Shepherd Tantra

Chapter 1083 Your Dad is Here
After giving the gifts, Morgan led the fairies away from the forest.

Isabel carefully held the golden apple in her hands, looked at it and sniffed it for a long time, then looked back at Aiwass expectantly. Only after he nodded did she feel relieved and took a bite.

"What is the taste?"

Aiwass asked curiously.

“…very sweet.”

Isabel said this and handed the golden apple to Aiwass as if offering a treasure.

Looking at Isabel with shining eyes, Aiwass lowered his head curiously and took a bite of the golden apple.

The taste of the golden apple was more like a peach than an apple. It was not crisp, but soft... like tough flesh. It did not have a core, but it had an unforgettable sweetness that lingered in the mouth.

He felt a surge of vitality pouring into his body... It was similar to the feeling of using the Fire Sacrifice to replenish his vitality after using the Illumination spell too many times in a row, causing a serious loss of vitality. Even his soul was infiltrated... If it was a transcendent whose soul was severely damaged during the Ascension Ceremony, it might even be possible to heal his soul with a bite of the golden apple.

——There is nothing wrong with the stuff, and it is indeed a good thing.

Aiwas closed his eyes and felt it for a while, then opened his eyes and looked at Isabel who was expecting it, and immediately smiled.

"No problem, it's delicious...you can eat it."

He was somewhat worried that if he took a few more bites, its "medicinal effect" would not be as good as expected. So he just watched Isabel eat the golden apple slowly. Anyway, he had already tasted it, and his curiosity was satisfied.

Compared to that...

Aiwass was a little curious about what the gift from the Fairy Queen was...

It wasn't a treasure, but it wasn't food or drink either - that was a good thing, because Aiwass was a little worried that if the goblins shared some of the food from the banquet, would there be any problem if he ate the goblins' food.

It was a somewhat thin cat.

In terms of breed, it is close to the orange-white British Shorthair. It looks like it is less than one year old. But its pupils are not the common golden color of British Shorthairs, but clear emerald green.

It looked very well behaved, but it was trembling as if it was afraid of something. After receiving the gift, Aiwass kept putting it on his knees because he was worried that the cat would shed its fur or its claws would damage Isabel's wedding dress. Because of this, Aiwass could clearly feel that it was trembling all the time.

There is no reason for the Fairy Queen to suddenly send a cat.

Unless there's something special about this cat.

Thinking of this, an idea suddenly came to Aiwass.

He held the cat, looked at him suspiciously for a long time, and asked tentatively: "Your Highness?"

The cat shuddered violently when it heard that.

It suddenly raised its head in disbelief and looked at Aiwass in shock.

Looking at its rather human expression, Aiwass's guess came true.

The corners of his mouth slightly raised, and he chuckled affirmatively: "Long time no see...Father."

"……Um?"

Isabel, who was sitting in front of the unicorn and eating the golden apple, turned around with some confusion.

"I didn't call you."

Aiwass patted Isabel's head unhappily.

Isabel shrank her neck, swallowed the last bite of the golden apple, and came over with a smile: "Do you want me to call you... Dad?"

"You can call it that."

Aiwass said this, pointing to the cat that was quietly lying in his arms.

"……Eh?"

Isabel was stunned for a moment, then looked down at the cat curled up in Aiwass's arms.

Her movements froze for a long time, as if an entire universe was created in her mind.

"Your father is coming."

Aiwass pulled the cat out of his arms, lifted it up like Simba the Lion, and showed it to Isabel.

——No eggs.

As he lifted the cat, Aiwas took a quick look to confirm it.

If it weren't for the strange effect of Aiwass's halo, the cat wouldn't even be able to get on the unicorn's back.

Isabel was a little amused.

She soon figured it out: "So... the Fairy Queen's gift is to send... my father back?"

When Isabel actually said it, she realized how unfamiliar she was with the word. Just recalling the shape of her mouth when she spoke the word seemed so awkward and stiff.

She had learned from Aiwass that Prince Albert, a famous clown and poet, was caught by the goblins' once-in-a-century banquet and taken to the goblin kingdom. It was said that he was eager to come back, but as long as he had eaten the goblins' food, he would not send them away until the goblins had had enough fun.

"...Is it because of the punishment for escaping from the fairy kingdom that I became... a cat?"

Isabelle murmured.

But she had to admit that she wasn't really prepared to meet Prince Albert. So when she learned that Prince Albert was captured in the Fairy Kingdom, she felt a little disappointed but relieved.

A father who abandoned me for ten years, never came home once... I never even contacted him once. Rather than missing him or hating him, I felt more strange and alienated.

Because Albert and Isabel had a very good relationship before - before Albert ran away from home, he was Isabel's sunshine. Isabel's mother died very early, and it was Albert who brought her laughter. And Prince Albert was indeed a guy who was good at making people happy, so he later disguised himself as a clown.

If their relationship was not good, there would be no need to hesitate. But it was precisely because Isabel had longed for him to come back for so many years that she was at a loss now.

She no longer had to miss the sunlight she had bathed in as a child.

She already has the sun that shines on her all the time.

Now that her father has returned in the form of a cat, Isabel's resistance has become less severe. "...According to my guess, probably not."

Hearing this, Aiwass shook his head.

Although the Fairy Queen has the strength of a Celestial Master, she is not a Celestial Master. Therefore, she will not be dragged down by the Tail Ring Ceremony, so she has no requests for Aiwass.

And with her innocence and simplicity, I'm afraid she wouldn't even consider such a far-reaching benefit issue——

If Aiwass guessed correctly, it might be like this:
Prince Albert didn't know that time flowed differently in the fairy kingdom, so when the fairies "invited" him to the banquet, he certainly didn't resist too much. But after he ate the food, he learned about it and realized that he would be late.

But he wanted to leave anyway - and this would anger the goblin. It was like the children were having a great time, but one of them was clamoring to go home. This would undoubtedly spoil the fun for everyone and reduce the total joy of the party itself.

In the past, the fairies would choose to punish such people. Although the possibility of being killed by fairies is small, it is definitely not zero - this possibility comes from here.

But Prince Albert knew this was his last chance, so he tried his best to come back. Perhaps because of his persistence, the kindness of the fairies, or just coincidence, he was lucky enough to meet the Fairy Queen.

Fortunately, the Fairy Queen did know Aiwass and had a good impression of him...so when she learned that Aiwass was about to get married, she sent fairies to deliver gifts.

Aiwass's face is useful in the fairy kingdom - and that is why Prince Albert has the opportunity to come back.

"And if I'm not mistaken... my father must have told the Fairy Queen his entire past."

Aiwass took the cat back into his arms and did not hand it to Isabel: "But he must not know...his story will anger the goblins again."

Hearing this, the cat showed a very human look of annoyance on its face. It curled up into a ball, and its ears disappeared.

"Because fairies have the same personalities as children, and they also have many child friends. Therefore, 'parents abandoning their children' is a very serious crime in the eyes of fairies - for children, they may be able to tolerate the betrayal of friends and loneliness, but they cannot tolerate the deception and abandonment of their parents. What kind of horror and despair would that bring?

"And your parents were clearly fine, but they never came back to visit... They didn't even write a letter or a letter home. This is an unforgivable crime according to the laws of the fairy kingdom. The fact that you came back alive must have been because the queen suppressed the goblins' dissatisfaction.

"There is no doubt that this is a harsh punishment. A flawless permanent malicious transformation... This must be the result of the Fairy Queen's own spell. Just like the curse that turned the prince into a frog... If there is no way to break the curse, it will be difficult to turn back into a human again."

Aiwass delivered the verdict.

"……It was my fault."

The kitten suddenly opened its mouth and uttered a childish voice, as if it was seven or eight years old: "Your Majesty's punishment is correct."

Isabel's eyes suddenly widened.

That, she realized, was about the same age her father had left her...her own age.

"Her Majesty declared that I must know the horrors you have endured, the loneliness and terror of survival. So I was transformed into a sickly kitten... Only after the time I have been away from you can I become human again.

"…and Her Majesty the Queen also forbade me to return home. She said that since I like to wander outside, I should wander outside as a cat. She wanted me to know what true wandering is. The so-called wandering of the strong is just a leisurely journey; and the running away of the rich is just a temporary rebellion that can return to a wealthy life at any time."

The kitten curled up cautiously and whispered, "This is all retribution for the actions I have committed in the past. I couldn't control my own desires at first, so I became a cat who couldn't control my desires even more. I once abandoned Isa... leaving her alone to endure the loneliness and fear of dying at any time, and now I have become a cat who may die at any time. I once chose to run away from home as a superhuman and wander around various cities... Now I am going to become a real wanderer.

"...and a real stray cat. She wants to let me know what desire, fear, and wandering are..."

Having said that, the kitten raised its head and looked at Isabel.

Its pupils are the same emerald green as Isabel's.

"But even so, I'm glad I can come back here again."

The kitten whispered, "Happy wedding, Isabel. Happy birthday to you too... I hope I didn't spoil your day. I will be leaving soon...

"——I'm sorry, Isabel. It's useless for me to say anything now... If I can pass the trial and become a human again, I can say that I truly understand you. Then, I will come back again. And bring my most sincere apology."

Hearing this, Isabel covered her mouth.

Her pupils were sparkling with tears, but she remained silent.

"I didn't expect that Her Majesty the Queen is quite philosophical."

Aiwass, on the other hand, said softly, "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth... In this way, you can understand Isabel's pain; it can also help Isabel resolve her knot, and you can also relieve your inner pain through this way of self-judgment.

"Compared to her childish appearance, she is surprisingly wise and fair."

But as he spoke, Aiwas grabbed Albert.

"——But there's no need to go wandering. It will be hard to find you then. You might be under the wheels of a carriage. What if I leave Isabel with regrets then?"

Aiwass said calmly: "Now that I am here, how can I sit back and watch others suffer misfortune? Since you intend to repent, why don't you follow the ideas of Isabel, the person involved?

"After all, an apology should be made in a way that satisfies the person involved, right? Rather than being self-touching...self-punishing."

"…You are talking about that, Aiwass."

Albert bowed his head and responded.

"Well...Father."

Isabel spoke softly, her voice a little hoarse.

She did not use the more intimate "Dad", but instead called him "Father", which she rarely used before.

But at this moment, her eyes were bright.

Although there are some complexities and sadness, there are also nostalgia and touching moments. There is absolutely no hatred or anger... because she is a kind girl who makes Aiwas feel distressed.

"When the wedding is over...you can go back and stay in the Palace of Silver and Tin."

At this point, Isabel's mouth corners slightly raised.

Her tears reflected the iridescent glow of the unicorn, but she had a beautiful smile on her face.

"——And I am about to leave Avalon and go on an adventure.

"You kept me, and now I...keep you. That's fair, isn't it...

"……dad."

(End of this chapter)