Chapter 248
Little Viviane
Maya’s room was neither entirely messy nor entirely tidy. Various items were scattered everywhere—wine bottles, barrels, and remnants of food. Simply put, it was filled with the traces of life that had seen high frequency use in a short period. However, other than that, everything else was neat and organized. This gave Eiv a peculiar illusion—as if Maya was still a little girl whose parents had just gone on a business trip, and she was now indulging in an act of defiance through food and drink.
“Madam Maya,” Eiv began, “do you live with your parents?”
“My parents live in the Red Queen District, but not with me,” Maya explained, looking somewhat flustered. As she spoke, she started tidying up. She was very efficient, and before long, everything was mostly cleaned.
She complained, “I didn’t intend to invite you over today… otherwise, I would have cleaned everything thoroughly. The main reason is that I didn’t expect you to get promoted so suddenly, so I couldn’t delay any longer. I haven’t bought groceries lately; otherwise, I could have let you try my cooking. But now, I can only quickly give you the items… I can’t let you miss your meal.”
“There’s no rush,” Eiv reassured her.
Lily then softly asked, “Should I help out too?” This was considered one of Lily’s professional skills.
It was eleven in the morning after the exams, so there was still plenty of time.
“No need!” Madam Maya replied energetically, “You are both my students and my guests. It’s unreasonable to have students and guests clean the house.”
Just then, the front door’s lock suddenly turned.
“I’m home, Mommy.” A young, clear, and cold voice echoed.
…Mommy?
Eiv turned towards the sound and saw a little girl wearing a dark blue nun’s habit, with silver hair and silver eyes, appearing at the entrance. Although Maya could be considered a vibrant beauty, her appearance and demeanor were completely different from the girl’s. Maya had dark brown curly hair, the same color as Mathers, tied into a ponytail in a rather precarious style resting on one shoulder. Her pupils were a gentle, watery light blue. Her age was hard to determine, perhaps in her late thirties or forties, but she still looked like a lively young woman in her early twenties. Despite being a university lecturer, she had a disposition akin to a kindergarten teacher.
Now, Eiv finally understood the origin of that aura—the girl who had entered was from the doorway, her ears slightly pointed, clearly possessing elven blood. Her features were exquisite and elegant, like a statue, with skin that was an almost alabaster white. Even without any adornments or accessories, she exuded an commanding nobility. Upon entering and seeing Eiv and Lily, she didn’t react much.
The girl softly asked, “Do we have guests, Mommy?”
Madam Maya hurried over, hands on her knees, and asked in a soft voice like a fool, “Why did you come back so suddenly, Viviane? Aren’t you staying at school for lunch?”
“We’re on vacation, Mommy.” The girl sighed helplessly and walked past Maya, “We finished our exams yesterday. I just went up to get our holiday homework today.”
“Ah, sorry Viviane, Mommy forgot again…”
“It’s okay, Mommy. I know you’re busy.” The girl was understanding, her tone calm. But as she walked, she suddenly noticed the trash Maya had gathered. The girl’s eyes immediately sharpened! “What’s going on, Mommy? You ate this stuff again… and drank alcohol? So much?”
“Oh, I only had a little…” Maya chuckled and leaned over, gesturing for Eiv and Lily to be quiet. She then followed the girl, explaining, “It’s because Head部长 Meg came to drink with me, and I couldn’t refuse, so I had a bit…”
…Didn’t Meg turn into Lixia?
Eiv tilted his head slightly. Nevertheless, he kindly didn’t expose Maya’s lie. However, the reactions of Maya and her daughter astonished Eiv—it was even novel. It felt as if Viviane was the mother and Maya was her daughter…
“You need to control your sugar intake, or you’ll have to work out,” Viviane said sternly. “If you gain weight, you’ll have to diet again—Fire Worship Magic isn’t omnipotent, you said that yourself. I’ll cook for these few days.”
She examined the room and then approached Eiv. After a brief assessment, she bowed slightly, performing a proper nun’s curtsy: “Mr. Eivass Moriarty, and Miss Lily Drost, good afternoon to you both. May the Silver Crown Dragon watch over you, and may the Candlemaster’s fire illuminate you.”
…Wow, such a formal greeting. What’s her deal?
Eiv felt a sudden pressure. So, Eiv adopted an attitude suitable for his peers. He placed his right hand over his chest, displayed a perfect smile, and said softly, “And I wish the Candlemaster’s fire to protect your light, little lady. May I call you Viviane?”
“Viviane Mathers. It is my honor that you can call me by my name directly,” the girl replied in a clear, cold voice, her expression incredibly solemn—more so than any teacher Eiv had ever seen. However, because her cheeks still carried a slight baby fat, the solemn expression made her look rather cute.
“Viviane…” Eiv murmured the name, looking at Maya with a peculiar expression, “Did you name her this? Or did your husband?” This was not a good name in Avalon. The story of Lady of the Lake Viviane was well-known in Avalon. Naming a child Viviane was akin to naming a girl “Jinlian.” Setting aside the meaning, the main issue was that the child might be given a bad nickname at school. For Maya, as a senior Bishop and also a university lecturer, she shouldn’t have made such a low-level mistake.
“I am not married,” Maya declared, hands on her hips, “Although I’m not young anymore, I’m still a maiden.”
“That means you’re unmarriageable,” the girl added from the side.
“Viviane—”
“Of course, I think it’s mainly because of me,” the girl continued, “Taking care of such a grown-up daughter, I imagine no one would be willing.”
“…Well, that wouldn’t be the case…” Maya’s raised voice suddenly lowered, and she uneasily approached Viviane, “Don’t say that, Viviane. Mommy is content just having you…”
“I know, I’m doing it on purpose.” Viviane’s lips curved upward slightly.
“You little thing—” Enraged, Maya bit Viviane’s ear from behind.
Eiv finally understood, “Little Viviane… is she your adopted daughter?” Just like himself.
“Something like that. I found her by the lake. She was even younger than she is now, but she was already like a little adult. But she does have elven blood, so it’s reasonable for her intellect and appearance not to match. Princess Isabel is almost twenty this year, but she still looks like a sixteen-year-old.” Maya said with some distress, “I originally wanted to name her Annie or Anna, but she preferred the name Viviane. I had no choice but to go along with it.”
…Could she really be a reincarnation of Viviane?
Eiv had this thought. The main reason was that it wasn’t impossible…
“Oh, and Mommy,”
“Hmm, what is it?”
“Our school is organizing a trip to Shepherd’s Bay Country next week. Can you accompany me, Mommy?” the girl asked lightly. “It’s a bit remote.”
“Sure, no problem. It’s winter break then, so I’ll go along to protect you,” Maya replied after a moment’s thought. Eiv, however, was a little curious.
He spoke up, “Speaking of which, we’re also planning to go to Shepherd’s Bay Country… where are you going?”
“We’re going to Windpipe Town,” the girl looked at Eiv and replied.
“We’re going to Eagle Cape Village—it’s quite close. I can look after you then,” Eiv smiled gently.
“Eagle Cape Village?” Maya asked, somewhat puzzled, “Why are you going to such a remote place?”
“I’m going to investigate my grandfather’s death,” Eiv explained softly. “Sherlock told me that my biological grandfather died in Eagle Cape Village. There might be something suspicious. Coincidentally, Senior Haina is from there, so we plan to go back and take a look.”
“Maybe we can go together,” Maya said, clapping her hands happily. “That would be great. If anything happens, we can look out for each other. After all, Viviane is so young, I’d be worried about her traveling so far…”
“Speaking of which, Viviane, how old are you exactly?” Lily asked curiously.
“I’m eight years old this year, according to school records,” Viviane replied fluently.
Hearing this, Eiv and Lily were both slightly stunned.
—You’re eight years old?
“Then when was Viviane found by Teacher Maya?”
“Seven years ago.”
“…And how old were you when you were found?”
“About seven years old seven years ago,” the girl’s clear, cold voice answered.
… I feel like I’ve been insulted in a very sophisticated way.
Eiv stroked his chin. This girl is interesting…
“But speaking of which,” Maya suddenly remembered something, “The book I lent you is also related to Viviane. I met Viviane precisely because I was chasing this book.”
“…Chasing?” Eiv was taken aback.
“Yes, the Grimoire of the Morning Crow flies away,” Maya said, taking out an exquisite golden birdcage from the room. This birdcage had no accessories for eating or drinking, but it did have a perch for the bird to stand on, though Eiv, who had never kept a bird, didn’t know its name. Most bizarrely, a book lay quietly at the bottom of the birdcage, and there were small windows on both sides of the cage, one in and one out. One could push things in from the outside, but they couldn’t be taken out from the inside. The book was a few inches smaller than a textbook, but about the same thickness. It was about the same size as detective novels from Eiv’s past life. It shone with a golden radiance, like sunlight reflecting on a lake. It also had raised bas-reliefs resembling fish scales or wings. The golden cover was inscribed with the words “Grimoire of the Morning Crow” in flowing Elven Language.
“It turns into a crow and flies away. So, you need to reach your hand through these two windows to look… but absolutely do not take it out to read for convenience.” Maya cautioned, “Also, remember to read it during the day. If it’s at night, the characters inside the book will change to another script and lose its function as a grimoire. As for its specific effects… you can take it back and find out for yourself.”
Update complete, meow!
