Chapter Eight
_ Show me... how will you get it?
* * *
"Mr. Gabriel Winson has arrived to tutor the young master based on Your Majesty's orders... Lessons will be held today at exactly nine in the morning in the open library on the first floor."
"Good.."
"Regarding the horsemanship lessons, Count Percion says he will teach him personally for the time being until Sir Turia arrives.."
"No problem.."
Hans was vexed; he had thought the child's presence might change his master even a little, but to no avail... He returned to his usual demeanor and continued his speech:
"Regarding magical power, I thought of summoning a wizard from the Tower, so I wanted to inform Your Majesty.."
"No need..."
"No need to inform Your Majesty?!.."
Hans asked in genuine confusion and looked at Elion, but Elion remained focused on his papers and said with the same usual coldness:
"Let Ruin continue his work when he returns... as a magic teacher.."
"Continue?! Ruin?!.... That brat?!"
"..."
Despite Hans's confusion and annoyance, Elion looked at him as if the matter were perfectly normal.., but Hans continued to question:
"Your Majesty... Did Ruin know of the young master's location beforehand?!.."
"Yes.."
"Nothing, Your Majesty... as you command, I will send a message to Ruin to hurry his return and complete what he started.."
Hans bowed his head submissively and returned to finish his work and his morning reports, then began discussing the work plan for the day, for his master was a man who woke up first and slept late... In truth, Viktor did not know if his master slept at all.. and despite his absolute loyalty, he believed in his heart that the De Walter line were monsters..
* * *
"Eat your breakfast..."
"Thank you... Lina"
Despite Lina's rudeness in placing the food tray on the table, Nyla responded with an elegant smile exuding dignity and nobility. This was one of the most irritating things for Lina; no matter how much she tried to superior, the girl before her remained a noble even if she were of low rank from a fallen family, but she was always more noble than the great nobles themselves...
"Do you have something to say?..."
Nyla looked calmly at Lina and asked with playful, curious eyes. Lina clenched her fists tightly and said, attempting to break Nyla:
"It seems the game of mother and child has begun to collapse, as the young master has started living his life as an heir... It wouldn't be surprising if he himself passes the execution sentence on you.."
The hand Nyla held the spoon with shook slightly, but Lina noticed it, which made her feel a sense of pleasure. Even if the woman before her claimed otherwise, she wouldn't care. She smiled in Nyla's face as if to say »Look, I have won«...
Nyla smiled back at Lina, but it was sharp, cold, and filled with contempt and mockery..
"Lina Franz... please do not insult my little one..., for he is a very kind child."
Despite the word "please" in her sentence, it did not feel like a request, but a threat. Lina swallowed hard and snorted in Nyla's face with indifference, as if telling her «Go to hell»... then she left in a rage; all the sense of victory she felt before had evaporated in a second..
Nyla stared at Lina's back then looked at the window with a deep sense of longing and loneliness...
"My child will not do it... I trust him.."
* * *
Time passed quickly, for Damian, who began his first lesson today, finished it in less than two hours, which made his teacher very happy. Before leaving, he smiled and gave the young master a piece of candy...
"I am happy to teach you, young master..."
"Thank you, teacher... I look forward to your future lessons.."
Teacher Gabriel left in high spirits; the lesson that would usually require several long sessions, he had finished in just two hours. In the past, he had worked as a tutor for the current Archduke, who was also perceptive and intelligent, but this child was brighter than his father—indeed, what was unique about this boy. Gabriel smiled and whispered to himself:
'He is a kind child, he has that living radiance in his eyes..'
* * *
When the teacher left and Amanda entered, Damian jumped with excitement, his eyes lighting up:
"Amaaaaanda !!!..."
"I made some snacks for you to enjoy by the lake... and I will accompany you.."
Damian nodded enthusiastically and rearranged his tools. Amanda was going to step in to help him, but his precise yet simple movement patterns seemed practiced.... It was Nyla's style of organizing: placing papers neatly and putting the ink and quill in their box on the right side... Everything was like a habit, like a child accustomed to studying and tidying with his mother.. After he finished tidying and moved to her side, they walked silently outside until the warm spring sun embraced them. She hesitated for a second and then asked:
"Young master, have you studied before?!..."
"Certainly, my mother taught me history, literature, language, geography, and many, many things... She also used to read me many stories before bed... and she told me that if I wanted to know something, I must read about it... for the world is very wide and it is beautiful to get to know it..."
The child's enthusiasm and smile were brightest when he spoke of anything related to Nyla...
Amanda smiled at the happy child and continued to keep pace with him until they reached the lake. Amanda signaled the maids to spread a cloth for the child to sit. As soon as they finished, he sat on the ground and opened the large book he had brought with him. Once the maids moved to a reasonable distance, the child looked at the Southern Tower that was separated from the lake by several meters; in fact, most of the tower's windows faced the lake. Damian kept searching with his eyes among the windows, for Hans had told him that his mother was in one of the tower rooms overlooking the lake, and that if he behaved well, he would be allowed to walk every day after lessons by the lake..
"Hah..."
Just as Damian felt frustrated by his inability to find the window, a small light reflected from one of the windows on the second floor of the tower. It was surprisingly close, making Damian's heart beat with excitement as he stood on his feet to look more clearly at the window, and there he caught a glimpse of his mother's dark indigo hair. His heart felt warm and sad at the same time, and warm tears began to fall from his eyes when he finally saw his mother...
It was truly a strange sight for Amanda; she never imagined in her life seeing a member of the De Walter line cry in that way. They weren't exactly tears of sadness, but tears of happiness saturated with nostalgia. The child wasn't the only one crying; Nyla was crying in the same way..
Amanda had thought Nyla was being very frank with her, but in reality, what she saw was not a wonderful, perfect girl who makes no mistakes... but a natural human being who cries, laughs, and expresses her feelings... She hadn't wanted to believe Nyla's emotion... until she saw her painful state yesterday. She was certain now that she truly wasn't acting.
'Why do I feel guilty?! I feel like a monster who separated a mother from her child..'
* * *
The days raced by until two weeks had passed. Damian was quiet, concerned only with finishing his lessons successfully to return to his spot to see his mother. At first, it was nothing but nods and looks, but he began talking to her about everything with enthusiasm and happiness. He even began showing her the candy he received, whether from Teacher Gabriel or from Karal Percion when he mastered a certain movement, and discussed with her what he wanted to do tomorrow... Both had regained their souls when given the chance to meet...
"Well done, young master.. Since you excelled in the exam I set for you today with such diligence, take as much candy as you wish.."
Gabriel, the old man, was very weak before children; his wife had scolded him for spoiling his grandchildren too much, but he still enjoyed seeing that sweet smile on their faces...
"My mother will scold me if I eat too much of it... I will take only three... is it possible?!"
Gabriel looked with confusion at Damian's face. Who was the woman Damian called mother? For as everyone knew, the Grand Duchess had passed away.. and the Grand Duke had not remarried yet. Gabriel refrained from questioning Damian; no matter how good his relationship was with De Walter, he must not forget the boundaries..
"Fine, take what you want.."
Damian smiled and looked at the candies thoughtfully and picked three: one banana-flavored, another strawberry, and one pineapple-flavored, then he smiled at the old teacher..
"Thank you, teacher..."
"I shall take my leave now... Good day, young master"
Gabriel bowed and left, while Damian arranged his tools quickly as he was excited to meet his mother, when Amanda arrived..
"Master...."
"I'm finished... let's go"
Before she could finish her sentence, Damian interrupted her. She smiled warmly at him, then nodded kindly:
"Let's go.."
"Amanda, this is for you. I heard from my mother that you love strawberries.."
Damian quickened his pace and said as he passed her a piece of candy and smiled kindly at her. Warmth flowed into Amanda's heart like winter sunlight, warm and beautiful..
"Young master... isn't this your prize for excelling?"
"I am very happy, and I want to share my happiness with everyone so they can be happy... I don't want to be like the greedy bear.."
"The bear? Greedy?..."
Damian was speaking enthusiastically, but Amanda asked him in confusion about his meaning, so he said with surprise:
"Don't you know the story of Milo the Greedy Bear... my mother told me about it.."
"Ah.. I don't know it... I apologize, young master.."
'I think... she is the one who composed it for the child...'
"It's okay, I'll tell you. My mother says we must share our happiness with everyone and not indulge in greed because the bear monopolized the honey he found for himself and did not share it with his friends who were always with him and helping him. He ate so much that he became unable to move, and when the bees came, they found the bear and stung him... If he had invited his friends, wouldn't he have been happy eating together? Indeed, happiness becomes greater..."
The excited child was engrossed in the story and did not realize until he stopped talking.. that they had taken a different path than usual. He looked at Amanda, who stood before the tower guards and looked at Damian with a kind smile:
"Why don't you share your happiness with your mother?"
"..."
Damian froze for a moment, unable to respond, looking at Amanda, whom the guard initially tried to stop, but she answered him firmly:
"The Duke did not order the young master be prevented from entering..."
The guard hesitated for a moment and then allowed her. It was an unusual loophole in their master's orders, for the orders had been vague... Amanda looked at Damian as they crossed the gate...
"Let's go up.."
He nodded and walked with her, for Damian was unable to believe it until they reached his mother's room door, where two guards stood...
"From here, the young master may enter alone..."
"Ah.. thank you.."
Damian smiled broadly and hugged Amanda, and the guards did not prevent the child's entry...
* * *
He had finished the meeting with the nobles of the region, so he removed the annoying necktie and the stifling jacket, standing to open the balcony and breathe some fresh air...
Knock knock knock!!!
"Enter.."
Without turning to the door, he allowed the knocker to enter; it was a soldier in the inner palace uniform. The soldier bowed:
"I have news for Your Majesty... the young master has arrived accompanied by Lady Amanda, and as Your Majesty requested, I did not prevent their entry..."
Elion turned to him with a vacant face as usual and said with indifference:
"Fine... you may leave.."
"Yes, sir..."
The soldier left and Elion returned to looking out from the balcony. He had given vague orders to see how far this story would go... He allowed all this to pass because for the first time in a long time, he felt curious... He could not deny that he felt a slight curiosity when Damian gave him his older brother's name—how would this child be? But now, it wasn't just this child piquing his curiosity, but that woman who carries the scent of life in a world rotted by the scent of death..
Inside, he realized that this woman was a danger, but she was different. He didn't know the reason, but she was special...
He waited for a short while and found Damian coming from the southern side... He looked at the clock before him and found it pointing to exactly three in the afternoon, which was the time Damian went for horsemanship training with Karal Percion. He decided he must put an end to these childish games and move clearly..
* * *
He was truly frustrated, for he had wanted to postpone the lessons to stay longer with his mother, but he was met with a refusal from Amanda and from his mother herself, who told him that he must not neglect his duties, so he finally yielded...
When he reached the knights' building, the knights greeted him enthusiastically, and he returned the greeting with the same enthusiasm and cheer. He entered the arena, where the knight commander was not alone, but with someone he never wanted to see. He frowned for a moment but resumed smiling with confidence as his mother had taught him and advanced toward them. When the ruby-red eyes met their more powerful and dark counterparts, Damian swallowed hard and hesitated for a second, but resumed with calmness and elegance...
"I greet the Archduke.."
'The Archduke?!'
Elion raised his eyebrow and looked at the child who seemed afraid of him... He knew he had left a bad impression on the child at their first meeting, and this was only their second meeting.. Elion felt a moment of confusion regarding what he would do with him... but he ignored the matter as usual and looked at the child who raised his head to him with trembling eyes. Elion turned to Karal and said calmly...
"Count Percion... I will take your lesson time today.."
"With pleasure, Your Majesty... for the young master is familiar with all the basics of the sword.."
Karal was surprised and looked at his master with disbelief but accepted with full heart and excused himself to leave...
When the knights and soldiers moved away and the arena remained empty only with Damian and Elion, Elion sighed with boredom and said:
"I heard that you learned the basics of magic... let's see how far you've reached"
When Elion released a small fire spark from his hand, waiting for Damian, who raised his head and looked with defiant eyes:
"I don't want to.."
"Why?"
"I don't recognize you..."
Elion truly felt surprised although his face did not show it, so he said to provoke the child:
"I don't need the recognition of a child who still needs his parents.."
"I don't need you at all... I only want my mother.."
"Do you have the power to take her?!..."
"I will get the power for my mother's sake.."
Damian hesitated for a moment but replied with strength, stubbornness, and eyes burning with determination. Elion gave a side-smile, increased the intensity of the spark, and said:
"Then first... show me how will you get it?"
...... To be continued ......