Chapter 41
"Grand Duke, how could you let that child speak to me that way!" The Empress yelled in anger seeing how she was being treated by the Grand Duke.
Leon just looked at her menacingly, not speaking a word.
"I came her to ask once again for your favor to train Lionel before the tournament." Vivian stated, Leon didn't say anything.
[Hmmmm... the thought of my dad training someone other than myself put a sour taste on my mouth.] Leonna thought.
[ I came here to ask the Grand Duke to train Lionel for the upcoming tournament, I even have a place prepared for us where even the Emperor doesn't know. I would have been a like a family time for us! But again she ruined it! That orphan!] Vivian thought.
"Your highness, I thought I was clear on that matter when we met at the palace. I cannot train the crown prince." Leon said to the Empress.
Leonna was just listening to their conversation. She couldnt help but smile when Leon declined the Empress's order.
But a piercing look from the crown prince made Leonna wipe her smile off her face, she cough a few times to compose herself.
Lionel the crown prince who was also listening couldn't help but feel disappointed and hurt, he came here excited to see the Grand Duke and to spend some time with him.
He then looked at Leonna who was comfortably sitting at the Grand Duke's lap. Anger immediately consumed him. The place he always wanted to be was the place where Leonna is. The relationship with the Grand Duke that he wants is the kind of relationship that Leonna have with the Grand Duke.
[I should have been the young master of this house, I should have been the one with red hair and red eyes! I should have been the one with such powers! Everything about the Viosta dukedom is rightfully mine!] Lionel thought in distress.
"Can I know why Grand Duke?" Lionel asked with his hand clenched together and his head bowed low.
"Well your highness, This little beast right here is a handful and I can't even take my eyes off her for even a second without her causing trouble." Leon said to the crown prince as he caressed Leonna's hair.
Leonna tilted her head in confusion. [I'm a handful?] she thought.
Lionel hearing his answer was even more mad knowing that the Grand Duke favored Leonna so much. His heart was filled with jealousy but he couldn't show it.
"I-I understand." Lionel answered half heartedly.
"Lionel!" The Empress yelled. She then turned her head to the Grand Duke. "Leon, what would it take for you to just spend time with Lionel?"
Leon with furrowed eyebrow looked at the Empress. "Why would I do that?"
"Because you're his father!" The Empress shouted in such conviction and confidence that it made Leonna gasp for air.
Leonna could feel her heart beat stopped at the Empress sudden revelation. She immediately looked at her father.
But unlike her, Leon was calm and collected, he did not even flinched at the Empress sudden burst of emotion.
"Empress…" Leon called Vivian.
"You and I both know that Lionel is not mine. I don't know what is going on in that head of yours but a Viosta would show a sign of being a Viosta. The Red hair and red eyes have been the Viosta's signature look for hundreds of years not a single person on my family has black hair." Leon stated in a cold monotone voice.
"he got it from me!" Vivian stated convincing Leon that Lionel is his.
"Your highness I think its time for you to leave." Leon said to the Empress, he then glanced the the young prince. "Prince Lionel, I don't know what your mother told you but you are the Emperor's son, be proud of who you are."
[I am proud of who I'am! I am a Viosta! I am Lionel Viosta!] Lionel thought.
Leon seeing Lionel's reaction immediately felt bad for the Emperor. Vincent truly loved his one and only son but because of the Empress the prince is made to believe that Leon is his father.
"Fine. When Lionel wins the tournament you'll change your mind you'll see…" Empress Vivian said, she then turned her back at the Grand Duke and made his way out of the room, Lionel soon followed.
When it was only Leonna and Leon in the room, Leonna immediately turned her head to her father. "Is that true?! Is the prince really your son?!" Leonna asked in horror.
Leon shuffled Leonna's hair "Of course not." Leon answered which made Leonna calm down. "Then why did the Empress said that he was?"
Leon was contemplating whether to tell Leonna or nor. "Hmmmm…Let's just say she's sick." Leon said and ended it with that.
Both of them then went to the dining hall to eat.
"How was your training?" Leon asked Leonna, while serving her food on her plate. "Still no progress.." Leonna said in a sad tone.
"Well, its not going to be easy. Cheer up there's still a lot of time for you to train." Leon said trying to lighten up the mood.
"How about you dad? How did you train? I mean just like me your powers is not of a normal magus how did you managed to control your power?" Leonna asked Leon.
Leon stopped for a minute to think. "I remember just experimenting."
"Experimenting?" Leonna was confused. "yes, Experiment. Don't do the norms. We are not normal Leonna, the blood inside of us is not of a normal magus so we shouldn't do what normal maguses do. For example a normal magus would gathered his powers in his or her stomach and slowly release it but for me I would have to gather my powers to my hand and from there I would release it."
[hmmm..Don't do the norm?] Leonna thought.
"What I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't just go by the book since our powers is not even written in any book."
Leonna nodded aggressively. "I'll try!" Leonna said in determination, Leon just chuckled at her silly gestures.
--
The next day Leonna woke up excited to train, when she met Riri at the north she was very enthusiastic and bubbly. "Wow you're in a good mood today brat." Riri said to Leonna.
"I'am! I'm excited to train!" Leonna said happily with her hands stretch to the sky in a fist position.
"Ok brat! Go! I choose you! Show me your non existent progress!" Riri shouted pointing at the cold crystalized field.
"Tsk. I'll show you! You'll see I will make progress!" Leonna shouted. She stood at the center of the field and just like the past few days she gathered her powers but instead of gathering them to her stomach she focused them on her left hand just like what Leon did for his training.
And when she was about to release her power it exploded with force causing her to fly and eventually drop to the ground. "HAHAHAHAHAH! That's your progress?" Riri laughed teasing Leonna.
Leonna rolled her eyes at Riri, she just ignored him and stood up. "One more time!" Leonna said to herself. [It didn't work on my left hand, maybe on my right?]
Leonna then gathered her powers to her right hand but just like before she couldn't control the amount of power she release instead it just exploded.
"Just give up on the tournament brat!" Riri yelled at her.
"shut up! I'll control this power even if it's the last thing I do!" Leonna yelled back before turning his back at Riri.
[Let's try on my right foot?] Leonna thought, she then tried gathering her powers at her right foot. But just like the previous ones it failed she then moved on to her left foot but no luck. She just kept on exploding a huge amount of power.
Riri looking at Leonna immediately saw what she was trying to do. 'This brat is experimenting' he thought.
"Hey Brat!" Riri called Leonna. "What now?!"
"Come here." Riri said motioning his hand back and forth to call for Leonna.
Leonna went to where Riri is. "I saw what you're trying to do. You're gathering your powers at one part of your body instead of your stomach."
"That's what dad did when he was training. He told me not to do the norm since we don't fit the norm." Leonna said to Riri, Riri just nodded his head in response.
Riri thought for a minute.
"Well he's not wrong. He may even have a point." Riri said.
"But I already tried gathering my powers in all parts of my body but it still doesn't work!" Leonna said in frustration. Riri then thinks for a minute.
"I have an idea. But I don't know if it'll work." Riri said. "Let's try it!" Leonna was desperate to do anything, she doesn't care what she has to do but she has to control her powers before the tournament.
"Why not try gathering your powers in all parts of your body at the same time? Distribute it evenly and see if that helps." Riri suggested.
"ohh. I haven't tried that yet, lets do it!"
Leonna went back to the center of the field. She then took a deep breathe before gathering her powers in her stomach and from there instead of releasing it she distributed it evenly to all parts of her body.
When she did that her body felt lighter, it felt refreshing she didn't felt the coldness or the burning hot sensation that she's used to feel when releasing her power.
It felt….right.
She then stretches her arms and pointed it an the crystal covered tree, and from her arms she releases a huge block of crystal while still evenly distributing her power in all parts of her body.
This time….It didn't explode.
"I did it! Riri I did it!" Leonna yelled and Riri was in complete shock.
-
[End of Chapter]