"I'm definitely going to make him apologize for cheating! Rest well until then, uncle! Spite! Let's go!"
"Nnng!"
A young silver-haired girl called out confidently before nodding at the man covered in bandages from head to toe and rushing out of the private room after beckoning her contracted fae to follow.
"Saria, wait! What are you even talking abou…?! Aaand she's gone."
Evander Vallhall tried to lean off the bed as much as stiff bandages wrapping him tightly allowed, but he was too late to stop his niece and just let out a dispirited scoff and shimmied back onto the pillow.
"You're not going to stop your daughter at all?"
He asked, glaring at the silent patriarch standing by his bed.
"And put your glasses on! You look ridiculous squinting your eyes like a mole blinded by the sun!"
Since they were alone, Evender scoffed at his younger brother, shaking his head over the fact that the patriarch thought that it was necessary to put on that intimidation act even alone with him.
"Not on purpose… I visited the injured guards and servants on my way here."
The patriarch grumbled before taking out and properly putting on his round glasses with thick lenses.
"Finally, you look presentable. Now. First of all, why didn't you stop your daughter? Secondly, what the hel was she talking about? What cheating?"
Evander nodded with acknowledgement over the patriarch's appearance and then raised two fingers on the hand stuck to the side so that the broken bones in it could properly heal.
"You're the last person who should be reprimanding me about my looks. Not with that swollen face of yours.'"
"Why aren't you answering the questions?"
The patriarch pouted and scoffed grumpily, but his older brother raised his brow and inquired with suspicion, sensing that something was off…
"Saria is as stubborn and cunning as her mother, and she's already fifteen. It's high time I stop trying to control her every move."
The patriarch scoffed and looked away, acting all grumpy…
"...please don't tell Lia I said that about her…"
"Hah! I'm definitely going to tell on you the moment she visits!"
…but then he slouched and grumbled awkwardly, to which Evander let out a short laugh and declared.
"Putting aside that you still can't let go of how your wife tricked you into marriage, why are you evading telling me what this whole cheating, that Saria wants to make that brat apologize for, is supposed to be?"
But then Evander's expression darkened, and he asked, done with the games and playing around the subject.
"..."
"...Goji…"
The patriarch clearly didn't want to say anything, so his older brother rolled his eyes and said his name in a disappointed voice.
"It's a rumor. It started immediately after we got you and the others patched up. Apparently, Rotsards used some underhanded means to win. Cheating his way into beating you all up."
"...and what did Lupa have to say about that…?"
The patriarch took a deep breath and revealed, but the guard captain only furrowed his brows and asked.
"She said that a loss is a loss and to do what the brat wanted."
"...?"
The patriarch shrugged his shoulders, making his older brother tilt his head in confusion.
"..."
"Which is…?"
Although there should be a continuation to that statement, the patriarch would stay silent to the point that the annoyed Evander had inquired while rolling his eyes.
"He wants to learn the rest of Essence of Winter spells besides the Joy of First Snow."
The patriarch shrugged his shoulders as he answered…
"..."
"..."
…and the silence between the two returned…
"...excuse me, but my ears seem to be busted too, because I kind of heard you say that the brat wanted to learn other spells besides the Joy of First Snow…"
"You did not mishear me."
Evander raised his hand and then shook his head before laughing off a misunderstanding… that did not happen as per the patriarch's assurance.
"Goji. Why DOESN'T he know ANYTHING besides the Joy of First Snow?"
Evander tried to remain calm, but the anger boiling inside him made it really difficult to achieve.
"...he didn't have the right attitude…"
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! MY POOR OLD YONI WAS KILLED, AND I GOT BEATEN UP BECAUSE YOU TOOK AWAY THE RIGHT TO LEARN SPELLS FROM A CHILD OF OUR BLOODLINE!?"
As if knowing what poor excuse it was, Goji muttered a response while looking away, prompting Evander's fury to erupt.
"Whose great idea was that!? Don't tell me it was our father's!?"
"But his attitude IS terrible. You know what he did. You know how he was, and you got to know how he is. Is someone like him actually deserving to learn?"
As the guard captain raged, the patriarch grumbled grumpily, not even looking at his older brother.
"Why the hel didn't you banish him from the main family then? You already assigned him a caretaker a long time ago, so just make him return to the outpost we've taken his family from?"
"..."
Evander asked in disbelief, but the patriarch faced away from him, clearly not intending to divulge any details whatsoever.
"I really can't deal with you today…"
Evander rolled his eyes before shaking his head at his younger brother.
"Whatever. If the brat wants to learn the spells, send him my way."
"...what…?!"
In the end, it was also Evander who made an offer, causing Goji to straighten his back and ask sharply.
"As you can see, I will be the person with the most free time in the territory."
The guard captain wiggled his fingers and toes which was basically the full extent of his motion that did not involve his head that he could perform, to prove his point.
"I know all the spells, and also I want to make sure about that brat's bad attitude that you're using as a shield so much."
"..."
Evander snickered and declared, making the patriarch squint his eyes at him…
"..."
Then he looked away, actually considering the words of his older brother…
"Fine. But I don't want to hear about how I supposedly pushed it onto you later on!"
"Of course, of course, oh Great Patriarch. Your word is my command~"
Finally, the patriarch took a deep breath and nodded while pointing his index finger at the injured guard captain, who chuckled and nodded back mockingly.