Chapter 281 "Fufufu"
"Are you not going to greet your aunt?" Zilya's voice sounded flat, coupled with her expressionless face, leaving Artur unsure if Zilya was joking or not. How could he refer to someone who was roughly his age as "aunt"?
However, as a guest and someone seeking her assistance, Artur had no choice but to assume that Zilya's absurd remark was serious. With facial muscles twitching, Artur said, "Hello, Aunt," the tone of his voice sounding unnatural and clearly forced.
But before Artur could repeat his greeting, he heard a "fufufu" sound in front of him. Artur turned to see Zilya's face still expressionless as usual. Artur was certain that the "fufufu" sound came from the woman in front of him.
However, there was no visible change in Zilya's face, which left Artur confused. Rini, by his side, also stared at Zilya with bewilderment, sharing Artur's thoughts.
BUT...
It's impossible for someone called the Ice Queen to laugh with a "fufufu," right?
"You've come all this way. Please, have a seat! Flora, prepare drinks and refreshments for them. Oh, by the way, have you had dinner?" Zilya asked before Artur or Rini could say anything.
"We're not very hungry, Aunt," Artur quickly replied, but before he could continue his sentence, the sound of laughter, "fufufu," echoed again. This time, Artur was convinced that the laughter came from Zilya.
He tried to look behind Zilya, but there was no one there. Only Zilya sat and stared at the two of them with an expressionless face.
"Oh, you should eat first. The air in Volskova is very cold, and first-time visitors are prone to falling ill. Warm food will help your bodies adapt to the air here more quickly. Flora, cancel the tea and beverages, and prepare dinner for Artur and Rini," Zilya said with a tone that brooked no refusal.
"Yes, Young Miss," Flora nodded before excusing herself to prepare the dining table.
"Thank you, Aunt," Artur and Rini said simultaneously, waiting for the sound of laughter, "fufufu," to return. However, they didn't hear it again, only a slight movement of Zilya's expressionless lips.
"Come, have a seat! You must not speak until you're seated!" Zilya said, pointing to the chairs beside her.
Artur and Rini exchanged glances before choosing their respective seats. Although it was said that there were only two empty chairs available, they ended up sitting on either side of Zilya's seat, sandwiching her in between.
With a hint of hesitation, Artur chose the chair to the right of Zilya, and Rini sat to her left.
Just as Artur settled into his seat, Zilya turned towards him and asked, "How is Sister-- How is your mother?" Zilya corrected herself, her face still expressionless.
Once again, it seemed like Artur had to revise his perception of his aunt. "My mother is fine. She couldn't come due to some circumstances," Artur replied.
"You don't need to hide it, Sister-- Your mother couldn't come because your father is not allowed to set foot in the Beavercastle Ice Field," Zilya stated, her expression unchanged.
Zilya was right. Cila couldn't join them because the House of Valya still couldn't accept Gilbert. However, it was the first time Artur learned that his father was even forbidden from stepping foot in the Beavercastle Ice Field. That meant Gilbert was not allowed to live in one-eighth of the human alliance territories.
But Artur didn't need to reveal his ignorance to Zilya. "You're right, Aunt," Artur replied. Rini, sitting to Zilya's left, leaned closer, waiting for the sound of laughter, "fufufu," to return.
However, it seemed that Zilya was getting used to being called Aunt by Artur. Perhaps she wasn't used to it yet, but her noble upbringing taught Zilya to conceal her thoughts.
"Hmm... I don't understand what that old man is thinking. He loves his daughter, yet he refuses to respect her decision!" Zilya snorted, her face still devoid of expression.
The "old man" Zilya referred to was her father, who was also Cila's biological father and Artur's grandfather. He was Sergei Valya, the head of the House of Valya and the de facto ruler of the Beavercastle Ice Field.
Seeing Zilya's ability to express anger without any change in her facial expression, Artur doubted if his aunt's face was truly as frozen as the kids at the military academy claimed.
"..."
Artur remained silent and nodded. He didn't want to get too involved in Cila and Sergei's issues. After all, Cila was Sergei's biological daughter, and despite her hatred for her father, blood ran thicker than water. Both father and daughter were equally stubborn.
Zilya then turned to Rini, who was still waiting for the sound of laughter, "fufufu." It was a rare experience for her to hear the Ice Queen laugh with a "fufufu."
"Lady Rini, how are your parents and the Djarum family?" Zilya inquired.
"My parents are doing well, Lady Zilya..."
Zilya and Rini engaged in their usual routine conversation as noblewomen. It was inherently boring, yet strangely they continued with this formality. Perhaps it was due to the etiquette observed in noble society, where jumping straight into business was considered impolite.
Artur waited and continued to wait for the mundane conversation between the noblewomen to come to an end, but it seemed that this peculiar formality had no conclusion. It was only when Flora arrived to announce that dinner was served that the tedious conversation finally ceased.
At the dining table, there was no conversation among the three of them. They all silently enjoyed their meal together.
Artur was reminded of how Cila had always taught him not to speak while eating. It was not only considered impolite but talking during a meal showed disrespect towards the food and the person who prepared it.
Another noble family habit that Cila brought into their family. Artur was truly puzzled why he had never suspected that his mother came from a noble family. Perhaps it never occurred to him that a noble would be willing to become a commoner and marry a commoner.
Not long after, dinner came to an end. Actually, Artur didn't know when to end this dinner because, in his family, dinner ended when all the food on the table had been consumed. However, there was still plenty of food left on their table, and if Artur brought his entire family to eat together, they might not be able to finish the remaining food.
Artur could only remain silent in his thoughts as he watched the servants clear the dining table and carry away trays still filled with food. He wondered where the leftover food would go—would the servants eat it? Or would it simply be given to someone else?
As if reading his mind, Rini, who sat across from Artur, blurted out, "The food will be thrown away."
Artur turned to Rini, then looked back at Zilya, who nodded in confirmation. A frown formed on Artur's forehead as he observed the trays filled with untouched food being discarded.
Hundreds of people in Heles were currently sleeping in freezing homes with empty stomachs. If only that food could be given to them, it would be enough to feed several people at once.
Seeing Artur staring at the servants carrying away trays of food with a furrowed brow, Zilya commented in a flat tone, "Each of those meals is intended for a noble who is also a mage. If a commoner were to eat those leftovers, it would be the same as saying they are equal to nobles."
"Artur, social classes are not formed due to differences, but rather as a necessity for rulers to make their people aware of their place. When commoners frequently taste what nobles eat, the value of that food will drastically diminish.
"This is because commoners will realize that the food nobles eat doesn't taste much different from what they themselves eat. Even if the food is delicious, the pleasure disappears once it reaches their stomachs. If the food fills them up, the satisfaction vanishes when they wake up. If the food looks beautiful and appetizing, the beauty and deliciousness disappear when they relieve themselves. Google search 𝐟𝓇𝘦𝒆w𝚎𝐛n𝐨ν𝙚𝚕. c𝚘ｍ
"When commoners realize that everything nobles possess is merely superficial, they will no longer submit to them. A submission that arises from a mixture of envy and hope—the envy of a noble's luxurious life and the hope that one day they will have it too.
"Social classes are formed not only because of rulers but also because of the ones being ruled."
Zilya's explanation made Artur widen his eyes before contemplating it. He remembered when he was just an ordinary commoner, always muttering "Fairness is a son of a bitch" in his heart. But when he became a Level 2 Constellation Mage, Artur started using every bit of unfairness for his own advantage.
He recalled when he refused to greet his two swordsmanship instructors, who were mere gatekeepers. At that time, Artur reasoned with Rini that he didn't want to cause trouble for them. However, upon further reflection, the real reason was that he wanted to revel in the difference in their social status.
He wanted to consider himself capable of causing trouble for his swordsmanship instructors with just a single greeting.
A bitter smile appeared on Artur's face as he realized the hypocrisy within himself.