Alpha's Rejected Mate Returns as Queen
Chapter 737: Mother and Daughter

Chapter 737: Mother and Daughter

Yarin's POV:

Lady Charlies never had any children, which is common among werewolf packs. Not every couple is blessed with beloved wolf cubs. She accepted this fact gracefully and treated her niece as her own child, raising her with love.

After her husband's passing, Lady Charlies stepped back to support her niece, who became the new family head and managed the family affairs from the faraway Spring Rain Pack.

The main branch of the Charlies Family was not located in the Lycan Pack, so the Charlies Residence had only a few inhabitants, including Lady Charlies, her nephew from her mother's side, Angus, who was staying as a guest, and several other relatives from the Charlies main branch.

When we arrived at the Charlies Residence, everyone in the house came out to welcome us. Cynthia jumped off the carriage and gave Lady Charlies a big hug. Lady Charlies affectionately kissed her cheek and said, "I thought last night you looked thinner, my little princess. Being slim is beautiful, but I hope you are healthy and well."

We got acquainted with the residents of the Charlies Residence one by one, except for Angus, whom we hadn't met before.

"This is Eden, my brother's child. He's also twelve years old this year; I hope you can get along well with him," Lady Charlies introduced a young boy to us. He looked somewhat frail, shorter than Heller, and seemed nervous and timid, trembling as he spoke to us.

"Greetings, Your Highnesses, I hope the Charlies Residence will bring you a delightful and pleasant time," he stammered, following Lady Charlies's guidance.

"Nice to meet you, Eden," I said, attempting to comfort the nervous boy. "I believe we siblings will have a pleasant time here. We're here as guests and won't be any trouble."

Eden seemed very uncomfortable in such social situations. After exchanging a few hesitant pleasantries under Lady Charlies's guidance, he retreated to the crowd's edge.

In any case, we went through the usual process-getting to know each other, sitting together to have tea, and enjoying a lunch banquet hosted by the Charlies Residence. Eventually, following the host's arrangement, we could finally rest from the 'exhausting' journey.

Several servants accompanied us, and after they helped us settle in, they followed the Charlies Residence's steward to familiarize themselves with the tasks.

The Charlies Residence was an ancient classical mansion with a long history. It was acquired by a former family head from a declining aristocrat.

It consisted of two separate L-shaped three-story mansions and a large lawn. In the middle of the mansions was a Renaissance-style fountain added later according to Lady Charlies's preference.

The Charlies Residence, belonging to the Charlies Family, bordered Mirror Lake. The lake's surface was now covered with thick ice. Next to the lake, there was a small hut where I remembered they stored miscellaneous items, such as fishing rods and sleds.

"Remember the first time we ice skated on the lake?" Cynthia leaned against the window, reminiscing. "You and Heller wore ice skates for the first time and couldn't stand steadily, stumbling and falling. Lady Charlies said you looked like little wolf cubs who hadn't learned to walk yet."

Talking about the past, I also felt nostalgic, "Yeah, we were only seven or eight years old then? Such little rascals."

Cynthia giggled, "And you're still little rascals now!"

"I am? You're one too!"

We playfully started a pillow fight.

Heller's soft voice came from the side, "Perhaps someone still remembers this is my room and that the pillow you're using as a weapon belongs to me?"

"Come on, Heller, join us!"

I gently tapped him on the leg with a pillow, but he didn't budge and said, "Forget it, I don't want to ruin a pillow on the first day at someone else's house. If I can't sleep later, I'll come to steal yours!"

We played around for a while and eventually huddled together, feeling drowsy.

"The mango pudding from lunch was delicious," Cynthia suddenly said.

Indeed, it was sweet and tangy, with a rich fruity aroma. Its sweet and sour taste differed from the richness of another pudding. Eating it made us involuntarily think of something else.

"....."

We didn't say anything but knew what we were all thinking.

After a while, Cynthia spoke again, "Yesterday, I saw Bertha cleaning Kara's room. She cleaned it spotlessly and made a pot of hot tea."

"Bertha must be feeling very sad, too," Heller said. "I noticed she changed her scarf to a black veil."

"Yeah, she must be very sad..." I muttered. Over the past few years, Kara had taken care of Bertha well in her position as the head servant. Kara generously imparted her experiences as an elder, and Bertha was deeply grateful and greatly benefited.

I felt like Bertha saw Kara as a mother figure, but this hidden mother-daughter bond quietly fell apart with one of them passing. With Kara's departure, no reverence and longing could be expressed.

The entire afternoon, no one disturbed us, except for Lady Charlies coming to inquire if we were satisfied with our accommodations. We were certainly satisfied; we felt a familiar unfamiliarity here since all our rooms were arranged to resemble those in the palace.