The warm sunlight streamed through the glass window, shining onto Yago's face. The gentle warmth made him slowly open his eyes in a daze, instinctively wanting to raise his hand to block the light.
But the slight heaviness coming from his chest made Yago stop his movement. Under the small blanket, a delicate body lay beside him, a small head resting on his chest, breathing softly and evenly. Looking at Annie's slightly flushed cheeks—
The scene inevitably reminded Yago of last night's madness. It felt like a dream, yet the faint soreness in his lower back proved that last night had indeed been wild.
Carefully, bit by bit, Yago gently moved Annie off his body. Perhaps she was too tired from last night—her long eyelashes merely trembled slightly, but she did not wake up.
Sneaking out of the room quietly, Yago felt refreshed, as if the gloom in his heart over the past few days had been swept away. A sense of responsibility arose within him.
It was the transformation from a boy into a man. Rejuvenated, Yago was in an excellent mood. He rushed into the kitchen, making a clatter, and prepared a large, hearty breakfast.
But even after Yago finished cooking, Annie still hadn't woken up. She must have been truly exhausted. With a tender expression, Yago gently kissed her smooth forehead, tucked the blanket around her, and left a note reminding her to eat breakfast. Then, carrying a pot of freshly cooked rice porridge, he headed to the hospital.
The moment Yago left, Annie, who had been pretending to sleep, opened her eyes. Perhaps out of embarrassment over last night's madness, she had actually been awake the whole time, just feigning sleep. Seeing the neatly folded personal clothes Yago had placed by the bed, Annie suddenly pulled up the blanket and buried her flushed face completely inside.
Having recovered, Yago felt deeply ashamed of his behavior over the past few days. He had actually been too afraid to visit his mother? What kind of behavior was that? Wouldn't avoiding her only make her worry more? He really was something else...
With a nervous heart, he arrived at the hospital room. Seeing his mother on the bed, eating breakfast with the help of Aunt Carla, Yago felt an indescribable sense of guilt.
But Lucia didn't blame her son at all. She had already learned from Carla that her child had become the Commander-in-Chief of the entire Paradis Island, bearing an immense burden.
"Yago, you make your mother proud. Don't blame yourself. Compared to me, you have more important things to do. Don't worry—your Aunt Carla will take good care of me."
Lucia smiled as she gently patted Yago's hand.
But looking at the extra strands of white hair on his mother's head and the faint wrinkles on her face, Yago felt even more guilt.
Carla, holding a carefully prepared nutritious soup, walked over with a smile and said,
"Don't worry, little Yago. I'm here. Your mission right now is more important. I've heard everything from Eren—you're fighting for us Eldians. Keep it up. Eren said he'll work hard together with you."
Aunt Carla seemed to be in good spirits. Could it be that Zeke's words hadn't affected her? But this was a sensitive topic, and Yago didn't dare bring it up. Still, his mother's encouragement helped him pull himself together—he truly had many important things to do!
Carrying the porridge he brought, Yago said goodbye to his mother. Compared to the carefully prepared soup from Aunt Carla, his plain rice porridge was better left unshown to avoid embarrassment. But… food shouldn't be wasted.
So—
"Ah? You made this yourself? Not bad. Didn't expect you to know how to cook, Yago."
Serena held the bowl, looking a bit surprised. To be fair, it tasted quite refreshing.
Yago coughed twice.
"Of course I made it. My subordinates are injured—I, as their leader, have to show some concern. Drink more, I made it especially for you."
At Yago's words, Serena felt a bit touched—though when he said "especially," he looked slightly guilty.
On the neighboring hospital bed, Lance, who had already woken up, stared at the two of them eagerly. Being stared at like that made Yago feel a bit uncomfortable.
"Uh… do you want a bowl too?"
Yago might have misunderstood a patient's appetite. The large pot of porridge he brought was only half finished by Serena and the others. What about the remaining half? Would throwing it away be too wasteful?
...
Royal Capital, Underground Street.
Today's Underground Street was completely different from the past. Once synonymous with violence, bloodshed, poverty, chaos, and filth, it had undergone a dramatic transformation.
With the strong support of Queen Historia, the council carried out a complete overhaul of the Underground Street. Its previous chaos wasn't just due to local gangs and thugs—more importantly, it was entangled with the interests of many old nobles and black-market merchants.
These corrupt protectors had blocked any governance from the former royal administration. The rotten Military Police were too lazy to interfere, and instead, they received generous "tributes" from the Underground Street's forces every month. Over time, the area became a lawless zone, where the poor living there might never see sunlight in their entire lives.
However, after the coup overthrew the false king, the old nobles of the royal government nearly all collapsed. The new council didn't care how many interests were entangled in the Underground Street.
Commander Pixis had no fondness for those scum gangs. Bypassing the useless Military Police entirely, with a single order, large numbers of Garrison troops marched straight into the Underground Street.
All factions were completely purged. Illegal industries were uprooted. The royal capital's prisons were filled to the brim, and even the long-silent execution grounds echoed with gunfire for four to five consecutive days.
After thoroughly eliminating the criminal forces, reconstruction began in full force under Queen Historia's support. Prime Minister Zackly generously allocated a large sum of funds, letting the young queen "play house," so to speak.
To Zackly, it was best for the queen to focus on such trivial matters—this way, the council's power wouldn't be restricted. Besides, it wasn't their money anyway. The confiscated wealth from noble families was enough for the queen to spend lavishly for a hundred years.
Now, aside from its name, the rebuilt Underground Street bore no resemblance to its former self. Sunlight once again reached the streets. The once-numb, gaunt faces of the poor gradually filled out, smiles became more frequent, and the once lifeless streets began to bustle with life. Children's laughter could be heard everywhere.
Those orphaned children—like Squad Leader Levi in his childhood—were all taken by the queen to specially built orphanages, giving them a home.
For this, Levi felt the deepest connection. He was also among those most grateful to and appreciative of Historia. After the orphanages were completed, Levi was among the first to visit.
He solemnly thanked the young queen on behalf of the children of the Underground Street. Then, with a playful mood, Historia half-jokingly said to him:
"Since you're thanking me, could this kind queen punch the Squad Leader once?"
It was meant as a joke, but Levi actually let Historia lightly punch his chest—even though the young queen's hands were trembling at the time.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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