Chapter 234

Everyone gathered around the wooden table in the center of the room. The seats were long, narrow benches. Since there were many of them, they naturally gave the main seat to Dominic. Only three spots remained. Byron cheerfully called, “Vespera, sit with me.” But before she could respond, she was dragged off by Dominic.

“He’s still growing. Don’t crowd him,” Dominic said calmly as he guided Vespera down beside him. She landed hard, her hip colliding with the edge of the bench. Being slammed onto a hard, unforgiving wooden plank wasn’t exactly a gentle experience. It felt like she had just been whacked with a solid board—sharp, sudden, warm, and festive.

Once everyone was seated, Tamara cheerfully served ina, along with sweets, fruits, and snacks. The atmosphere was warm. Something about it triggered Vespera’s memory. And then it hit her—this was just like when she was a child, and her grandmother took her to watch a wedding in a nearby village. The bride and groom had sat at the south end of the table, just like now…

Vespera massaged her temple, forcing herself to stay composed and pretend she was relaxed. “These muffins just came out of the oven. Have some,” Tamara said, placing a basket on the table. A warm, buttery aroma wafted through the room. Rebecca eyed them with interest. “They look amazing.”

Vespera shot her a look. “Did you already forget you had an upset stomach? You really want to test your limits?”

“Fine, fine. I won’t eat them.” Rebecca obediently retracted her reaching hand.

Jade said with a smile, “It’s fine. Muffins are light and easy on the stomach. My grandma makes the best mudīīns.” To prove her point, she picked one up and pulled her mask down slightly to nibble at it. The sweet scent of butter filled the room. Honestly, it did smell incredible.

Everyone nodded and murmured praise. Vespera reached into the basket for one as well, but in the end, she just held it in her hand. “Where are Uncle Fred and everyone else? Why are you home alone, Grandma?” Jade asked Tamara, glancing around. Tamara replied, “Oh, they all went to a party in the next town. A neighbor’s kid got married. They won’t be back until late tonight.” “A wedding?” Jade blinked, then looked over at Rebecca, silently asking what they should do now.

Rebecca just smiled and shook her head. It was fine. At this point, she wasn’t really counting on their candle search yielding results. Claire and Tina were already on their way here. That evening, they decided not to take immediate action. The deadline was tomorrow night, and they were determined to move then. However, if they could find something earlier, it would certainly be better.

Tamara went back outside to continue peeling fruit. Jade leaned close to Rebecca and whispered, “Since we’re already here, should I go ask my grandmother?”

Rebecca thought about it for a moment before nodding. “Sure, I think that’s a good idea. Do you want me to come with you?”

“No need, you all stay here. I’ll go ask,” Jade said as she got up and quietly left the room. The others remained seated, chatting. Dominic’s gaze drifted to the windowsill, which was covered in dust. Vespera exchanged glances with Rebecca, and Calvest, once again, claimed he needed to use the restroom. Moments later, he disappeared without a trace.

It had probably been about twenty minutes when Jade finally returned. She quietly spoke to Rebecca, “My grandmother said there are quite a few places like that around here. I asked her to tell me everything she knew, and I wrote it down. Should we go check them out?”

Rebecca pulled her aside by the side door. “How many places fit the description? Are they far?”

Jade said, “There are three. They are all close. One is in this village, and the other two are in neighboring villages. I wrote down the village names and general directions. If we move quickly, we can check them all.”

Rebecca took the note from Jade, snapping a photo to keep for reference. “Let’s go. We’ll—”

As she began to walk back into the room, Jade pulled her back and glanced around the room, her eyes darting toward Dominic. “What about Mr. Reid? Is he coming with us?”

“Can you ask him to stay behind? I’m afraid of—”