Lord blessed by the elves

Chapter 126 Morning
The next morning, Kruse opened the door listlessly with dark circles under his eyes. His haggard appearance was almost comparable to that of a certain black-and-white-clad prince in a backpack.

Just then, Reyes, the father, also came out of the next room. He looked rosy-cheeked and radiant, a stark contrast to Kruse.

When Reyes saw his son's appearance, he was taken aback at first, but then immediately understood the reason. A hint of embarrassment flashed across his face, but it was quickly replaced by a sense of composure that "all men understand".

He stepped forward, patted Kruse firmly on the shoulder, and said in a low voice with the comfort of someone who had been through it all:
"Son, don't take it too seriously." He cleared his throat. "Your old man is a normal person too."

What could Kruse say? He could only nod blankly, indicating his understanding. But a thought struck him; he remembered his sister's innocent remark from yesterday and his brother's suspicious blush, and couldn't help but lower his voice, tentatively asking:
"Father, are you... planning to marry Lady Winnie?"

He needed to find out his father's plans in advance in order to deal with any possible family "upheavy changes".

To everyone's surprise, Reyes immediately shook his head upon hearing this, leaned close to Kruze's ear, and said in an even softer voice, barely audible to the two of them:
"No. Your mother... has only left temporarily." His tone carried a complex emotion, a mixture of awe, longing, and a hint of... lingering fear?
"If she comes back one day and finds out I remarried, I'll be in big trouble."

"Mother just left?!"

Kruse's previously nonchalant expression froze instantly, then became extremely serious, his pupils even contracting slightly.

In Kruse's memory, the three brothers had always believed that their mother was long gone or had died in some accident, which was why their father never mentioned it.

Every time he asked, his father would either remain silent or rudely interrupt him.

Unexpectedly, the truth was that he had "left"?

"Father!" Kruse's voice was trembling with excitement; he was eager to know more.

That's the lingering emotion from the depths of my soul at work.

Reyes saw the shock and longing in his eldest son's eyes. He took a deep breath, as if making a decision, gestured for Kruze to calm down, and then said in a very low voice:
“This isn’t the place to talk. Tonight… when it’s late and everyone’s asleep, sneak into my room.” He added solemnly, “I can tell you about your mother, but you absolutely cannot tell Rezal and Elena!”

“Yes! I understand!” Kruse nodded vigorously.

However, perhaps due to his emotional turmoil and a lack of tact, or perhaps because of lingering embarrassment, he wanted to change the subject, and he subconsciously and foolishly asked:
"Um... Father, when I went to your room tonight... Mrs. Winnie... she wouldn't have been there too, would she?"

The moment the question left his mouth, Kruse regretted it.

Reyes was taken aback at first, then his face turned red, and then he flew into a rage!
"You brat! You're asking for it!"

Before he could finish speaking, Reyes launched a flying kick, the movement as fast as lightning, and accurately kicked Kruse in the butt!
"Ouch!"

Kruse didn't even have time to react. He felt a strong force coming from behind him. He cried out in surprise and was kicked forward, flying backward in an extremely undignified manner. With a "thud," he landed face down on the corridor floor, right in front of Elena's room.

Even more coincidentally, at that moment, Elena's door creaked open from the inside.

The little girl rubbed her sleepy eyes and looked down to see her older brother lying face down at her door, his face pressed against the cold floor.

Elena blinked her big eyes, her little face full of innocent confusion, and tilted her head curiously, asking, "Huh? Big brother, are you... wiping the floor with your face?"

Kruze: "..." He was internally devastated and speechless.

This was something my younger sister asked on purpose; she would definitely do such a thing.

Reyes coughed twice behind him, casually straightened his robes, and acted as if nothing had happened.

Hearing the commotion in the hallway, Rezal from the next room also opened his door in confusion, just in time to see Kruze scrambling to his feet. He quickly went to help him up, his face showing concern and a hint of bewilderment:
"Brother, are you alright? How could you be so careless so early in the morning?"

Elena, standing to the side, nodded vigorously and added in her clear, self-assured voice, "That's right! Big brother must not have slept well last night and is not in good spirits, that's why he fell down!"

"..."

This innocent "truth" struck like two thunderbolts, instantly hitting Kruse and Reyes, who was about to turn and go downstairs.

The father and son froze simultaneously, turning to look at Elena, who had a "I'm right" expression on her face.

The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds.

Elena felt a little uneasy under the strange looks from her father and older brother. She blinked her big, confused eyes and asked softly, "Did I...did I say something wrong?"

Reyes was the first to react, his face instantly switching to a gentle, fatherly smile, as if he hadn't been the one who had just kicked his son. He stepped forward, ruffled Elena's hair, and said in a relaxed tone:
"No, our little Elena is the smartest, how could she say something wrong?" He skillfully changed the subject, tempting her with food, "Go wash up quickly, then come downstairs for breakfast. This tavern's roasted lamb chops are the best in Campino, very famous, you'll miss out if you go too late~"

Upon hearing about the delicious food, Elena immediately forgot her earlier doubts and cheered, "Really? I'm going right now!" Then, like a happy little bird, she turned and ran back to her room.

Only Kruse and a still somewhat bewildered Reza remained in the corridor.

Looking at his older brother's strange expression, and recalling his father's slightly hurried reaction, Rezal couldn't help but lower his voice and ask, "Brother, what did my sister mean by what she just said? Why did you and Father react so strongly?"

Kruse wished he could disappear into the ground. His face burned with embarrassment, and he forced himself to hide it, putting on a stern face and asking in a deliberately calm tone:
"What reaction? There was no big reaction at all." He rubbed his butt where he had been kicked, and pretended to be tired. "I was just a little sleepy and sluggish. My foot slipped a bit. Don't make wild guesses."

After saying that, he didn't give Rezal a chance to ask any more questions. He dusted himself off and quickly walked towards the stairwell.

Reyes, taking advantage of the chaos, had already gone downstairs first, leaving his two sons with a calm and composed back view as if nothing had happened.

However, his pace seemed slightly faster than usual.

In the corridor, only Rezal remained standing there, scratching his head, his face full of confusion, as if he had missed some important information.

(End of this chapter)