About ten days after the courier’s message, the delegation returned to the capital.
Lady Eva brought the news home that evening. She’d received the message from her husband, the minister of foreign affairs.
“Mom, why is Dad taking so long?” Nonna asked.
“He should be back soon. He’ll be home any minute now.”
But an hour later, Nonna spoke up again, this time looking upset. “He’s late, Mom. Let’s just go to the palace and meet him.”
“If we go now, we could miss him. Let’s wait here at home.”
This exchange repeated several times. And by the time dinner was long overdue, Jeff finally came home.
He walked in looking utterly exhausted, and I ran over to him and threw my arms around him in a tight embrace. He hugged me back even tighter, enveloping me in his familiar scent. It felt like something cold and hard inside me had finally melted away.
“I’m home. I finally made it back.”
“Welcome home, Jeff. I’m so glad you’re safe. Really, I’m so relieved.”
“The negotiations ended more peacefully than I expected. But I was determined to survive and come back to you, no matter what happened.”
“I would’ve been devasted otherwise.”
Nonna threw her arms around us, hugging both Jeff and me at the same time.
“Welcome back, Dad!”
“I’m home, Nonna. Were you a good girl while I was gone?” Jeff asked.
“Yep! For the most part anyway.”
“Well, that’s good enough. I should thank my brother.”
“Hey, if we’re going to Uncle Edward’s estate, can we please stop by Master Clark’s house on the way back? He’s okay, right?”
“Don’t worry. He’s doing just fine. Clark worked incredibly hard and made a great contribution to this country.”
“Really? That’s great!” Nonna closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh of relief.
Normally, she acted like a pushy little sister around Master Clark, so seeing her behaving like an ordinary young girl who was genuinely happy for his safety surprised me a bit.
“Clark has become a fine civil servant. Volunteering as an interpreter is no small feat. In fact, we were able to avoid a war with the Subartuans largely thanks to his efforts. There were several tense moments, but Clark’s knowledge of Subartuan customs and expressions helped him convey their intentions accurately. He was critical in helping Ashbury and Subartu come to an agreement.”
“Wow. Master Clark is amazing!”
“He really is. Not only is he fluent in Subartuan, but he also has a deep understanding of their culture. He truly shined as a civil servant.”
“Whoa. That’s so dashing…” Nonna didn’t know I was watching her, but she had a dreamy expression on her face. It was so adorable.
“Jeff, we must thank Lord Edward. Shall we visit him tomorrow?”
“Yes, we should. I didn’t even see him at the castle. He took care of Nonna for us, after all. Why not go tonight instead of waiting?”
“All right, let’s do that.”
“I want to see Grandmother!”
“Since we’re family, we don’t need to send word ahead of time. Let’s head out right away,” Jeff suggested.
Lord Edward was home, and he looked genuinely relieved when he saw Jeff.
“Welcome back, Jeff. I’m so glad you’re safe.”
“I’m home, Edward. Thank you for looking after Nonna.”
“We should be the ones to thank you. Because of Nonna, Mother’s condition has improved significantly.”
“Really?”
“Yes, you won’t believe it when you see her.”
Lord Edward had looked weary when he greeted us at the door. It was no wonder, given the recent commotion. As the chief of the special operatives, he must’ve had an overwhelming amount of work to do.
Still, his demeanor toward me hadn’t changed a bit, which was impressive. I made sure not to let on I had discovered his true role. There was no need to act on that knowledge for now. Besides, I owed Lord Edward a great debt for protecting me, and I would never forget the support he had given me.
Just as I had that thought, a voice called out from behind us.
“Welcome home, Jeff.”
“Mother! Are you sure you should be up? Wait—you can walk now?!”
Lady Courtney leaned on a cane and slowly entered the room, accompanied by Lady Blythe.
She’s walking! I thought with astonishment.
“Grandmother! I’ve missed you so much! I’m sorry for not letting you know I was back home that day!”
“It’s all right, Nonna. Your beloved mother has come home safe and sound, after all. And, Jeff, you’ve done a great service for our kingdom. I’m so proud of you.”
“Mother, I’m stunned. When did you start walking again?” Jeff asked.
“It’s all thanks to Nonna. She kept me company and played games with me. That turned out to be great exercise. Sitting in my chair and exercising with Nonna every day helped me regain enough strength to stand. And once I could do that, I felt the urge to walk again, so I’ve worked very hard to achieve that.”
Jeff quickly helped Lady Courtney to the sofa and sat her down.
“Oh, Mother… You’ve done your best. And your speech sounds so much smoother now.”
“Yes… You know, I don’t feel as confused as I did before. It’s very strange. All the gears in my mind seem to have aligned perfectly again, almost as if I’ve been reborn!”
Jeff’s eyes glistened with tears as he hugged his mother. My heart felt warm as I watched them, too, and I noticed Lady Blythe dabbing at the corner of her eyes.
“Blythe, thank you so much for watching our daughter.”
“I didn’t do a thing. She was a very good girl. Plus, she helped Mother get exercise and kept her company. Nonna’s an incredibly kind little girl.”
“Yes, we’re very proud of our daughter. But the fact Mother’s maintained the strength she gained is a testament to how hard you and she must have worked, Blythe.”
“Oh, I really didn’t do a thing. But thank you so much for saying so.”