Chapter 246

A/N: Here is my promised update! Happy reading!

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An old woman, a young man, and a woman. Three people who did not blend with the surrounding landscape were slowly strolling through the banquet hall in Lombardi's garden.

They wore clothes completely different from the clothes of the imperial nobles.

The clothes that mainly used the intense primary colors of red, blue, and yellow had a straight-line beauty with little margins, but it was unique that the women's skirts were touching the ground for a long time.

In addition, they wore accessories made of wood, not jewelry, that caught people's attention in an instant.

However, as if they did not feel the gaze, they stepped slowly as if they were out on a tour, and looked around the banquet hall and the nobles.

"Wow, that's great."

Said the man with dark skin and unusually red hair.

"Because the Empire is completely different from our place. It's really different to see in person than in books!"

The man, who was admiring the white cloth covering the table, the evergreen tree in beautiful form, and the mustache of the man who was passing by, spoke to the elderly woman who was walking ahead of him.

"Chief, how is your body?"

Although it was a throwing tone, his eyes were filled with a lot of love when he looked at the old woman who was called 'Chief'.

"I'm fine."

"You can't just keep saying you're fine. I'm a member of the chief's representative. If anything happens, how will I look at the faces of the tribe?"

The man picked up a glass of fruit juice from a nearby table.

Then, a subtle light, which was not visible to the eye, moved as if stirring the juice once and disappeared.

"Yes, it's safe. Drink it, Chief."

"Thanks, Onta."

While the old woman was drinking juice, the young woman standing behind her constantly looked around.

The silent, expressionless face and no unnecessary movement reminded anyone of an upright tree.

"You're right, Onta."

"What are you talking about, Chief?"

"The Empire is very different from our tribe."

"Right? I don't understand."

Onta frowned obnoxiously, glancing at the colorful nobles passing by.

"What's the point of being so greedy? I'd rather be happy to share it with everyone."

"Each one has their own way to live."

"But look, Chief. How many of those people here are truly happy?"

As Onta spoke discontentedly, pointing to the crown, the old woman lifted her wrinkled eyes and carefully examined them.

It was a common outdoor banquet hall, but it was as if you could see something invisible to others.

The old woman looked at them for a long time.

"You're right again, Onta."

"Look at it."

Onta, who answered in a grumpy way, said.

"It's nice to see the Empire, but I don't think it's a place that will be there for that long. Let's finish our business and go back to the village, Chief."

"This journey is not determined by your preferences, Onta."

Eventually, scolded by the woman who was escorting him, Onta replied with his lips pouting.

"I know, Ana. However, staying in such a region for a long time is not good for the Chief's health."

"...."

Ana, who has always maintained expressionlessness, was shaken by the word 'health'.

"We've informed a man called a butler that we were here, so wait a moment and we'll know."

"Ha, I'll just gonna walk around the neighborhood a little---."

"You don't have to."

The Chief said, pointing to the side of the large building.

"She's coming from over there."

Ana and Onta's heads turned towards it at the same time.

A woman in a red dress strode along with her fluttering brown hair.

"It's Shan's child."

Her wrinkled lips smiled and said.

****

(Florentia's POV)

"Suddenly, my grandmother...."

I could feel my heart beating fast as I walked to the place the butler taught me.

'Does father know?'

Suddenly, that thought crossed my mind.

However, I soon answered that it would not be the case.

If he knew, he would have told me in advance.

"He said she was in the garden."

I stepped out of the main building and walked towards the garden.

It was a direction to cross a large outdoor banquet hall.

"Lord Lombardi!"

"Good afternoon!"

"Congratulations!"

I was distracted by the fact that many nobles looked at me and said a word, but I nodded and replied once in a while then continued walking.

"Ah."

And when I got to the end of the banquet hall, I could see three people in the distance.

There was no time to wonder if they were them.

Because they had an extraordinary appearance.

My eyes met with my grandmother, an old woman with long gray hair tied together.

Without taking my gaze off like that, I stood in front of her.

"Hello, nice to meet you."

I bowed my head slowly and said hello.

Then a voice imbued with a friendly voice replied.

"Nice to meet you, Shan's child."

Shan's child.

It was true, but it was a bit unique.

But that's what I liked about it.

In particular, Lombardi's owner was even more likeable to her grandmother with a confident attitude, who didn't care at all, and the eyes that did not avoid her gazed.

"Let's have a little chat."

My grandmother, who said so, took the lead and walked into the evergreen forest, as if no more greetings were necessary.

You're a unique person.

I thought so and quietly followed suit.

At some point, when my grandmother and I reached the middle of the forest, the other two didn't follow.

When there was only the sound of the dirt under our feet, grandmother opened her mouth first."

"Shan's child. Your name... is Florentia?"

"Yes, that's right. May I know grandmother's name?"

When I called her "Grandmother", she seemed a little surprised, and soon laughed happily.

"My name is Saura. It means 'eye' in the language of the tribe.

"Tribe...?"

"The Chara Tribe I lead live here in a jungle that borders the sea at the very southern end of here. Do you know about us?"

"Ah...by any chance..."

"It was from a book called 'People of the South', which I read as soon as I returned

The relief that a scholar named Ropilli discovered.

"I didn't know that my mother was a member of that tribe."

"We don't talk about tribes outside the village very well. There are troublesome things that happen."

Grandmother said with a small smile.

"Then you must know that we have extraordinary abilities."

"I remember reading in a book that there is a power called magic."

"Oh, yes. You must have read a book written by Ropilli. Right, it's an ability that leads only by blood."

However, while listening to the explanation in person, doubts rose in the corner of my mind.

That kind of power really exist?

"You're a funny kid because you know what's best and you doubt it."

"...what?"

"Haven't you already experienced the power of magic once? Florentia is living in the past again."

I got goosebumps.

"That...how.."

"That's the power I have."

Somewhere a little blurry eyes looked at me and said.

"I see things that others cannot see. Sometimes it's the past, sometimes it's someone's thoughts. Very occasionally, I see the future through dreams."

I couldn't say anything.

I didn't know what to say.

How to act in front of someone who knows that I have returned, my mind turned blank.

My grandmother who stared at me said that as if it's no big deal.

"Everyone from the tribe has at least one special power. Onta over there has the ability to heal people and make medicine out of water."

My grandmother pointed to the man waiting at a distance.

"And Ana moves like the wind. She also has the power of gathering ten people."

"Then what you're saying is.... My ability..."

"Maybe you had the ability to turn back time."

That's a superhero kind of ability.

"Well then, what about mom?"

"Shan's ability was to see the future. From the color of the flower that one will pick tomorrow, to the flood that will kill many people. She was able to see everything in advance. Shan's ability was so powerful that everyone thought she would succeed me as the Chief."

My head went blank when I heard some sort of my birth secret.

Then my grandmother said to me.

"But you're only half. Rather, only half of the blood of the Chara tribe flows."

"What?"

It was a word I heard too often in my previous life.

Half

A mockery that no matter how hard I try, I can only be half Lombardi.

Even if it's been a long time, it feels sad.

When I didn't say anything, Grandma smiled again.

"Don't feel bad. It's rather a good thing."

"Is it a good thing?"

"The Chara tribe's ability comes with a price."

Grandma pointed at the man once again.

"Onta has the magic to save the dying people, but he cannot feel joy."

Next she pointed to Ana.

"Ana is faster and stronger than anyone, but she doesn't feel pain. Even if many people were hurt, she, herself, wouldn't know until she bled to death that she was hurt. And she couldn't sympathize with the pain of others, so she has committed a crime of injuring many people since childhood."

"Then, is grandma okay?"

"I..."

Grandmother smiled bitterly.

"As you can see, I can barely see. And I lost the most precious thing to me."

If it was the most precious thing to my grandmother...

"The price for the eyes that can see much was my daughter, Shan. The stronger the ability, the more precious you lose."

Grandma said a little while ago.

Mother's ability was a very powerful one.

"Then my mother...."

"Life. The price Shan had to pay was her own life."

Grandmother, who answered like that, approached and looked up at me with hazy eyes and said.

"So, Florentia. Don't be sad that it's half done. Because of that, you appear to be out of the chains of Chara."

An ineffable loneliness flashed across the face of my grandmother who said so.

"Then, fortunately..."

I was about to sigh in relief, when one question arose.

Can I ask this one?

As I was hesitant, my grandmother said.

"There must be a lot of questions. Ask."

"I'm sorry. I don't quite understand. Didn't you say a while ago that my mom can see the future?"

"Yes, that was Shan's ability.'

"But then....I'm sure she already knows so why did she give birth to me?"

My mother gave birth to me and she died about a hundred days later.

If she had seen her own future like that, why?

"Shan knew her future. Of course, she also knew your presence, Florentia."

"That means..."

"Shan chose to give birth to you, Florentia. She left her tribe, her family in the woods, and left for the Empire with Ropilli, who had completed her research. And she came to the Lombardi estate and met your father."

Grandmother's blurry eyes became even more blurred.

"Even though she knew she's going to die."

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A/N: Another super Mom! *Cries

And here I am, who hasn't moved on yet from Athanasia's heartfelt reunion with her Mom (From 'Who made me a Princess?'). Oh come one! Give me a break! *cries even more