Deathly silence hung in the atmosphere as all eyes shifted towards Xiu. They awaited her answer as it could change a lot of things for them.
Most of the people present here were from the Moonrise Kingdom, and even those that weren’t paid their full attention to her answer. Their future depended on her decision.
Even Aegon was wondering what she would answer. As for the fact that the King himself was offering the whole kingdom to her, well, he just convinced himself that his Aunt was almighty and could do anything, even if it was illogical.
"Uncle, how many times do I have to tell you that I’m not suitable to rule the kingdom?" Xiu sighed, as she couldn’t really get angry at this man. "Why do you wish for its demise?"
"It is yours rightfully, so naturally you will be the one to rule it. It is the wish of everyone in our kingdom," Bailish said, keeping a respectful tone. "Besides, we will assist you, so the kingdom will also be fine."
"The answer is still a big no," Xiu rolled her eyes and said. "It would take away my precious time with Little Sun. And that’s the worst deal imaginable."
Bailish stared at her before shaking his head helplessly. He knew she would refuse, but it was still worth a try. After Xiu gestured, he stood up with his family.
Then, he turned towards Aegon, who was looking at him curiously, and said, "Young Master Aegon, my whole family wishes you a very happy birthday. May the Moon always shine upon your soul!"
"Thank you, uhh, Granduncle?" Aegon paused, wondering what he should call him.
"Just call him an old man. He won’t mind," Xiu said, as she herself had called him that most of the time.
Aegon shifted in her arms and turned towards her. "You’re once again teaching me bad things."
"Yes, yes, my little Ancestor, but bad things are also important. Learn from your Aunt!" Xiu spoke with a toothy grin, making one wonder if she really was the one whom the people wanted as their Queen.
Aegon gave her a disdainful look before turning away. It wasn’t like he didn’t learn from her, no, he learned most of his stuff from her but he didn’t want her reckless and carefree personality.
Why? Because he had read so many novels with Young Masters. Wasn’t his and their situation similar? They both had powerful backgrounds and were also spoiled a lot by their families.
But all it did was make them arrogant pieces of shit, whom Aegon really hated. So, he always reminded himself to keep a balance between being humble and being arrogant.
If he really took his aunt’s personality, he might get beaten every day in the future. Alas, he loved her a lot, so her traits had already begun to influence his mind unconsciously.
"He’s really very intelligent," Sansa, the wife of King Bailish, said while smiling sweetly at Aegon. "Why don’t we let the kids play? I’m sure my little ones will also enjoy his company."
Hearing her words, Aegon looked down and found three pairs of curious eyes looking back at him. What emotion was in their eyes? He couldn’t understand, but he did feel that they also wanted to play with him. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novèlfire.net
"We are waiting for one more guest," Arnold said, often glancing at the entrance. "I believe they are already here though."
Just then, a couple set foot in the hall, and every single eye turned towards them. And safe to say, every one of them had their eyes widened in surprise and shock.
Even Aegon was shocked, and his gaze followed the elegant couple who came to stand before them.
The man was quite young and handsome, with deep blonde hair and emerald green eyes. Beside him was a beautiful young woman whose beauty stood out the most in the room.
Her emerald green eyes were fixed on Aegon as she smiled gently. Beside her, a five-year-old-looking girl was walking by, holding her fingers. Her steps were short, but she still tried to keep up with the adults.
The most striking feature that all of them shared were their pointy ears. How could Aegon not recognize their race? It was something so many fantasy novels used.
Aegon turned his head, his eyes catching the smile playing on Arnold’s face. He remembered how once he had told him that he wanted to meet Elves.
And his Grandpa brought them here for him.
He was so touched by this gesture that he wanted to jump into Arnold’s arms and give him a warm hug. This family really reminded him of what he had missed in his first life and what he could enjoy now.
’Sigh. I really need to keep myself in check. This much love might really make me too arrogant.’
"Greetings, Lord Arnold, Lady Xiu, and Young Master Aegon."
Aegon once again looked at the Elves and heard his Aunt say, "You all are too late. I was going to start the banquet without you."
"Aiyah! Don’t be angry, Little Xiu," the last Elf smiled, still looking at Aegon. "It’s my nephew’s first birthday, so how could I miss it?"
"Good! I don’t want my Little Sun to have a bad aunt," Xiu nodded and said. "Let me introduce you to your Aunt, who is also like my sister. She’s Aurelia Sylvaris. That’s her husband Theon, and their daughter Elara Sylvaris."
"Hello!" Aegon also smiled at them, and before he realized, he blurted out, "Can I touch your ears?"
Expressions of the guests present there changed once again. They were already surprised by the appearance of Elves here, but this request really shocked them.
They expected some sort of drama, but...
"Hahaha! He’s really just like you, Xiu," Aurelia laughed heartily, making the atmosphere brighten alongside her.
It really was a strange feeling, but Aegon felt that the atmosphere around Theon and Aurelia seemed to change according to their mood.
"He’s my Little Sun, after all," Xiu said proudly and shifted her eyes towards him. "You really want to touch their ears?"
Since the cat was already out of the bag and they didn’t seem to be offended, Aegon nodded and said, "I wanted to feel them."
"You can touch my ears."
Surprisingly, the voice came from the little girl standing beside Aurelia, her daughter Elara. Her words also made others surprised, especially Aurelia and Theon, who knew their daughter very well.