Chapter 92

"Nonna, is this really the place?"

"Yeah. The address here was written in code in the letter from the hidden safe."

"It doesn't feel like what I expected at all."

Il looked at the building with a puzzled expression, observing the people coming and going. A sign on the building read "Goal Letter and Small Cargo Distribution Center." The windows were large, making the inside clearly visible.

"It seems... like a proper place."

"It does seem proper. Are the people here Victoria's enemies?"

"I thought so, but maybe not."

On the opposite side of the road, a little distance away, Il and Nonna were having a hushed conversation when the door of the building opened. A slender woman approached them.

"She's coming over."

"She doesn't seem to be on guard. I'll handle it."

"Got it."

The woman, with her red hair cut to her shoulders, wore a shirt and pants and walked up to them confidently.

"Nonna? Is the person next to you Il?"

Nonna and Il nodded awkwardly while slightly lowering their hips, ready to move at any moment. The woman, seemingly unaware, stood in front of them.

"I've heard from your mother. She said you would surely come. I'm Camilla Gold, the person in charge here. Come in. You must be tired. Are you hungry? How about some boiled pork and bread? I'll prepare some tea or hot milk for you. Tie your horses to the left of the entrance."

After a rapid series of instructions, Nonna and Il, bewildered, followed Camilla into the building. In a large room, five young men and women were sorting letters and small packages. They passed through and were led to a room in the back.

"You were quick. You're truly her daughter."

"Camilla, where are my mother and father? Are they here?"

Camilla shook her head with a gentle smile.

"Your father and mother are not here. They were supposed to stop by after finishing their business, so it's best to wait here."

"I have to go. If you know where my mother is, please tell me. I beg you."

"Sit down first."

After they sat down, Camilla went back and forth between the kitchen and the office, placing bread, thinly sliced boiled pork, butter, salt, hot milk, and tea in front of them before sitting down herself.

"Let me explain the situation."

Camilla gestured for them to eat as she waited for them to sit. Nonna and Il took a small sip of the hot milk.

"First, the letter you read, Nonna, was written by your mother. I think she was mimicking my handwriting. She left a fake letter in the hidden safe, anticipating that you would follow her."

"The fake letter... didn't look fake."

"Of course not. Your mother is, well, how should I put it?"

"Skilled at forging documents?"

Il quickly interjected.

"Simply put, yes. Your mother is a genius at forging documents. It's natural that you couldn't tell the difference."

"That was a forgery... Camilla, is Mother in Randal?"

"Yes, but I won't tell you where. Let me be clear. I've known your mother for a long time, but she didn't bring you along because she didn't want to put you in danger. It's also because you would be a hindrance."

Nonna's face lost all expression.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you, but that's who she is. She doesn't make mistakes in judging what's most important. She considered many factors and decided it would be easier to work without you. She also anticipated that you would follow her and set up the fake letter to guide you here."

Il placed his hand on Nonna's shoulder as she bowed her head in a daze.

"Nonna, let's eat. I'm hungry."

"Ah, yeah."

"Please, eat while you listen."

Camilla looked at Nonna with a gentle gaze as she began to speak.

"I've known her for sixteen years. I can't say how we met, but I've been doing a bit of work for her."

Il listened quietly while eating, and Nonna nibbled on the bread. Camilla continued, adding more bread and refilling their tea.

"She started sending personal letters besides work-related ones after you started living with her. She wrote that you were very cute and smart, and she was happy. She herself, as far as I remember, has never disobeyed her parents. She had a sister, and her family was poor, so she must have been considerate of her parents. She wrote that she wanted you to grow up freely and express your whims."

"Whims?"

"When you first started living with her, a scholar at her workplace praised you for being well-mannered, quiet, and obedient. At that moment, she felt a pain in her heart. 'The child is well-behaved because she had to be, not because she wanted to. I had forgotten that,' she reflected deeply."

Seeing that Nonna was silent, Il glanced at her and saw that she was eating the bread with tears streaming down her face. Camilla offered her a handkerchief, which Nonna took to wipe her cheeks.

"She values her family deeply. Please let her do as she wishes. If this were ten years from now, and she were forty-four and you were twenty-three, she would have told you where she was. But not now. I respect her judgment. If you really want to help her, wait for the next opportunity. It would be better if there were no next opportunity, but in the meantime, why don't you work on improving your skills?"

Nonna nodded while chewing on the bread.

"Thank you for understanding. I have a room prepared for you. I won't allow you to leave here without permission. It's my responsibility to keep you here until she returns."

"That's fine. I'll take responsibility for staying here with Nonna and waiting for Victoria."

"I appreciate that."

Camilla looked at the dejected Nonna with a gentle gaze.

"I'm quite good with codes. How about it? Why don't you study codes while you're here? Can both of you use Randal language?"

"I can speak and read it without any problem."

"I can manage simple conversations."

"Great! Both of you are good. From now on, I'll speak in Randal. I've prepared some texts for you to practice decoding. I wrote them thinking you would come. Each one uses a different code. If you can decipher them, I'll tell you stories about Victoria's younger days."

Nonna's face brightened at the prospect of hearing stories about Victoria's past that she had never heard before. Camilla nodded in satisfaction.

"Nonna, be a proud daughter of Victoria. You only have a few more years to be a child. You'll grow up quickly at your age."

"...Yes."

"I have children too. They are eighteen and fifteen. I'll introduce them to you when they come back. Now, take a break first. You can work on the codes later."