69novels Chapter 226 Soft Cotton
Chapter 226 Soft Cotton
Chapter 226 Soft Cotton
Kathy stood there, stunned.
His gaze was unfocused, as if staring into nowhere.
His lips parted slightly, but no sound came out.
Aaron knew he was overwhelmed with shock.
After what seemed like an eternity, Cathy finally came to her senses, managing a smile even more stiff than Old Door's.
"Ha ha, Mr. Mosley, you're joking! Henry is the Navigator! He even knows magic! He can't be dead, you must be mistaken!"
Aaron sighed; he knew Cathy was just putting on a brave face.
But to force him to have a hope that doesn't exist at this moment would be irresponsible towards Kathy.
"The navigator was besieged by a fleet in the Weeping Gorge, which reportedly numbered in the hundreds. It took the sinking of hundreds of longships for the fleet to finally kill Henry."
It was probably because Aaron's description was too detailed that Cathy's already strained smile finally gave way.
Kathy shook her head and backed away:
"Impossible, Mr. Mosley, you must have been deceived. Henry is not dead. He promised me that he would find and bring Natalie back."
"Kathy—" Aaron called softly.
"If you're joking, please stop. This joke isn't funny," Cathy's breathing quickened. "If you're trying to tease me, please stop right now. Only Harriet can tease me."
"Kathy—"
"Don't lie to me, I won't fall for it, I—"
Kathy began to roar, his emotions spiraling out of control, until a tall figure interrupted him.
Harriet didn't say anything, she just walked over and pulled Cathy into her arms.
Tears welled up in her eyes and dripped onto Cathy's forehead.
Aaron could feel her sadness. He felt sad for Cathy.
Kathy looked up blankly, and Harriet's tears fell onto his cheeks.
He seemed to have calmed down considerably and stopped speaking loudly.
Once emotions stabilize, it means that the facts have been accepted.
Cathy said anxiously to Harriet in a trembling voice:
"Harriet—Henry is dead, my father is dead—"
"Cassie—" Harriet stroked Cassie's face.
"He promised he'd come back, but he's dead! Harriet, why does everyone who makes a promise to me have torn my trust in them? Harriet, what did I do wrong?"
"No, Casey," Harriet shook her head frantically, "you're not wrong, you're just unlucky—"
"How unlucky does someone have to be to end up like me? Haven't I lost enough already?"
"Cassie, don't say that. Your luck will get better. I'll always be with you."
"But what if one day I lose you too?"
"No, it won't."
"...Everyone tells me no," Cathy interrupted Harriet, "but everyone has left me. Harriet, tell me, who can I still trust now?"
"You can trust me, I will never leave you, and you will never lose me. I swear on my life!"
"Harriet, you know I can't bear to lose you, I swear."
"Hey, Harriet, until just now I thought I had become more mature and reliable, but as you see now, I am still a useless man who can't protect anything."
"I know this is unreasonable, but I still childishly choose to do it. I haven't grown up at all; I'm hopeless—."
Harriet shook her head frantically, tears streaming down her face.
"No, that's not it. You've just been triggered—"
"I'm really upset, Harriet," Cathy said. "I'm so sad, I want to cry."
I really want to cry.
"I promised you," Harriet's eyes and tone became serious and firm, "that if you want to cry, I will shed tears for you!"
"You're already crying, Harriet. Am I really that greedy? Am I really craving too much?"
"I only wish my parents could be safe and happy. I only want to call my father 'Father' and my mother 'Mother.' Is such a request really too much to ask?"
"No, of course not!"
"Harriet, can I really trust you? Will you really stay by my side and not let me experience the pain of loss again? If you don't, please tell me so I can prepare myself. When that day comes, I want to..."
"Kathy, being with you is my dream!"
After Harriet finished speaking, Aaron noticed that Cassie's expression had calmed down considerably.
Cathy smiled slightly. "Thank you, Harriet. May I hug you?"
Harriet didn't say anything, but instead pulled Cassie's head into her chest.
Cathy hugged Harriet tightly around the waist.
Aaron breathed a sigh of relief.
It's great that Cathy's emotions stabilized so quickly.
It seems that waiting for Harriet to return before telling Cathy about it was indeed a wise move.
Cathy's heart was riddled with holes from countless partings and losses, and only Harriet, like soft cotton, could fill the void in Cathy's heart.
The two of them embraced in silence.
Aaron could sense that they had become more precious than each other.
After a long time, they finally let go of each other.
Kathy's expression was calmer than that of a fifteen-year-old boy.
Haha, it seems he's grown up a bit more.
He approached Aaron and asked in a calm tone:
"Mr. Mosley, Henry is not coming back, is that right?"
"Hmm—" Aaron nodded.
"What about my mother? Is Natalie alright? Has Henry found her? Where is she now?"
"I don't know," Aaron shook his head.
Kathy lowered her head: "So, all I can do is wait—"
"Patience is a valuable quality," Aaron said. "However, this time I have something I have to do."
Kathy looked up: "What is it?"
"I have to go out for a bit to retrieve something," Aaron paused for a few seconds, "and if I'm not mistaken, that thing..."
Perhaps on Henry's ship.
"Two gold coins!" Casey's eyes widened.
"Yes," Aaron nodded.
"Do you know the location of the two gold coin numbers?"
"Probably," Aaron smiled.
"Sir, may I go with you?"
Aaron looked at Cathy: "That's possible, but my journeys are usually very rushed and might be tiring."
"It's okay, I can manage!" Cathy's eyes were full of determination.
"Oh well,"
Aaron smiled and then looked at Harriet.
"And what about you?"
Harriet wiped away her tears: "I have to stay by Cathy's side."
"Yes," Aaron nodded.
Kathy asked, "When do we leave?"
"Let's get ready today, we'll leave tomorrow morning!"
This isn't just a matter of reminding Cathy and Harriet; Aaron also needs to prepare.
The location of the two gold coins is not fixed; it will take some time to find them.
Moreover, with two young people involved, the time commitment might be even longer.
Therefore, Aaron needs to make a good plan.
Setting aside a whole day for preparation is absolutely necessary.
Aaron did a quick estimate of the time; if all went smoothly, it would take almost a month.
The commissioner from the Block Alliance would come knocking every few days, and Aaron had to arrange things accordingly.
Hmm... looks like it's going to be quite a journey.
The last time I was away from the library for so long was to see Miss Brianna.
The next morning.
After having breakfast at the library, Aaron set off on his journey with a young couple.
They first arrived in the town, rented a horse-drawn carriage, and headed to Earlobe Harbor.
Cathy asked, "Sir, why are you going to Earlobe Harbor?"
"We need to rent a boat."
"But aren't there ships in the town's harbor?"
"Boats from small ports are generally unwilling to sail too far, but Earl's Port is the Earl of O'Brien's direct territory and the largest port in O'Brien Bay, so you can definitely find a suitable ship there."
Kathy nodded gently.
Earlobe Harbor is to the west of the library.
The carriage sped westward along the Neptune Avenue, and the driver said it would probably arrive in the evening.
Therefore, Aaron began to plan how to use the evening hours to quickly rent a boat at the port at a reasonable price.
After all, Aaron doesn't have much money in his pocket right now. His previous investment in Leo had practically emptied his pockets.
At noon, we passed by a roadside inn.
The coachman let them have lunch at the inn, and he also let the horses catch their breath.
Since the driver promised to arrive at Earlobe Harbor before dark, it means that resting at this inn was part of his plan.
Therefore, Aaron did not object and led Cathy and Harriet into the hotel.
The hall was empty at this moment; apart from them, there were no other guests.
Is this the off-season?
Aaron rarely ate out, so he naturally didn't know much about the market.
Without thinking much, he called over the hotel staff to order.
The newcomer was a burly man with a horse-hoof beard.
Aaron asked about the menu and, after consulting with Cathy and Harriet, ordered a lemon pie, a roast chicken, and a lobster.
The coachman, who had just finished tending to the horses, finally strolled in.
He only ordered one serving of grilled onions and nothing else.
Aaron also keenly noticed that the coachman's expression seemed strange.
He stared intently at Ma Tihu, his brows furrowed with confusion.
Aaron asked, "What's wrong?"
"No," the driver shook his head, "it just feels a little...sounds...strange."
"What's strange?"
"I only drop off guests in O'Brien Bay, so I've traveled this road a lot and been to this hotel hundreds of times, but the previous owner wasn't the same person as before."
Aaron said, "Maybe he's just an employee?"
The driver shook his head:
"This place is run by a couple. Apart from a fat cook, they've never hired any helpers, and it's been like this for over ten years—maybe I'm being a bit paranoid, but they're getting old after all, and I guess they didn't want to keep working so hard, so they sold the shop—"
Although the coachman tried to reassure himself, Aaron had to be careful.
Aaron said to Harriet, "Bring the dry rations."
Harley nodded and went to the carriage to fetch a few pieces of hard bread.
Aaron gave a piece to the driver: "We'll rest here for lunch, but we can't eat anything here."
"There's no need for that," the driver said reluctantly. "We've already paid; what kind of person would harm us?"
"It's hard to say," Aaron said. "Just listen to me."
Cathy and Harriet nodded.
Seeing Aaron's firm attitude, the coachman didn't say anything more.
Soon, the food was served.
Ma Tihu didn't leave the hall; he hid at the other end, staring intently at them.
Seeing this, Aaron simply urged the people at the table to finish their bread quickly.
He heard the man click his tongue and then walk over.
Ma Tihu asked, "Gentlemen, is the food here not to your liking?"
Aaron said, "The money has already been paid, so it's none of your business."
Ma Tihu's expression turned cold, and he silently left the hall.
"bump!"
Suddenly, there was a loud bang, and the hotel door slammed shut by itself.
Aaron looked over and then realized that there was a mechanism attached to the top of the door.
Meanwhile, on the other side, a command was also given:
"Don't move!"
Aaron looked in the direction of the sound.
Ma Tihu stood at the other end, holding a loaded crossbow in one hand and a nicked, cleaved sword in the other.
"Listen up, everyone put your hands behind your heads, turn your backs to me, and squat on the ground!"
"Hmm—" Aaron sighed.
That's how travel is; you can never predict when something unexpected will happen.
Aaron said earnestly:
"Sir, I have no interest in fighting injustice or meddling in other people's business. You may want to kill someone here, but..."
Robbery or not, that's none of my business.
"So, sir, I suggest you lay down your weapon, and I'll pretend this never happened. I think that's the best option for you."
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Horse-Hoof Hu roared. "Do as I say right now, or I'll shoot you dead!"
Aaron shook his head.
He had already given this man a chance, and he had never had much patience for people who had no connection with the library.
Aaron picked up the wooden fork from the plate and stood up.
Then, with a sudden burst of strength, she charged towards the man.
Aaron was surprised to find that his physical abilities seemed to have improved significantly.
Aaron immediately guessed that Harriet was helping him. It seems that Harriet's trip to the plateau was worthwhile!
Seemingly startled, Ma Tihu instinctively pulled the trigger.
The crossbow bolt flew straight toward Aaron.
However, Aaron, who had been enhanced by Harriet, could easily see the trajectory of the crossbow bolts.
He swung his left hand and caught the crossbow bolt in mid-air.
Horseshoe Beard's face showed terror, and his beard was trembling:
"Varied...."
Before he could finish speaking, Aaron had already appeared in front of him.
He would swing a wooden fork and cut his throat.
But no blood spurted out because his wound was frozen by frost the moment it formed.
Ma Tihu did not die immediately; he struggled painfully on the ground.
Perhaps one more blow from Aaron could free him, but unfortunately Aaron is sometimes incredibly lazy.
He walked back to his seat and casually addressed the crowd:
"Let's go."
The coachman stared wide-eyed at Aaron.
"Who exactly are you?!"
"Your guest," Aaron replied.
They opened the door and walked out of the hotel.
The coachman bowed respectfully to Aaron as he went to the stable to fetch the horse.
After loading the carriage onto the horses, the coachman said to Aaron with a grin:
"Sir, please get in the car!"
Cathy and Harriet boarded the carriage, with Aaron bringing up the rear.
Just as one of his legs touched the car, he heard a shout:
"Wait a moment!"
A chubby young man, around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, ran out of the hotel.
He didn't seem to be good at sports; even such a short distance was enough for him to put his hands on his knees and pant.
Based on the driver's previous description, Aaron guessed that this must be the inn's cook.
Aaron asked, "Is something the matter?"
"Please, please take me with you—"