrong stone, she would be splashed with stagnant water.
Although she had a vague feeling that something was wrong, Adelina eventually walked past the old stone fountain in the center of the courtyard, stepped onto the low steps in front of the four-story brick building at the end of the courtyard, and entered the door of the dangerous building with large areas of blackened walls.
The musty smell inside made Adelina feel even more suffocated. As she stepped into the dimly lit building, she felt a wave of dizziness. She didn't remember what happened next; she only vaguely remembered being led by her "mother" to a room deep inside the second floor of the building, after which her mother left.
When Adelina came to her senses, she found herself leaning against a moldy wall, sitting in a corner covered in cobwebs. The room was large, like a children's activity room in an orphanage, and there were more than a dozen other children in the room besides Adelina.
The door to the room was tightly shut, and the windows were boarded up, allowing only a meager sliver of dim sunlight to filter in. A small number of the children, like Adelina from before, were leaning against the wall as if asleep, while the others sat quietly on the floor, speechless and blank.
Looking at the scene before her, Adelina felt a strong sense of incongruity that made her head throb, but she quickly realized that everyone was here waiting for "Mother" to call them, and this was just the last wait before returning to Mother's embrace.
"Yes, I have many brothers and sisters."
Adelina thought to herself, but still felt uneasy about sitting in such a dirty place.
So she carefully stood up and then discovered that most of the children here were under ten years old. The few who looked a little older were only about thirteen or fourteen, and the eighteen-year-old princess was actually the oldest person there.
Are these all my younger brothers and sisters?
Adelina was lost in thought, oblivious to the red butterfly that had seemingly flown in from nowhere and landed on her shoulder. She was puzzled as to why her younger siblings were dressed in patched clothes, aristocratic attire, and even thin nightgowns.
"It's almost noon now, and there are still people who have just gotten up? Honestly, kids can't be this lazy."
She wanted to assert her authority as the "older sister," but immediately worried about being scolded by her "mother," so she stopped thinking about why everyone's clothes were so strange.
Seeing that the other children were quietly waiting to be called by their "mother," Adelina instinctively felt she should do something, so she took the initiative to ask them about their situation.