Auriell de Armyllis was the second, and youngest child of the house of Armyllis. She was described as having lavender-coloured hair with light blue, crystal-like eyes in the novel. Her eyes were precious, not only for her eyesight but also because they were powerful crystals...
In the house of Armyllis, there was an old tale that the children of the family were always told. The story was about a man who had saved a great sage tree from crystal-like parasites absorbing the earth's mana. In return, his blue eyes became blue crystals. It was seen as a curse, that only a small few of his kin would inherit.
That man was the first Duke of Armyllis.
Yes, Auriell's eyes were beautiful crystals that contained mana.
Many see it as a curse. However, in the future, after Auriell's death, it was soon found out that their crystal eyes could be both a curse and a blessing.
When used in good hands, the crystals purify their surroundings and heal any injury and illness. They became known as the Eyes of Armyllis, a symbol of healing and protection in the kingdom. The eyes of Auriell were revered for their ability to harness the power of the crystals for the benefit of all once she had passed.
However, if the wrong people monopolise the crystals, it could drain the mana of the earth, depleting it of its life force, hence repeating the tragic tale of the crystal parasites and the Great Sage Tree...
It was the biggest event in the novel when the main villain obtained only a shard of Auriell's crystal eyes and used it to wreak havoc all over the country.
Before this incident, Auriell had an argument with her father and ran away from home. According to the original work, she was brutally assassinated and left outside of the duke's estate with her crystal eyes gauged out.
This explains why the duke was so apologetic and clingy, which is canonically unlike him. This tragic event set the stage for the main conflict of the novel, as House Armyllis's quest for vengeance against the villain became the driving force of the plot. The repercussions of her death and the loss of her crystal eyes reverberated throughout the entire kingdom, leading to a series of unforeseen consequences that shaped the fate of all involved.
Archduke Killian de Armyllis. The greatest war hero in the kingdom. He had married Lady Florette Bianici (the precious daughter of Viscount Bianici) and ended up living in the north together with their two children. The cliché, cold northern duke marrying an 'amazing and out-of-his-leauge' beautiful southern woman after achieving victory at a great battle and having malicious rumours that he's a bloodthirsty, beast-like battlehound. Despite his fearsome reputation on the battlefield, Archduke Killian was known to be a devoted husband and father, often seen doting on his family with affection. The love between him and Lady Florette was a beacon of hope in the northern dukedom plagued by darkness and uncertainty.
Yep. That man is now my father.
The only way to stop the chaotic event from happening is by finding all of Auriell's crystal shards. However, that would be difficult since those shattered shards will look like regular stones until they've been discovered. Kind of like a... camouflage defence mechanism...? Perhaps?
Usually, you'd think that the owner would be able to sense them since they're imbued with powerful mana and whatnot...
But as far as I know from the novel, the characters weren't able to tell until they held it for a while. These crystal shards 'awaken' once it achieves their desired body temperature.
However...
It would be weird for the presently-blind daughter of the duke to go searching for rocks in the snowy fields of the north. My father 'dearest' would certainly think his daughter had gone mad. But maybe I could find a way to subtly search for them without raising suspicion. Perhaps I could enlist the help of a trusted servant or friend to assist me in the search.
"ELLE!" A different man's voice shouted, presumably bursting into my room.
What is with these people and door etiquette...? Mother, did you suffer this way too...?
The man was shocked at the sight of me. Not that I could see his expression, let alone who he was, but I would assume so as he seemed to be Auriell's older brother, Kylo. He was someone who called his little sister 'Elle' since they were babies.
"Those lowly bastards...! Who dares..." He gritted out, seething in rage as he saw his baby sister's state.
"Ah, Kylo...?" I spoke out, not quite used to the fact that I am now blind. The man approached and held my hand gently in his calloused ones.
"Yes, I'm here, Elle... Your big brother is here..." He responded gently, observing her injuries before hesitantly looking up at the bandages over her eyes. ".. Are you still in pain...?"
".. No... The doctor had given me strong medicine to help with the pain..." I assured. It did make me feel numb to the touch, but I would very much prefer it over the pain.
Kylo was quiet. In the original novel, he and the duke had grieved the most over Auriell's death. He was described as having white hair and red eyes, just like his father.
Or 'our' father as of now...
"If you wanted to run away, you could have at least brought me to protect you..." Kylo finally spoke, sitting beside me as I felt a dip in the bed that welcomed his weight.
"What? It's not like you would have run away with me..." I smiled sheepishly, feeling awkward and strangely apologetic since I had yet to grow accustomed to my new surroundings and identity.
"I would have." The elder responded firmly, full of determination. "I would give up the position of heir and go with you."
Well, in the novel, there was a part that emphasised that Kylo would scold his father as a toddler whenever Auriell cried as a baby. This anecdote further highlights the deep bond between Kylo and Auriell, showing that their connection went beyond their current circumstances. It revealed a side of Kylo that was caring and protective, even from a young age.
The duke... Found it amusing witnessing his firstborn acting overly protective over his precious little princess.
"They would have harmed you too..." I responded, smiling gently. "I have no intention of getting you harmed, brother."
"Auriell, how could you say that? How can I call myself your brother after what you endured all alone...?"
"Ah, brother..." I sighed softly, embracing the man. Though I could not see, I felt the man's tears stain my thin dress. Kylo wasn't a character who cried easily, so it broke my heart a little. "I'm alright. I'm alive, aren't I?" I tried to reassure him.
However, he almost reacted as if Auriell had truly died. Perhaps it was due to the state of her injuries. I truly couldn't feel anything from the strong medication, nor did I have the faintest of ideas of how I looked.
Nonetheless, it was a traumatising and cruel thing to leave their child on the brink of death with her eyes gauged out.
And it is an undeniable truth that Auriell had died.
But now I am alive in her place, and I will avenge my favourite character for suffering such a cruel fate.