The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 281 - One Good Father’s Warmth No Longer Steams Against The Cold Steel Shielding

Chapter 281: Chapter 281 - One Good Father’s Warmth No Longer Steams Against The Cold Steel Shielding

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The night sky above the competition grounds had darkened and dotted with stars that twinkled like immensely distant torchlights. The Goltbred camp was rather quiet as Ondua reclined on a pile of cushions inside his and his wife’s private tent.

His arm wrapped comfortably around Yatrel’s shoulders as she leaned against his chest. One hand rubbed little circles on his bare skin near her face and a contented sigh escaped the woman as she nestled even closer. Her reddish-blonde hair tickled the shirtless man’s shoulder as she settled to listen to his heartbeat.

They hadn’t actually spoken in an hour, just shared looks - but not because they were giving each other cold shoulders. Their day had been full of meetings, socializing, and attending various events at the competition grounds. Now, in the intimacy of their tent, they could finally be quiet.

After being married so long together, there simply did not need to be a lot of words every night to start things off. However, the memory of his daughter’s earlier mood lingered in his thoughts. Her absence from dinner caused him to break the silence - and voice a question with clear concern.

"Do you think Elua will be alright?"

"She’ll manage. She always does."

The woman’s fingers stroked his jawline as the comfortable nothing settled between them for several moments again. This time, it was the duelist who made the first move to speak.

"I think it’s good she finds ways to... separate from some of her own complexities when needed."

"I suppose it is."

The brunette’s generic response betrayed his own uncertainty about their daughter’s methods of coping. He really wished he could be relied on more. Other than Qat, Qatrand, and her ’beloved’... the man really didn’t know what his eldest was ever thinking.

Yatrel shifted and tilted his head down so that his brown eyes would meet her mint gaze.

"She told me things today."

Her tone was very serious - and it made him almost ready for all of the worst kinds of news. Considering what he had to *willfully* ignore earlier... he wasn’t sure he wanted to know! Before he could ask her to hold on and let him collect his courage to listen, his wife’s stomach complained loudly enough for both to hear.

Her eyes opened as wide as he’d seen them in ages as her jaw dropped. The woman quickly buried her face in his chest and started to chuckle.

"Sorry, I’ve been trying to ignore it, but-"

"You’re still hungry? I guess I should have asked if you wanted more dinner earlier, when you ate a little less than usual."

Her fingernails scratched roughly around his collarbone, happy that he had noticed her behaviors - but wanting to punish him for thinking she had to be managed. He barely reacted with a wince.

"No, dear. Not hungry exactly. More like... I have a very specific *desire* right now."

The way she emphasized the word made his eyebrows rise. She flicked her middle finger into his sternum before she clarified his misunderstanding with a half-smirk.

"For food, you. Those pickled carrots from the vendor near the eastern entrance. The ones with those little black mustard seeds in the brine."

"...Oh."

The disappointment was barely concealed on the face of the Hero of the last Descent. His honest reaction drew another laugh from the woman as her hand snaked up toward his ear.

"Don’t look so crushed. I promise to be... appreciative when you return."

She pressed a series of light kisses to his jawline before she purred her next words.

"Very... appreciative."

Almost forgetting that meant she intended to make him wait, she pressed her lips to his. He returned her kisses before both of them reluctantly extracted themselves from their comfortable arrangement. He straightened his evening tunic after throwing it back on and reached for a light cloak.

"Maybe I’ll go ask one of the-"

A wail from outside interrupted him... the unmistakable sound of their youngest daughter’s cries the next tent over. Moments later, a harried nursemaid appeared at their entrance.

"Forgive the intrusion. The little one refuses to settle. I’ve tried everything... but the chilled melon pieces are gone and she won’t accept anything else for her gums."

Yatrel rose to her feet with grace and only a light sigh. Onya’s teething pains were much more noisesome than Elua’s had been. Her eldest was too good at keeping everything close to her chest!

"Let me guess, she won’t let you leave her sight to go out and get more?"

The nursemaid’s apologetic nod confirmed the ’suspicion’. Whenever the child was unhappy or uncomfortable, she would cling to whoever was nearest at the time quite strongly. It did not matter who came to her next... she would only accept *any* comfort from the person she first laid eyes on!

Unfortunate for the servant, who spent the most time on average with her.

"I’ll come keep you company and see what’s troubling her with you."

Yatrel offered, then paused to look back at her husband.

"Would you mind terribly...?"

"Getting the melon too while I’m at it? Of course not."

His wife’s grateful smile warmed him as she departed with the nursemaid. Alone, Ondua mentally adjusted his plans. Most of the market would still be open for a few hours yet, bustling with cultivators and mortals enjoying the festival atmosphere.

It wasn’t a guarantee that none of them would be sold out, so it was best to hurry in case he had to search for alternatives. When he stepped outside, he spotted Elua’s personal servant walking between tents with purposeful strides.

’Perhaps she could handle these errands instead. Or at least divide our roles...’

"Klaytei."

The brunette called for her while raising a hand in greeting. The woman turned and bowed respectfully. Though it might be his imagination... that it was always a bit quicker and higher than she did for his wife or daughter.

"Master Goltbred. Can I be of some service?"

"I was hoping you might visit the market for a few items. Yatrel is craving pickled carrots and Onya needs more chilled melon for her teething."

Such specific items made Klaytei’s expression shift. A flicker of something like thoughtful calculation crossed her features before everything settled into apologetic politeness. It was not *like* his daughter, yet...

"I’m so sorry, but I really should remain close by. My lady intends to... work intensely on her projects tonight. She might need assistance at any moment and I promised I would wait nearby."

It was good for him to hear that their heiress wasn’t so down in her mood that she was only going to meditate all night again. He nodded, but before Ondua could put a voice to his response for the woman to keep an eye on her... Klaytei continued to speak with a voice brightening with personal tint.

"But since you’re heading to the market anyway, would you be so kind as to bring back some of those spicy dried plums from the Silversky stall? I’m sure your daughter would appreciate it as a midnight snack."

"Ah? Of course. That’s not far from where I need to go."

"And perhaps those sweet crunchy sticks they sell near the fountain? I’d be ever so grateful."

The woman’s expectant look left little room for refusal from the usually kind man. The Goltbred Patriarch found himself nodding before he’d fully processed her request - or that his *daughter* did not especially have a sweet-tooth.

"Wonderful! Thank you so much!"

With another quick - and confusingly lower than before - servile bow, the personal servant hurried away. The brunette man stood in place slightly bewildered before shaking his head and glancing around the camp.

Most of their entourage had either retired early for morning work or ventured out to enjoy the festivities. He could probably seek out one of the Talcres or even his daughter’s friends to keep him company on the journey, but part of him was in a rush to get back.

To take his wife to their tent for the evening and avoid any more interruptions.

The few servants remaining around were occupied with essential duties, like the camp entrance guard, the nursemaid, and... Klaytei who seemed to have looked back around the corner of the dining area and began staring at him like he wasn’t moving quick enough.

"Well then, I suppose I’ll just handle this personally."

The notion wasn’t entirely unwelcome despite muttering the words to himself. A walk through the evening market to personally gather some comforts for his family sounded satisfying. Though why they were all food and all women, he chose not to think about!

Ondua set off with a lighthearted hum into the lantern lit night.

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Anper’s momentarily wry expression turned rigid at the sound of the old nickname only one person ever dared use. He almost didn’t even want to turn around and acknowledge it at all. But with Lirades out there somewhere - maybe even watching right now...

"Ondua."

The lack of warmth in that single voiced name still said it all. The man shifted the weight of his basket - jars of foodstuff clinking softly against each other as he approached. The former battlefield friends stood while other pedestrians started to avoid the area a little more than when it was just Anper.

That was a quality the brunette always held. The Crystal Element cultivator wielded enough charisma and presence that others found his friendliness endearing without much effort. Strangers at least respected his space even without him saying or doing anything.

Meanwhile, the Yecine always felt like others were only a step or two away from being underfoot. He used to find it just a little annoying, but with everything that happened this evening... it was maddening. His eyes blazed with barely concealed disdain as he glanced at what he held.

"Shopping for food this late?"

The domesticity of the task he undertook also seemed to offend the swordsman somehow. As if the heavy blade wielders were somehow at fault for having servants attend to such things - while the famed Goltbred went out to do it on his own.

"Someone had to."

Silence stretched between them. Years ago, Ondua might have pressed further with details. Explained that it was for his family and what each of them had wanted on this night. The brunette would have tried to bridge the chasm with small talk and nostalgia.

But those days had passed, leaving only the crumbled shell of what once was something important to him. Enough that it made him and Yatrel even conceive Elua when they did. The fact that he considered it as ’something good coming out of it all in the end’ didn’t make part of him less bitter.

Gaining a worrisome daughter and even a very good son-in-law all because of losing a friend... still meant the friend was lost.