58

Chapter 58: Waning Moon

"So—your parchment—"

"Book of Friends, dear, it's the Book of Friends!"

Fiona corrected him dissatisfiedly. How could her son's remarkable invention be simply referred to as "parchment"?

"Alright—Book of Friends—" Ferdinand corrected himself, staring at Wade with wide eyes. "After selling the patent, they gave you 50,000 Galleons—and there will be a steady stream of patent royalties in the future?"

There was something off about his demeanor, which made Wade, who was initially joyful, feel a bit uneasy. His expression subconsciously turned serious, and he replied earnestly, "Yes, Father."

"And there are even people—who wanted to buy it out for 200,000 Galleons—but your professor didn't agree?"

"Yes."

Ferdinand seemed to struggle to catch his breath as he continued, "You followed your professor—"

"—Professor Murray."

"Yes, Professor Murray—and a businessman—went to Diagon Alley—"

"—It was Mr. Marco Marchionne." Wade paused for a moment and added, "They both took good care of me."

"And then before you—there was a goblin who transferred all 50,000 gold Galleons?"

"Yes, Father."

Ferdinand's expression was too peculiar, not quite pride or happiness for him. Wade felt a bit nervous.

Only then did he realize that he should have consulted his parents' opinions. But under Marchionne's urging, everything had seemed rushed today, and he had subconsciously overlooked it.

Logically, Professor Murray and Marchionne were not careless individuals. But considering that his parents were unfamiliar with magic, perhaps in their eyes, despite being eleven, Wade was the only one in the Gray family capable of communicating and making decisions on equal footing.

This realization left Wade feeling a tad uneasy. He suppressed these emotions and attempted to speak in a relaxed tone, "Because school is about to start, Mr. Marchionne is very anxious, afraid of missing this opportunity to make money, so everything seems quite rushed—sorry, Dad, I forgot that I should have come back to discuss it with you first."

"Alright! Wade is only eleven, how can we expect him to handle everything perfectly?" Fiona feigned displeasure, nudging Ferdinand aside before embracing her son tightly, planting a kiss firmly on his forehead. "Wonderful, my baby! Mom is so proud of you! How many eleven-year-olds... can achieve financial independence on their own? And with your very own patent! It's remarkable! I can't believe I gave birth to such an exceptional son!"

She kissed him again, then pulled Wade up from the sofa, urging him eagerly, "What are you waiting for? Come and have dinner, I've prepared a feast! Ferdi—you go wash up too!"

"—Okay."

Wade, nudged towards the dining table, turned his head and noticed Ferdinand rising from behind the sofa. He nearly staggered, almost losing his balance on the way to the bathroom.

Fiona hadn't noticed, humming a tune as she uncovered the meal. The aroma of the food instantly awakened everyone's taste buds. However, Ferdinand couldn't eat at all. He nearly poked a tomato up his nostrils. After the steak on his fork fell off, he chewed on it a few times before finding it again.

"Your father is just overwhelmed!" Fiona was concerned that Wade might feel disheartened or let down, whispering to him, "When he was eleven, he couldn't even grasp addition and subtraction within a hundred!"

That was an exaggeration.

Wade couldn't help but smile at the non-existent, clumsy father portrayed by his mother and the love gleaming in her eyes.

"Dad—" After dinner, Wade tentatively asked, "Professor helped me greatly today. Though he said it wasn't necessary, I still want to thank him, but I'm unsure how..."

Drawing from some "unwritten rules of the workplace" he had picked up in his previous life, it was appropriate in such moments to offer a "nobleman" like Professor 20,000 or 30,000 Galleons. But Wade hesitated for a long while, feeling that mentioning it might cause Professor to take offense.

Past experiences couldn't necessarily be applied to the present, especially not to Professor . Otherwise, it could easily come across as more of an "insult" than a "thank you."

As an eleven-year-old, Wade realized he didn't need to be overly sophisticated or slick. Yet he also couldn't simply accept Professor Mori's kindness as if nothing had happened.

"Oh—" Ferdinand was somewhat taken aback, taking a long pause before suggesting, "Write him a thank-you letter, Wade—"

"A letter?"

Wade hadn't expected his idea shared with Steven during the day to come full circle from his father that night.

"Yes, write a letter, be sincere and thoughtful—" Ferdinand pondered briefly before adding, "Remember to send a small gift on Professor Morray's birthday or holidays. And—most importantly, repay with excellent grades..."

"I understand." Wade nodded.

"Good, go write that letter, Wade. And—" Ferdinand managed a smile through some difficulty, "I'm very proud of you, son."

...

Watching his son retreat to his room, Ferdinand sank into a chair, his hands buried in his hair, appearing noticeably troubled.

"What's wrong with you today?" Fiona embraced him from behind, resting her head against his neck, her long hair cascading down her shoulders. She murmured with a hint of annoyance, "Wade's little invention sold for a fortune, his school professor was so kind to him, and the businessmen he met were honest and supportive... Everything's fine, so why do you look like this? Wade didn't even smile when he went back to his room... Ferdinand, whatever it is, don't be the kind of parent who dampens the fun, alright?"

She muttered to herself, feeling the tense muscles in her husband gradually relax.

"Yes, you're right." Ferdinand clasped her hand, attempting to smile. "Their professor is a good person... Everything's fine... I was just a bit overwhelmed, sorry..."

"I'm okay. Remember to apologize to Wade in the morning... He happily shared his achievements with you, but you didn't even offer him a warm response..."

"—Got it."

...

Late into the night, long after his wife had fallen asleep, Ferdinand dressed quietly and slipped out onto the balcony. He wanted to light a cigarette, but his hands trembled so violently that he struggled to do so.

After finally managing to light it, he took a deep drag. The smoke blurred his vision of the lonely London night.

Only now did overwhelming fear fully seize Ferdinand.

His Wade... his smart, sensible, well-mannered, and kind son... with a mind worth a million pounds and a vast fortune that could be cashed in at any moment... following strangers to an entirely unfamiliar place... if Wade were in danger... if he were harmed... what could he, as a father, possibly do...

Wizards came and went without a trace, and Ferdinand didn't even know where to begin looking...

He smoked one cigarette after another, trembling from head to toe.

That night was so cold, it sent shivers down his spine.

...

Upstairs, Wade watched wisps of smoke swirl away, the faint light from the fire flickering repeatedly.

Leaning against the railing, he tilted his head slightly and spotted the waning moon, like a silver hook hanging atop a tall building.