Chapter 58: The Waning Moon
Chapter 58: The Waning Moon
"So, that piece of parchment of yours..." Ferdinand said, his face pale.
"The Friendship Book, dear. It's the Friendship Book!"
Fiona corrected him indignantly. How could her son's brilliant and remarkable invention be referred to as just "a piece of parchment"?
"Okay, the Friendship Book," Ferdinand corrected himself, his eyes fixed on Ved with a strange look. "You sold the patent, and they gave you fifty thousand galleons, with more to come from ongoing royalty fees?"
There was something odd about his demeanor that made Ved, who had been joyful, feel a little apprehensive. His expression turned serious as he said, "Yes, Father."
"And someone even offered to buy it outright for two hundred thousand galleons, but your professor didn't agree?"
"Yes."
Ferdinand looked as if he was having difficulty breathing as he said, "You're still following that professor of yours..."
"...Professor Mori."
"Yes, Professor Mori, and a businessman. They went to Diagon Alley..."
"...Mr. Marco Machiavelli," Ved said thoughtfully. "They've both been very kind to me."
"And in front of you and a fairy, he transferred all fifty thousand galleons into your account?"
"Yes, Father."
Ferdinand's expression was too strange. It didn't seem like he was simply proud or happy for Ved, and Ved felt a little uneasy.
It was then that he realized he should have sought his parents' opinion beforehand. But with Machiavelli's urging, everything that had happened today seemed to be on fast-forward, and he had unconsciously overlooked it.
Reasonably, Professor Mori and Machiavelli weren't careless people. But considering his parents couldn't perform magic, perhaps in their eyes, despite Ved being only eleven years old, he was the only one in the Gray family who could communicate and make decisions on equal footing.
This realization made Ved feel a little uncomfortable. He pushed down these emotions and tried to speak lightly. "Because school is about to start, Mr. Machiavelli was in a hurry, afraid of missing out on this money-making opportunity. So everything seemed very rushed. I'm sorry, Dad. I forgot to consult with you first."
"Oh, stop it! Ved is only eleven. How can you expect him to be thoughtful in everything he does?" Fiona pushed Ferdinand away as if she were annoyed, then hugged her son and kissed him firmly on the forehead. "You're amazing, sweetheart! Mom is so proud of you! How many eleven-year-olds can achieve financial freedom on their own? And it's your own patent! It's shocking! I can't believe I gave birth to such an outstanding son!"
She smothered him with kisses, then pulled Ved up from the sofa and urged, "What are you waiting for? Let's eat dinner. I've made a feast! Fedi, you go wash up too!"
"Okay..."
As Ved was pushed toward the dining table, he turned back and saw Ferdinand steady himself on the sofa's armrest before walking toward the bathroom, almost stumbling as he went.
Fiona didn't notice. She was humming a tune and happily lifting the lids off the dishes, filling the room with the aroma of food. But Ferdinand couldn't bring himself to eat. He almost poked his nose with a tomato, and after his steak fell off his fork, he ended up chewing on the fork itself before realizing it.
"Your dad is just too shocked!" Fiona said softly to Ved, worried that he might feel discouraged or disappointed. "When he was eleven, he couldn't even do addition and subtraction within a hundred!"
That was a bit of an exaggeration.
Ved couldn't help but laugh at the thought of the non-existent, clumsy father his mother described, and at the shining love in her eyes.
"Dad..." After dinner, Ved asked tentatively, "Professor Mori helped me a lot today, and although he said he doesn't need anything in return, I still want to express my gratitude somehow..."
According to some "unwritten rules of the workplace" that he had learned in his previous life, it would be appropriate to give a "benefactor" like Professor Mori two or three thousand galleons. Otherwise, he would be considered "ungrateful."
But Ved hesitated for a long time, feeling that if he said that, Professor Mori would probably turn angry on the spot.
Past experiences could not be applied to the present, at least not with Professor Mori. Otherwise, it would be unclear if it was an expression of "gratitude" or "insult."
As an eleven-year-old, Ved knew he didn't need to act too worldly or cunning. But the idea of casually accepting Professor Mori's kindness without a second thought also felt wrong.
"Oh—" Ferdinand was a little dazed. After a while, he said, "How about writing a thank-you letter, Ved—"
"A letter?"
Ved didn't expect that the suggestion he gave Steven during the day would be returned to him by his father that evening.
"Yes, write a letter. Make it sincere and heartfelt—" Ferdinand thought for a moment before continuing, "Send a small gift on Professor Mori's birthday or during the holidays, and most importantly, repay him with even better grades..."
"I understand." Ved nodded.
"Okay, go ahead and write the letter, Ved. And—" Ferdinand forced a smile with some difficulty, "I'm proud of you, son."
...
Seeing his son return to his bedroom, Ferdinand sat down with a thud, his palms buried in his hair, looking exceptionally dejected.
Fiona hugged him from behind, resting her head on his neck, her long hair cascading down his shoulders. She grumbled discontentedly, "Ved made a small fortune from his invention, his professor at school is so nice to him, and the businessman he met is also honest and enthusiastic... Everything is fine, so why do you have such an expression? Ved didn't even have a smile on his face when he returned to his room... Fedi, no matter what, don't be a buzzkill, okay..."
She muttered softly, and her husband's tense muscles gradually relaxed.
"Yes, you're right." Ferdinand held his wife's hand and forced a smile, "Their professor is a good man... Everything is fine... I'm just too shocked, sorry..."
"It's nothing. Just remember to apologize to Ved in the morning... He shared his achievements with you happily, and you didn't even give him a pleasant look..."
"Alright, I will."
...
Late into the night, when his wife had fallen into a deep sleep, Ferdinand got up, wrapped himself in a cloak, and stepped out onto the balcony. He wanted to light a cigarette, but his hands were shaking so badly that he failed several times.
Finally, he managed to light it, and he took a deep drag, the smoke clouding his eyes and obscuring the lonely London night.
It was only then that overwhelming regret and fear engulfed Ferdinand.
His Ved... his smart, sensible, kind, and virtuous son... his mind was worth millions of pounds, and he possessed a vast fortune that could be realized at any time... He had gone off with strangers to a completely unknown place... What if Ved encountered danger? What if he was hurt? What could he, as a father, do?
Wizards came and went without a trace, and Ferdinand didn't even know where to begin looking for him.
He chain-smoked, his body trembling from fingertips to toes.
The night was bitterly cold.
...
Upstairs, Ved watched as the smoke curled and wafted, and he saw the faint glow of the cigarette tip flickering again and again.
Leaning against the railing, he tilted his head back slightly, gazing at the waning moon that hung like a silver hook atop the spire of a tall building.
(End of Chapter)
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