Chapter 26 : Siegfried de Chauvegné

Diana was standing in front of the living room with a broom on hand.

The state of the room was neat. An oak table was seated in the middle of the room along with a sofa beside it. There was a couch on the left side, a little foot rest on the ground. In front of it was a humble fireplace where a bundle of portraits hung on the wall.

Diana marched inside the desolate space. Her eyes stayed glued to the hanging frames atop the fireplace, inching closer and closer until she could see the images clearly.

It was filled with pictures of a wonderful family. A man and a woman were seated at each side of a dark haired boy. It was a typical family portrait, looking wondrously touching because of the boy's bright and refreshing smile.

It was the same with other pictures. The man and the woman, at times the woman and the boy, and most times the man and the boy. They all looked happy in the pictures, all the happy moments of this family were being seen with Diana's sparkling blue eyes.

Diana was still enamored with the portraits. Her eyes were searching for more, wondering and looking at this sweet family. A gentle smile painted her lips when she once again saw the treasured boy of the couple, sporting a frown on his face, his eyes teary. His father was petting the boy's head, a wide playful grin on his face trying to encourage the little boy to smile.

Her eyes strayed further. Looking above, she noticed a black portrait in the middle of all portraits.

She squinted her eyes trying to see clearly what was in the picture.

A dark-haired man with silver eyes was standing tall dressed in a black military uniform. He had a domineering stare filled with indifference, his hands on top of the sword's hilt, using it as a pole of support. He stood with his back straight, his cold eyes looking straight at Diana.

Diana had a sense of deja vu while she looked at the man. He seemed familiar, like she already knew him before.

She shrugged and decided to get back to work. Diana still had a lot of things to do - cleaning the rooms, wiping the floors, making the whole house clean - she had no time to idle around.

Thankfully, the breakfast earlier made her feel energized. She can feel her heart beating steady with her every move, her body feeling light.

She put her hands on her hips while puffing up her chest.

'I can do this!'

With a resolute glare, she folded her sleeves and tied her hair up in a bun.

She marched forward with her broom not once tearing her gaze away from all the dust and cobwebs on all the furniture.

--

The library was always lively every morning.

The sound of hurried footsteps scampering around the room, the dull thud of heavy books being placed on the table, and the sound of pages being turned made the library bustling and bright.

Every morning every day there were always two visitors that frequented this lonely library.

It was Meltif and little Siegfried.

"I'm teaching you history today."

A loud groan came from the little boy sitting on a chair. He banged his head lightly on the table making it creak.

"I don't want to."

A dark-haired man was seated beside him. He wore a maroon tunic with dark grey pants. In his hands was a wooden stick.

The man was sporting a tight-lipped frown, clearly dissatisfied with the reaction coming from the boy. The hand holding the wooden stick twitched.

He was almost tempted to smack the boy using the piece of wood in his hands. But he restrained himself and instead took a deep breath.

"I'm not asking you. I'm telling you."

He kicked the boy's chair ruthlessly, jolting the poor boy from his position.

"Now go and get the book on the second aisle, the 3rd book on the right."

The man accurately pointed out the book he wanted the boy to get.

Seeming used to this, the boy just spitefully glared at the man and turned to reach for the book.

The boy was leisurely browsing through the books. He was taking his sweet time. Of course, his plan was to stall for as much time as possible.

His steps came to a stop. A certain book caught his eyes making him beam brightly. It was also in the second aisle, two books away from the book he was supposed to get.

He turned to look at the man that was sitting leisurely in his chair. He smirked and pushed out his tongue.

Instead of getting the book, he got the book that caught his eye.

Skipping happily to the table, he placed it down with a thud. He hummed happily as he sat on the chair, his legs swinging to and fro.

"Hum~ huh huh hum~"

The man got the chills as he heard the boy hummed. He felt skeptical about it, did he perhaps do something with the book?

The man decided to grab the book to feel if the engravings were familiar to the book he read when he was a child.

He patted around the table and reached for the book. He held it in his hands, tracing the patterns around it.

The man became rigid once he realized that the book felt too familiar. The rough edges, the hard leather, and the musky smell of the paper reminded him of a book he always read during his early years - before the tragedy happened.

The same book that invoked his feeling of melancholy, the memory of his friend that once passed in times of war.

"Mr. Meltif, teach me that book please."

Meltif placed the book down on the table. His jaw was clenched and his lips formed a straight line.

"This is not the book I told you to get."

The child was irritated. His eye was twitching while his hands were balled into a fist.

The child was so tired of reading history. He read it again and again and again- he already memorized the whole book! He wanted something new, something different.

Seeing the book on the table made his eyes fill with wonder, he knew that this book was the key to his problems.

"But I like it. It's more fun reading tactics and strategies than to read history over and over again."

"And besides, this is also done in the past. I can learn from their mistakes just like in history right?"

The child reasoned out. Hearing his remark, some might have been convinced by him and agree to teach him the book. But for Meltif, he was too hesitant.

This book made him think of the past. This book reminded him of his achievements, his hardships, and most especially, his mistakes.

A book made by a famous commander and lieutenant general. The leather bound book is worthless compared to a piece of gold, but the words inside are priceless itself.

The text can either bring a kingdom victory or ruin. One side to win and the other to perish.

And the little boy wanted to read that book.

Reading books isn't enough compared to experience. But people like Meltif still read books; requiring himself to read because books aren't simply texts written on a piece of paper. Books are a treasure because they hold the past. The wisdom and the tales of old where the present did not exist.

Meltif believed, that those very same books were an experience in and of itself.

Seeing the man ignore him coldly, the child felt guilty. Maybe he had gone too far.

"U-uhm, then maybe next time. I'll just go get the book-"

"Why did you choose this book, Siegfried?"

The boy stopped his attempt at getting up from his seat. A new feeling arose from him while he turned to look at the man sitting next to him.

This man is the very same man who saved him. The one who gave him food, warmth, and even gave a home for him to stay at. He gave him his own room, he made sure to feed him, and he taught him all the things that he could.

Little Siegfried's clear eyes bore at Meltif. His small body of a child stood straighter than it was before and faced the man on his front.

"I want to be like you."

The little boy looked at the man with admiration. The man hearing the amount of reverence on the child's voice made him feel contrite. Meltif held the book tightly with his hands.

'Why would you want to be like me?'

He wanted to ask. Doesn't this boy know who he is? Does he know of his past? His failures?

"That's my dream. To be just like you."

Little Siegfried watched the man in front of him. The man's eyes were always closed. He always wondered what would be the color of Mr. Meltif's eyes. Would it be brown? Black? Blue like that woman? Or green like his?

All of a sudden, Meltif's eyes fluttered open. Siegfried felt like his heart will jump out from his body.

White silvery orbs stared at him, gazing at him. His eyes widened, his mouth agape.

"Mi-Mr. Meltif? You-"

"Why?"

Those silver eyes were cold and indifferent yet it spoke more of the man's soul. Before, it was simple. With his eyes closed, nothing was ever spoken of, nothing ever expressed.

But now those eyes spoke billions. It spoke of seasons - how the freezing snow hugs the land with its white embrace, how the beautiful flowers bloom in the midst of spring, how the swaying leaves flutter as it danced with the wind, and how the sun embraces all it touches, giving warmth to those it encompasses.

The boy now wholly looked at the man on his front. The man looked like a king in front of him. Even when sitting the man still managed to maintain a straight back. With Meltif's tall figure, he still towered over Siegfried even when the little boy was standing.

"Because you saved me."

The child's young and passionate gaze spoke to him in waves. It shone brightly, hopeful of the present and the future.

'I did not save you.'

He wanted to say to the child. He wanted a companion, that's why he took him in. He wanted someone to talk to, that's why he killed the boar.

He was lonely and selfish. So he selfishly saved the boy in order to rid himself of his solitude.

The boy still looked at him with admiration, not knowing what was inside his head.

"I want to help others just like how you helped me."

The boy beamed at him. His grin stretched wide while he put his hands on his hips.

Seeing this, Meltif chuckled. His deep voice reached Siegfried's ears, the child thought his voice was very manly.

Little Siegfried thought, he also wanted his voice to be deep just like that.

"It will not be simple."

Meltif stood from his chair, his tall figure encompassing Siegfried's own.

"Read the book while I get a few more books for you to read."

Meltif turned to get the book. Siegfried stayed silent, yet he couldn't contain his happiness. He made a fist and jumped, launching it up.

"Siegfried."

The child stopped what he was doing and composed himself. Standing in a straight line with his hands on his side.

"Yes Mr. Meltif?"

He energetically replied to the man. He had a serious face on, but it was questionable as a smile threatened to appear on his face.

Meltif looked at him with frostiness, his eyes were dark and cold. A huge shadow cast upon Siegfried as he felt shivers racking his body.

"Not. A. Word."

--

A few hours have passed since lunchtime and Diana was almost done with the second floor.

Diana looked at the double doors with a bit of embarrassment. A broom was still in her hand while an additional bucket of water was at the other.

'This is a bit awkward.'

This was the room of both the original Diana and Meltif. This was also the room where she had gone to the other night, trying to cure Meltif.

The room that she vomited blood on. Just thinking about the mess she made, made her head hurt.

She put the bucket down and turned the knob with ease. The light burst at the moment she stepped inside, the once dark and gloomy room becoming bright.

The greyish cream walls were full of webs on its upper corner. Every surface or platform - the dresser, the tables - everything was full of dust.

Diana's eyes swiveled to the right, seeing the red blotches on the carpet floor. She felt like crying when looking at it more. The only thing that made her feel grateful was the 'decent' cleanliness of the room.

Decent meant everything was where it should be. She did not have to move anything around to make it look organized.

Diana fetched her bucket outside the door and placed it on the carpet floor. Her body was aching but she simply refused to give up.

Rolling her shoulders in circles, she steeled herself once again. Grabbing the broom, she decided to sweep the whole room first.

Starting from the deepest darkest corners she swept. A huge amount of dust piled up in the middle of the room as she reached underneath the dresser, the tables, and even the whole bed. She felt like her shoulders were being pulled as she tried to reach the end underneath the bed. Diana also reached up the ceiling, trying to get rid of the cobwebs. Because of her height, she had to use a platform to fully reach the ceiling.

Once she was done, she swept the piled up dust and webs and put it on a dustpan, throwing it on her make-shift container.

She set aside the broom and reached for the bucket of water. Inside was a wet cloth that she squeezed to wring the water out. Using that damp cloth, she wiped all the furniture.

She scrubbed and scrubbed until everything looked new. But once she looked at the red stains on the carpet, she almost screamed out in frustration.

No matter how hard she scrubbed, it wouldn't come off.

'I have to use other means.'

There was no type of acid or rubbing alcohol available. She sighed and just let it go. She'll just find something else that can get rid of the stain tomorrow.

She arranged her dresser that looked like a mess. Folding it neatly one by one, she put it back in order. She also cleaned Meltif's dresser - arranging his shirts, pants, underwear, and lastly, uniforms.

She stared long and hard at the short pile of military uniforms on her lap. Using her hands, she gingerly grasped the fabric, rubbing the gold emblem on its chest.

Her eyes were distant, her gaze soft while looking at the uniform.

"It must've pained him to let this go."

She softly whispered. It was a bit crumpled, not ironed very well. She held it tightly with her hands.

"I will iron you tomorrow."

Diana held it up, her bright gaze staring at the piece of clothing. She smiled wide, her thoughts becoming clear.

When looking at her, people might think she was crazy talking to a military uniform like that.

Realizing that people might find her looking like this, she coughed and folded it nicely.

Tucking an old worn-out book under her pillow, she laughed wildly.

She was now finished.

--

Little Siegfried stood gobsmacked at the scene in front of his eyes. He even had to rub his eyes a few more times to tell if what he was seeing is true.

Everything looked so clean.

Before, the mansion looked downright gloomy, something like an abandoned mansion heard in scary tales.

But now, it definitely looked like a noble's mansion.

The golden railing of the staircase, that wasn't seen before, sparkled under the light. The hallways looked tidy and neat with no traces of dust or webs.

Little Siegfried ran to the living room, only to be greeted by a sparkling sight. The grand sofa looked like a seat made for royalty, the fireplace-

He turned his sight away from the living room and ran towards his room. His eyes looked flustered, yet the excitement was overflowing. His whole body was jittery as he ran.

"H-hey!"

A female voice shouted from behind. His room that always looked messy no matter what he does- he wanted to see what she did.

Sharp steps rang through the hallways, coming closer to a certain door to the right.

He came to a halt in front of his door then ripped the door open.

His eyes blurred as he looked at his room. Tears dripped down his face, his whole being wracking with sobs.

Siegfried couldn't stop crying. He wiped his tears with the back of his hand, but even with him wiping the tears, it wouldn't stop.

He wasn't crying out of grief or disappointment. Even with him bawling his eyes out, the crinkling of his eyes along with the wide smile on his face told a different story.

It was very tidy. The bed had new sheets and the pillows were arranged very neatly. The table on the left was arranged in a way where he could write easily, the books standing on a straight line. His dresser doesn't look like it was bursting out like before, all the drawers sealed tightly.

On his bed was his sleepwear that was folded perfectly, atop was his favorite book. Everything looked majestically well kept that it made him happy.

Siegfried felt like a child again. He recalled the moments where he would go to sleep without worrying about everything because his mother was there. He remembered the times where he did not have to be independent and do everything on his own.

"Mama."

He sniffled. He felt fulfilled. His childlike eyes were vibrant, his sunshiny smile already speaking volumes.

At last, he felt at home.

"Little boy, get down or the food will get cold..."

A woman was approaching him from the left, she was panting while holding on to her knees.

Siegfried glanced at her then looked at the door. He closed it slowly with a click before gliding towards her.

The boy held the woman's hand with his small palms and led the way.

Diana raised her eyebrow with her lips turning into a frown, staring questionably at the boy.

'What happened to him?'

The boy hummed happily, skipping forward.

His once cold hand along with his heart felt warm.

Warmed by the hand that held his own tightly.