Chapter 40: Trouble sleeping in places I’m not familiar with

Julian sat down for breakfast with the Duke and Lucius in that run-down inn.

Maybe it was because it was dark the previous night, he didn’t notice how bad the inn looked.

The wood board underneath their feet kept creaking, and even the chairs felt like they’d give out under a customer’s weight.

But the inn was still running, given it was the only inn on the border.

Julian looked around. The only people who were currently at the inn were they and the knights that marched with them.

They literally chased the commoners who used to lounge around in this inn with their presence.

There was no way they’d be able to eat comfortably with the Duke around anyway.

He picked up his mug to drink water, wondering if it would help him flush out the groggy feeling that was weighing him down.

But it was no use.

The heaviness couldn’t just vanish with one glass of water.

"Did you have a bad night?" The Duke asked, and Julian looked up from the mug.

He found the Duke and Young Lucius looking at him with concerned eyes.

"Of course, I had a normal night." He said.

He didn’t lie. What he passed through was no different from the norm to him, though he could never get used to it.

He smiled faintly, the memory of the Duke and Lucius turning their backs at him haunting him subtly.

He didn’t know why he suddenly dreamt of the Duke and the young Lord, but it wasn’t a pleasant dream.

"You don’t look like you had a normal night." The Duke said, shifting the plate of freshly made waffles towards him. "You don’t seem to be able to adapt to new places."

If it were that excuse, he could probably get away with how shabby he looked just after one day of leaving the manor.

"Well, I don’t exactly do well in places that don’t feel familiar," Julian said, picking up the waffle. He took a bite and chewed slowly, only for the Duke to ask again,

"Was it the same after you arrived at the North?"

Julian paused, chewing and looked up at the Duke. Why was he so curious about him all of a sudden?

"Well," he tried to swallow. "It was quite rough, and not exactly what I’d call a bad experience."

His eyes caught Lucius shifting a glass of milk towards him. He smiled at the young boy and patted his head.

"That’s for you, Lucius. You need it to grow strong and healthy." He said, but Lucius pouted his lips.

He had grown a little defiant and wanted to rebel against drinking milk. It was cute.

"You’ll have to drink it, Lucius," Julian said. "Don’t you want to be as big as your father one day?" Lucius’s ears perked up and he turned to look at Julian. "That’s right. You’ll only get as big as your father if you drink your milk diligently and also eat your carrots."

Lucius gulped and picked up the glass. It tilted in his hand a bit, threatening to spill but it didn’t, thanks to the Duke catching the glass and taking it from the young boy.

"He won’t grow as big as me." The Duke suddenly said, looking into the blue eyes of his son. "He has his mother’s frail body, so he’ll probably grow up lean..." His eyes traveled to Julian. "Like you."

Julian stood there, speechless. Did the Duke just call him lean?

He didn’t know if to regard that as a good thing or an insult.

"I’m the average size of a normal man, your grace." Julian said. "You’re the one who blew out of proportion. You’re a special case."

It was no different from a comeback, offended at being called lean and the knights close by widened their eyes, watching what was going on at the Duke’s table.

"Exactly," the Duke said and steadied the milk in Lucius’s hand. "That’s why I said he won’t grow up to be as big as me."

"Hm, but I think otherwise." Julian said and the Duke’s brow tilted.

"How so? Can you suddenly see the future?"

"No, that’s impossible," Julian waved it off. That was such a ridiculous statement.

Just because he did this and that, did the Duke suddenly think he was able to do all sorts of impossible wonders? Bringing his wife’s soul to speak to him, though considered impossible anywhere was, was just a one time thing.

"I’m not capable of all impossible feats, and especially not reading the future."

If he could, he would’ve read his own future and learned his fate. But the system didn’t give him such benefits, unfortunately.

It didn’t even want to tell him the name of the novel he was in or what the plot was. How stingy it was.

"Then how are you so sure the boy will grow up big like me?" The Duke asked and Julian tilted his head down, looking at Lucius who slowly drank his milk.

"I won’t say I’m so sure, but I see the same thing in the young Lord as you, Your Grace. He may have his mother’s frail body, but there is no aspect of him that does not resemble you, your Grace."

The Duke looked down at the boy, trying to see this resemblance, but all he could see was a small boy that was probably smaller than other kids his age.

"Tch, so it’s just speculation and hope?" He asked and Julian nodded.

"So, let’s look forward to watch the Young Lord grow. At the end, we’ll know if you were right, or if I was right at this time."

"Fine." He folded his arms.

"Then, shall we carry on with the breakfast?"

Julian succeeded in throwing the conversation from him to the young Lord and the Duke.

This way, he wouldn’t feel uncomfortable about them pointing out his lazy attitude that morning.

And he also found a new excuse. If anyone asked why he was having such a bad morning, he’d just say he wasn’t used to being on the road for long. He’ll get better as soon as they get to the capital.

It was a great excuse.

And so, as they crossed the border, they were thrust into the territory of the south, and on their way to the capital.

It took three more days before they got to the capital and as soon as they did, as soon as Julian spotted the buzzing streets and glowing nightlight of the capital, he felt a nag in the pit of his belly.

He was back, to the heart of the continent, and to the heart of an unknown plot.

It was time for the veil of commoner to work it’s magic.