This...
This is not what I wanted.
That Alfred, he must have been the one that reported them. The Duke is probably trying to test me seeing that he left me to decide on their punishment, that too in front of the whole family.
I really wanted to break their limbs, I preferred it being low-key but now I might have to forgive them because I don't want to appear as ruthless and wicked, not to my beautiful mother.
I carefully set my thoughts in order as I entered the main hall.
"I'm sorry Aunt! I swear it wasn't like that, I was trying to protect you!"
"Protect me? Denethor how were you trying to protect me by bullying my adopted son."
"I thought his grace was going to favour him over Avery, I thought he would be the heir, I wanted to break his will!" He shouted, in sobs and tears.
"Hey, Uncle Den don't use me as an excuse for your atrocious acts."
I reached in front of the Duke's seat which sat in the middle of the main hall, besides it on the right was the duchess' seat and on the left, Avery was seated, my eyes went a little further left and there was another seat. However, the Duke's seat stood tall amidst all the four chairs.
I bowed gently, not giving a damn about Knight Denethor who was on both knees and seemed to have cried a lot.. seeing as he had a running nose.
"Take your seat Gilland, this concerns you." The Duke said and I proceeded to my seat.
"Denethor, since when has it been your concern as to who I decide to use as my heir? Your actions and intentions behind it are out of place! I must express my disappointment towards you..."
"I'm sorry, your grace!! I apologize for my stupidity! Please just this once forgive me!!"
"Your forgiveness, Denethor, is not mine to give. Gilland, pass a judgement to Knight Denethor and the other Knight who dared to act with impudence towards you."
I stood up and bowed again, "Thank you Father, Thank you mother..." I turned to this emo sister and -
"Don't do that? It's yuck!" She said, sticking out her tongue.
'how uncouth for a lady...'
"Avery...?" The duchess' sweet voice rang out.
"Fine, can you go ahead and pass the judgement little brother." She said, pretending to be bored.
I turned to Knight Denethor who kowtowed in front of me and didn't even raise his head a bit.
"Even though I felt threatened by Knight Denethor's action, I must admit that I empathise with his intention, according to what I have heard he has served the dukedom ever since he was a kid, it is not out of place if he has discovered a sense to protect this place and its order, I can understand the reason he decided to break my will which he awfully failed out. I also appreciate the knights' actions, they might have been thoughtless but I think they came at me together because they didn't underestimate me. Father..." I turned towards the Duke...
"I don't see it as an act of impudence, Instead I see their desire to push out my potential. However, the fact that they attacked a Duke's son cannot be displacedt... If word of this gets out, others will think there is no order within the dukedom. So I will go along with any punishment Father has to give them. Plus Knight Denethor is mother's relative, I don't want to cause any suffering to my mother in any way." I said, bowed my head and returned to my seat, leaving the Duke awestruck, the duchess... even more so.
"I see what you did there, that was a smart one little brother..." She whispered to me with a subtle smile. I carefully wondered how to take care of this emo sister, I might have to write another volume on transmigator's guide to surprising nobles and making a name for himself, but particularly, impressing emo sisters and having them wrapped around your little finger.
***
'This Avery...'
She wanted to spend every minute with me, even picking fine outfits for me... Then she took me out of the castle and into the town to see the people, it was my first time.
I saw the way everyone greeted her, truly she must have been loved by the people.
"Goshujin..."
How I loved not hearing that word.
'What is it, Ana?'
"Use Clairvoyance on your fake mother?"
'Why would you say that? why would you call her my fake mother? and why the hell will I use Clairvoyance on her? Did you forget, it sees through the clothes before seeing through the body.'
"That is because you have still not properly mastered it."
'Be it whatever, I will not look at it, I refuse to be a pervert.'
"She's sick, her core is broken, at this rate she has less than three years left to leave."
'What did you say?'
"Check for your self"
The urgency that rose in my heart provably pushed my concentration as I stared at her. Her circuit system was unveiled before me. Overall it is a complicated thing to explain but if you are quite familiar with how electrical circuits works then you'll know. In the middle of the body, right below the heart is a round core, all multiple channels go out of this core to different parts of the body, the head, the hands, organs, everywhere.
Staring deeper, I saw what Anastasia was talking about, a cracking in her core.
"Her energy is leaking, it seems like something that just happened recently, it couldĀ be an attack... but if the duchess was physically attacked I'm sure she wouldn't be allowed to be walking around like this. And I don't think your so-called father knows about this."
'Ana...'
"Hmm?"
'How in the world are we supposed to treat a broken core?'