Brooks started with a question, "Should we really leave like this? You know, after what we did with the gangs."
Lady Vena waved his worries away. "I'm sure he will be fine."
Brooks wasn't so sure of that. He said, "But we created a lot of trouble for him. I'm afraid that…"
She interrupted him, "After seeing him hold up against Jake, I have decided to have faith in him."
Then she asked him, "Don't you have faith in him?"
Brooks had no choice but to nod and say, "I have faith in him. But I think the least we can do is inform him of the trouble we created for him."
She shook her head. "No. He can't find out what we did or he will think I am meddling in his business again. Besides, after hearing about the fight, the gangs will leave him alone."
"It is not as if they dare to kill him in the first place. But now that they know that he is not an easy nut to crack, they will just avoid him."
Brooks sighed and nodded.
That was the end of the matter because he could tell that Lady Vena had made up her mind. So he changed the subject.
"I think Jake will be able to enter a sect. The Dyson family will gain at least one new sect member after the exam that will start next year."
Lady Vena took the bait and scoffed. "Jake is not so great. He is just normal. Now my boy Arthur is great. He will achieve great things. Just wait and see."
Brooks became a little emotional. He wiped a tear from his eye and said, "His grandfather would be so proud."
Lady Vena's face became stern all of a sudden. She glared at Brooks and said, "My father will never be proud of him because my father will never hear about him."
Brooks sighed. "Fine. Hide it from him. But is it really a good idea to keep a grudge for so long?"
Lady Vena nodded with insistance. "Yes, it is. Things wouldn't be so bad if they never thought I would amount to anything. I would have been fine if they cared about me. But they didn't stop at being uncaring parents. They had to take things too far, so it is a good idea to keep them away from my boy. I even have half a mind to go and kill all of them."
She wasn't joking about this. That's how much she hates her family. She wants to wipe them out. The main reason why she hasn't done so is because she doesn't want to see them or have anything to do with them at all.
She looked at Brooks and said, "Promise me that you will never tell them about where I am and my son."
Brooks rolled his head and said, "Haven't I already promised?"
She nodded. "You have in the past. But you're too loyal to my family. I won't feel at peace if you don't promise me and swear it now."
Brooks shrugged and swore the oath. He has already sworn it before, so he doesn't mind swearing it again.
"I swear on the great Ethera tree that I will never contact the Alfred family and tell them anything about my lady Vena, including matters related to young master Arthur."
A small golden leaf fell on his head and imprinted itself on Brooke's head. Then it disappeared.
The sight made Lady Vena finally relax. She looked away from Brooks and said, "It is a good thing they don't know about Arthur since they can't provide much assistance to him. They are just a declining family. What they will do is drag him down with their troubles."
Brooks didn't agree entirely with what she said. He believes that Arthur might be the lucky break that the Alfred family needs and that they would support him with all their might, which is obviously a good thing for both sides.
At the very least, their help will be better than what Arthur received from the Dyson family as a bastard. But he also agrees that they might drag Arthur down with their troubles.
Besides, he doesn't have a choice in the matter. So he kept his mouth shut.
It just so happened that they passed by the field where spirit deer is raised. Lady Vena saw the herd of deer and smiled.
She remembered what Arthur did on his last night at home. She also remember the first time Arthur encountered the deer.
She said to Brooks, "Do you remember that day that Arthur came home with a scared look on his face and his hair clumped up?"
Brooks smiled too. "I remember. Geltra became hysterical."
Lady Vena laughed. "She was screeching and out for blood. I had to kill that deer to shut her up."
Brooks said solemnly, "That was an unpleasant encounter for the young master, but he didn't cry. He even still woke up early in the morning and went on the same route to give out bread. That's how I knew that his bread-giving was not going to be a phase. He was too determined for a three-year-old boy. I immediately gave up resistance and sighed his bread truce."
Lady Vena sighed and said, "Just come out and say it. You don't like that I created trouble for him with the gangs."
Brooks smiled and shook his head. "I never said that. I don't like it, but I never said it. I think you're overthinking things because you're feeling guilty."
She huffed. "Me? Feeling guilty? You must be mistaken. I am doing this for his good. I have nothing to gain from this."
Brooks nodded and said sarcastically, "Right. You have nothing to gain from this. You don't want him to come home and train with you. You also don't miss him. You're just doing all of these because you're a saint."
Lady Vena insisted. "I am a saint. Now let's talk about coming back here tonight to avenge Arthur. Those deers need to pay for their sins many over."