Chapter - 30
"Huh???" The smile on Lady Seraphine's face froze, and her eyes widened a little, "I beg your pardon."
"I did what?" She asked in surprise.
"Why did you order your own, your beloved daughter's kidnapping, Lady Seraphine?" Leo repeated himself, this time slowly, emphasizing on every word of his.
And just like the cold breeze which felt soothing a moment ago felt like a tight slap on her face. The music from inside the hall began to fade away.
[Emotion Detected: Shock]
The Amulet of Keen Observation that has been working from the moment he stepped inside the Hall, feeding him all sorts of information, chimed in his head.
It was finally able to catch her emotions faltering.
Last time when he used it on her, the Amulet got him nothing. There was no surprise, guilt, happiness… nothing. It was like she was made of stone.
Leo even felt that the Lady was a pure soul. But the Magical fingers have worked like a charm.
Her body was still reeling from the sensation Magical Fingers have left in her body. It made her defence crack, even if not much, but it was enough.
The Amulet caught the slightest change, and even Leo could see the slight twitch around her eyes, a tight pull at the corner of her mouth. His words had shaken her.
She didn't think she had shown it all on her face, she could still maybe keep her control.
[Emotion Detected: Confusion]
But how did he know? Maybe this was the thought going on in her head.
[Emotion Detected: Rapid Calculation]
[Emotion Detected: Trying to Regain Control]
Leo smirked as Amulet began to rapidly feed him the change in her emotions. He had managed to catch her off guard. How could she have expected that after that soul stirring monologue, Leo would ask her that?
Lady Seraphine looked at him, and all the playful teasing was gone.
She quickly got her emotions in check. The initial surprise was gone. The shock changed into pain. Her lips trembled as she looked at Leo, her eyes filled with tears. It was just so smooth that if Leo did not have the Amulet, he would have already fallen for it, without her even saying a word.
"Mr. Leo..." she spoke, barely able to get her words audible, "How could you say something like that?"
[Emotion Detected: False Grief]
"After I came to you, to express my gratitude."
"To thank you for saving my only child,"
Lady Seraphine pressed her hand against her chest, taking deep breaths.
"To accuse me of harming my own daughter, of kidnapping her?"
"Do you hear yourself? Do you know how cruel that sounds?"
She shook her head slowly, almost stumbling backwards.
"My daughter… She is everything to me. I can't even dream of… of … laying a finger on her. Never…" Her voice cracked at the end. Perfectly timed. Almost too perfect.
Leo said nothing. He just watched her put on the best performance of her life. Leo didn't buy it for a single second.
Right now whatever the Amulet was the last line carved on stone.
"My Lady… If you are done with your…" With the sweetest of smiles, he was about to call her out, start asking questions, but before he could, they were interrupted.
A young maid, walked towards them and with her eyes on the ground, spoke, "My apologies, My Lady. Forgive me for the intrusion!" she spoke with practiced courtesy, "My Lord has asked for your presence inside. It is time, the High Priest is preparing for the Blessing!"
"I understand, you can go now," Lady Seraphine waved her hand, dismissing the maid. She pulled out a handkerchief and started dabbing at the corner of her eyes
[Emotion Detected: Relieved]
She gave Leo one last, lingering, wounded look.
"I did not expect this from you, Mr Leo. But we will... finish this... later," and with that, she walked past him. She was so close that he could smell her perfume.
Leo was left alone on the balcony, watching Lady Seraphine leave, walking with grace. And as he watched her, his lips curled up in a smirk.
'Saved by the High Priest, my lady,' he thought, his eyes gleaming in the moonlight. 'How perfectly cliche.'
Then he also followed her inside the hall. His chance was gone for now, so he should just see what the 'Blessing' shenanigan was all about.
When Leo stepped back into the hall, everything had dramatically changed.
The music had stopped, the giggling and scheming nobles were nowhere to be seen.
The entire place looked like someone had flipped the switch, from Party mode to Mourning mode.
All the nobles stood shoulder to shoulder in the hall with their heads slightly bowed down, facing the elevated platform on which Lord Caelum stood with his head held high and chest puffed up.
Even that Baron was standing below with his head down like a punished school boy.
On the platform, beside the Bastard Lord stood Lady Aliana with her smug look back on her face. This was her day, and she was going to show that bastard he ruffled the wrong person.
And next to her was the child predator High Priest Remus, as the evening had progressed, Leo could feel he was getting older and older. He was the true puppet of God, held by the holy strings himself.
When Lord Caelum felt that everything was in place, he lifted his hands, even though nobody was making any sound.
"Honored guests," he spoke, and his voice reverberated in the silent hall like a boom, "Today, we thank the Gods, and the eternal Temple of light for returning my daughter from the clutches of harm. Nothing could have happened without their blessings."
"But this night is more than celebrating her return. It is the holy day of her eighteenth year! The chosen hour when she shall receive her Divine Blessing from the Gods themselves!"
As he spoke, every noble in the room had the same look of reverence.
Leo, who was at the back, folded his arms and leaned against a stone pillar.
'A whole room of morons hoping for a miracle,' he thought, 'Let's see how ridiculous this can get'.
Meanwhile, Lord Caelum turned towards the High Priest, "High Priest Remus, we are honored by your presence. Please, begin."
The old man stepped forward, raising his staff. To Leo he looked like the guy who was going to drop dead, the next step he took. But to his surprise when he spoke, his voice though croaked, did not sound weak.
"Children of Light," he croaked, "Bless the Temple, bless the Sacred Flame, bless the Seven Stars that watch over us."
"For the gods see all sins, all deeds, all hearts!"
"They show their endless mercy."
"Despite all our sins, they return our souls from the shadows into the Grace of light!"
"For the light will be there on the gates of the Temple of Light."
As the High Priest continued to speak, the nobles clasped their hands tight, bowed their heads even deeper. They were afraid the Gods might find their devotion lacking.
Leo blinked once. Twice at the circus going on in front of him.
'Aiva', he thought, 'What the hell is this? I thought he was there to bless, not give a sales pitch?
[It is both, master. If the nobles don't make an offering, the temple of light won't guide their souls from the shadows to the so-called light.]
Aiva replied flatly in his mind.
The priest continued, voice growing louder, trying to sound filled with divine power instead of arthritis:
"Let the heavens witness the devotion of us all!"
"Let the blessings of the Temple fall upon the chosen child!"
"Lady Aliana Caelum, step forward and receive the Divine Blessing that shall guide you through all the ups and downs!"
Getting the cue, Aliana took a step forward, standing face to face with the High Priest. Everyone in the crowd finally looked up, waiting to see the miracle through their own eyes.
Leo rolled his eyes.
'If the gods do show up,' he thought, 'I hope they hand out refunds for this bastard's overacting.'
'Hey, Aiva. What is this Divine Blessing bullshit anyway?'
** ** ** ** **
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