Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 867 Are you willing to believe me?

Alice seemed very honest at the dinner table tonight. Mainly because Xino's grandfather was present, she didn't dare to act rashly. She even ate all the carrots and onions on the plate. At other times, she would have put them on other people's plates with a look of disgust.

And Shino's grandfather was indeed as she described, a stern and dignified old knight. Although he was very old and seemed to be injured, his etiquette and posture during meals, as well as his tone and demeanor when communicating with guests, were so steady that no one could find fault with them.

He did not ask about the identities and origins of Lingge and the others in detail, but chatted with them about some homely topics, such as whether they had come into contact with the aliens in the Loser Forest, what was their impression of the Chardouri Manor, and whether they were interested in visiting the vineyards on the Grindelwald Fields. Of course, there was also a topic about the Yamit Cup, especially when he learned that Alice and Gloria were going to participate in this tournament, he also warned them as an elder to face the competition with a calm mind and not to care too much about winning or losing.

Gloria naturally listened attentively, and Alice nodded in agreement on the surface, but it was unknown how much she had listened.

During this process, Xino just lowered her head to eat and did not participate in the conversation. Saint Xia Liya was a little curious, so she asked quietly, but the girl just looked up and smiled at her without explaining. After she finished eating all the food on the plate, she put down her knife and fork and said to Saint Xia Liya in a slightly apologetic tone: "I'm sorry, Miss Saint Xia Liya, one of the ancestral precepts of the Gustave family is to remain silent and restrained when eating. I am used to concentrating on eating and not talking to others. I didn't mean to ignore you just now."

"As for Grandfather," the girl glanced at the old man sitting in the main seat and lowered her voice slightly, "Maybe it's because it's rare to have dinner with so many guests, so he's a little happy."

are you happy?
Saint Shallia also looked at the old man, but she could not see any joy on his stern and dignified face, so she was skeptical.

"Grandfather rarely expresses his emotions directly. He keeps many things in his heart and won't tell us." Xino pursed his lips: "Maybe he thinks it's hard for us young people to understand his feelings. But he is indeed a gentle person. He used to invite nearby residents to visit and have meals together, even if it was not the harvest season."

Saint Shalia asked, "What about now?"

"I see." Saint Charia nodded slightly, as if accepting this explanation, but she had a feeling in her heart that Shino was hiding something. Grandfather's injury was one thing, but there might be other reasons, and that was the real reason.

The work of Paolo Martini, a famous painter from Metsch, is "The Knight Who Fought for Whom". The knight in the painting is none other than the most famous ancestor of the Godafu family: the White Knight Hiberton.

"Now?" Xino was stunned for a moment, but soon reacted: "Now he is always alone, either resting or looking at the scenery. After all, he has an old injury and needs a quiet environment to recuperate. He rarely contacts outsiders. I dismissed all the servants and hired workers in the manor based on this consideration."

After dinner, Xino pushed his grandfather's wheelchair and sent him back to his room to rest. The others, led by the old butler Weber, came to the living room of the mansion to take a break and wait until the food in their stomachs was almost digested before setting off to return to Yunjingkong Island.

From Xino's grandfather to her father, and then to herself, the relationship between the three generations of the Gustave family seems to hide some unknown secrets. That may be the key to solving Xino's knot, but they are just some outsiders, so what position should they take to intervene?
Family affairs are always the most complicated in the world, just like the disagreement between him and Metien. Didn't the other people on Yunjingkong Island see it? But no one, including Saint Xia Liya, came to mediate, because they all knew that this was Ling's family affair and outsiders were not allowed to interfere.

And how to answer now?
The smile slowly disappeared from her face. The girl lowered her head slightly, letting her snow-white bangs cover the deep thoughts in her eyes. She responded softly, "Yeah."

In fact, the real reason was that Alice wanted to stay and play for a while longer, so she didn't stay in the living room at all, but enthusiastically took Gloria and Metien out for an adventure - in the name of a walk.

Saint Xia Liya thought this was the answer to her previous question and didn't take it seriously, but Lingge, who was sitting opposite, looked at Xino thoughtfully: he had been paying attention to the conversation between the two, and naturally noticed Xino's emotional changes. Thinking of the previous answer, the young man couldn't help but feel that things were getting complicated.

Thinking of this, Ling Ge suddenly understood Xino a little.

Saint Charity stood by the huge French window, admiring the scenery in the garden. The dim light illuminated the lawn and ancient trees. The yellow poplars in bloom had tiny pink and yellow stamens, with fireflies twinkling among them, looking extremely beautiful. Linger stood in front of the wall opposite the fireplace, looking up at a painting hanging on the wall: it depicted a knight on a white horse with a silver spear and a white thorn flower flag, bravely charging at enemies that outnumbered him several times. Behind him, the dust raised by the horse's hooves just outlined the contours of the province of Saint-Denis, and in the dust, someone's face was looming, it was a farmer, a carpenter, a hired worker in the vineyard... all ordinary yet full of hope.

But since she didn't want to talk about it, the considerate shepherdess naturally didn't ask about it. After she withdrew her gaze, she changed the subject: "It is indeed a very lucky thing to be cared for by others. I think your grandfather must like you very much, just like you respect him so much, Miss Xinuo."

I'm afraid her problems will only be more complicated than those between me and Metien.

But no matter what, they are all blood relatives, father and daughter, grandfather and granddaughter, the blood flowing in their veins should make them respect and support each other. This is a common view in the world, and these outsiders are no exception.

Hearing this, the smile on the girl's lips froze slightly, because it reminded her that not long ago, a young man seemed to have asked her a similar question, but the subject was different, not her grandfather, but her father.

But how did she answer at that time?

……

Although there were no people living there, at night, soft lights gradually lit up in various places in the manor. It seemed that the old butler Weber had lit them up, which was very considerate. This provided convenience for Alice and others to explore, and also made Lingge less worried - of course, he was mainly worried about Metien, and by the way, he was worried about Gloria, and he was not worried about Alice at all. Instead, he was a little worried about the small animals in the manor, hoping that this night would not leave them with any unforgettable memories for a lifetime.

It is said that the scene depicted in this painting is when Joan of Arc was ambushed by enemy forces in the ancient ruins on the Grindelwald Plains. The White Knight arrived in time to save the rebels from danger. This story is still talked about by the residents of the province of Saint-Denis.

Linger stared at the portrait, imagining the scene at that time. Even through a layer of dim oil paint, he could still feel the determination and will of the people in the painting. There are many mysteries in this period of history, such as the origin of the Rose Knight, the true face under the Silver Knight's helmet, or whether the Flame Knight really died on the battlefield... and why the White Knight Hiberton suddenly changed his attitude and agreed to join Joan of Arc's uprising is naturally one of the mysteries. But no matter what, the greatness of the knights will not change, and the people of the White City will always regard them as treasures given by God and cherish and love them.

If I could go back to the past, maybe I could witness the truth?
Such a ridiculous thought only flashed through the young man's mind, and he himself did not take it seriously. At this time, there was a sound of footsteps from the corridor outside the living room, which made him and Saint Xia Liya raise their heads at the same time and look towards the door, and then they saw Xino walking in with a strange expression. It was a rare thing for a calm and reliable knight girl to show such an expression. Ling Ge and Saint Xia Liya wanted to know what happened to make her show such an expression. Under the common gaze of the two, Xino walked quickly to the front of the young man, stood up, and said after considering the tone: "I'm sorry, Mr. Ling Ge, although it's a bit presumptuous, but my grandfather... wants to talk to you."

As she expected, Ling Ge was stunned: "With me?"

"Yeah." Xino nodded gently: "Maybe I'm very interested in the things you mentioned before, but it was not convenient to ask at the dinner table just now, so..."

This is a reasonable explanation. Ling Ge thought about it and decided to agree: "I understand. Shall we go over now?"

"Then I will too." Saint Xia Liya, who was standing in front of the French window, came over and stared at Xino with a pair of clear golden eyes: "Can I go with you, Xino?"

"This," Xinuo hesitated, "Grandfather only said to let Mr. Ling go, so..."

"Ok."

Saint Xia Liya looked a little regretful, but did not force it: "Then I will wait here for Ling Ge to come back."

Xino didn't want to disappoint his guest, so he smiled and said, "In that case, can I accompany you, Saint Xia Liya? After all, my grandfather doesn't seem to want me to stay and listen. As for Mr. Lingge——"

She turned her head and looked at the young man: "Grandfather's study is at the end of the corridor leading out of the living room. I think it should be okay for you to go alone, right?"

"kindness."

The young man turned his head and glanced at Saint Shallia, signaling with his eyes that she need not worry, then turned and left the living room, walking towards the study. Saint Shallia watched his back disappear behind the corner, then slowly withdrew her gaze, still feeling a little bit worried.

She believed that the old man had no ill will towards Lingge, but because of this, his purpose of wanting to chat with Lingge alone was even more concerning. If he just wanted to talk about the Witch Society and Joan of Arc, was it necessary to avoid his granddaughter? In fact, Xinuo was the most important person involved.

But looking at the girl's expression, she didn't seem to care at all, and she even smiled and invited Saint Shallia: "They will probably chat for a while, and it's too boring to just wait here. Do you want to walk in the garden with me, Saint Shallia?"

Saint Xia Liya came back to her senses, temporarily put aside her worries, and replied softly: "Okay."

Xinuo led her out of the living room and came to the garden through the side door. They walked along the quiet path, Xinuo in front and Saint Xia Liya behind. They were silent all the way, as if they didn't know what to say. Suddenly, Xinuo spoke first. Her voice was so soft that it seemed like she was talking to herself. If Saint Xia Liya hadn't been closer, she would definitely not have heard what she said: "Don't worry, Grandfather won't do anything to Mr. Lingge."

"Although he is a bit strict and sometimes harsh, whether it is to me or to my father...but I know he is doing it for our own good. I have always known..."

As she spoke, her voice gradually became smaller, and at the end she pursed her lips and did not continue to speak. Only one or two lingering sounds faded away in the summer night breeze and gradually drifted away. Saint Xia Liya saw her raise her head, and her slightly melancholy eyes passed through the branches of the yellow poplar and fell on the distant night sky. It was not a good weather tonight. The clouds were dense and thick, blocking the light of the stars and the moon. Occasionally, a few stars twinkled, but they were also far away in the sky. The light was sparse and lonely, so Saint Xia Liya didn't know what she was looking at.

She just looked at the girl in front of her, who always showed a hint of melancholy in her expression, and suddenly she had an instinct called "sister". So, she was the one being comforted, but now she comforted him: "Don't be afraid, Xinuo. I think no matter what happened, your grandfather must love you deeply."

Because they are family, and family members love each other deeply. Even if they quarrel and conflict sometimes, and go on different paths for some reason, they will reconcile in the end... Saint Shallia firmly believes this.

Xinuo paused for a moment, and she turned to look at Saint Shallia. The latter couldn't see clearly under the cover of the night and the shadow of the trees, but she was undoubtedly surprised: "Why do you think... I'm scared, Saint Shallia?"

"Because you are afraid."

Saint Shallia gave an answer that was quite Alice-like at this time. It was not because she wanted to imitate the genius player, but because that was how she felt. There was no sign, and it had nothing to do with so-called observation. Some things were so natural that as long as they happened, they were seen by the eyes of fate.

"Although you are smiling all the time, you are actually very scared, right?" Saint Xia Liya took a step forward, gently grabbed Xino's hand, and wrapped it with her two warm palms. She raised her head, and her sincere and genuine golden eyes met Xino's surprised and helpless expression: "I don't know what exactly made you so scared, Xino, but if you want, you can always confide in me. If you need a hug or a word of comfort, I am also happy to give it to you."

"Because, although I am not a qualified pastor like Lingge, who can always touch the hearts of believers with words and help them find their direction. But many years ago, when even the world and the stars were not born, maybe I was your sister?"

"Are you willing to believe me?" She stared deeply into the dazed wine-red eyes and asked word by word, "Believe in the me who used to be your sister."

(End of this chapter)