A Tree of Eris's Hope (Circu Series #1)

Chapter 4

Elpis Tree

“I really don’t mind staying, but Marina and the others might want to head back to the forest. ” I said, hoping they would refuse.

But the opposite happened. “It’s fine with us! My sisters are also there to watch over the forest. ” Marina responded.

“Can we really stay here? ” Margareth asked excitedly. Eirene nodded happily, and they all looked at the king, giggling and whispering to each other.

I sighed in defeat, realizing I couldn’t argue against them. I lazily nodded my agreement and noticed King Aeolus hiding a smirk.

Is he laughing at me?

“You can all head to the hall now. I just need to finish up this meeting. ” He said, patting his son’s shoulder before heading back to his office.

Once the king was gone, I was about to protest when Eirene suddenly pulled me along. “Let’s go.”

“Stop pushing me! You’re getting too used to dragging me around, brat! ” I snapped, but he just laughed as we made our way to the veranda. We sat on the sofas there, but my attention was quickly drawn to the stunning garden.

It was already dark, yet the entire area and fortress were glowing beautifully. The trees here weren’t ordinary. I could feel they were alive. The breeze was strong, brushing against my skin. Since the king’s castle is on top of the mountain, we had a perfect view of the fortress below. The lights were mesmerizing. I closed my eyes, enjoying the calming wind. This is the kind of place where you can be alone or have a quiet conversation with someone.

For a moment, we sat in silence until Eirene broke it.

“Beautiful, right? I come here often because not many people visit this spot. ” He said, standing up when he saw a servant approaching with a tray. “Here, it’s herbal tea. It’ll help you sleep better later.”

I took a sip. “Oh, it’s good.”

“Thank you, Sori. ” Eirene said to the servant, who smiled and left.

“It is good! ” Marina agreed, her gaze distant. “I want to take some herbal tea home with us.” The three fairies nodded in agreement.

“By the way, what did your father say to you? ” I put down the tea and looked at him seriously. “You didn’t say anything weird about me, right? ”

“Are you worried about me? Or are you just afraid I might say something bad about you?”

“Both.”

He pouted. “Instead of worrying about me, he kept asking about you! ”

Huh?

Eirene’s words didn’t escape the ears of Marina and the others, and they all turned to look at me.

“Why would he? Maybe he saw you with us, and we looked kind of suspicious. But he’s probably just concerned. ” I said with a laugh.

“Nope, he kept asking about your name and how I met you. He also found out that you gave me this arcane wand. He seemed really surprised. ” Eirene said, his expression turning serious as he stared off into the distance. But then he smiled brightly. “But I’m glad you agreed to stay. It means I can talk to him longer.”

I couldn’t understand what he was saying—don’t they talk much? Maybe it’s because his father is a king? You can’t just casually talk to someone like that, given his position. You don’t see the normal family dynamics because his father carries such a huge responsibility.