53: Bell (2)

Jamie thought while looking at his crying mother.

‘What is love?’

It had been so long since he had experienced it that he couldn’t even remember it.

Since the moment he was reincarnated, Sears has been showering him with love. However, he didn’t feel anything but warmth and discomfort.

That was because Diablo Volfir had given up on everything for the sake of vengeance.

But what about now?

‘The first time was when I met Ricky and Anna.’

Jamie frowned at the unknown emotion.

When he first saw the siblings, he felt the urge to kill them, but a feeling of compassion that he shouldn’t have felt overwhelmed him.

When Ricky threw himself to save him, emotions other than anger began to emerge.

Jamie didn’t know what it was, but he knew that it was one of those he had abandoned in the past.

It emerged again when Mayatrey shed tears for her dead lover.

And… what did he feel when Venna overcame her problems?

‘I don’t know yet.’

He couldn’t sympathize with Sears.

However, seeing her crying in the arms of her father, whom she met after 7 years, strangely made his heart ache.

There was no way for him to recognize it because he couldn’t remember love, but Jamie was able to sense the discomfort.

And displeasure.

But it wasn’t directed at Sears.

‘I am displeased with myself.’

Was 7 years all that was needed to change his essence?

It couldn’t be.

The eons he lived, he won’t forgive himself if he forgot them.

He longed for revenge amid pain and aimed for an opportunity to rise one day.

“Don’t cry, my daughter. It is fine.”

“Really, I am really sorry…”

He didn’t need emotions.

And his goal didn’t change.

The spirit that was born from sacrifice and betrayal.

Therefore, he had to go through everything in a blank and emotionless state.

‘So, what just happened to me?’

The old man seemed to be happy after seeing his daughter.

‘I failed.’

In the end, Diablo Volfir, who abandoned everything and became all alone, couldn’t overcome the 12 Gods.

‘Why was I reincarnated?’

Was it his second chance?

Jamie wasn’t sure. He constantly thought about it but never came to an answer.

When he was checking the changes in himself, he thought of something.

‘In order to not repeat the mistakes of the past.’

Jamie looked at the Marquis and Sears.

“Father, Euk-!”

“Enough, my daughter, my sweet daughter.”

“Mother, don’t cry! Aweee!”

Sarah was unable to hold back the tears and ended up crying alongside her mother.

Jamie mumbled.

“I don’t know.”

Right now, he couldn’t decide what was right and wrong.

He had plenty of time.

‘I need more experience.’

What he couldn’t do in his previous life, he would enjoy doing in this life.

When the time comes, things will get clear.

Jamie smiled.

Sarah was weeping as she hung onto Sears’ waist.

Marquis was comforting them with a bewildered face.

After the brief reunion was over, Sears patted on Sarah’s head.

“Mother won’t cry anymore.”

“Eukkk.. don’t cry! Don’t cry!”

Sears rubbed her eyes and smiled.

Marquis Bell comforted Sarah with a shy face.

“Grandfather is feeling sorry too.”

“Mother cried because of grandfather! I won’t accept that!”

Sarah escaped from the touch of the Marquis and moved to Sears’ arms. The Marquis couldn’t close his mouth because of the shock.

“Sarah. don’t say that! Apologize right now.”

“But…”

“Sarah!”

Sarah frowned but then lowered her head and said.

“Sorry…”

However, her pouty expression and wrinkled eyebrows didn’t seem sorry at all.

The Marquis laughed at that.

“She seems to really dislike me.”

“Sorry.”

“What are you apologizing for? Sarah will open up later. Right, Sarah?”

“…”

Sarah hid behind Sears again and didn’t answer, but then she stuck out her head.

Marquis Bell then looked at Jamie, who was watching from behind.

“You must be Jamie.”

“Hello.”

Jamie had been quiet all the time.

He looked at the Marquis and bowed.

‘This old man is the head of the great Bell family.’

Unlike the father who comforted his daughter, the Marquis looked like a charismatic leader.

His family contributed to the founding of the country and helped design the kingdom.

Marquis bent his knees a little and met with Jamie’s gaze.

“I wanted to see you.”

“I wanted to see you too.”

Jamie smiled when the Marquis chucked.

“I am glad that you seem to like me.”

“You are my mother’s father. There is no reason not to like you.”

“I never expected to hear that from a 7-year-old child. Hahaha.”

Marquis Bell burst into laughter.

Then he lightly spread his arms.

Jamie almost frowned because he knew what it meant.

“Come here.”

“…”

“It is fine.”

Jamie looked at Sears.

She smiled and nodded.

‘… I hate this.’

“My grandson. It is nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too, grandpa.”

‘Stop this…’

Please.

Marquis Bell prepared dinner for his eldest daughter and his grandchildren.

On the way here, they stopped by several places and received a nice treatment, but this was different.

The huge table was filled with various types of dishes and meals.

They ate until their stomachs felt like they’d explode.

The steamed prawns with special seasoning were the best Jamie had ever eaten.

“Why did you prepare this much?”

“Because you are here, I need to do this. It would have been nice if the Count had come along.”

“He is busy.”

“He is the Lord of the estate.”

After dinner, they went somewhere else to enjoy the tea.

“By the way, I thought you would start to like me after dinner. But, does Sarah still hate me?”

Sarah was sitting next to Sears.

He thought that the child would open up as she was well fed, but it didn’t seem like it would happen any time soon.

“Sarah. Do you still hate grandpa?”

“… I don’t like.”

Then, she hid behind Sears’ back.

Marquis Bell wasn’t as hurt as before, but he still felt a bit shy.

“The kid is.”

Sears shook her head.

“She will be fine in a while. She has a simple minded personality.”

“Hmm.”

Marquis Bill thought about something and then snapped his finger, saying that he had an idea.

“Wait a minute.”

He called someone and then ordered them something.

After a while, a person came with a gilded box the size of a hand. The Marquis smiled, as if this was his trump card, and then called Sarah.

“Sarah. Do you like candy?”

“… candy?”

She looked at Sears.

Sears nodded her head, and then Sarah looked at the Marquis and said.

“I like candy.”

“Really?”

The Marquis opened the box.

There were beautifully packed candies inside.

He took one and handed it to Sarah.

“This is a sweet candy brought in directly from the Milky Kingdom. Here.”

“Uhm.”

Sarah looked at the candy, pondering what to do.

Which made Jamie speak to her in a harsh voice.

“Grandpa is giving you, take it.”

“Brother?”

“Hurry.”

Sarah winced at Jamie’s stern expression and then slowly took the candy.

She didn’t thank though.

“Say thank you.”

“… thank you.”

And then she went back to her seat.

The candy was beautiful.

Sarah exclaimed as she looked at it and then put it in her little mouth.

“Delicious!”

A 3-years-old child.

She had eaten so many candies, but never one this delicious.

Sarah’s eyes twinkled like stars as she rolled the lollipop in her mouth.

“hahaha. I knew that you would like it.”

“What is this candy?”

“It’s made from the sap of the World Tree.”

Jamie’s eyes shone at the word ‘World Tree’.

It was the ‘Source of life’ that the elves regard as their mother. However, since the World Tree existed under their protection, the humans couldn’t access it.

‘Humans got the World tree?!’

Although the number of elves was small, the land was barren and wild. It was more of a heavenly fortress.

Humans have invaded the base of elves several times to obtain the World Tree, but never succeeded.

The high elves were the defenders of the World Tree, and they had the strength of a 9th class magician.

It has been ages since then, and humans gave up on attacking elves.

‘So how?’

When Jamie was lost in his thoughts, the Marquis continued to explain.

“It is an artificially grown tree but the taste is excellent.”

‘Ah, artificial world tree.’

Somehow, Jamie immediately got his answer.

How could a human ever covet the World Tree of elves?

It was incomprehensible.

‘But an artificial World Tree?’

It was shocking, but not as much as the first idea.

“Well, it seems like Jamie has made Sarah a little bit fond of grandpa.”

Marquis Bell thanked him and stroked Jamie’s head.

Jamie tried not to frown.

“By the way, our Jamie’s magic skills are amazing right?”

The Marquis raised an eyebrow and asked him.

The Bell family wasn’t a family of magicians, but to a certain extent, the blood of magicians was running through their veins.

So he was so excited when he heard about his grandson’s skills.

“Can I touch your hand for a moment?”

“Yes.”

Just his hand?

Jamie reached out his small hand, and the Marquis gently stroked it.

A small amount of Mana started flowing in his fingertips.

It was the Marquis’.

After a few minutes, the Marquis’s expression hardened as he released Jamie’s hand.

“What is it, father?”

“… no nothing. It is just shocking.”

The Marquis looked at his grandson with a dazed expression.

‘The rumours weren’t false.’

‘How could a child with such power be born from our family and the Weltons?’

The Welton family had been a family of swordsmen since ancient times, and the Bell family’s magicians weren’t that strong.

Normally, he should be happy that a genius was born in his family, but the Marquis wasn’t.

The Marquis got up without a word and walked to his desk. He then pulled something out of the drawer and walked over to Jamie.

“Take this.”

A necklace swayed from the Marquis’ hand.

“What is this?”

The Marquis answered with a smile.

“An artefact I’m sure it’ll come in handy.”

Jamie looked at the blue jewel in the necklace.

The power it held felt unusual.