At noon, knock knock knock, the wooden door of an ordinary small house inside the Wald estate was knocked.
"Please wait a moment, I'm coming right away—did Carla come back?" This was followed by a burst of hurried footsteps.
The wooden door opened. Lucia, wearing an apron and holding a spoon, had a faint sheen of sweat on her face.
Yago froze in place, his knocking hand stiff in midair.
This scene made Yago instantly recall the past.
Five years ago, the child Vige had brought back from outside the Walls had also stood outside the door like this, watching Lucia hurriedly open it with a spoon in hand.
Lucia also clearly saw the people at the door—Yago, Lisa, and the girl Annie whom Yago had once brought home.
Seeing Yago, Lucia was naturally overjoyed.
"Mom, I'm back." Yago revealed a smile.
Lucia didn't even bother with the stew on the stove. She immediately opened her arms and hugged her child, tears shimmering in her eyes.
"Child, it's good that you're back."
Lisa and Annie stood to the side without disturbing the mother and son.
...
The table was filled with delicious stews and some fragrant roasted meat.
Watching his mother still bustling back and forth in the kitchen, Yago felt a rush of mixed emotions.
He turned his head and sincerely thanked Lisa. "Miss Lisa, thank you very much."
Lisa said, "No, this is what I should do. After all, you once saved my life. No matter what I do, I can never repay that debt."
"There's been a flu outbreak recently in the Maurice District (author's invention). Carla knows some medical knowledge and volunteered to help there," Lucia explained to Yago and the others why Carla was not here.
"What!" Yago was startled. Aunt Carla had actually gone out now? The people of the royal government definitely knew Carla's identity. They had captured Eren, and they certainly wouldn't let Aunt Carla off either.
Seeing Yago suddenly grow anxious, Lisa spoke with pointed intent. "The Maurice District. The garrison troops stationed there are under the command of my uncle, Commander Randy Wald."
The implication was that Carla's safety was guaranteed.
Hearing what Lisa said, Yago finally felt a little relieved. But safety was never absolute. The most urgent matter right now was still that noble, Rod Reiss.
Coming here to visit his mother was a spur-of-the-moment decision by Yago, risking exposure to seek out Lisa Wald.
The situation of the Survey Corps was very dire. All members were wanted for arrest. The incident of Yago and Ymir transforming into Titans in the Trost District that day was still fermenting.
However, the Survey Corps had not been sitting around waiting to die. By now, they had probably already begun their counterattack.
Now that he saw his mother was safe, Yago set aside the burden in his heart.
"Miss Lisa, don't you doubt our identities? After all, we're considered wanted criminals now," Yago asked.
Lisa shook her head. "No, Mr. Yago. I personally witnessed you shed blood for humanity. If you truly were traitors to humanity, why would you save countless people, including me, from the mouths of Titans? So I don't believe those claims."
Yago smiled, then suddenly thought of something and asked Lisa,
"Has my mother seen the recent newspapers?"
Lisa understood Yago's meaning. The newspapers of the past few days had been overwhelmingly reporting news of the Survey Corps betraying humanity. It was very abnormal, as if someone were stirring things up behind the scenes.
Careful-minded Lisa naturally hadn't sent these days' newspapers over to Lucia, and Lucia was usually very busy and hardly ever read the papers.
"She hasn't. Please rest assured."
While Yago and Lisa were talking, Lucia was smiling and chatting with Annie.
Yago had invited Annie to the house several times, so Lucia was naturally very familiar with Annie.
In Lucia's eyes, Annie was a shy little girl with a good personality and decent looks—she just didn't like to talk. No matter how Lucia looked at her, she liked her.
Yago's little thoughts were naturally clear to Lucia, so at this moment, the old mother began to probe indirectly, wanting to help her son settle on a daughter-in-law.
Poor Annie usually didn't talk much to begin with. Aside from speaking more when she was with Yago, she was generally indifferent to others.
Under Lucia's almost blatant hints, Annie quickly blushed and didn't know what to say, only casting a somewhat embarrassed and annoyed glance at Yago.
Yago smiled and stopped his mother's bizarre questions.
Lisa, on the other hand, watched this amusing scene with great interest. Of course, Lisa's unblinking stare at Annie made Yago feel a trace of unease in his heart.
In the end, after finishing a sumptuous lunch, Yago and Annie prepared to leave.
"There are still missions in the Corps. We need to head back. We'll come back again next leave."
Since Lucia didn't know about the current situation of the Survey Corps, Yago conveniently told a small lie to comfort her.
"Oh right, Mom, if Aunt Carla comes back, tell her that Eren and the others had missions, so they didn't come back. Next time, they'll come back together with us." Yago waved to Lucia as he called out.
"Got it! Yago, take good care of yourself and Annie." Lucia replied from the doorway.
Warmth rose in Yago's heart. The bonds between family were always beautiful, and so Yago couldn't sever himself from Paradis Island, because his family and his bonds were here.
"Miss Lisa, I'll have to trouble you again."
Lisa Wald performed a standard noble curtsey.
"Please rest assured. The Wald family will protect Madam Lucia and Madam Carla."
Yago and Annie mounted their horses. The horses were high-quality mounts from the Wald estate, the kind that could directly participate in battle.
Yago waved to Lucia one last time, then left with Annie.
Watching Yago's back, Lucia felt somewhat dazed. That day, when Vige had just become a Survey Corps soldier and was about to set out with the Corps.
Standing in the crowd, Lucia had only seen Vige's back, and the words he left behind:
"Lucia, one day we will be victorious. Believe me."
Watching Yago and Annie's figures until they disappeared, Lucia then returned to the room in a somewhat listless state.
She took out a newspaper from the drawer, already somewhat wrinkled, with traces of tears still on it.
On the newspaper, the headline "Survey Corps—Traitors to Humanity" was extremely eye-catching.
When Lucia saw this newspaper, she was incomparably worried about Yago, and when alone, she shed tears of concern while facing the paper.
But just like with Vige, she had worried countless times about Vige going on expeditions beyond the Walls. Yet Lucia had never stopped Vige, because respect was the highest form of love.
Lucia didn't know what Yago was about to do, but she would sincerely pray for her child.