Unable to come to a conclusion about who had planned the assassination on Modret after a thorough round of questioning, Donald could only let the servants go.
However, from that moment on, everything changed. The number of guards surrounding the manor had tripled, and every servant entering the estate was scrutinized with rigorous inspections before being accepted.
In addition to this, Modret no longer slept alone. He now stayed with his mother in her room under constant protection.
Weeks passed, and his mother became increasingly vigilant, like a hawk watching over her young.
The attention was overwhelming at times, yet Modret had no complaints. After all, she was doing it out of love and fear for his safety.
…
That day, after regaining consciousness, he sensed something strange—something off. A feeling of puzzlement surged within him as he tried to pinpoint it.
Then he noticed.
The ring that Jarvis had given him had mysteriously vanished. It was no longer on his finger. A chill crept through him as he stared at his hand in disbelief.
That was when he finally understood the unsettling feeling he had experienced in her presence.
He exhaled softly, brows furrowed. 'Why would she try to kill me for no reason? At least make it make sense.'
Floating beside him, the fairy blinked and nodded as she spoke, her voice light and airy.
{Perhaps this is related to the schemes of the royal family. Maybe they want to stop you from participating in the inheritance? Or they see you as a threat?}
Her reasoning was sound. Modret agreed with the logic. But then again...
'Seeing a newborn baby as a threat?' he scoffed internally. The thought amused him, but he didn't dwell on it for long.
Having spent a few weeks in this world, Modret had grown accustomed to the quiet, peaceful atmosphere of his new life. Aside from the earlier attempt on his life, no danger had presented itself. For now, he was safe.
Still, he hadn't forgotten. He was waiting patiently for a chance to seek revenge and uncover the truth.
Suddenly, hushed whispers floated through the air from just outside the door.
He perked up and, with careful movements, began crawling toward the source. Surprisingly, Modret's growth had accelerated.
Despite being only a few weeks old, he could already crawl with ease. Not knowing how such an abnormality would be perceived in this world, he chose to keep it hidden for the time being.
It wasn't something worth revealing yet.
"I heard Amara awakened and was accepted into the inner circle of the royal family," one of the servant voices whispered faintly through the door.
"Yes, she awakened a D-grade earth control ability. So lucky…" replied another, her voice tinged with envy.
Modret absorbed the information and quietly crawled back to his bed. This wasn't the first time he'd heard such conversations. It only confirmed his suspicion—this was a world of awakened abilities.
Apparently, people awakened their powers at a specific age. After that window, the chances grew slimmer with each passing year until eventually, awakening became impossible.
'Abilities, huh?' Modret muttered under his breath, his eyes glinting with anticipation. He turned his attention inward, summoning the familiar presence of the system.
[name: Modret Axarel]
[Status: Injured. While unborn, you were poisoned. Though you survived, the effects crippled you, making you currently unable to awaken an ability.]
[Ability: Unawakened]
[Bloodline: ???]
[Shadow Fragments: 35/1000]
[Remark: A pitiful soul cast into a terrifying world filled with deception and schemes. The world has abandoned you completely, but the shadows embrace you without question…]
Modret had discovered that every time he killed a creature, he obtained shadow fragments.
Since he couldn't challenge higher-tier creatures like the snake from before, he had settled for killing insects. They weren't much, but he'd gathered 25 fragments that way.
'How exhausting. Why couldn't she send more snakes? It would've saved me the effort of collecting fragments like this,' he muttered under his breath, cursing his aunt's incompetence at assassination.
How could she leave him to wander freely after trying to kill him?
{Such an amusing thought. Be careful what you wish for.}
The fairy chimed in with a mischievous grin. Modret rolled his eyes and turned away from her, refusing to entertain her antics any further.
'I know exactly what I wish for. I want to spin the roulette and awaken an ability. Only then will I have a real means of defending myself. The previous situation was too uncertain,' he thought, frowning.
He still didn't fully understand what had stirred within him during that moment of danger.
He didn't believe in uncertainties—only in the strength he could build with his own hands.
Now, he was training to develop his vocal cords, aiming to speak and eventually communicate with his parents.
Once he succeeded, he would begin gathering information and seeking a path to strength.
'One step at a time,' he reminded himself as he closed his eyes, wondering about the other treasures Noctis had promised him. Despite the weeks that had passed, nothing had manifested yet.
Could it be that he had received nothing after all? Or perhaps, as Noctis had said, they were indeed special and hidden?
He had no way of knowing.
…
While Modret drifted into deep thought, time slipped by, and soon Anna entered the room with quiet footsteps. A soft smile lit up her face as she saw Modret's curious gaze sweeping across the room before resting on her.
She picked him up gently and whispered with amusement, "Getting heavier again?" A playful smile tugged at her lips as she spun lightly with him in her arms.
'Ugh, dizzy… how do babies even enjoy this?' Modret grumbled to himself, enduring the sensation.
After a while, she nursed him, then sat cross-legged near the window, closing her eyes and breathing evenly.
Modret observed her silently, his eyes glinting with quiet wonder.
Wisps of transparent liquid floated gently in the air around her, then slowly sank into her body. Her face was calm, composed, as if she couldn't feel anything at all.
'This should be related to the term "awakened",' he guessed. Another reason why he urgently needed to speak—he wanted to learn more about what his mother was doing.
The fairy beside him fluttered into view, joining the conversation.
{That's right. She's probably cultivating her ability. I wonder what grade she awakened?}
Modret was curious too, but there was no way to find out yet. He turned his gaze back to his mother and the tranquil process she was immersed in.
It resembled cultivation—at least from what he could infer. And each time she finished, there was something subtly different about her, something hard to describe.
He frowned slightly, eyes fixed on her figure as she continued to absorb the drifting mana around her.
Hours passed. Eventually, she finished her meditation, nursed him again, then gently laid him down beside her.
Wrapping her arms around him protectively, she pulled him close and drifted off to sleep.