37: The familiar blessing is a forgotten blessing
26 0 3
X
Reading Options
Font Size
A- 15px A+
Width
Reset
X
Table of Contents
Loading... please wait.

"He couldn't help but imagine for some people who might exploit her naivety and hurt her, which made his blood boil with anger just at the thought of such situations. Merely imagining these things put him in a foul mood, but thankfully he quickly calmed down after hearing her words.

"Of course not, but it was my future husband who asked that of me, so it was my duty to place my trust in him."

'...!!!This girl.'

Maimoun wanted to affect Lolli's mood, but he ended up being the one affected. Truly, this girl was utterly unreasonable, yet her character was truly ideal as a good wife.

'This is a worthless defeat,' Maimoun decided to abandon his plans to annoy her and complete his endeavor. He took out a necklace and placed it around her neck after telling her to lift her hair, revealing the back of her graceful, silken neck in plain sight. Her fragrant scent heightened his focus as Maimoun approached her.

"Do you know, Stella, about my grandfather?"

"Hmm, who do you mean? Your grandfather on your father's side or your mother's?"

"From my father."

"Of course, I know your late grandfather. In the end, your family passed through a storm that nearly uprooted the family's foundation, were it not for him being the pillar standing tall during this difficult time. He's the famous Sifar Stoneheart, isn't he?"

Maimoun couldn't help but smile when he heard the first part of her words. If what he was thinking was correct, then that part of her speech might be entirely wrong. However, he still agreed with her for now because it was merely an assumption.

"Yes, he truly was as you said. He was like the pillar that secured the foundation of this family to stand firm until this day. Who hasn't heard of the great deeds of Sir Sifar Stoneheart across the lands? Hence, there's no need for me to tell you about such a matter."

'Does Fayt want to narrate a tale to me? And does the tale require me to close my eyes?'

Stella felt strange about this sudden topic brought up by her fiancé, yet she didn't rush to ask him, leaving him room to continue speaking.

"Instead, let me tell you about something most people haven't heard of, another unknown aspect of the story that most of us know, about a heroine who stood behind him in this difficult time unconditionally, a heroine who didn't carry a sword or pen, yet her role was no less important than what my grandfather did."

"Really! Who is she and what did she do?"

Stella was excited to hear that she was about to hear a story unknown to most people, especially about a woman and not the usual.

"No need to rush," instead of directly answering her, he began preparing her for the tale of this woman's heroism.

"Even if I were to go out now and ask anyone randomly about Seifar, they'd immediately say, 'Do you mean Seifar Stoneheart, the Ironman who stood with his family against aggression with his sword, shield, and tongue? Any slightly educated person would start saying phrases like: 'A fierce knight whose voice was more intimidating than the sound of drawing a sword from its sheath, a cunning leader not outfoxed in his wits, and a patient person not swayed by the toughest challenges, or something close to that meaning.'"

Maimoun paused a little to organize his thoughts before continuing.

"But even this man was still human. No matter how strong a person's resolve is, there will come a day when they question the reason for their perseverance, the reason for all this hardship they endure and for what cause, if there is a cause. Does it deserve that the woman suffers because of it... Every person will have that day when they doubt the most basic and taken-for-granted things. Yet, Stella, do you think Grandfather went through such a phase?"

Suddenly, Lolli felt flustered as the conversation suddenly turned into something complex and a test for her. What Maimoun was saying now was what she had felt not long ago, unable to do anything but remember what had happened to her today, all her long-held beliefs that she thought would never falter, until this difficult day came upon her, she suddenly felt for a moment, though briefly, that what she believed in was wrong.

And this is the trial that no one can avoid, no matter what. It was a norm in life; either one cannot overcome it, leading to the shattering of all they believed in and making them fragile, or they surpass it, strengthening their faith in their beliefs.

However, she wasn't sure if a strong person like Sifar could be compared to a girl like her.

"I..I think he went through it" She finally responded with an expression on her face that showed she was unsure.

"...That's right, he did go through it, and it was tough on him."

Maimoun sighed as he recalled the story that was etched in Fayt's memory. Although it was full of lessons, unfortunately, the previous owner didn't benefit from it at all. Then he continued, saying,

"People think that individuals like my grandfather are the chosen ones for whom circumstances are prepared to make them stand out and appear great among others. No matter the difficulties and trials they face, they are believed to possess thoughts and actions that will magically emerge, allowing them to overcome them without harm."

He shook his head in disbelief at such thinking.

"Many people believe that problems faced by these heroes are only nominal, which is completely wrong. Many people believe that the problems faced by these heroes are merely superficial, but this is completely wrong. Without considering the environment in which they are born, there is no inherent superiority of one person over another at birth. It is through actions that people differ from one another.

"Perhaps they thought so out of ignorance or because they lacked sufficient determination to do what the alleged chosen ones did, avoiding hard work and the discomfort of heeding the demands of their inner selves to rise and act. They find this excuse to be supportive in their lack of pursuit and as a shield protecting them from their conscience's reproach."

Maimoun nodded this time, agreeing that the primary reason causing change in an individual's life is their actions more than the environment and circumstances surrounding them.

"How many unknown individuals who had nothing became a beacon of knowledge due to their diligence, and how many famous ones were denied recognition due to stagnation in their pursuit of self-improvement... It is then that we will see that surrender is very easy and widespread among people, while perseverance is exceedingly difficult and confined to a few who choose it."

"Contrary to what people think about my grandfather, the Ironman, he worked tirelessly, feeling every moment in that stage leaving its mark and weight on him. He had two options: either let it crush his expected future and surrender to end this pressure, or let that pressure continue to grow heavier and more exhausting for his body and mind over time. And of course, Grandfather chose the second option."

"......But even with his strong resolve and steadfast beliefs, he reached that point I mentioned earlier."

"Meaning doubting his faith in his endeavor?"

"Yes, that doubt weighed heavily on him due to the adversities he faced, and because most people stood against him, he was truly on the verge of collapse. Even the strongest individuals are humans in the end, and no matter how strong their perseverance, they will inevitably be affected by various circumstances. But do you know how he overcame all of that and crafted his legend in the end?"

"Hmm?... Is it the woman mentioned earlier?"

"A clever girl, indeed she is one..." Maimoun gently praised Lolli, patting her head.

"Hehe, I'm a clever girl," Stella laughed happily to hear the praise.

"She was his wife, the mother of his son, and my grandmother, Layla Stoneheart."

"What!! She's the grandmother then?"

'Isn't it clear after all this introduction that I'm talking about Mother Somay?' Maimoun couldn't help but smile weakly.

"Yes, she was a great support for him, aven if she not the only one. Unlike people who only noticed his strong side, his wife also saw the fragile side of him that could almost throw him and his family into ruin. Being his wife, she was his support, the one who nurtured his determination within their home. Grandfather's role was to defend her and their family externally."

"They had perfect cooperation; each complemented the other, and each would crush if the other disappeared. Even the severity of men and their toughness is not always ideal. If there's no one to lean on to ease the pressures of life, that toughness that distinguishes a man becomes a destructive weakness, and he will eventually break. This is where a woman's softness comes in, soothing that crumbling toughness, bringing balance."

"The tenderness of a woman takes various forms, such as her smile when her husband returns home from the harsh external world, or preparing a hot meal to satisfy the hunger of the man who fought all day to ensure that meal reached home without interruption. Even during sleep, this tenderness is evident, and it is then that the man rises again ready to face another battle."

As Maimun spoke, Stella listened intently, her eyes closed, nodding in agreement. However, upon hearing the part about a woman's care for her husband in bed, she abruptly interrupted herself out of embarrassment, waving her hand in the air to dispel those thoughts.

'How shameful, so shameful for us to touch each other...but what will happen next??'

... Fortunately, her knowledge about such matters was incomplete, and that lack of understanding stood between her and the correct interpretation of an event that hadn't come yet.

"What's the matter, Stella?"

".....N-nothing. Please continue with what you were saying."

"......Anyway, although people see some or all of these actions from their wives, mothers, and sisters, but a few appreciate such deeds, and some easily mock them, arguing that what they do comes with many times the difficulty of what women do."

There was a brief pause before Maimun resumed.

"And this is true for women as well, but on the other hand, what women do also involves similar difficulties for men. Each person masters their field of work and complements the work of others for sustainability."

 

3