"Did you hear? The knights have come to the Farlon Estate."
"They say the Marchioness has finally lost her mind."
"She tried to kidnap one of the children in Vacarella," everyone in the group gasps and in a whispered tone she asks, "When did this happen?"
"Apparently a week ago. Lady Mavis was enraged about it," the noble lady sighs in sympathy. Along with the rumors surrounding the Marchioness, Mavis's daughter, Euphrasia's illness is still a hot topic.
That alone everyone could understand why Mavis is raging mad. Even though they feared her, they could also feel symphatic and another thing they felt about the news was fear.
Fear from the fact that only the kids and some knights were there that day and of course, the three princes. The Marchioness did pick a worse day to commit a crime.
"We should pull back the investment we made..."
"This is bad. We were known as a close friend of the Marquis. It will ruin my family!"
Different reactions were made frome different places but none of them were nonchalant as the Duke and the Duchess of Vacarella.
"It is a lovely weather, right my Joelle?" She snuggled up to the Duchess, ignoring his father and the strawberry in his hand, "I'm starting to have an headache."
Because he can already tell that Joelle is taking after Wren. While he retracted his hand from Joelle, Wren appeared and ate it with a smile. Which everyone can tell that she wanted to annoy his own father and she's terrible in doing so.
"Is this what Patrice's teach you? Maybe I should increase the subjects," Wren whitens as she gulped the last chunk of strawberry in her mouth, "Why are you here?"
Wren suddenly remembered the reason why she came here, "Right. I'm going to ask you this since I'm curious..."
She's taking it out so long that the Duchess decided to leave them alone and Wren furrowed her brows. This is the first time Wren is going to ask him and she's taking her time.
Perhaps, did she finally do something within his expectations or did she decided to kill one of the twins? Not that he wanted it to happen, but he can see it.
"Father, can I not go to the academy?"
Ha, it is within his expectation. Maybe the reason is because of the princes who will attend the Academy next year.
"And just to be clear, this isn't because of the Prince," such defensive stance didn't make it any better for her, "You don't believe me, do you?"
The Duke coughed for a moment and said, "I don't. Given the..."
"I've been quiet and that shows that I don't like Prince Zairon anymore. Besides, the thing I'm curious about, when the marchioness were proved to be guilty, will Lane go back to his mansion?"
Silence has taken over the room and he let out a loud, exasperating sigh as both of his hands covered his face. The Duke had thought that Wren must have taken a liking to Lane and it is troublesome.
"Wren, even though you like the boy..."
She couldn't listen to him and just smiled. Even though she's annoyed with it, "Father. I think you are misunderstanding me."
She breathed deeply and stared at his father, and the Duke leaned over to drink the coffee and said, "I don't like him and what I want to know is what will you do to him after this and why does the Marchioness want to get him back?"
"First, he will stay here until he gets to learn about being Marquis and he will also go to the Academy next year," her mouth opened. Not entirely believing what he said.
Of course that isn't believable. Her father is like adopting Lane. It must been his brother who told their father about this.
"Your Second question cannot be answered. For now, study along with the others and do not disturb me!"
A few days later, the news about the Marchioness crimes came to light and of course, those days weren't peaceful because as everyone in the Castle thought, the Marchioness is still not giving up on Lane.
"I guess that's the only thing I inherited from my mother."
It is still a mystery for Wren and Boaife as to how he could say that without batting an eye. The pungent smell of blood flows through the air and in case you're wondering why they are here, it's because they wanted to have another party outside.
Not knowing that the Marchioness strikes even though she's at the dungeon.
"If someone who doesn't know her might think your mother loves you very much to the point she's willing to increase her crimes." Yessenia says and rolls her eyes before going sitting down.
"He definitely has something the Marchioness wants, " Wren says and looks at Lane, "What is it?"
Lane was dumbfounded. He thought Wren knows what the Marchioness wants.
"To silence me, right?" He asks, unsure if it is still the case. Wren made him doubt his own judgment.
"Is it?" Azi turned and he had an unusual smile, "Partly yes, but there's another reason." He grinned and somehow Wren doesn't want to hear a word he will spat.
"Boaife, I think I want to rest..."
"Wait a minute, I want to hear it." Wren glared at her and turned to Cervi and Adara, "I as well want to hear it."
"I'm staying because of the food." Indeed she had the worse spirits.
"Hihi, the reason is that..."
Yessenia grimaced, "Please don't say that she really loved her son."
"The Marchioness remembers her love of her dead husband through Lane!"
It was absurd and somehow the spirits wished they left with Wren earlier. None of them praised or asked another question, but their thoughts were flowing and it got through him. He didn't mind it at all, why? Because he has high confidence that he sounded stupid.
"You really are stupid."
Lane of course knows that her mother didn't loved his father. Instead she poisoned him. If that is love, he rather live a bachelor life than to love someone. Imagine being killed by the one you love. Wren can relate to that.
"Maybe he's adopted?" Adara whispered and everyone shrugged at the question.
******
"We have evidence of her hiring those dark wizards, but the merchant selling her the poisonous plant can't be found."
"Who cares? She will still end up dead for getting dark wizards."
"That's not it. The kid requested that the death of the former marquis to be clear and spread."
He meant Wren and Lane after he heard them making a request to Caesar. Royce scanned once again the papers while Mavis on the other hand had her eyes closed while she leaned over the couch, "she's trying to look over the future?"
"Yes, she's been like that for five hours already," Patrice's eyes widen and tried to wake her up only to meet a forceful tug, "Don't. You know that she's so mad after the news."
Mavis, their second oldest is different from Mave. If one thing they were alike is when both of them ran out of patience and when someone did something horrible to the family.
But this time, only Mavis is mad as Mavis watches her sleep. He doesn't want to join Mavis in her anger. Although he wanted to annihilate her family.
"Anyway, I thought you left to get our youngest brother?" Patrice gritted her teeth and stomped her foot in annoyance at the question.
"I did and guess what? He doesn't want to come home!"
Royce kind of expected this from the youngest and at the matter of fact, nothing can persuade him to come home and it is still a mystery why Mave wants to get him home.
Troy Vacarella rarely comes home ever since he come of age and that became worse when he decided to travel around and became a bachelor.
He can still remember the words before he left, "If you're going to stop me, I will kill myself right here."
He can do so easily after all he always shows much violence than their two older siblings. Unsure where he had inherited it after all, their parents weren't like that, much.
"How about Brother Travis?"
Patrice let our a groan and somehow a scene appeared above her head. As if it wasn't enough to give her one runaway sibling.
"I can't find him. It's like he knows I am looking for him! Every time I get on his tracks, it suddenly disappears."
Royce could feel her frustration and he chuckled. At the very least he knows that her two brothers were alright.
"She's still not up?" Mave's voice echoed in the room causing Patrice to jump out of surprise.
"Yes. It looks like she's still looking." Mave hummed and stared at his twin.
Somehow his face fell into worry as he stride over her, lightly tapping her cheeks and he became pale.
"Call for a doctor!"
"Huh... huh? Did something happen?" Royce asked and moves toward Mave while Patrice ran outside, "Mavis isn't simply sleeping. She has fallen into deep slumber."
Royce didn't understand, but seeing his older brother worried like this means it is serious.
Mavis looks around and unlike her previous dreams, this one is unusual. For once she can see multiple places, shifting so fast that she couldn't get to see everything.
There's a battlefield, burning castle, corpses in a wasteland and somehow she remembered seeing North in ruins.
"I think I shouldn't peek at the future forcefully anymore."
She sighs and tried to get out of her dream when she heard a loud cry of a kid. Her surroundings change to a run-down orphanage.
In front of the door there was a boy holding a toddler. Her eyes roam for clues not until her eyes laid on the boy's hair. It was a golden hue like his eyes. She walked towards from them to see the other kid.
"Did the emperor had another concubine or did he have an illegitimate children...?"
That was impossible because he's smitten to the Empress that they had three children. But seeing the child couldn't deny that he has imperial blood flowing in him.
"Stop right there,"
She flinched from how cold his voice was, but it doesn't mean that it was meant for her. Because her dreams were about seeing the future and she couldn't interact with others.
"One more move and I will send you to afterlife." He turned around and his gaze were rather piercing, unsure if he can see Mavis.
"Brother..." the girl called and suddenly their hair turned into brown and their eyes into black.
As if falling into abyss, her body felt extreme fatigued and short breath. Sweat trickles in her body as she looked up and saw different scene.
This time her eyes widens as she saw Wren in the middle with flowers floating on the water. Even though she's older in her form she was sure that it was her niece. Blood drips and it dyed the water in red slowly.
She laid her hands and fire came out of it, dancing in her palms with different figures. She let out a small smile and crouch down to see Mavis in level head.
She tilts her head and blows the fire in her palm, "It's slowly changing,"
Wren mumbled and Mavis couldn't utter a word. Truly, the scene is like what the duchess saw, however slightly different. Something more ethereal about the way she's speaking.
"Though, we're unsure of the outcome..."
She smiled heartily and said, "Aunt... you shouldn't use your unique magic anymore. You..."
Mavis gasps after she opened her eyes. Her eyes instantly darted to the same face she has.
"You're... awake." The Duke could finally sat down in peace.
Earlier Mavis has been moving around and moaning. Fearing that she might fall to another high fever like when they were younger.
Mavis pants and stares only then sighs. Patrice and Royce on the other side sighed in relief and urge the doctor to check their older sister.
"What were you thinking?" Mave asks causing Mavis to remember the things she saw, "I can't see the future."
Everyone became silent at what she blurted out, "Why?"
Mavis could only shake her head and hesitantly asked, "You're friends with the Emperor for a long time, right?"
Mave's face turned sour and said, "No. We only knew him since childhood."
Sure, if that's what he wanted to say.
"Then, do you think he had illegitimate children?" Royce coughed, Patrice let out a gasp and Mave could only feel he had heard a ridiculous question.
"As far as I know, no. He did get three concubines, but I am sure he didn't have an affair outside."
Mavis frowned and remembered the kid. She roughly estimates that they were seven and three years old.
"Did you see something?" Patrice asked and she could only say, "No. I must be mistaken since the scenes I could see were shifting so fast."
Mave could hum as an answer and left the room followed by the two to let Mavis rest.
She glanced over the mirror and saw herself again and mumbled, "If I use it again carelessly, I may die as she said." She smiled and remembered the dream she had earlier.