Lady Akasa was to be buried on the 9th day of her death. Until then, an extravagant funeral was held in the House Zafeiri for the 8 days.
And almost everyone in the kingdom had visited to send their regards. Everyone rich enough, that is.
The boys minus Ronin would have to display signs of mourning along with their father. Then be comforted by guests, mourn, then be comforted by guests again.
It was tiresome affair in Ronin's eyes, and he was glad he was not included in it.
For the most part, Duke Taevas' mourning seems to be genuine. There were times of course where he would clearly exaggerate about how much he 'loves Akasa dearly, who was incomparable to any woman in Magecia'.
But whenever he was truly grieving, it was when he was quiet. Watching her face from the transparent glass over the casket.
And only the little Ronin can glean his thoughts.
(You must be cursing me on the Other Side now. I would expect nothing else. Would you call me a blueberry-headed dolt as always?)
The Other Side was the agreed-upon afterlife for most Magecian humans.
After all, gods roam around them, and yet disappear as well. So they guessed that there was the Other Side in Magecia, a place where spirits of the dead and those who were not human stay.
Of course, there were some that believe the spirits stay on the Other Side forever, while others believe that they reincarnate and occupy new bodies. That was the only debate when it comes to religion besides which god is the best.
Duke Taevas was among those that believes the dead stays on the Other Side forever.
Which was odd because people for the Kingdom of Sephyrine mostly believe in reincarnation.
(When you meet with me there, you are welcome to attack me as much as you want. After all, I have leeched off on you enough. All I had to do was become your friend, and appear competent to your family..... And I received the life I wanted. )
(But you may be right all along, I ruin everything I touch...... including you.)
Ronin had always been interested whenever Taevas have these thoughts. From what he can gather, Duke Taevas and Duchess Akasa may not have loved each other romantically since the start.....
But they could have been friends before their marriage.
He wondered if it was the marriage that ruined that friendship and made them absolutely hate each other.
On the last day of the funeral, before the burial at the family's resting grounds on the farthest side of the Celestus realm, Duke Taevas made a speech to thank everyone that attended and joined them in their mourning.
"You may have all known my beloved wife as one of the most amicable and sociable person in the elite society. She is known for her great ballroom dancing skills, her wit, and her charm towards everyone..... even those she first meets. " He began with a slightly nostalgic tone.
"I remember when I first encountered her in the Pax Sephry Ball held in the Capital square.... She was not the one who looked the most glamorous, or the most affluent, or even the most interesting.... yet she caught my eye."
"There was something about her that was difficult to find from anyone else. Something that I usually thought that I can find with a fellow man--- a comrade."
"She was genuine, and she doesn't act to impress. She knows what to say but does not shy away from using her sharp tongue to completely obliterate someone with words. If only she was born in the less fair sex, I think she may have even been a high advisor for our king, or maybe even an ambassador for our Kingdom! Haha!"
Everyone laughed politely at this 'joke', not knowing Duke Taevas was not joking at all. Only Ronin could tell.
He truly thinks that way, but none of these nobles, men and women alike, believe that a woman could have been an ambassador or an advisor that can maintain the peace between nations.
Women may be able to keep peace within the household, but something as grand as that was a man's duty.
"I... and my children.... will truly miss her. But every rock has a shine within them, and her passing may have brought a blessing to the family."
"I would like you all to meet my first daughter, the fourth child of the House Zafeiri."
"The fourth!" Maellan, who was beside Ronin watching the speech unseen upstairs, exclaimed. "Is he going to introduce Ronin as well?"
The railing of the vantage point they were looking on was high enough to hide the tiny Ronin. He merely peeked through the gaps of the swirling designs, and his eyes widened at this.
'This man who cares about all his reputation and prestige would introduce his cursed son? Did Duchess Akasa's death really changed him that much?' He rubbed his chin.
Maellan was more excited about this announcement than his scorned brother, and held Ronin's tiny hand. "Don't be afraid, Ronin. I'll join you there, don't be scared of the people at all! I am sure they will accept you just as we do---"
"Unfortunately, our third child.... who should have been third of the young men we had.... has died of a miscarriage. But our love and passion still remained, and so we had another child, this time a pretty flower."
He took the swaddled baby from Esa's hand. "I would like you all to meet Belladonna Zafeiri, my last child with the wonderful Akasa Zafeiri."
"Pffffffffffftttttttt, 'miscarriage'. Hahahahaha!" Zeuxis giggled almost to the point of crying.
Maellan chided him. "Zeuxis, this is no laughing matter! Apologize to Ronin now."
"Why should I? He's 'dead' anyway!" Zeuxis ran off while still chuckling to himself and sticking out his tongue to Ronin.
"I hate how Father had to do this to you. He's a coward." Maellan said, clenching his fist. "I should have known."
"I'm not surprised." The child answered in the tone of a formal gentleman but with the lisp and pitch of a toddler.
"Come on, I'll give you some chocolate biscuits that you like to make you feel better. One day, you would not have to be a hidden secret of this household." Maellan tugged at him, but Ronin would not move away.
He stared at his father giving a toast, and to the crying and wailing baby girl on his hand.
Unlike Ronin, this child did nothing but cry and cry, like she herself was upset about her own existence.
Belladonna was a beautiful blue baby with piercing blue eyes that was always glassy, and she kept on kicking and punching her father away.
But she was not what Ronin focused on.
There was someone among the crowd whose mouth was moving endlessly until now, yet no one was paying attention. He pointed at the baby with a smile, talking to some invisible force about her.
A hologram screen appeared beside him.
[Name: Cermin Drychspiel
Mage Type: Gold Celestial Hero Mage
Role: Main Character/ Heroic Protagonist ]