Patrick, though understanding his mother’s hesitations after all that she had been through, found her nervous breakdown somewhat exasperating. “This isn’t something you need to worry about, Mom. Even if Emma chooses to stay in the Silver Moon Pack after she comes of age, she won’t be living with us.”
The law of the Silver Moon Pack dictated that once children reached adulthood, they had the right to choose whether to stay at home or leave, based on mutual consent. If one party wished the child to leave, they had to be compelled to do so.
Jennifer suddenly realized, “I forgot about this law.”
“So, Mom, promise me, try to avoid these groundless quarrels tonight. I can’t always mediate between you two. If you think there’s an issue between you and Nelson, then you should talk to him and address whatever problems you feel you have.”
“You can’t keep targeting an underage girl without reason. Since you chose Nelson as your second partner, many in the pack believe he has clouded your judgment and talk behind your back. I no longer have a father; you are my only family. I want to protect you from these rumors.”
Jennifer understood Patrick’s predicament. She hadn’t had much time to spend with her son, especially after Nelson arrived. It wasn’t that she didn’t love her son; she wanted to give him the best, especially after he lost his father.
She sighed, “Alright, dear, I will do as you say. I will try to get along with her.”
Since the first day Emma encountered Jennifer’s baseless attacks, she had prepared herself for a second round, but it never came. Several times they crossed paths with Jennifer, both Emma and the servant guiding her prepared themselves for a storm, but Jennifer merely passed them without a glance, no greeting, no warmth. Both of them breathed a sigh of relief.
They would rather be invisible to Jennifer than endure inexplicable verbal attacks. Emma, especially, felt that Jennifer always intentionally brought up her late mother whenever she targeted her. She disliked it; mentioning the departed in the present world disturbed their peace. She thought, her mother didn’t have a peaceful life while alive; at least let her rest in peace after leaving.
This time, a girl named May guided Emma. She was only four years older than Emma and March’s sister. After Jennifer left, she whispered to Emma, “Madam seems less sharp lately.”
Emma didn’t care how Jennifer viewed her. Her only wish now was to reach adulthood as quickly as possible so that she could confidently leave the Silver Moon Pack for wherever she wanted.
“It’s okay, as long as there’s no arguing, anything is fine.”
May liked her nonchalant attitude. She seemed easier to get along with than many others. “By the way, the alpha said you need to complete the enrollment procedures soon. Do you want me to take you to see the school?”
Emma hadn’t been in touch with schools for a long time. Often, she and Florence passed by a school and saw students walking home in groups, chatting and laughing, wearing the same uniform, carrying backpacks and shoulder bags. They looked so carefree and joyful about school-related matters. At those times, she and Florence would gaze at them enviously.
They both longed to go to school, but they didn’t have the extra money.
Now she finally had the opportunity. She thought, I must tell Florence. I’ll tell her that when I return to the Blue Halo Pack, I’ll discuss rebuilding a similar school with Edward. When I earn money, I will definitely give Florence the chance to go to college.
“Okay,” she said, her eyes filled with excitement.
The school was large, with a very spacious playground where students were playing rugby, cheering, and lifting the victors. Emma could only watch their joy from the outside.
May could see that she envied them.
“I’ll take you to see other places.”
The school had excellent facilities, including a swimming pool, changing rooms, a gym for exercise, and a huge library. There was a prominent statue at the library entrance, facing the direction of the alpha’s grandfather, the great warrior who had made significant contributions to the Silver Moon Pack.
“This school offers various majors: language, law, philosophy, as well as physics, biology, and chemistry, and more. If you want to study management, you can choose business administration. If you want to understand the world, you can study history and sociology, or philosophy. If you want to become a scientist, you can choose mathematics or physics and biology. In short, whatever you want to learn, you can find it here.”
Emma stared blankly. This school was far better than the Blue Halo Pack. The biggest school in the Blue Halo Pack had little history because it was built after Edward took over. Although the investment was massive, there were no academic achievements, and everyone was somewhat hesitant. Nevertheless, that school still accommodated a large numberof students from the Blue Halo Pack.
But compared to this school, the capacity there was negligible. The grass field alone at this school covered nearly 300 square meters, not to mention what looked like a high-end restaurant, the cafeteria. May suggested they go in for a meal, but at that moment, Emma felt a twinge of apprehension. She was afraid she wouldn’t fit in here.
So she declined, “I think I’m not hungry.”
May was very astute. She could tell that Emma wasn’t physically hungry, but rather emotionally retreating, preventing her from moving forward. “The alpha instructed me to make sure you try the German-style pork knuckle in the cafeteria. It’s their specialty dish, served with the chef’s own sauerkraut. Do you have any food you don’t like, or any special religious beliefs?”
German-style pork knuckle. Emma remembered trying this dish at a restaurant where she used to work, but the meat wasn’t cooked well, sometimes dry and tough. The chef often didn’t get the marination right, resulting in a taste that was either too salty or too bland. And they didn’t serve it with sauerkraut.
She swallowed, “I don’t have any religious restrictions on pork, and I don’t have any foods I dislike.”
May smiled mysteriously, “And there are also sugar-dusted pancakes, you can drizzle them with chocolate sauce or maple syrup. The cafeteria here is self-service, you can have whatever main course, side dishes, desserts, and drinks you want. If you get tired of the pork knuckle, you can even pair it with a cup of yogurt with nuts sprinkled on top. Trust me, the yogurt here tastes really good, unlike any flavor you’ve had before.”
Her words once again triggered Emma’s appetite. Good food had a fatal attraction for her, even though sometimes she knew she shouldn’t succumb to these trivial pleasures. But this was German-style pork knuckle!
Who in the world could resist the aroma of German-style pork knuckle?