At the front gates, the carriage had just arrived, and Milly jumped off the driver's seat, wearing a similar butler outfit to Sentios, standing nearby. She was suited up, wearing her hair in a bun; she almost looked like a teenage boy as she opened the carriage door helping Rabout climb out.
"I'm not that old, girl!" He sighed, stepping down on the ground, but Milly just smiled, not responding to his words. "It has been a long time since I last came here!" he looked around, stretching before his eyes finally fell on Sentios.
"It is an honor to meet with your Lordship!" Sentios saluted respectfully as a thundering sound reverberated behind him. Ren appeared next to Sentios with purple lightning flickering all around her.
"Oh?" Rabout smacked his lips, watching her. "Now I believe more in the stories that Rudrick did die!" He nodded, walking closer to them.
"He died the moment he killed my husband. He just needed time to realize it!" Ren answered with a smile, greeting him with cupped hands, "My name is Ren, and I am here to take over his position."
"Position as a lord of his spire or his position as the King of the whole bloodline?" Milly asked.
"Both." She answered immediately with a wide grin, surprising Milly but Rabout laughed loudly.
"So full of energy, I can see some young Rudrick blood in you, girl, no question that you are his descendant!"
"Ugh… is that an insult or a compliment?" Ren asked as she twitched her mouth, drawing another laugh from his lips. "Anyway, you are the first to visit me; let us go and talk inside. I prepared some tasty treats for us!"
"Mmm, yeah, that sounds good! But me being the first? It is tough to believe! I was sure Keina would approach you before anybody else! As the only female contender for the throne, I was sure she would be the fastest to come for you!"
"In a way, she was." Ren nodded. "But she just sent a letter which I ordered my men to throw out! I have no time to play stupid games!" she rolled her eyes as she led Rabout into her courtyard, straight towards her spire. "If she wants something, let her come by herself!"
"Ahahaha! I think I am going to like you, girl!" Rabout laughed again as Milly walked beside Sentios, a few steps behind the two lords, listening to their talk with curiosity.
"Glad to hear! I just hope you won't change your mind midway through!" Ren smiled as she looked up at him with a friendly expression.
"No, I won't! I'm completely uninterested in fighting for the throne, so you only have three others to worry about! My interest is in science and not in politics!"
"Science?" Ren raised her eyebrows while they arrived at her new home. Coming into a conference room, Kitten was already ready for them and served up freshly brewed coffee and cookies with the help of the newly hired servants.
"Exactly! Science!" Rabout nodded proudly, quickly sitting down with Ren, clearly excited he found someone who looked interested in his works.
"Science is a broad term. Could you narrow it down for me?" Ren raised her cup while she signaled Sentios and Milly to sit down and not just stand there like statues. Especially because Rabout seemed like someone who is not too bothered by etiquette.
"There were a lot of fields I dabbled in!" he started to explain, raising a cup without hesitation. "I lived for a long time, so spending a few hundred years on one topic is not weird. Astronomy, alchemy, metallurgy, there were a lot of topics I found interest in!"
"And are there any that you pursue currently?" Ren cut in before he could go on a long tangent.
"Creating pure energy!" He answered, almost slapping on the table with excitement blazing inside his purple eyes. He was saying it out with such force it felt like he was shouting, "My past 329 years, 5 months, and 29 days were all revolving around that one goal! I feel being so close to it yet so far away at the same time, it is driving me mad!"
"Pure energy?" Sentios murmured. "Like the cultivation rooms in the Sect?" He asked Ren, who just shook her head while Rabout listened carefully.
"Those are just… condensers. In a sense! They draw energy from the surroundings, concentrating it for the cultivator to absorb." Ren explained, tapping on the table with her index finger, watching Rabout, who quickly nodded, happy to see she looked like she at least had some knowledge of the topic.
"That is not what I am after! My research showed me that the energy that flooded our world more than 2000 years ago was pure, purer than anything present now! It was such a potent force it awakened sentience in some animals! Instantly! The first demons of our world! I want to recreate the same energy! I devised multiple methods to purify our world's energy sources, yet without true success. The energy that flooded the world that day quickly got contaminated by our world's energy! I always peel back a layer to find another one that still has impurities inside… so frustrating!"
"Interesting… you want to recreate the Cosmos's pure energy in our Realm. I don't know if you are mad or not!" Ren chuckled, but her words caught Rabout's attention the moment they left her lips.
"Cosmos?" he repeated, tasting the word and chewing on his lips before something lit up in his eyes. "The Tear! So what is behind that thing called the Cosmos? The energy I seek is from there, yes?"
"Yep!" Ren nodded, dunking a cookie into her coffee cup and munching it. "If you want, I can get you to experience what it is like outside the Tear! It won't be the 100% energy of the Cosmos. I don't know if we could replicate that in our Realm, but it will be very similar."
"What?!" he stood up, slamming onto the table and unintentionally smashing the cup in his hand.
"Woah, Woah, gramps! Calm down!" Ren giggled while Milly held back a yelp, especially when Rabout ignored how she called him.
"I want to see it! Name your price! I am the richest relative you have, little Ren. If you can show it to me, I am going to be your sugar daddy!"
"Pffft?!" Ren sprayed coffee out from her nostrils, not expecting words like this to come from him at all. "Sorry, but I'm a married girl; I'll never get on with another man again, sooooorryyyy~" She looked up at him, wiping her face while Milly's was utterly red, barely holding herself together. As from embarrassment or laughter, it was hard to tell.
"Are you sure you are Rudrick's descendant? And not his?" Sentios asked, watching Ren as he was slowly closing his mouth that, was stuck being agape. "Your mannerisms are way closer…."
"Just so you know," Rabout turned towards him, "Rudrick is… was a direct descendant of my younger brother. If you check the family tree, you can trace it back to me."
"I'm better off if we do not do that." Ren shook her head. "This is more like a family tentacle abomination than a tree by now."
"Mmh, true… ture!" Rabout agreed before returning to his senses. "So, what do you need? Tell me! I'll get it ready today!"
"Woah, once again, slow down, gramps! I'll need time to recollect myself. I'll send a list over for a bunch of materials I need! You get it for me, and I'll set up a formation. After that, you can see it for yourself!"
"Materials… formation…" He murmured, scratching his beard. "Good… good! If you can get the list ready now I-"
"Now? Sorry, I'm busy. I can do it, but it would take months-"
"Then tomorrow!"
"I said it is going to take months-"
"Okay, okay, the day after tomorrow!" Rabout cut in again, impatient like a little boy before his birthday.
"Is he listening?" She leaned to the side, asking Milly, who just scratched her throat before answering.
"His Lordship is… passionate about his research. You must understand, Lady Ren!"
"Haaah… damn it. Okay. Look, give me a week, 'kay? I'll have the list ready by then!"
"Wonderful!" Rabout laughed, grabbing her hands and shaking them violently. "A week! Good, I'll come by often and talk about fun stuff; it is really good to have a stroll. It freshens my mind up!" He laughed heartily while Ren just rubbed her temples.
"Damn it… I feel like I just shot myself in the foot with my own blabbering…."
…
….
…..
Daryan nervously walked up and down a corner from the main gate to the Nelvis Family's courtyard. Just as he turned backward, he almost walked into Ariana, who suddenly emerged from his shadow, stunning the young man.
"Woah?!" He stumbled backward, landing on his butt in the end, blinking with wonders in his eyes as he watched her manifest from the ground.
"Did I scare you~? Sorry!" Ariana giggled, helping him up. "We got your message. What happened?"
"I tried to ask for an official meeting, but… I was firmly rejected. The guards did not even walk inside to tell them we arrived." he shook his head dejectedly. "I should've expected this, coming here unannounced… It was a bad idea. I should've sent someone forward so they would know in advance, but I was too excited." he said with a lowered head and a loud sigh.
"Yes, that would have been a good choice." Ariana nodded, then patted his shoulder. "Still, you are dressed in a way even their servants should recognize your position, not to mention some lousy house guards! Let me take it over for a minute~."
"Y-yes, Milady!" He bowed to her, but she just laughed at his reaction.
"I'm just a maid!" She said with a wink.
"I never knew a maid who was this strong…" he shook his head, mumbling, as he followed her.
Arriving back at the big, wooden gate decorated with carved lions, the guards quickly stopped them, recognizing Daryan from before.
"Stop! This is the Nelvis Family Courtyard! Without prior invitation, it does not welcome any visitors!" said one guard, holding the hilt of his sword on his side, ready to draw it any time if necessary.
"We know." Ariana nodded, stopping before them. "We also know we arrived without any invitation or prior notice, but I think the Nelvis family should not make such a fuss about it." she looked at their faces with a friendly smile. "Please go in and inform them of our arrival!" she bowed slightly as she presented an amethyst seal with Rudrick's old crest carved into it.
"..." The guard was at a loss for what to do as now he could not play dumb like before. Refusing the presence of a Royal Seal would be like spitting into the face of its owner. Outside of the members of one of the Spires, nobody else would dare to do so.
"Can I ask what the Spire of Rudrick wants with my insignificant family?" A deep, firm voice arrived as a middle-aged man walked out, looking like a giant boulder. His height was way above 2 meters. He was wearing an ocean blue gown over his muscular body with his long, black hair tied into a knot as he looked down at them. His dark, black eyes were firm, but he could not hide his one part anger, one part fear from Ariana, who immediately sensed it.
"Nothing. Also, I assume you already knew that Rudrick is dead, same for most of his line." Ariana answered.
"Most. That means it is still around. The plays of the true nobles elude such small families as mine."
"The whole courtyard had a name change." Ariana continued, not flustered by his attitude, "It is now called the Spire of Ren after my Master took it over in the past days. My name is Ariana, and I am the personal maid of Her Highness." She smiled but did not bow towards him in the slightest while introducing herself.
"My name is Ooda. I am the family's leader." He returned the "greetings" the same way.
"I can't fault your people for not recognizing the Young Noble Daryan here, so we won't pursue the matter." she shook her head, putting away the seal.
"Young… noble?" He turned his eyes towards Daryan, who lowered his head by reflex, unable to maintain eye contact.
"Yes, he has been inducted into the main family line. I thought his clothing already gave it away!" Ariana laughed, playfully reminding him that they had already committed a grave offense previously, chasing away Daryan. "It was my Master who sent Daryan here." She nudged him gently as he shook his body. After he managed to gather his courage, he spoke up even though his back was soaked by now.
"Her Highness sent me here to meet with the Nelvis family and offer cooperation. Everything is written in this letter." he presented it forward, but before Ooda could take it away, Ariana's words stopped his hand from grabbing it.
"We should talk inside, or are we not invited into your courtyard?"
"I am only afraid it would disappoint someone of your stature," Ooda replied, keeping his hand in the end, slowly drawing it back, not touching the letter. "We are just a small family, doing some little businesses on the side, not worthy of the attention of someone from so high up." he shook his head. "We respectfully refuse the offer, or does the Spire of Rud… Ren wants to force its will onto others?"
"I see. Too bad." Ariana shook her head with a sigh, "No, we won't. We are respectful of others' decisions!" she cupped her hands as her eyes wandered behind the family head's figure, watching the closed, thick, wooden gates. Her lips curled into a barely noticeable smile. "Let's go." Ariana turned backward without sparing a second glance, and Daryan just pocketed the letter, embarrassed, wanting to say something. In the end, he just bowed and left, following Ariana.
Watching them disappear, Ooda crossed his arms before his chest, expecting them to be much, much more forceful than this. If it was the line of Rudrick from before, his guards would be already dead, and the gates of his kicked in. Nobody could refuse an offer from anyone who was part of that dreaded spire. The same thing happened over a decade ago when his youngest grandchildren fell for one of the "Young Masters" from the Spire of Rudrick. Her impressionable, easily influenced teenage mind was completely corrupted as she not just laid with a guy after a few months of flowery words but also got pregnant. When the event surfaced, it caused a great ruckus inside the family as it was already too late to intervene. Worse, it turned out the so-called Young Master was not even a main member of the family, only a marginalized bastard who went around seducing young girls left and right with the name of the Spire of Rudrick alone.
"Look what you got us into once again, Ina…" he sighed, shaking his head with a groan.
In part, he blamed himself for the current situation as Ina was always spoiled rotten. She was the only girl among his grandchildren. When learning that she was pregnant, he was about to ensure the kid did not survive before anyone could get wind of it. It was so they could deny everything. Yet when it was time, he couldn't do it. Ina's heartbroken crying and begging halted his hands at the last moment. Even though she was used and discarded, she wanted to keep the life growing in her belly. No matter how hard they tried to conceal her pregnancy and even the birth of Daryan, just only after a year and a half, people from the Spire of Rudrick appeared at their home. They marched inside and took away the baby without offering any explanation as to why. They never saw or heard about him again since then, not until today. Ooda immediately recognized him as his face resembled his mother from her younger years.
Walking back inside the courtyard and opening the gate, his eyes immediately met with Ina's. She was standing there, her black eyes filled with tears. She was sickly thin, and her lengthy, black hair already had some white streaks, yet she had only turned 32 a few months ago. She was clearly here to try and listen to what was happening. She knew who was on the other side, yet she could not leave the courtyard. Not because she was not allowed to but because she became a complete wreck since that day when her baby was robbed from her arms. Anytime she stepped outside, she just broke down mentally.
"Ina… go back. You are too weak to walk around this much!" Ooda sighed, trying to turn her away from the gate, but she was barely budging.
"It was him… it was him, no? Grandfather!" She said with trembling lips.
"No, it was not. He died a long time ago, I have already told you. Now come…" He led her away, feeling heartbroken. Seeing the once so feisty and cheerful girl being a complete wreck, he was cursing the Naulins every step along the way. Just as he was doing it every night, he went to sleep.
"He died…? No… No! I know he is still alive! He must be a healthy boy by now, grandpa! I know…" she murmured dazedly as she was led back to her room.
Nobody noticed that a pair of eyes were watching them, merging into the shadows of the walls.
"They are a good family; we could trust them…" Ariana murmured, already deciding she needed to rope them in as they could be a great assist to her Master.
At the front gates, the carriage had just arrived, and Milly jumped off the driver's seat, wearing a similar butler outfit to Sentios, standing nearby. She was suited up, wearing her hair in a bun; she almost looked like a teenage boy as she opened the carriage door helping Rabout climb out.
"I'm not that old, girl!" He sighed, stepping down on the ground, but Milly just smiled, not responding to his words. "It has been a long time since I last came here!" he looked around, stretching before his eyes finally fell on Sentios.
"It is an honor to meet with your Lordship!" Sentios saluted respectfully as a thundering sound reverberated behind him. Ren appeared next to Sentios with purple lightning flickering all around her.
"Oh?" Rabout smacked his lips, watching her. "Now I believe more in the stories that Rudrick did die!" He nodded, walking closer to them.
"He died the moment he killed my husband. He just needed time to realize it!" Ren answered with a smile, greeting him with cupped hands, "My name is Ren, and I am here to take over his position."
"Position as a lord of his spire or his position as the King of the whole bloodline?" Milly asked.
"Both." She answered immediately with a wide grin, surprising Milly but Rabout laughed loudly.
"So full of energy, I can see some young Rudrick blood in you, girl, no question that you are his descendant!"
"Ugh… is that an insult or a compliment?" Ren asked as she twitched her mouth, drawing another laugh from his lips. "Anyway, you are the first to visit me; let us go and talk inside. I prepared some tasty treats for us!"
"Mmm, yeah, that sounds good! But me being the first? It is tough to believe! I was sure Keina would approach you before anybody else! As the only female contender for the throne, I was sure she would be the fastest to come for you!"
"In a way, she was." Ren nodded. "But she just sent a letter which I ordered my men to throw out! I have no time to play stupid games!" she rolled her eyes as she led Rabout into her courtyard, straight towards her spire. "If she wants something, let her come by herself!"
"Ahahaha! I think I am going to like you, girl!" Rabout laughed again as Milly walked beside Sentios, a few steps behind the two lords, listening to their talk with curiosity.
"Glad to hear! I just hope you won't change your mind midway through!" Ren smiled as she looked up at him with a friendly expression.
"No, I won't! I'm completely uninterested in fighting for the throne, so you only have three others to worry about! My interest is in science and not in politics!"
"Science?" Ren raised her eyebrows while they arrived at her new home. Coming into a conference room, Kitten was already ready for them and served up freshly brewed coffee and cookies with the help of the newly hired servants.
"Exactly! Science!" Rabout nodded proudly, quickly sitting down with Ren, clearly excited he found someone who looked interested in his works.
"Science is a broad term. Could you narrow it down for me?" Ren raised her cup while she signaled Sentios and Milly to sit down and not just stand there like statues. Especially because Rabout seemed like someone who is not too bothered by etiquette.
"There were a lot of fields I dabbled in!" he started to explain, raising a cup without hesitation. "I lived for a long time, so spending a few hundred years on one topic is not weird. Astronomy, alchemy, metallurgy, there were a lot of topics I found interest in!"
"And are there any that you pursue currently?" Ren cut in before he could go on a long tangent.
"Creating pure energy!" He answered, almost slapping on the table with excitement blazing inside his purple eyes. He was saying it out with such force it felt like he was shouting, "My past 329 years, 5 months, and 29 days were all revolving around that one goal! I feel being so close to it yet so far away at the same time, it is driving me mad!"
"Pure energy?" Sentios murmured. "Like the cultivation rooms in the Sect?" He asked Ren, who just shook her head while Rabout listened carefully.
"Those are just… condensers. In a sense! They draw energy from the surroundings, concentrating it for the cultivator to absorb." Ren explained, tapping on the table with her index finger, watching Rabout, who quickly nodded, happy to see she looked like she at least had some knowledge of the topic.
"That is not what I am after! My research showed me that the energy that flooded our world more than 2000 years ago was pure, purer than anything present now! It was such a potent force it awakened sentience in some animals! Instantly! The first demons of our world! I want to recreate the same energy! I devised multiple methods to purify our world's energy sources, yet without true success. The energy that flooded the world that day quickly got contaminated by our world's energy! I always peel back a layer to find another one that still has impurities inside… so frustrating!"
"Interesting… you want to recreate the Cosmos's pure energy in our Realm. I don't know if you are mad or not!" Ren chuckled, but her words caught Rabout's attention the moment they left her lips.
"Cosmos?" he repeated, tasting the word and chewing on his lips before something lit up in his eyes. "The Tear! So what is behind that thing called the Cosmos? The energy I seek is from there, yes?"
"Yep!" Ren nodded, dunking a cookie into her coffee cup and munching it. "If you want, I can get you to experience what it is like outside the Tear! It won't be the 100% energy of the Cosmos. I don't know if we could replicate that in our Realm, but it will be very similar."
"What?!" he stood up, slamming onto the table and unintentionally smashing the cup in his hand.
"Woah, Woah, gramps! Calm down!" Ren giggled while Milly held back a yelp, especially when Rabout ignored how she called him.
"I want to see it! Name your price! I am the richest relative you have, little Ren. If you can show it to me, I am going to be your sugar daddy!"
"Pffft?!" Ren sprayed coffee out from her nostrils, not expecting words like this to come from him at all. "Sorry, but I'm a married girl; I'll never get on with another man again, sooooorryyyy~" She looked up at him, wiping her face while Milly's was utterly red, barely holding herself together. As from embarrassment or laughter, it was hard to tell.
"Are you sure you are Rudrick's descendant? And not his?" Sentios asked, watching Ren as he was slowly closing his mouth that, was stuck being agape. "Your mannerisms are way closer…."
"Just so you know," Rabout turned towards him, "Rudrick is… was a direct descendant of my younger brother. If you check the family tree, you can trace it back to me."
"I'm better off if we do not do that." Ren shook her head. "This is more like a family tentacle abomination than a tree by now."
"Mmh, true… ture!" Rabout agreed before returning to his senses. "So, what do you need? Tell me! I'll get it ready today!"
"Woah, once again, slow down, gramps! I'll need time to recollect myself. I'll send a list over for a bunch of materials I need! You get it for me, and I'll set up a formation. After that, you can see it for yourself!"
"Materials… formation…" He murmured, scratching his beard. "Good… good! If you can get the list ready now I-"
"Now? Sorry, I'm busy. I can do it, but it would take months-"
"Then tomorrow!"
"I said it is going to take months-"
"Okay, okay, the day after tomorrow!" Rabout cut in again, impatient like a little boy before his birthday.
"Is he listening?" She leaned to the side, asking Milly, who just scratched her throat before answering.
"His Lordship is… passionate about his research. You must understand, Lady Ren!"
"Haaah… damn it. Okay. Look, give me a week, 'kay? I'll have the list ready by then!"
"Wonderful!" Rabout laughed, grabbing her hands and shaking them violently. "A week! Good, I'll come by often and talk about fun stuff; it is really good to have a stroll. It freshens my mind up!" He laughed heartily while Ren just rubbed her temples.
"Damn it… I feel like I just shot myself in the foot with my own blabbering…."
…
….
…..
Daryan nervously walked up and down a corner from the main gate to the Nelvis Family's courtyard. Just as he turned backward, he almost walked into Ariana, who suddenly emerged from his shadow, stunning the young man.
"Woah?!" He stumbled backward, landing on his butt in the end, blinking with wonders in his eyes as he watched her manifest from the ground.
"Did I scare you~? Sorry!" Ariana giggled, helping him up. "We got your message. What happened?"
"I tried to ask for an official meeting, but… I was firmly rejected. The guards did not even walk inside to tell them we arrived." he shook his head dejectedly. "I should've expected this, coming here unannounced… It was a bad idea. I should've sent someone forward so they would know in advance, but I was too excited." he said with a lowered head and a loud sigh.
"Yes, that would have been a good choice." Ariana nodded, then patted his shoulder. "Still, you are dressed in a way even their servants should recognize your position, not to mention some lousy house guards! Let me take it over for a minute~."
"Y-yes, Milady!" He bowed to her, but she just laughed at his reaction.
"I'm just a maid!" She said with a wink.
"I never knew a maid who was this strong…" he shook his head, mumbling, as he followed her.
Arriving back at the big, wooden gate decorated with carved lions, the guards quickly stopped them, recognizing Daryan from before.
"Stop! This is the Nelvis Family Courtyard! Without prior invitation, it does not welcome any visitors!" said one guard, holding the hilt of his sword on his side, ready to draw it any time if necessary.
"We know." Ariana nodded, stopping before them. "We also know we arrived without any invitation or prior notice, but I think the Nelvis family should not make such a fuss about it." she looked at their faces with a friendly smile. "Please go in and inform them of our arrival!" she bowed slightly as she presented an amethyst seal with Rudrick's old crest carved into it.
"..." The guard was at a loss for what to do as now he could not play dumb like before. Refusing the presence of a Royal Seal would be like spitting into the face of its owner. Outside of the members of one of the Spires, nobody else would dare to do so.
"Can I ask what the Spire of Rudrick wants with my insignificant family?" A deep, firm voice arrived as a middle-aged man walked out, looking like a giant boulder. His height was way above 2 meters. He was wearing an ocean blue gown over his muscular body with his long, black hair tied into a knot as he looked down at them. His dark, black eyes were firm, but he could not hide his one part anger, one part fear from Ariana, who immediately sensed it.
"Nothing. Also, I assume you already knew that Rudrick is dead, same for most of his line." Ariana answered.
"Most. That means it is still around. The plays of the true nobles elude such small families as mine."
"The whole courtyard had a name change." Ariana continued, not flustered by his attitude, "It is now called the Spire of Ren after my Master took it over in the past days. My name is Ariana, and I am the personal maid of Her Highness." She smiled but did not bow towards him in the slightest while introducing herself.
"My name is Ooda. I am the family's leader." He returned the "greetings" the same way.
"I can't fault your people for not recognizing the Young Noble Daryan here, so we won't pursue the matter." she shook her head, putting away the seal.
"Young… noble?" He turned his eyes towards Daryan, who lowered his head by reflex, unable to maintain eye contact.
"Yes, he has been inducted into the main family line. I thought his clothing already gave it away!" Ariana laughed, playfully reminding him that they had already committed a grave offense previously, chasing away Daryan. "It was my Master who sent Daryan here." She nudged him gently as he shook his body. After he managed to gather his courage, he spoke up even though his back was soaked by now.
"Her Highness sent me here to meet with the Nelvis family and offer cooperation. Everything is written in this letter." he presented it forward, but before Ooda could take it away, Ariana's words stopped his hand from grabbing it.
"We should talk inside, or are we not invited into your courtyard?"
"I am only afraid it would disappoint someone of your stature," Ooda replied, keeping his hand in the end, slowly drawing it back, not touching the letter. "We are just a small family, doing some little businesses on the side, not worthy of the attention of someone from so high up." he shook his head. "We respectfully refuse the offer, or does the Spire of Rud… Ren wants to force its will onto others?"
"I see. Too bad." Ariana shook her head with a sigh, "No, we won't. We are respectful of others' decisions!" she cupped her hands as her eyes wandered behind the family head's figure, watching the closed, thick, wooden gates. Her lips curled into a barely noticeable smile. "Let's go." Ariana turned backward without sparing a second glance, and Daryan just pocketed the letter, embarrassed, wanting to say something. In the end, he just bowed and left, following Ariana.
Watching them disappear, Ooda crossed his arms before his chest, expecting them to be much, much more forceful than this. If it was the line of Rudrick from before, his guards would be already dead, and the gates of his kicked in. Nobody could refuse an offer from anyone who was part of that dreaded spire. The same thing happened over a decade ago when his youngest grandchildren fell for one of the "Young Masters" from the Spire of Rudrick. Her impressionable, easily influenced teenage mind was completely corrupted as she not just laid with a guy after a few months of flowery words but also got pregnant. When the event surfaced, it caused a great ruckus inside the family as it was already too late to intervene. Worse, it turned out the so-called Young Master was not even a main member of the family, only a marginalized bastard who went around seducing young girls left and right with the name of the Spire of Rudrick alone.
"Look what you got us into once again, Ina…" he sighed, shaking his head with a groan.
In part, he blamed himself for the current situation as Ina was always spoiled rotten. She was the only girl among his grandchildren. When learning that she was pregnant, he was about to ensure the kid did not survive before anyone could get wind of it. It was so they could deny everything. Yet when it was time, he couldn't do it. Ina's heartbroken crying and begging halted his hands at the last moment. Even though she was used and discarded, she wanted to keep the life growing in her belly. No matter how hard they tried to conceal her pregnancy and even the birth of Daryan, just only after a year and a half, people from the Spire of Rudrick appeared at their home. They marched inside and took away the baby without offering any explanation as to why. They never saw or heard about him again since then, not until today. Ooda immediately recognized him as his face resembled his mother from her younger years.
Walking back inside the courtyard and opening the gate, his eyes immediately met with Ina's. She was standing there, her black eyes filled with tears. She was sickly thin, and her lengthy, black hair already had some white streaks, yet she had only turned 32 a few months ago. She was clearly here to try and listen to what was happening. She knew who was on the other side, yet she could not leave the courtyard. Not because she was not allowed to but because she became a complete wreck since that day when her baby was robbed from her arms. Anytime she stepped outside, she just broke down mentally.
"Ina… go back. You are too weak to walk around this much!" Ooda sighed, trying to turn her away from the gate, but she was barely budging.
"It was him… it was him, no? Grandfather!" She said with trembling lips.
"No, it was not. He died a long time ago, I have already told you. Now come…" He led her away, feeling heartbroken. Seeing the once so feisty and cheerful girl being a complete wreck, he was cursing the Naulins every step along the way. Just as he was doing it every night, he went to sleep.
"He died…? No… No! I know he is still alive! He must be a healthy boy by now, grandpa! I know…" she murmured dazedly as she was led back to her room.
Nobody noticed that a pair of eyes were watching them, merging into the shadows of the walls.
"They are a good family; we could trust them…" Ariana murmured, already deciding she needed to rope them in as they could be a great assist to her Master.
