"There was just one difference."
Malleus looked to her in confusion as she continued to explain, "Leona didn't lose his life physically over his own errs and that was due to interference from those outside of the mirrored fate. No Riddle, no Lilia, no night raven college and no Yuu or Grim. I suspect that because they were present Leona managed to escape the lethality of his errs with his life intact and his body in one piece. It was the same with Azul, Jamil, and the others."
Malleus paused for a bit before continuing, "Will my retainers be safe when I overblot?"
"I don't know." Lotus sighed in exasperation, "You won't suddenly decide to go and strike Lilia of all people, will you?"
"Are you jesting again?" Malleus glared at her.
Unfazed, Lotus laughed, "Then, what do you have to worry about?"
"Silver and Sebek…"
"They're both trained by Lilia personally. If you doubt their strength, are you doubting his abilities?" Lotus pointed out.
"But for what reason do I have to overblot?" Malleus frowned.
"I don't know." Lotus shrugged, "But if you keep worrying now, that time will come much sooner than you wished for it to."
Malleus sighed.
"Sighing like that will also raise you anxiety." Lotus swiftly pointed out teasing him.
"You-!"
She stuck out her tongue at him and laughed, "What are you going to do? Tell granny? I already paid her my rent this month along with my overdue rent payments. At least, she won't drag me back and my parents already gave me the all clear."
Malleus pouted miserably as he thought to himself before his eyes lift up and he sneered, which did not leave Lotus's sight and a shudder ran down her spine. He smiled, "True. True. But the one who gave you permission to dorm with us was, not only us, but Yuu as well. Even if we can't convince the queen, that does not mean we can't convince him to take you back to Pomefiore. If our memory serves us right, the reason you are here and not there is because you dislike their dorm leader, is that correct? However, if you can't behave here as well… I'm afraid it will be hard on my retainers should the princess act out. We may have to send you back to Yuu unfortunately. So… would you like to return?"
Shocked, Lotus paused in confusion. In just one sentence, the prince instantly flipped the table to his favor, though not completely, as she thought carefully for a way out of it. However, there were none as she could only sit there and smiled furiously from ear to ear up with her eyes torn away from the book, "Prince?"
"Hm?"
"You should write a book called How To Offend A Woman in Six Syllables Or Less."
With that, she snapped her fingers and the prince disappeared from her sight immediately much to her relief as the thunder crashed and the earth began to tremble once more. However, this time, she decided to turn a blind eye and stretched before closing her book and tucking herself into her bed properly for the first time in a long time.
At that moment, the other three struggled to look for a lost child for the next hour till they finally found him locked out of his own dorm and stuck in Pomefiore's ballroom amongst other men in tights instead. Yuu, Epel, and Ren were helping Grim find ways to become more flexible when they were left in confusion by Malleus suddenly appearing with an angry look across his face while opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish struggling to breathe.
PEONY!!!!!
.....
Having finished the conversation and a short relaxed nap, Lotus dispelled the barrier she placed around the room for a new one as Xiao Li spoke up with a heavy sigh, "It's too bad that those guys didn't realize that you set up the barrier."
"If you are in someone else's territory, you should always be careful because you are not considered their person yet." Lotus whispered under her breath, "After all, the walls have ears."
"That guy. Will he really not be able to reveal who you are?"
"That restriction was only covering the actual attack I placed on it. With that, he also won't be able to share the secret through writing or telepathy. It took a good portion of my mana... That being said, I need to recover soon. I can't continue to depend on that guy's mana." Lotus sighed, "It's still a little difficult to utilize that guy's mana when it's this crazy."
The mana running through the prince's body was certainly as untamable as a wild stallion. It demands dominance and, if you give it an inch, it will take a mile. It hates being restraint the most. If she did not have the thunder element and fire element mana in her paired with the nirvana flame, she would've died from his mana in her body instead.
That child... For his safety, I must also ask of you to make sure that he does not share his mana with anyone else. Despite his strong hold of his own emotions, he is soft at heart and easy to influence around those close to him. You said that you will live a long life should you grow stronger with your martial arts and this spiritual energy? Then, during the period of time you are here, help me protect that child's relationships and educate him well... on the subject of departure...
"Now, it makes sense why granny told me to make sure he doesn't share his mana with anyone." Lotus frowned. With her memories slowly trickling back to her, she is also now remembering the words of the old woman. Not everything has been uncovered, but she remembers everything else clearly. The queen had wanted her to watch over Malleus and guide him. She sighed as she recalled having mentioned that it would be difficult to do so without him overblotting. Being a member of royalty, she knew that, no matter how close she is with the queen, she is still a foreign princess of another kingdom. She has her limits and the queen will not step over those limits for her. She may like her, but she will not love her as her own as she would her grandson and children. That is, if she knew how strong of a family bond the two have. Till now, she had never seen Malleus before nor had she heard many words about him from the queen's close attendants. It would make sense as all knew that she was in the vicinity during the time. All were smart to keep their mouths shut. No matter what, a princess of another kingdom is still an outsider. All would be smart to keep their mouths shut around her when talking of their prince. A soft hearted prince is not someone that could be trusted with an entire kingdom. Hence, the queen made her his tutor on life and punishments in this manner...
"Huh... As always. Granny is a very cunning woman." Lotus sighed, "Like mother, the kingdom is fortunate that she is their queen. Making an adversary out of her is like starting a cold war against her. Does Malleus knew this when he told me to not follow her wishes?"
Whether he knew it or not doesn't matter. In the end, she still has a mission to carry out. As expected, even in rebirth or voluntarily stepping out of the competitions, she cannot leave her duties. Even back then, her old self were shackled by the chains called duties and now here she was again. However, this time, the duties do not seem as heavy as it had been before...
For some reason, although she feels cold, she actually could feel a little warmth today. Why was that? Has she been manipulated or brainwashed? But would brainwash make her doubt her circumstances they way she is now? Life is certainly just as unusual as death. But, when a life ends, is that truly the end of the journey? She had heard tales from other countries of a new life that comes after death in the world of the dead and the samsara of life. So, is it truly death after life? Even now, is she the princess of the fairy kingdom or is she the empress of plants? Brother, if you were here what do you think?
No. She once asked him that question too, didn't she? Even if she were as tightly bound as him, even he could not respond to her his real answer. All was controlled by the heavens' will. All by the celestial's wills. Their greed and hunger. Their desire and pleasure. She's seen it all and she simply can't wait to see it all fulfilled...
But her brother...
Her sigh created a small puff of fog in the cold air as she clung to her comforter, "Brother, if you were with me... What do you think of the situation? What should I do? Am I... Finally going crazy?"