Yarra's Adventure Notes-Chapter 1294 - 80 It must be hard

"I never would have thought that keeping company with my grandfather and Grandpa Snape would look like this," the knight girl said with both hands resting on the stair railing midway up the second floor, peering at the various people below, her eyes brimming with mirth. She spoke breezily, "According to Father, Grandfather is a very serious and orthodox noble Mage, whereas Grandpa Snape, though he has been kind to me over the years, seems to be a very strict and harsh merchant noble judging from the way he treats others. Yet today, what I’ve seen has completely turned my imagination on its head. Their way of interacting is indeed unique. At first, I was even a little afraid they’d start arguing."

"Don’t worry, no need for any superfluous concerns," Pannis beckoned to someone downstairs, and soon an attendant hurried up to them. Pannis took two glasses of wine from the tray the attendant was carrying and casually offered one to Catherine, leaning on the stair railing just like her, and leisurely said, "The closer friends are, the more freely they talk, and the stranger their modes of address. Therefore, this way of interaction between them actually speaks to their trust and harmony with each other."

"Like how you used to call Master Christo ’little swindler’?" Catherine teased, "And how you called Mister Dillie ’little lion’?"

"No," Pannis said with a straight face, "That’s not a nickname; that’s just describing them by their true nature after seeing through their facade."

"You’re talking behind their backs again," the knight girl gave Pannis a coquettish glance and playfully punched him a few times on the shoulder as a form of punishment, giggling, "But you’re not wrong. I still remember, several years ago in Quinzel Town, when we first met, you were always calling us Miss Catherine, Miss Lina, and Miss Vivian, and no matter what, you refused to change the way you addressed us."

"Did that happen?" Pannis blinked innocently and asked, "I don’t remember at all. You must be mistaken, yes, that must be it."

"Hmph, playing dumb won’t work," Catherine said with a smile filled with happiness, softly clinking her wine glass against Pannis’, producing a pleasant sound. The girl took a sip of the dark red wine and turned to lean against the railing, squinting her eyes to look up at the ceiling above and said softly, "They aren’t wrong, time flies so quickly. More than three years have passed, but if I close my eyes now, it feels as though I can still see us as we were when we first met. Ha, back then, I never would have imagined our relationship would become what it is now."

Pannis simply smiled faintly without saying a word. For him, right now, no matter what was said, it was all meaningless. All he needed to do was listen. Catherine didn’t expect him to say anything either; she just continued on her own, "Back then, all I saw in you was despair, a despair more painful than death. My only thought was to save this foolish man from the abyss, to help him find his own redemption. Now, do you think you have obtained true redemption?"

"Heh, is that even a question?" Pannis said, his gaze soft as he looked back at her, "Of course I have. Without you all by my side, constantly supporting and encouraging me, I might still be living in pain and regret, still mired in the swamp of self-exile, unable to free myself. Naturally, I wouldn’t be able to face the past with courage, much less confront the future challenges like I can now."

"But, it must have been very tough for you," Catherine asked softly, "Though it sounds nice, saying we want you to find true redemption, in reality, the ones who got redeemed are us. Guarding us from behind must be tiring, right?"

"Hahaha, how could that be tiring? What kind of person do you take me for? I’m the perfect Kyle!" Pannis said proudly, "Besides, the real difficulties were faced by you all. I was just slacking off behind your backs, it was very easy."

"You’re treating me like a fool again, aren’t you?" Catherine said, half-smiling, half-serious, "At first, we may not have realized, but do you think, at this point, we’re still so clueless? Indeed, we are the ones facing difficulties head-on, and you appear to do nothing behind us. But the truth is? You watch over us, giving us a gentle push at critical moments, and you shield us from all the pressure coming from behind and beside us, allowing us to focus on the challenges ahead and to grow step by step. Do you really think we haven’t seen all that by now?"

"Heh heh, you’re all so smart, how could you not see it until now?" Pannis shrugged and said, "But I really don’t feel tired because this is what I should do, and also what you deserve."

"I don’t think you’ve let us down in any way," Catherine shook her head, "Nor do I think there’s anything we ’deserve’."

"Because I have received the long-awaited redemption from you, from the very beginning, my subconscious was desperately longing for redemption amidst despair. And you all, let me truly achieve that redemption," Pannis said leisurely, "Don’t say that the ones who actually received redemption were you. There’s an inevitable return on what you invest. You gave me sincerity and allowed me to struggle out of despair. Isn’t it only natural that on such foundations I would find my own redemption? Ha, you often say that we are family, and as a family, helping each other, supporting each other, caring for each other, facing redemption together, this is precisely what we should be doing. That’s why I say this is what I should do, and also what you deserve." frёeωebɳovel.com

"Yes, we are a family," Catherine mused, looking at the remaining half glass of wine in her hand. The rippling surface was like ripples in her heart. The girl stared blankly at the glass for a long while before raising her head and smiling, "You’re right, we don’t need to be grateful to each other anymore. Caring for each other, looking out for each other, and considering each other’s feelings is all natural. It’s what family should do."

"Right," Pannis nodded, "So, there’s no need to think I’ve had a hard time these past few years. I’m contributing, and you are contributing too. Such giving isn’t hard; it’s a pleasure, for you and for me."

"You also find it a pleasure?" Catherine’s smile slowly faded as she spoke softly, "But why are you so selfish, depriving us of the pleasure we should have?"