Chapter 319: Chapter 235: Serving Hamlet!_2
The silence only made the atmosphere heavier as Rosa, her face stern, began to scold.
"Why do you spend your time on these things? Do you actually want to go to the battlefield?"
"I want to protect Mother..." Joan, who was not inherently weak, hesitated for only a moment before saying, "I want to protect everyone, just like Lord Lance does!"
The scene where Lance, accompanied by Boudica, had saved her and her mother was deeply etched in her memory.
If I were that strong, could I protect others too?
At that moment, a desire for strength was born in her; she wanted to use her own power to protect those in need!
"When you were little, you could cry for half a day just from a fall. Do you realize that fighting isn’t training? That you can get hurt? That people can die?"
"I know!" Joan stood up, her voice firm. "But someone has to stand up."
Hearing this, Rosa was stunned. Her expression softened, and then she fell silent. After a moment, she spoke.
She sighed. "Go do what you think is right."
Indeed, as a mother, how could Rosa not understand her daughter’s thoughts? But she was even more afraid of her daughter getting hurt. She just wanted her daughter to stay safely by Lord Lance’s side, where she would be protected. After her husband’s disappearance, she couldn’t bear the thought of her daughter leaving her, and her protective instincts had become almost obsessive. It was only now that she realized her daughter might not be as fragile as she thought.
Remembering the words of My Lord, Rosa understood that her daughter had grown up, and it was time to let go.
Joan was somewhat surprised. Based on past experiences, she would likely have received a scolding. But why is Mother’s attitude so different today?
"I’ve talked to My Lord about you before."
Before this moment, Rosa had not shared her conversation with My Lord. She hadn’t wanted to let go, but now it seemed unnecessary to keep it a secret, so she told Joan what they had discussed.
Joan was not opposed to My Lord, but truth be told, she still felt a bit uneasy and apprehensive. Now that she had heard this, she understood the reason for her mother’s change of heart.
"I will definitely strive to be someone who contributes to Hamlet!"
***
Dawn had not yet broken, likely around four or five in the morning, but the entire Hamlet was already coming to life.
The man woke up early. Although he had worked hard the day before, he remembered he had to report for duty this morning. Showing up early might leave a good impression on the foreman.
His wife, who was up even earlier than he, entered carrying a clay pot and a cloth bag. Inside was their family’s rationed breakfast. However, the smile on his wife’s face revealed there was more to it. Aside from a few coarse-grain bread rolls in the cloth bag, there were also two eggs.
"I went early today and used the heat from the cooking fire to boil the eggs," she said, clearly proud of herself for saving the firewood that boiling them would have otherwise required. As she spoke, she pressed one egg into her husband’s hand and set the other aside, obviously for their child who was still asleep.
"How come there are only two? Aren’t there more?"
"You do such strenuous work, so you need this. I don’t do anything heavy, so the bread is fine for me." His wife didn’t seem to mind at all. Instead, she proudly showed him the clay pot. "Look, if you go early, you can get a good helping of fish."
Everyone knew the north was dangerous, and truth be told, the man was a little worried. But seeing his wife’s smile and feeling the warmth of the egg in his hand, his anxiety and fear abated. At the same time, he silently resolved to work hard, determined to improve his family’s life.
"I will work hard to earn more money, and then we can eat as many eggs as we want."
"I’m already quite satisfied now, as long as our family is safe and together," she said.
But even as she spoke, his wife couldn’t help but dream of a better future, already beginning to plan it out. "In just one more year, we’ll officially be members of Hamlet and return to My Lord’s side. Our fields will yield plenty of grain, we’ll save some money to buy some livestock, and when our child is a bit older, we’ll send them to learn a trade..."
The man, feeling a pang of sadness at the thought of being separated for several days, couldn’t help but embrace his wife, murmuring, "It will all happen..."
His wife’s words were cut short. After a moment of silence, she spoke again, patiently repeating her familiar warnings. "Just remember to be careful. If you encounter a wild animal, run. I can’t lose any more of you."
"Thanks to Lord Lance, things will get better." The man hugged her even tighter upon hearing this. He knew his wife was referring to their seven-year-old daughter, lost during their flight. No one knew exactly what had happened—or perhaps they did, but were helpless to change it.
The challenges they faced were matters of survival, not just struggles of living.
Soon, the man set off for the square, the warm egg clutched in his hand like a symbol of hope for the future. People who had arrived even earlier were already gathered in small groups, waiting for the foreman, and he hurried to join them.
"What kept you, brother?"
The man chuckled, pulling the egg from inside his clothes. "My wife cooked this for me; she was worried I’d get hungry working." He didn’t eat it, evidently more keen on showing it off.
A few familiar companions nearby joined in the lighthearted teasing, some also producing similar treats prepared by their families.
Soon the foreman arrived, calling names from the list, but after waiting for a while, the man hadn’t heard his own name called.