Gunpowder Plate Armor and the Magic Revolution

But she suppressed her intense emotions for the time being.

"Thank you for your hard work, Graham. Would you like to come in and have a seat?"

Although Lady Eileen thanked Graham, her gaze never left Norze.

"Thank you for your kindness, Mrs. Eileen, but there are still some things to take care of at the War Department, and I need to assist General Leopold with some matters."

Graham quickly refused.

He's not stupid. They're a mother and son reunited after a long separation. What's the point of him staying inside?

So he quickly made an excuse to slip away.

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"Nozer, come in quickly."

The door closed gently behind him, shutting out the noise of the wind outside. Only he and Eileen remained inside. The warm yellow light from the wall lamp fell on them, making even the air feel softer.

He opened his mouth, intending to call out "Mother" to warm up his emotions, but he felt inexplicably hesitant, as if something was blocking his throat, and he couldn't make a sound for a moment.

Norzee had assumed that Eileen would, like any other parent reunited with their child after a long separation, express her love with a barrage of questions, ranging from her daily life and studies to her meals and friends, and so on...

Norze even prepared a speech in advance, striving not to reveal any flaws.

But he was wrong, because Eileen simply opened her arms and hugged him.

She was a head shorter than him, and she had to stand on tiptoe to press her cheek against the crook of his neck.

Her hug was light, as if afraid of hurting him, with a cautious probing, yet her hands around his back tightened, as if she were holding a lost treasure that had been found again.

Even though she could no longer fully embrace Norze's broad shoulders, she still tried to hug him as she had when he was a child, pressing her cheek against the crook of his neck and murmuring his nickname.

"Noze, my child, you're finally back. I missed you so much, so very much..."

It was only then that Norze realized he had been completely overthinking things.

How could a mother possibly make her child feel embarrassed?

At this moment, Norze finally figured out what adjective to use to describe Eileen.

family.

Having figured all this out, all of Norze's worries vanished at that moment.

His tense back gradually relaxed, and he bent down slightly, raised his hand, and awkwardly hugged Eileen back, pressing his face close to her cheek.

He felt a warm, damp sensation run down his cheek, seeping into the collar of his uniform; the heat made his heart ache.

He could clearly feel the slight trembling of the person in his arms; it was the pent-up worry and longing that had been suppressed for so long, pouring out all at this moment.

After an unknown amount of time, Eileen slowly released her hand, gently wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes with her fingertips. Her face still held a gentle smile, though her eyes were still red.

Her gaze fell on Norze's wrinkled, blood-stained uniform, her fingertips gently brushing against the stiffened fabric, her voice filled with undisguised heartache.

"Nozer, where are you hurt? Let me see."

As she spoke, she reached out to lift up his uniform sleeve.

"I'm fine, I'm really not hurt."

Noze quickly pressed her hand down, smiled reassuringly, and then deftly rolled up the sleeves of his uniform, revealing his smooth forearm. He then showed off his other arm as well, and even turned around halfway to indicate that he was completely unharmed.

"There isn't a single wound. All this blood is from those assassins. I didn't even get a scratch."

Eileen carefully examined his arm, from shoulder to wrist, and then reached out to lift his shirt to make sure there were no marks on his waist, abdomen, or back before letting out a long sigh of relief.

She raised her hand and gently patted Noze's arm, giving him a reproachful look, but the smile in her eyes was undeniable. She then took two steps back, looked him up and down, and muttered to herself.

"You've lost weight, you've really lost a lot of weight. Your cheekbones are more prominent and higher than before, and you're more muscular. You've grown more than a head since you went to military school, and you're even taller than your father was when he was young."

As she spoke, a gentle smile appeared in her eyes, and she drifted into memories.

"When you were born, you were so tiny and wrinkled like a little kitten. I was afraid to hold you, afraid that I would hurt you if I held you too roughly."

"When you were just learning to walk, you would fall down and run to me crying with your lips pouting... When I sent you to Herbert Military Academy, you were only as tall as me. In the blink of an eye, you have grown into a capable officer."

Noze's ears turned red instantly, and he felt a little uncomfortable all over.

He quickly coughed lightly, abruptly changing the subject, "My clothes smell of mildew, blood, and sweat, it's really uncomfortable to wear them. I want to go change into some clean clothes first, otherwise I'll make the house dirty."

Upon hearing this, Eileen raised her hand and gently patted her forehead.

"Look at me, I've been so busy talking to you that I've forgotten all about the important matter. Come with me, I've already prepared everything for you."

As she spoke, she naturally took Noze's wrist and pulled him upstairs.

Her hands were soft, with a few calluses from years of managing household chores, yet they felt exceptionally warm.

The walls on both sides of the second floor are covered with many oil paintings, mostly depicting the Emerald Sea and the landscape of Orentia.

Eileen pushed open a door at the end of the corridor and stepped aside to let him in.

This is a spacious bathroom with a huge, carved oak tub in the center, already filled with warm water. A few dried chamomile leaves float on the surface, and the rising steam carries a faint scent of herbs and wood.

On the wooden shelf next to it, neatly folded linen bath towels, a set of soft off-white loungewear, soap, and a razor were arranged.

Eileen walked to the wooden tub, tested the water temperature with her hand, and then turned to Norze and said, "The clothes are all newly made, and the material is the softest linen. If anything doesn't fit, just let me know, and I'll have a tailor come and alter it tomorrow."

As she spoke, she opened the ventilation window a crack, worried that the stuffiness would make him dizzy. She also moved the thick bath towel on the shelf closer to the wooden tub, and kept giving him instructions.

"I see."

Noze smiled and agreed.

Eileen walked to the door, then turned back to look at him, her eyes full of smiles. "After you've finished soaking, go to your room and rest for a while. We'll have dinner when your father comes back."

"If you get too hungry, just tell me. We have some ham and bread at home."

After saying that, she gently closed the bathroom door and left with light steps.

The bathroom fell silent instantly.

Noze walked to the wooden tub, reached out and tested the water temperature. The warm water, carrying a faint scent of herbs and wood, flowed over his fingertips, the temperature just right to soothe his skin.

He slowly took off his wrinkled uniform and stepped into the warm water.

The hot water instantly washed over his body, dispelling the fatigue that had accumulated over this period of time.

He was like a bowstring stretched too tight; once it was released, fatigue washed over him like a tidal wave, causing him to involuntarily close his eyes.