manynovel Chapter 80 Two Choices
Chapter 80 Two Choices
Chapter 80 Two Choices
Natalie's son was born, and Bekas seemed to be the happiest.
Bekas held the baby boy in his arms, reluctant to let go for a long time.
Aaron even doubted at one point whether he was the child's father.
But her doubts were quickly dispelled, because Natalie would only look at her son and never glance at Bekas's excited expression.
Three days after giving birth to her son, Natalie finally named him.
Kathy. Kathy Lines.
The girl was very weak after giving birth and had difficulty walking on her own.
Fortunately, Bekas takes care of her; he buys high-quality ingredients to help Natalie recover.
Bekas's dishes were really unappetizing, and the taste was barely passable.
However, being able to provide everyone with a hot meal is already a great achievement.
In his spare time, Bekas would study the book "Frostflow Kill" or practice.
Based on the current progress, Pegasus should be able to completely master this forbidden book in less than half a month.
Anne seemed very curious about little Cathy and always liked to stay by Natalie's bedside, observing Cathy's every move.
Aaron was afraid that Anne would suddenly hit Cathy, so he had to stay by her side.
"This child is so cute," Natalie suddenly said.
Who was she referring to? "All children are lovable, whether it's Cathy or Anne."
“You’re right,” Natalie said, reaching out to touch her son’s skin, “but in my eyes, Cathy is undoubtedly the most adorable child in the world.”
"Just as every mother loves her child," Aaron shrugged.
Hearing this, Natalie turned her head and looked at Aaron with worried eyes:
"Curator—tell me, am I worthy to be his mother?"
"There's no question of being a good match or not; you are his mother."
"But I'm very willful, and I'll definitely continue to be willful in the future."
As she spoke, Natalie lowered her head.
"And I wanted to give birth to him for a willful and selfish reason."
Selfish? Aaron didn't quite understand what Natalie meant.
Natalie then said, "Hey, curator, you're angry, aren't you? I left without saying goodbye."
"This does indeed bother me," Aaron nodded.
"I know I was wrong, but I don't intend to apologize to you for it. You also lied to me about this, even if it was a white lie, it doesn't change the fact that you are a liar, so we are even in this matter."
Natalie's expression was very serious, and Aaron couldn't help but shake his head with a smile, feeling that the point Natalie cared about seemed a little strange:
"It's alright, it's all in the past."
"But, Curator, I owe you so much. You saved me and my mother, and now you've taken me and Bourne in. Besides, there are countless other small things you've done—mermaids always repay kindness, but I really don't know how to repay these favors. Curator, is there anything you want me to do for you?"
"You don't need to take it to heart. I'm not helping you for anything in return."
"But I don't want to owe you anything, curator. So, you might as well take my life."
Aaron laughed a few times: "What would I do with your life?"
"I have to use the money to pay off other debts, so all I have left is my own life."
"No need,"
Aaron walked to Natalie's bedside and patted her on the shoulder.
"Natalie, I don't need your life. You should cherish yourself more."
Natalie lowered her head: "Then—I'll keep my life for you for now, and you can ask me for it back at any time."
Although Aaron thought Natalie's ideas were somewhat unique, he couldn't doubt that she was a responsible girl.
"Then live well, Natalie," also for Lady Aurelia.
嗯」
Natalie nodded.
A few days later, Pegasus finally mastered the contents of the forbidden book.
Aaron accepted the book returned by Pegasus and put it back in its original place.
And the fourth page of the "Record of Forbidden Books Borrowing" is also completely recorded:
[Borrower, Serial Number IV]
[Name: Pegasus Byrne]
[Suitable for use with banned books: Frost Stream's Deadly Strike]
[Level of Mastery: 100%]
[Borrowing date: January 11, 1578 (French calendar)]
[Return Date: May 3, 1578 (French Calendar)]
A sense of relief washed over Aaron, for this gave him the ability to fight head-on!
He stood among the bookshelves, gathered his strength, and threw a jab forward.
Where the fist passed, some azure and crystalline frost flakes drifted away.
He also felt an extremely refreshing cold current flowing through his body.
However, he felt that the effect he achieved was far less than the power that Pegasus had demonstrated during practice.
As expected, a martial artist's extraordinary power is greatly influenced by the user's own physical abilities.
This is why Pegasus must hone his body and skills every day.
Aaron was merely a weak scholar, unable to fully unleash the power of this martial arts style.
Hmm, it seems we still need to find a way to make up for this deficiency.
However, this is not a problem for the immortal Aaron.
He does 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, and 100 squats every day, plus a 10-kilometer run in the library. I believe it won't be long before he has a strong body.
In the following days, Natalie's complexion recovered quickly.
Before long, she returned to being the radiant Natalie she always was.
Cathy's birth always brought a smile to her face.
Aaron was happy for her too. She had lost her mother, but she had gained a new family, which filled the void in Natalie's life.
However, Aaron knew that Natalie was still a little girl.
He could occasionally hear Natalie sobbing quietly in her room.
She must be crying for her mother—because of her extreme longing for her.
Only then did Aaron realize that the library had become a place with five people, including two children.
The place, which should have been quiet, became incredibly noisy.
However, Aaron also enjoyed it quite a bit.
That's it—
But, just as Aaron had initially predicted, such days would not last long.
When Kathy was one month old, everyone celebrated for him.
Bekas went to the port and bought some grilled oysters, clams, and steamed blue lobsters. He also brought some fluffy cookies for Annie. As for Cathy, she can't eat anything except breast milk now.
That night, everyone fell asleep amidst laughter.
The next morning, Natalie came to say goodbye to Aaron.
She also emphasized that if Aaron wanted her dead, she could pay him back anytime.
Although he didn't understand why Natalie was so insistent on this matter, Aaron didn't take it to heart and simply nodded.
Aaron assumed that Natalie and Pegasus would leave the library together, but Natalie also said goodbye to Pegasus.
The two stood at the library entrance talking; they hadn't closed the door, so Aaron could hear everything they said.
"Let's part ways here, Bourne. Don't follow me anymore."
"My lord, why? I do not understand. I have offered you my knees and my loyalty. I swore before you that I would follow you to find your Lady Aure. Now that she is dead, you should return with me to the Lyons Plateau and reclaim the power and status of the Lyons family!"
"Bourne, finding your mother was a vow you made to my father, not entirely for my sake. But I do owe you something. You stopped the loyal dog for me, giving me the opportunity to help Henry. For that, I must thank you. I owe you something—so, accept him—"
"Wow~"
Aaron heard a cry and looked toward the door.
He saw Natalie handing Cathy forward from her arms.
"This—sir, you..."
"That way, I won't owe you anything."
"But this—I—"
"Bourne, he is a boy, and he is more suitable to be your master than I am. No knight on the Highlands would be willing to kneel at a woman's feet, but if it were a boy from the Lines family, the situation would be very different."
"Perhaps you're right, but Casey, he—he is—"
Aaron sensed that Bekas seemed hesitant to speak.
However, Natalie picked up where he left off.
"Bastard?"
"I didn't say that, sir."
"I can tell you his father's name."
"No need. I don't want to hear a name that would bring shame to the Lines family."
"But I don't feel ashamed. Anyway, Bourne, whether you accept it or not, I am the only offspring of your former master, and I swear to you now that I will never have any more children."
"Sir, you—"
"So, Byrne, Casey will eventually be your master. You should find the cost of losing him even more unacceptable than losing me."
Anne, sitting on the registration counter, stretched out her hands to Aaron.
Aaron picked her up, and Annie immediately burst out laughing.
But at the library entrance, apart from the intermittent cries of a baby, Aaron heard no other sounds for a long time.
After a long while, he finally heard Pegasus's hoarse voice:
"My lord, why are you so resistant?"
"I don't want to be a duke, and I don't need power. These are not what I wanted from the beginning. I just want to live with my mother."
"But the lady is already dead."
"But I want to go see the Capello Forest, that's what we agreed on."
Pegasus remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking:
"My lord—"—You have indeed lost your mother, but are you willing to let Cathy, and your own child, suffer the same fate?
Also separated from mother?
"Bourne, stop talking—" Natalie's voice was trembling with tears.
"grown ups!"
"Bourne!" Natalie shouted.
She frightened Cathy, and the child's crying became even louder.
Annie was also moved by the crying and started to cry too.
Aaron had to shake Annie to calm the little one down.
After a moment, Natalie spoke:
"Bourne, how can you not even understand this?"
"What?"
"Can't you understand what would happen if Cathy and I both returned to the plateau?"
"You will be supported by the nobles of the highlands."
"Yes, they support me—but Byrne, do they support me or Cathy?"
"Of course it's you."
"That's right, my claim predates Cathy's, but there will definitely be people who oppose women in power and start supporting Cathy. Can you guarantee that this won't happen?"
"this--"
"That's it, Bourne. You can't guarantee that if that happens, I won't be forced to turn against my son. I might as well just kill myself."
"But, sir, there must be a way."
"Then tell me now, what's the solution?"
Pegasus remained silent, while Kathy wept.
"That's it, Bourne, you can't do anything about it. Bourne, the day you swore allegiance to me, I gave you two choices, and now I give you two as well."
......
"If you don't want to leave me, you can come with me, but I will never return to the Lines Plateau."
"My lord, you know my long-cherished wish. How can I possibly fulfill it?"
"Then, Bourne, let's part ways. From this day forward, you pledge allegiance to Casey Lines!"
Pegasus fell silent, and Aaron knew that this was the choice.
"Ah—" Natalie sighed, "As expected, Byrne, I knew you would choose this."
"I had no other choice."
"But it doesn't matter, Byrne. I am no longer your master. From now on, you will serve and address him as the Duke. This is Cathy Lanes."
Aaron saw that the sunlight shone on Natalie's face outside the door, reflecting a crystalline glow.
Bekas took the baby boy from Natalie, who then leaned out and kissed Cathy on the cheek.
"You must take good care of him."
"That's natural, sir."
"Bourne?"
"Can you promise me one thing?"
"What is it?"
"When he is old enough, tell him that he has the blood of the plateau and the sea flowing in his veins."
"My lord, no—Miss, no—Madam, you are no longer my master! I will never agree to this!"
"Is that so? Farewell, Bourne."
Natalie disappeared outside the door, and Aaron guessed that she wouldn't be coming back.
Pegasus, carrying Kathy, returned to the library and abruptly sat down on a teak bench.
Seemingly sensing her mother's departure, Cathy's cries were extremely sorrowful.
But Pegasus didn't seem to have the energy to comfort Kathy.
Seeing this, Aaron stepped forward and took Cathy from Bekas.
It took quite a while for Cathy to finally calm down.
He placed Cathy and Annie on the table and let the two children play by themselves while he supervised them.
At this moment, Pegasus finally spoke:
"Mr. Mosley, you must be laughing at me—"
Aaron, being an outsider, shouldn't rush to comment; he simply smiled faintly.
"Sir, did I do the right thing?"
"Right and wrong are often determined by the outcome, but mortals cannot know the future outcome."
"Hmm—but, sir, I heard you've been seeing her for three years?"
"yes."
"You've really worked hard."
"Hahaha," Aaron laughed, "The other two are the ones who have headaches, I hardly worry about them. And..."
To say that Natalie is being unreasonable would be an exaggeration.
"Of course I understand," Pegasus nodded. "Anyway, sir, thank you for taking care of the master before and during this time."
"Not Madam?"
"That was just said in anger."
Ok?
Aaron suddenly realized that Pegasus's personality might be a little more interesting than he had imagined.
"Don't worry about it, Sir Pegasus."
"Well then, I should get going."
As he spoke, Pegasus rummaged through his pockets and then handed over a badge.
"Sir, please accept this."
"What's this?" Aaron asked, taking it.
"This badge is made from a unique mineral from the Lyons Plateau, making it difficult to replicate. All the lords of the plateau know of it."
Bekas said,
"With it, any lord of the Lyons Plateau who remembers the Lyons family's kindness will surely respond to your request."
Aaron looked down at the badge, its outline a double-pointed star with a patterned design in the center depicting a highland landscape.
"Well then, thank you, Sir Pegasus."
"You're welcome. This is to express our gratitude for your care and guidance in martial arts these past few days."
Bekas said,
"Sir, although you say you are just an ordinary person, I would bet the gods that you are absolutely extraordinary."
Without listening to Aaron's explanation, he picked up Cathy Lines and walked out of the library.
"Farewell, Mr. Mosley."
The doors closed, and the library instantly fell silent.
"Baya-hey~"
Annie stood up from the table and stumbled toward Aaron.
Aaron caught her just as she was about to fall.
He pinched Annie's cheek:
"Little Annie, now it'll just be the two of us—"