CHAPTER 21: XIU’S PLAN

Every pair of eyes turned towards Xiu as they wondered what she meant, but one of them smiled as if realizing the hidden meaning behind her words.

The hall quieted down for them, the flickering glow of lanterns painting soft light across their thoughtful faces.

"So, why did you arrange this banquet?" Arnold asked, his tone calm but with a faint curiosity. He had a hunch her plan was related to this banquet, yet he wanted to hear it from her own lips.

Although Xiu was pretty reckless, she always had some reasons for her actions, even if those reasons ended up sounding like nonsense to him most of the time. Still, he knew her well enough to expect something deeper buried underneath.

"Haha! You’re really my best friend," Aurelia laughed and glanced at the others, who were still wearing expressions of mild confusion. "She arranged this banquet for Aegon."

"Isn’t that obvious?" Theon asked, raising a brow as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"No, you still don’t understand," Aurelia smiled, her voice soft. "Ever since he was born, Aegon has been interacting with no one but adults. Even if my dear best friend likes to act childish, she’s still an adult. And for someone like him, who has a mind inherited from his mother, it isn’t a good thing."

A look of realization flashed in their eyes as Xiu leaned forward, adding, "He learns and adapts fast, so if he’s surrounded by adults, he’ll just adapt to that lifestyle. This is the reason he is so sensible despite being so young. He only saw the adult world from the very beginning, and no child should carry that weight so early."

"Yup! I also faced quite a similar problem with El," Aurelia admitted, her shoulders relaxing as she spoke more openly. "A child is heavily influenced by the environment he or she grows up in, and it’s especially true for our children. While El doesn’t have a big brain like Aegon, her emotional intelligence has been high since birth. And growing up in the royal palace wasn’t good for her."

"And what did you do to solve it?" Sansa, Bailish’s wife, asked, leaning forward slightly. She was very curious about the upbringing of these special children, and her voice carried the kind of eagerness only a mother could have.

"I escaped the royal palace and tried to give her a normal life," Aurelia shrugged her shoulders, though her eyes carried traces of lingering regret. "But it was already quite late. She began to understand her situation better, so she was very cautious around other kids. She never played freely with anyone. Even when she smiled, it was measured."

"That’s your fault though," Xiu pointed out, blunt as ever. "You told her about the politics too early without considering how it would impact her mind."

"I still regret it to this day, okay?" Aurelia sighed, the lines of worry on her face softening into guilt. "But I didn’t want her to fall victim to their schemes. The world thinks Elves are innocent creatures, but only we know how deeply corrupted they are. She’s my first and probably the last child. I don’t want her to end up being a pawn in their games."

Theon rubbed her back gently, his thumb brushing comfort into her tense shoulders. "That’s why El understands you so much. You just told her that at the wrong time. Nothing else."

Aurelia nodded quietly and turned to her sides, her gaze softening as it drifted in the distance. "Fortunately, it seems Xiu learned from my failures and decided to do this before it’s too late. She showed Aegon what he’s missing. If he didn’t like it, like what happened with El, then he would have shown it. But it’s clear he’s loving it."

She smiled faintly, her eyes moist with a mother’s joy. "And I’m grateful for that. This is the first time I’ve seen my baby El talking so freely with others. She considers Aegon to be the one friend she doesn’t need to worry about. She can be free with him."

"She didn’t say it but we know how much she longed for a normal friendship," Theon said, his deep voice carrying the relief of a father. "A child is a child in the end, no matter how special they are, so I’m really happy you did this, Xiu. I can’t thank you enough."

Xiu waved her hand casually and said, "Don’t be so formal now. Lia is like a sister to me, so you really need to drop it. Besides, didn’t my Little Sun benefit from it too? We’re even."

"Yeah, I should be the one thanking you here," Bailish said with a smile that reached his eyes. "My children are now friends of someone like Aegon and Elara. I have to thank you both."

"I think you’re mistaken here about something, Uncle," Xiu corrected him with a small shake of her head. "Those two are perceptive and also quite closed-off ones. They won’t let someone in their heart so easily. Your kids are just that good, they managed to charm their way into their hearts so easily."

"Yes, let’s just let kids be kids. They can play around or fight among themselves," Aurelia said with a smile that carried both pride and relief. "We should be drinking wine here in celebration because I’m too happy for my baby darling."

"Your throne is gone, Theon," Xiu clicked her tongue, her tone playful but sharp.

"I don’t mind if it’s El doing it," he shrugged in response, his lips quirking into a rare, carefree smile.

Xiu just gave him a look of disappointment and said to the others, "I’m more curious about their deal though."

"Haha! They’re so cute for that. They really decided that as if it was some peace treaty between humans and demons," Aurelia laughed, her mind drifting back to that scene with fond amusement.

Arnold watched everything silently, yet there was a subtle smile tugging at his lips. ’This lass is finally growing up. Dear, are you seeing this? I would have liked to see your look on this.’

He glanced sideways, the shadows of memory brushing across his face. ’Even though she’s gushing over him as if she’ll spoil him rotten, she’s thoughtful and takes care of the minimal things that’ll affect his growth.’

His lips curled up with quiet relief, ’He will grow up just fine! You can rest assured and be in peace.’