Another Chance To Bloom

Chapter 17

It was Wednesday when I had given the distraught Odelia a somewhat dependable advice on her love life, even though I had no experience whatsoever.

She still seemed to be a bit reluctant to talk to Alastair. On Friday, she told me that she had been avoiding him for two days because she didn't know how to face him after he had rejected her.

She was even more upset that Gloria seemed to be spending more and more time with Alastair.

I told her that procrastinating wasn't going to woo Alastair and that if she wanted to fight for his affections fair and square, she was going to have to talk to him eventually.

With those words I left her to ponder by herself while I went back to the Duke's estate to spend the weekend with my family.

******

As always my family welcomed me back with great gusto and I happily accepted all their various affections while feeling like my heart was being stuffed with soft, warm cotton.

During dinner that night, they asked me about my life at the academy and I told them that everything was going well and that Prof. Lucius was very kind and that he didn't berate me for my inexperience.

Everyone was very satisfied with the status quo although they also told me that if things get too hard, no need to stress myself, I could just quit.

I very politely declined their good intentions while sweating on the inside. I hoped no outsider would ever hear those words lest they curse our family's seven generations.

"So do you have any friends at the academy, baby brother?" It was Charles who had spoken.

I thought about it for a while. I wasn't familiar with the teachers in the academy. They usually avoided me like the plague.

The only people I really interacted with were my students, Lucius and Oswald.

"I do!" I resolutely said.

He seemed to be surprised by my response.

"Really? Who is it?"

"Prof Lucius and Oswald Valentine."

"Pfft-" Curtis almost spilt his drink when he heard my answer.

Charles eyed him suspiciously.

"Is there anything the matter, little brother?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all... It's just, Oswald is from the Military Academy, right? How did you two meet?"

Ohh... It's true that given Oswald was a student in the Military Academy and I was a teacher in the Mage Academy, we wouldn't have many occasions to meet. But that didn't mean it was impossible to meet.

Why such a big reaction, huh, little brother of mine?

"He comes to check up on his sister from time to time. She has a trouble attracting constitution, I think."

"Oh... Odelia, right? Gaines' youngest?" Father asked.

Gaines Valentine, the prime minister a.k.a Oswald's and Odelia's lovelorn father. He was still single to this day after the death of their mother.

If it weren't for Oswald's determined efforts, he would have still been stuck in the last moments he had with his wife. But luckily for him, his son wasted no effort in trying to pull him out if the gloom so although he still missed his wife greatly, he no longer ignored everything else and succumb to grief.

"Yes, Dad."

Father had a contemplative look on his face as he shared a subtle glance with mother.