"Great-Granduncle, I've come to visit you again!"
Accompanied by a flurry of light footsteps, Adelaide flew into Gellert's somewhat dim hospital room like a nimble little bird.
She was all smiles, her steps light, as if the entire room had gained a bit more life and vitality because of her arrival.
The old man with the heterochromatic eyes slowly raised his head and glanced toward the door. When he saw Dumbledore standing beside Adelaide, his originally slightly furrowed brow smoothed out unconsciously, and a faint, barely perceptible look of joy appeared on his face.
Adelaide walked familiarly to the wooden chair by Gellert's bedside, sat down gently, and began to chat casually with the elderly man.
As they talked, Adelaide seemed to suddenly remember something important and quickly asked, "Oh, right, Great-Granduncle, Armandina told me her great-aunt Vinda Rosier wrote you a letter of condolence. I wonder if you've received it?"
"If you're not feeling well right now and it's inconvenient to write a reply yourself, I can help write it for you."
While speaking, Adelaide seemingly casually cast her gaze toward the old sofa by the door.
As expected, Dumbledore, who was sitting there, visibly stiffened when he heard the name "Vinda Rosier"—clearly, Dumbledore still harbored some resentment toward that name.
Gellert raised his head slightly, his gaze falling on Adelaide, and then he arched his thick, long eyebrows as if this movement could convey some special message.
At the same time, Adelaide met Gellert's gaze without flinching. Their eyes met and clashed in the air, and for a moment, it seemed as if countless words and thoughts were silently exchanged in those few seconds.
Finally, Gellert gave a slight nod of confirmation.
Then he said in a deep, resonant voice, "I've already received the letter; it's in that drawer by the head of the bed. Take it and look for yourself. As for the reply... deal with it however you wish, I'll leave it all up to you."
After saying this, he took a quick glance at Dumbledore, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly in an imperceptible smile.
Having received permission, Adelaide reached out and pulled open the exquisite wooden drawer. When she reached inside, her fingertips first touched a letter wrapped in a very beautiful manner.
The paper of the envelope was of a fine texture, and it was elaborately decorated with some elegant rose patterns, which made Dumbledore, sitting in the distance, frown.
The envelope had been opened; clearly, Gellert had already read the letter. Adelaide took the letter out through the opened seal, and a rich scent of roses wafted toward her along with the parchment she removed.
The scent was like the fragrance of a morning garden, fresh and charming. Adelaide looked down and saw that the parchment inside the envelope gave off a faint luster, and that rose scent was continuously drifting out from it.
Vinda Rosier, the remarkable woman known as the "Black Rose of France," maintained her elegance and dignity even in old age.
It was just a pity that such a delicate rose had happened to fall in love with someone she shouldn't have.
Thinking of this, Adelaide couldn't help but sigh secretly in her heart—the so-called straight woman loving a '1' often didn't lead to a good ending.
Adelaide slowly turned her head, her slender fingers gently shaking the yellowed parchment in her hand. With a slightly playful look in her eyes, she looked toward Dumbledore and said with a slight smile, "Respected Mr. Dumbledore, as the guarantor for my Great-Granduncle's Medical Parole, I wonder if you are curious about this letter written by a high-priority prisoner from Nurmengard? Honestly, I think my Great-Granduncle wouldn't mind if I read the contents of the letter aloud for you to hear."
Faced with Adelaide's words, the expression on Dumbledore's face didn't change at all. He maintained his usual gentle and kind smile and responded unhurriedly, "Adelaide, you must know that things like letters are essentially personal and private matters—so as for the specific contents of this letter, I do not wish to know."
"Since Gellert has chosen to give you the power to reply to this letter, then I sincerely hope you can think of the right wording to write a reply, and through this reply, provide some spiritual comfort and solace to those members of the Wizengamot currently serving their sentences in Nurmengard. This can also be considered a contribution to the peace and stability of the Wizarding World."
Here he goes again!
Adelaide looked at Dumbledore before her with a heart full of helplessness. This respected yet often headache-inducing old man could always easily elevate personal emotional issues into collective issues of the Wizarding World, then suppress his sentimental side to take the most beneficial course of action for the collective with absolute rationality.
And this time was no exception. The reason Adelaide had specifically instructed Armandina to have her great-aunt write the letter in an ambiguous and flirtatious way was simply to evoke that little bit of romantic love deep within Dumbledore's heart—Dumbledore had consistently maintained that absolute rationality and broad, selfless love for a long time, which in a way was not a good thing.
After all, Dumbledore was just an ordinary mortal; in this life, he had already missed out on too many precious things for the greater good of the Wizarding World.
In Adelaide's memory, it seemed Dumbledore only rarely showed sentimental emotions when he obtained the resurrection stone, thinking of resurrecting his sister.
Regrettably, this brief display of emotion brought a huge disaster to Dumbledore—he was unfortunately struck by a vicious curse, and the fire of his life began to gradually dim, indicating that his time was already short.
Yet faced with such a desperate situation, Dumbledore didn't think about how to prolong his own life, but instead immediately began to think about how to skillfully use his impending death to make it a key piece in the arduous struggle against Lord Voldemort, and thereby secure more favorable conditions for the side of justice.
This was simply too terrifying.
Adelaide truly hoped she could find some way to prompt Dumbledore to change his mode of thinking slightly, to no longer focus solely on the entire Wizarding World, but to pay more attention to himself.
However, judging from the current situation, Dumbledore's'Saintly Father' mentality seemed to be even more serious than Adelaide had originally imagined.
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