Chapter 110: Hello, This is Home

Chapter 110: Hello, This Is Home

"How long did I sleep?"

"Young Master, you slept for a day and a night."

"That long?"

"Yes, Young Master." Alfred poured a glass of ice water and handed it to Karen. "Young Master, I have instructed the staff below to prepare a meal."

Karen took the glass and drained it in one go.

"I shall fetch you another."

Alfred went to pour a second glass of water, while Karen sat upon the bed, his gaze drifting toward the front window where the morning sunlight was streaming inside.

As he watched, a sudden trace of doubt overtook him, and he rubbed his eyes with his hand.

It was different; the feeling was altogether different.

The window remained the very same window, the sunlight the same sunlight, and the curtains the same curtains, but by all rights, this moment should have given him a hazy sensation under the bright glare. Yet his vision now was so piercingly clear, clear to a degree that left him somewhat ill at ease.

Karen scanned his surroundings once more, his eyes finally resting upon Alfred, who was walking back with the water glass in hand.

He could clearly discern a nearly imperceptible, flowing luster just beneath Alfred's fingertips and the corners of his eyes—something his former self could never have detected.

"Young Master, your water."

Taking the glass, Karen asked, "Alfred, I feel as though the way I perceive things has changed somehow."

"Young Master, I have heard that after the Divine Awakening, upon receiving the god's revelation, the deity will guide the way you look at the world. From that moment on, the world in your eyes changes, as if a new door has been opened."

"Divine Awakening?" Karen smiled faintly. "I do not even know myself if my awakening was successful..."

Suddenly, Karen froze.

It was as if the memory that had previously been lost, or rather, left entirely vacant, had suddenly rushed back to him.

He recalled the words he had penned in his notebook before falling asleep.

At that time,

A colossal voice had been echoing through his mind.

"Bring me the notebook."

"Yes, Young Master."

Alfred handed the notebook over, and Karen flipped it open to that specific page, looking down at the very bottom:

"Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth."

Placing the notebook upon the duvet, Karen pressed his palm against his forehead. Yes, the phrase that had reverberated through his mind at that moment was precisely this line.

However, unlike the familiar yet alien voice that had sounded in his head during his previous attempt at awakening, this time, he remembered clearly that the voice echoing in his mind belonged to himself.

It was an answer he had roared out to himself, born of his own deep reflection.

But...

His gaze fell once more upon that golden sentence.

Could this sort of thing even be called a Divine Awakening?

Or perhaps, should it be called a Self-Awakening?

Still, at the very least, the awakening had succeeded, and he no longer needed to agonize over whether he was currently a divine servant or an awakened one. Right now, he was an Awakened—Karen.

The meal was brought inside, remaining an expensive, luxurious, and abundant spread that nevertheless had little to do with actual culinary delight.

Yet because he had slept for so long and his body desperately craved energy, Karen ate heartily.

Once the meal was finished, Alfred began to report on the events of the past two days:

"Young Master, the matter regarding the Queen has been resolved, at least on the surface. Mr. Bede personally delivered the casket containing the Queen's body to the royal palace. Not long after, the palace held a press conference, announcing to all circles that after attending Prince Henry's funeral, Her Majesty was overcome with grief and subsequently departed from this world.

Yesterday, the newspapers across the entirety of Wayne were reporting the news of the Queen's demise.

Today, the papers I see are all reporting on the Queen's achievements during her many years on the throne.

I estimate that by tomorrow, they will likely report on the adverse effects the Queen's passing will bring to the Wayne Empire's vast system of dependencies and colonies."

"Mr. Bede is indeed capable of getting things done," Karen remarked.

The matter sounded simple enough, merely delivering a box of severed remains, but the true clash often occurred in that singular, fleeting instant. Mr. Bede had executed the task flawlessly, forcing the Gloria royal family to back down.

"Furthermore, the restoration and cleanup work throughout the manor have been completed, including the refurbishment of Count Recar's tomb."

"Mm."

"Judia will continue to reside at Allen Manor. She has regained consciousness and has agreed of her own accord to guard her father's tomb. She remains steadfast in her belief that Count Recar is her father."

"Mm, that is understandable."

Judia had never considered herself a member of the Gloria family, always viewing the Gloria bloodline as filthy. In her perception, Recar was her true origin, a "father" who spanned several generations.

"Borg came forward to confess to us that he received a blessing from Count Recar. Now, both his water and fire attributes have reached the second tier of the family's belief system."

"Mm."

Hearing this, a quiet suspicion arose in Karen's heart. Last night... no, the night before last, after Count Recar had disposed of the Queen, he had actually seen to so many minute details. It felt as though he were preparing for his final departure.

So, after making those hurried preparations, what exactly had he intended to do?

This was somewhat perplexing.

"Mr. Anderson has awakened, and his physical recovery is currently..."

"Skip him."

"Yes, Young Master. Miss Eunice has awakened..."

"Let us go see her."

"Very well, Young Master."

...

"Knock... Knock..."

"Come in."

Eunice's bedroom did not possess the strict, formal rules of the Patriarch's master bedroom, and its soundproofing was not particularly excellent either.

Karen pushed the bedroom door open. Alfred, who had been following behind, did not step into the room; instead, he remained where he was and closed the door behind him.

Because the bedroom was equipped with underfloor heating, Eunice wore only a silver silk nightgown, sitting before the writing desk with a pen held in her hand.

Seeing that the person entering was Karen, a trace of mild surprise touched her features, and she stood up with a smile:

"I thought it was the maid bringing coffee."

"My apologies for disappointing you, Miss."

"Not at all."

Karen took two steps forward, reaching out to wrap his arm around Eunice's waist.

The texture of the nightgown was excellent, and most importantly, it was exceedingly thin.

Eunice rested both her hands on Karen’s shoulders, and with their foreheads gently touching, they held each other in silence for a long while.

After a long time,

Eunice spoke up, "Father told me that my bloodline was tested while I was asleep, and now it has awakened."

"Yes, and your talent is quite remarkable."

"It's just that I've become rather lethargic. I sleep for nearly eighteen hours a day now. I never knew I could sleep so much."

"The power within the bloodline needs time to digest; this is a normal phenomenon, so there is no need to worry. It will only get better and better. Perhaps once you have fully absorbed it, your rank within the family's faith system might even surpass that of your two uncles.

When that time comes, you will hold the highest rank in the Allen family system, and the position of patriarch should be yours to take."

"I have never thought about becoming the patriarch," Eunice said.

"It matters not. Even a queen has a husband."

Eunice bit her lip and smiled, saying, "Actually, I am quite grateful for this awakening."

"Of course, it is the dream of almost everyone in the family."

"That is not the reason."

"Then what is it?"

"I have always envied someone whose portrait hangs in the study."

"Pur... Ancestor Pur?"

"Yes, I have always envied her. She could be so willful on such a solemn occasion, striking the exact pose she wished to show. She must have been very free."

"She certainly must have been free back then," Karen echoed.

But over the past century, she likely had not been so free.

"I know that all of this is because she was a genius in the family's history, which is why she could live so entirely as herself."

"Do you yearn for that kind of feeling as well?" Karen asked.

Eunice shook her head and said, "I do not know, because I had actually grown long accustomed to my original life."

"You could give it a try. Of course, that is not to say that being lawless like her is the only way to release one's nature. Sometimes, being reserved and refined can also bring its own joy."

"I just feel that after my bloodline awakened, I could draw a little closer to you. Do you know, Karen, when I saw Mother kneel down holding the bookmark you asked me to give her, I knew there was a long, long distance between us.

Upon returning home, I found that the sense of distance had suddenly turned into reality.

I thought that once my bloodline awakened, I would be able to..."

"Be able to dump me?"

Eunice reached out and took the initiative to wrap her arms around Karen’s neck, pressing a kiss against his cheek before lowering her head:

"We would be able to love each other a bit more freely, without so many constraints, without so many burdens, and without so much calculation."

Karen pursed his lips and said:

"And then you will find that the way we love each other will be exactly the same as it was back in Loga City."

"Will it?" Eunice asked.

"I believe it will be so, but I do not mind doing it all over again. Some things must be experienced for there to be no regrets left behind."

"Thank you, Karen."

Eunice gently pushed Karen away and walked into her dressing room.

"I think those clothes look perfectly fine," Karen said as he sat down on a chair.

Not long after, Eunice walked out. She was still wearing the same nightgown, but her legs were now clad in black silk stockings.

Summoning her courage, Eunice stepped in front of Karen and said:

"The purification gift you said you wanted, before your purification."

Karen reached out and lightly brushed his hand over Eunice’s calf. He did not intentionally deepen his breath, nor did he increase his pressure, because the atmosphere of the scene before him was simply too beautiful to bear tearing apart by force.

Eunice was somewhat nervous, her hands appearing to find no place to rest.

"Sit on the bed. I will massage your feet to help stimulate your blood circulation."

"Mm?" Eunice was a little surprised. "Stimulate... blood circulation?"

"Yes, it is good for the body."

Eunice nodded. She did not entirely believe it, but she nonetheless walked over to the edge of the bed and sat down.

Karen also rose and came over to sit by the bed, lifting her foot onto his knee and gently kneading it with his palm.

"Ah~"

Eunice subconsciously reached down to pull her nightgown further down to cover more of herself. She had thought she was doing this covertly, only to see Karen watching her.

"I..."

"Let me look a bit longer," Karen said. "I will be moving to York City before long."

"Take me with you," Eunice blurted out almost instantly, though she quickly realized that it was not suitable for her to live outside right now. Not only could she not help, but she might instead become a burden.

"I will take you." Karen tapped his chest lightly. "Right here."

"You won't... forget me, will you?"

"Oh, that is hard to say. Unless you let me carry a bit more with me," Karen said, tilting his chin upward.

Eunice dared not look at him any longer, but she reached down and silently pulled the gown back up, the very one she had just tugged down.

A smile appeared on Karen’s face as he continued to massage her foot.

In his past life, he had never married, but over fifty percent of the patients he encountered had issues related to romance and marriage.

Perhaps, in the eyes of the young, marriage had to be preceded by a fiercely crashing love, while also requiring the dramatic rises and falls of partings and reunions as a prelude before finally walking hand-in-hand into the hall of marriage; as if only this was the purest facet of marriage.

Yet the truth was, if from the very first moment of meeting, of falling in love, and of spending time together, two people could make each other comfortable—even if it was quiet and simple, just coming together and living together like this—it was already a profound happiness and stroke of luck.

The sign of a person's maturity was being able to know clearly what they truly wanted.

A passionate, earth-shattering love? No, he preferred a fitting tranquility.

Karen stopped the massaging motions of his hands, gently placed Eunice’s leg back onto the bed, then softly pulled her nightgown down and helped cover her with the blanket.

She had fallen asleep;

Earl Recar had mentioned that she would be very lethargic during this period.

Karen leaned down and planted a soft kiss upon her forehead.

An absurd thought suddenly crossed his mind: after he moved outside, if he could return home every day to find her lying in bed, even if she was fast asleep, that would seem rather wonderful.

"Heh..."

Karen found himself amused by his own thought.

Turning around, he walked to the bedroom door and opened it.

Alfred was still standing at the door, but he now held a folder in his hand.

"Young master, it is a letter sent by Lady Molly through the channels of the Church of Principle."

"Very well, to the study."

"Yes, Master."

Karen arrived in the study and took a seat behind the desk, but instead of reaching for the letter, he looked directly at Alfred and asked:

"What does it say?"

From the moment he arrived on Corona Island aboard the Acheros until now, Karen had not once taken the initiative to write a letter home, nor had he made a single phone call.

Because he had always hesitated;

The Allen family had intentionally staged an accident to conceal their identities, and the previous personas of Lady Jenny and Eunice in the city of Roga had, in fact, been disguised as well.

Which meant that in the eyes of his family back in Roga, he was likely considered lost at sea.

His family would undoubtedly be consumed with anxiety, praying desperately for him.

By all rights and reasons, he should have proactively sent word home to let them know he was safe.

Yet he worried that doing so would expose his identity, laying everything bare before the Church of Order, which would render all of his grandfather's careful arrangements utterly meaningless.

For his grandfather had employed a blood sacrifice ritual, draining the spiritual legacy of everyone else in the Inmeris line and their descendants save for Karen's own branch—this itself was a way of demonstrating loyalty to the Church of Order.

But if he exposed himself now, wouldn't his grandfather's grand design appear completely absurd?

Of course, his grandfather might have made other arrangements, as he had once told Karen that he could return home, but currently residing in Wien, Karen had no way to be certain, so he dared not take the risk.

He was homesick, profoundly missing that house at 13 Mink Street.

Only, as he was now, he resembled a fugitive, and many fugitives were caught precisely because they left behind clues after contacting their families.

Consequently, even regarding his earlier mention of activating the housing loan contract his uncle and aunt had prepared for him, he was still plagued by hesitation, because once that contract took effect, his family would instantly know he was alive.

Karen was not sure whether, upon learning that he was alive and thriving, his family could conceal their reaction well enough to keep the outside world from noticing.

After all, it was not the police he was guarding against, but an entire Divine Church!

Alfred began to read the letter: "All is well with the family, and Master Dis is well too."

Karen listened intently, but suddenly it stopped, and he turned to look at Alfred with a look of doubt in his eyes.

"Uh... Master, regarding the family, that is the only sentence. Alas, Madam Molly really does things with a complete lack of heart and responsibility."

"Is there something else below it?"

"Yes, Master, I shall read it to you; Master, a new priest named Lasma has arrived at the church on Mink Street, and he goes for a walk along the street every day.

One day, Madam Mary and I were sitting in the courtyard processing sausages, and Madam Mary thought of you, Master, and began to weep. He just happened to pass by the front gate and witnessed this.

Then, he called me to the courtyard gate. I invited him in for tea, but he declined, stepping one foot inside the gate while leaving the other outside, striking a highly exaggerated striding posture.

He said to me, tell that fellow whom Dis always said was very interesting to let his family know he is safe.

He also said not to fear, for he is now responsible for everything on this street.

That is the end of it, Master."

The Grand Pontiff of the Church of Order... Lasma.

Karen closed his eyes, and the image of that striding posture of Lasma's as described by Madam Molly surfaced in his mind.

In that single instant,

all the hesitation in Karen's heart vanished, because this gesture of Lasma's indicated that his grandfather agreed with his words.

With him on Mink Street—no, with him in the city of Roga, it was guaranteed that the Church of Order would not cast its gaze upon the Inmeris family, for he, Lasma, was the gaze fixed upon the Inmeris family, not one of many, but the sole gaze!

"Alfred."

"Master."

"Place a long-distance call."

"Yes, Master."

Alfred picked up the telephone on the desk and began to dial, going through the operators; the process would be somewhat tedious and slow, and at the same time, the phone bill would be outrageously high.

However, the Allen family would hardly come to Karen to reimburse a study's telephone bill.

Finally,

"Master, it is through."

Alfred handed the receiver to Karen,

Karen took the receiver and pressed it to his ear. From the other end came the orderly "beep" of a waiting line, a sound that made one tense yet filled one with immense anticipation.

Just then,

the sound of a click came from the other end as the receiver was lifted,

immediately followed,

by the familiar voice of Uncle Mason,

Karen tilted his face upward, for his eyes had instantly grown wet, and he subconsciously sniffed;

"Hello, Inmeris Funeral Parlor."