The whole room was filled with utter silence. With the duchess' hand placed over her heart, she anxiously breathed in and out while looking anxiously at the mage.
The mage couldn't help but look so surprised. This is the first time he has ever seen such an intense emotion from her, other than when he first met her.
He slowly stroked his beard, and contemplated her words deeply. "... Do I seem like the type of person who would only teach magic to kill?"
The sitting Empress let out a quiet scoff before she walked towards the mage, and gently placed her hand on his shoulder.
"You do."
The mage couldn't help but puke out blood as he heard those painful words. He then stood motionlessly for a long minute before quickly composing himself, coughing out the remaining blood.
"W-Well, it seems like I'm giving you the wrong idea, Isabella." He looked back at the duchess, smiling as if to try and ease her worries. "It is not my intention to lead his life for the purpose of killing the future enemy. In fact, I detest the meaning of magic being used only to kill."
He stretched one of his hands in front of him, and a blue flame suddenly appeared before him.
"They say that the creation of fire was used to burn the enemy—burn the corpse… and reduce the number of people that inhabit the world. But I believe that, instead, the creation of fire is to bring warmth into the land."
The color of the flame changed into a melancholy pink, but continued to burn fiercely on his hand.
"This warmth that I hold in my hand… It signifies new life and creation. It's not meant to burn, but for one to learn how to embrace that warmth. Slowly, it teaches one what it means to embrace the warmth of another being, and guides it into what you call trust, care, and love."
The fire began to float towards me. Once a single ember touched a sliver of my skin, it suddenly covered my whole body before dispersing into thin air—without causing a single burn in my body.
The mage then placed both his hands behind him once again before closing his eyes.
"You're indeed right, Isabella. We need to teach your child that magic is not for the purpose of killing, but learning how to embrace that warmth, and create a reason to protect."
The Duchess's eyes relaxed slightly with relief upon hearing those words.
"... Teacher..."
He then walked towards the Duchess. Once he stood in front of her, he placed his hand on her shoulder and smiled warmly.
"That is why the warmth that he must first learn about needs not to be learned from me, but from his own mother. I have seen too many children grow up to be victims of such… teachings. I don't want this child to be one of them."
The Duchess flinched before she slightly clenched her dress with her shaking hands.
Even though he saw her worry, the mage continued to smile. "Teach him about the world first... so that you can then teach him what magic will bring to his life, and what he must use it for."
He removed his hand from her shoulder, and slowly walked to the door. But just as he was about to leave the room, he looked at the Duchess one last time.
"Don't forget, Isabella. A child needs the care of those around him. True care, so that he can attain the meaning of hope and love."
The mage finally left, leaving the Duchess standing there in the cold silence. The Duke, who was still standing next to her, placed both his hands on her shoulder, and tried his best to console her.
The Duchess reacted to the touch, and smiled before placing one of her hands on top of his.
The Empress watched the romantic situation develop, and couldn't help but show a slightly cringed expression. "It seems like you have a lot in your mind, Isabella. I think it's best that you rest, while Laurence and I continue our conversation."
The Duchess flinched once again before looking worriedly at the Empress. "But—"
"No but's. Getting a good rest will help clear your mind. You also need to take proper care of your child. You're now a mother, aren't you?"
The Duchess stood there motionlessly before slowly nodding.
"True…" She then looked at me, her mouth slowly curving up before she began to approach me. "I need to do my best to take care of you, Lysander."
With that, the Duke began to move the pram out of the room, while the Empress and Duchess followed behind. The Empress continued to cheer up the Duchess, but she just continued to smile bitterly, occasionally nodding without responding.
After a while of walking down the grand hallway corridors, we reached a new room. The doors were opened by servants, who were also following along. Inside the room, the wallpapers were of a dark-red shade, and were once again filled with opulent furniture and decorations.
The Empress remained outside with the other servants while the rest of us entered the room.
The Duke placed the pram near the couch and took the hand of the duchess, gently leading her to sit down on the couch. Once he confirmed our well being, he carefully inspected the surroundings before looking at the Duchess one last time.
"If anything happens, don't hesitate to signal me." He hands her a small, red crystal shard.
The Duchess bitterly nodded once again before clenching the red gem deep in her hand.
Seeing her so sad, the Duke couldn't help but let out a bitter sigh before placing a kiss on her hand.
"Don't worry, Isabella. Everything will be okay."
Hearing those comforting words, the Duchess couldn't help but blush before gently nodding back.
"Thank you, Laurence."
He smiled back. He then turned his gaze to me, and showed me the same warm smile before walking towards me.
Come to think of it, this is the first interaction I have had with him—other than the time I almost suffocated. But seeing this caring side of him, I can kind of guess that his past actions weren't on purpose.
Of course, some people might disagree...
He slowly stretched his hand towards me. Carefully, and gently, he placed the back of finger on the side of my face, and slowly caressed it before smiling even more warmly.
"I'll be back, Lysander."
He gently pulled away, and waved goodbye at us one last time before leaving the room. The Duchess flinched as she heard the sound of the doors closing. After finally seeing that the Duke is gone, her expression slightly turned solemn.
She laid her head on the couch pillows, and just stared at the red flowers that were on the table right in front of her—unable to decide on what to do.
The empty silence went on for a few minutes... until my stomach started to rumble.
"Come to think of it, I haven't eaten anything since I came into this body..."
The duchess flinched once again before properly sitting up, and tidying herself up. "I-I shouldn't be distracted."
She gently picked me up, and carried me into her arms before looking so lovingly at me. Seeing her smile so brightly, I couldn't help but stare at her like any newborn would.
"Can I call you... my mother?"
The last time I called my original mother Mother, she looked at me with pure disgust. Since then, I refrained from using such terms such as Mother or Father, and spoke to them just like any stranger would.
The way she smiled at me makes me remember all the bad times back home.
All those bad memories... I just wish I could forget them.
I just wish I could just become a proper human being.
But even then... Her warm smile also brought back such a familiar emotion: Happiness.
She tried to remove part of her clothing to breastfeed me.
At this point... I think it's inevitable. I just have to bury my dignity down and properly act like a baby.
Fortunately, she struggled to remove that section of her clothes. After a few moments, her expression turned troubled as she finally gave up.
"What should I do...?"
But in that dire moment, she suddenly remembered something.
She carefully let go of one of her arms around me, and stretched it up high before snapping her finger.
Soon, a blue insignia appeared before a baby bottle appeared in the middle of it.
She quickly grabbed it and gently began to shake it.
"Thank goodness Mia prepared this right before we left."
After shaking it a bit, she gently placed the tip of the bottle on my mouth.
As the slightly sweet milk began to course through my mouth, I suddenly began to have these lingering thoughts.
Just what am I going to do in this new world?
Why was I brought to this world?
The more I drank the warm and sweet milk, the more I felt kind of happy. I must admit, it tasted better than I anticipated—
I burrowed my brows. It seems that my thoughts are all over the place.
But one thing is for certain, I was given a second chance to live a new life. A life where I can enjoy the many things I was unable to do.
Maybe... Just maybe I can call this place my home...
The baby continued to suck on the bottle until he finished it all. The mother couldn't help but smile before she gently patted the baby until he burped. Hearing a slight snore, the mother carefully placed her child back on the pram, where he now lays happily asleep.
She continued to watch the baby with so much love and care—her pessimistic mind slowly freeing itself from all the negativity from today's event.
Quietly, she leaned towards him, and gently placed a kiss on his forehead.
"Lysander... I'll make sure to carry on my duty as a mother for you."
Even in his sleep, the baby couldn't help but smile even more as he felt the warmth of his mother near him.
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦
In a separate guest room, the Grand Duke sits across the table from the all mighty Empress—the most powerful, and the leading figure, of the Izora Empire.
The Empress picks up the cup of tea on the table that the butler beside her made. She happily smelled the rich aroma, and slowly took a small sip—being so careful as to not waste a single drop.
As she finished taking a sip, she gently placed it down on the table with an eerie smile before gazing at the butler that was now quietly leaving the room.
After hearing the sound of the door closing, she carefully fixed her gaze onto the Duke.
"The Duke of Blood... Shall we continue our earlier conversation?"
The Duke flinched at those words before stoically looking away to the window. Seeing the grand stature of the palace from high above and the mighty fountain he saw before the audience, he couldn't help but subtly smile.
"... I'm sure you're well aware of the seriousness of the situation."
The Empress couldn't help but let out a sigh in response.
Shortly after, the Empress snapped her finger. After a single second of the snapping sound echoing throughout the room, a large insignia surrounded the whole floor before disappearing completely.
"With this, there won't be any rats listening to our conversation."
The Duke's face stiffened for a moment before he looked worriedly at the Empress.
"What about Isabella and—"
The Empress scoffed before apathetically flicking her hand to him. "Relax. I made sure to have her room secured and guarded. She's also a capable fighter, just like us."
The Duke couldn't help but look even more anxious. He doesn't want to risk putting her and his child in any more danger.
He already failed yesterday, so he can't help but be even more on guard.
But in the eyes of the Empress, he looked no more than a dog worrying about its owner.
"... You really are a sucker for your wife. If you really want to see her that badly, then talk."
The duke flinched once again before coughing. He straightened his posture, and looked calmly at the Empress just like before.
"... An assassination attempt was attempted yesterday towards my son."
The Empress's eyes widened at those words, and she slowly stroked her chin. "Things are looking dire then... The same thing happened yesterday with my son, Augustus."
"Does this mean..."
She nodded. "Yes, the group intended to target both the Heir of the Imperial Family and the Blakesty Family."
The Duke anxiously fiddled his thumb against each other, trying so hard to understand the intention of the assassination—other than to just eliminate the heir.
"... I tried to follow up against the magicians who were responsible. I was only able to capture three. Unfortunately... they all committed suicide after being imprisoned."
The empress couldn't help but sigh with frustration, and began to rub her forehead to ease the sudden headache. "I see..."
The Duke gritted his teeth and clenched his hand into a fist, and looked down on the reflection of his own face on the cup of tea.
"It was him...!"
The Empress looks directly at his hateful eyes that showed nothing but bloodlust towards the man he is talking about.
"... Count Avington."
His eyes trembled once more as he heard the name—the aura around him growing more furious.
But even with such bloodlust that one incapacitated the doctor spread throughout the room with no end, the Empress just continued to sit on her seat before taking another sip of her tea.
After a while, the Duke forced himself to calm down. "My apologies. I was told that he was the one who initiated the attack. But I just don't know for what reason he had for aiming at our children…"
The Empress hummed in response. She then stood up and walked towards the window before gazing at the world outside.
The beautiful scenery of the palace with the majestic orange sunset brimming the cloud gold shone upon her like a spotlight. The autumn leaves slowly glided around the air, and crossed along her view before trickling further and further down the ground, and into the green grass.
"It seems that the Noble Faction seems to be taking a grand gamble."
She continues to watch the beautiful scenery in front of her. Her lingering eyes turned so cold and emotionless, but they slowly regained their color after looking back at the duke.
"A las, even if I wanted him gone, he is a swordmaster of the seventh ring being guarded by many other swordmasters of at least the fifth ring. He is heavily guarded for a dying old man." She then folds her arm and leans towards the edge of the window frame. "... And he also has the support of that so-called husband of mine."
The Duke's face expressed disappointment, but acknowledged the situation at hand. "... I see. Eliminating him doesn't pose a problem for me, but it will lead to friction between the Noble and Imperial Faction."
"Yep. I know you want to kill him. So do I... but we just have to be patient. We have to find the perfect time."
He sadly nodded in response before gazing back at his saddened expression reflected on tea, and just sighed before contemplating on the ordeal.
"... Poisoned, isn't it?"
The Empress walked back towards the table, and slid her finger on the circular edge of the cup from where she drank from.
"Indeed. Well, not that it has any effect on us though. The butler from earlier is probably packing his things right now, trying to escape. He must've also been sent from the Noble faction."
The Empress looked at the window from where she was standing once more before smiling so sinisterly. "Well, I can't have that happening... That's why I prepared a fun little spell in advance."
The Duke calmly glances back at her, already knowing her true personality.
The Empress quickly smiled innocently, despite her sadistic words earlier. "It's my way of releasing stress over this incident!"
She calmly, and elegantly, sat back down on her chair, picked up the teacup once more and drank the tea filled with poison. "Come on, take a sip. You can hardly smell the fragrance of the poison."
The Duke stared at the cup in front of him for a long minute. After moments of thinking, he carefully picked up the tea, and brought it close to him before smelling the fragrance.
A light and rich apple scent...
He slowly brought the cup to his mouth, and drank it carefully before placing it back down with no reaction.
"... It stings."
The Empress let out a small chuckle. "I only said that you can hardly smell it, not taste it."
The duke sat there motionless before raising the teacup once more, and drank it once again. "This burning aftertaste..."
The Empress closed her eyes and took another drink of the tea before placing the empty cup down on the saucer, and just stared at it with glee.
"Yes... this burning aftertaste. It reminds us of the failure that we have made. Unable to protect the people closest to us."
She turned her gaze back to the duke. "It… really is telling us just how much of a failure we are. People may think we're cruel. People may think we are self-centered. People may even think we're emotionless. But those who judge us with no hesitation are the true emotionless people."
Her bright smile soon turned hollow. The sad, sapphire light on her eyes began to shimmer under the golden sunlight shining on her from the window.
"They don't know us. They don't know what we've gone through. They don't know what we're trying hard to protect..." She then let out a bitter laugh. "But even then, there may come a time where we'll even fail to protect what we care about... and prove their words right."
She painfully breathed in—slightly feeling the burn caused by the poison—and tried her best to calm down her saddened heart.
"In the end... All we can do is accept the words that this cruel world says about us, even if it hurts."
The Duke stared at the Empress with a cold, yet saddened, gaze. "Your words... they sting more than this poison."
The Empress closed her eyes, and hummed at his response before opening them once more on the cup.
"This conversation might last a while. Should we prepare more tea?"
The duke looks at the half empty cup in front of him. His reflection filled with so much insecurities, yet his eyes showed a new wave of motion.
"... I'll take you up on that offer."
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦
My eyes felt slightly swollen from constantly sleeping. I slowly opened them, and saw the familiar ceiling decorations hanging in front of me.
I guess I returned home...
No other light can be seen, other than the one from the moon. Its white light illuminated my very being, reaching out to me...
All alone...
This lonely feeling... I'm all too familiar with it. But that doesn't make it any better.
Being in this crib, laying down and unable to get up—unable to do anything I wish my body to do... It's just like my previous life.
But this time, I'm just an infant. No expectations are currently being held for me.
No expectations...
Should I... just continue my facade once more?
No... That doesn't seem right. Is it alright for me to be in this body of the character known as Lysander?
From what I read, doesn't that mean that no matter what I do, my ending is predetermined?
This life is even more cruel than my previous one... was I brought on this world only to suffer once again? Can I never live a normal life?
After that thought, a familiar flame appeared right before once again.
"It's you again..."
"I'm glad that you remembered me."
My eyes widened at the unexpected response.
Can he read my mind?
No response was made. But the flame knew what the child was thinking.
"It's not mind reading. But if you wish to communicate with me using your mind or any other medium, I should be able to respond."
"I see... then can I ask who you are?"
The flame flew a bit farther away from me and expanded a bit, not replying for a moment. "I currently have no name to go by. You can address me however you wish."
The flame grew closer and shrunk once again.
"But to respond to your full question. I am a being that is here to guide you in this new world, and help you adjust to your situation. You're also free to ask any questions that are within my disposal."
My mind froze for a bit before a sudden thought emerged from my head. "Can you tell me what happened to my siblings?"
"That question is out of jurisdiction."
"Then... can you tell me who sent me to this world?"
"That question is out of my jurisdiction."
"Then... can you at least tell me why I was brought here?"
"That question is out of my jurisdiction."
"... What can you tell me?"
"As stated before, I can only answer certain questions with the authority currently given."
Questions. The only question I have is about the current wellbeing of my siblings. Nothing else matters to me right now other than the answer to that question.
But still... I guess it's better to ask questions about the future.
The flame backed away and suddenly turned green—expanding fiercely before asking a simple question to the child.
"Now... What do you wish to ask about the world, oh lost one?"