Chereads / The Villain Wants to Change / Chapter 8 - Chapter 8 - The Beauty of Magic

Chapter 8 - Chapter 8 - The Beauty of Magic

Whisper goes around the maid as they converse within each other in the hallway corridor near the room of where Lysander stayed at. Outside of the door stood Mia, guarding the door since she was also not allowed inside the room.

"The Young Master has locked himself in his room and hasn't eaten anything these past few days."

"Both the Duke and Duchesses tried to get him out of his room, but the door didn't even budge.

"I'm worried, what if something happens to the Young Master..."

"Don't say that the Duchess is already weak as it is when she's ready to give birth any day now."

"Maybe the Young Master locked himself up because he doesn't want another sibling-"

The maid that was talking beforehand saw the scared expression of the other three maids that were in front of her. They clung to one another as they saw the red eyes of none other than the duke.

The maid turned around, saw the duke, and stepped aback but tripped herself with fear.

The duke raised his hand in worry about the maid who fell and tried to reach out his hand to help her get up.

"Are you-"

The maid soon got up and all of them bowed down.

"I'm very sorry your grace, I didn't mean to say anything bad about the Young Master or gossip around while not doing my duties! I was just worried about the Young Master wellbeing."

Seeing the fear in their eyes, the duke retracted his hand and put it behind his back. His natural cold face scared the maids. He shifted his gaze from them and looked at the window beside him.

The spring leaf in the outside garden of the estate, with many trees and flowers blooming in the air, with a waterfall in the middle area of the garden, surrounded by well cared bushes by a sole gardener.

"... Just carry on with your duties then."

"Yes, Your Grace!"

The maids all left in a hurry. The duke sighed and walked towards the door. As he approached the door, Mia saw him and bowed down respectfully.

"Greetings, Your Grace."

The duke nodded, and Mia stood up straight.

"... Has Lysander not gotten out of the room yet?"

"Unfortunately, not yet... It seems he locked himself out after he took some books from the library."

The duke looked at her questionably.

"What type of books made him lock himself inside his room without any interactions?"

"That..."

Mia hesitates to answer for a second before answering.

"... Not long before he locked himself in his room, he went to the library and asked Veda for books about magic..."

The duke froze for a bit, he clenched his fist while maintaining the same cold face he has.

"Is there any reason as to why he is suddenly interested in magic?'

"I have no clue..."

Shortly after, two people began walking towards the duke. Veda and one other person. He was a young man who looked to be in his early twenties with small frame and short stature, having short brown curly hair, wearing a green vest with long sleeve button up underneath with dark blue pants, wearing a wide circular glasses over his green eyes.

Once they stood before the duke, they bowed for a few seconds before standing upright.

The man took a step forward while carrying from the same book that Lysander had a few days ago.

"We have some reports for you, Your Grace."

The duke looked at him, then looked at the door from where his child locked himself in, he faced forward once more while closing his eyes and sighing.

"I see, let's head towards my office. We shall talk there privately."

✦ .  ⁺   . ✦ .  ⁺   . ✦

Three people stood before the duke as he sits in his chair with a large desk in front of him compromising of many paperwork's that need to be checked by the daily, some books to verify the current progression of some projects, and many other things that he puts the least priority with.

The duke stares at all three of them; Veda, Mia, and the unknown man. He fiddled with a fountain pen just before he began speaking.

"Leo, speak."

The unknown man took a step forward and adjusted his glasses before speaking."

"Your Grace, I want to report to you something about the Young Master that seems to be important."

The duke puts down the fountain pen that he was fondling with and out his cold gaze on him while interlocking his fingers.

Leo flinches when his gaze meets the duke but continues speaking.

"T-the young master came up to me a few days ago and showed me this book."

He placed down the book in from of the duke's desk titled: The Theory of Magic.

He came up to me and asked me some questions about the book's contents inside.

The duke grabbed the books and stared at it for a few seconds before directing his gaze towards Leo.

Currently, Leo is the Leader of the Mage division that serves under the duke's command and is currently one of the strongest mages residing in the Empire.

"Since you're well versed with magic, he might've thought you could easily respond to any of his questions with any suspicion in his intent. So, what type of questions did he ask specifically."

"The Young Master asked about how to use mana and know the requirements and process of being able to formulate magic."

"... I see."

Leo steps back and Veda steps forward and bowed down for a second before standing upright, while having her eyes closed with a nonchalant expression in her face.

"Your Grace, I've been caretaking him during his time in the library just like you told me to and helped him attain any type of books that were difficult to find in the library. But a few days ago, the focus of his genre shifted from historical and medical knowledge towards magic and strategic warfare."

She opened her eyes and opened arms with one of them being balanced on top of the other and having her hand below her chin.

"Shortly after, he asked for some specific books about magic formulation and manipulation and other things related. It was probably during that time he shut himself up."

She bowed down once more.

"I sincerely apologize for not being able to look after the young master and reporting to you his strange behavior beforehand."

The duke sighed for a bit before responding.

"It's fine, is partially my fault for not being attentive towards my child these few days..."

The duke pulls up some papers from his desk, Mia recognizes those papers and immediately spoke out.

"Is it about the recent surveillance of the Count?"

The duke didn't respond and continued to look at the paper before closing his eyes and sighing before responding.

"... Is best not to talk about such things in the open, Mia."

She flinched and closed her mouth with both her hands while squirming about the mistake she made. Veda looked at Mia and quickly spoke about to change the atmosphere.

"Your Grace, what should we do about the Young Master? It's already been five days since he locked himself in his room, and Her Grace has been worried about his well-being."

Grace clenches and crushes the paper that he had in his hand.

Mia moved her hand from her mouth and immediately responded.

"I-I made sure for the Young Master to at least eat his meals from time to time!"

The duke relaxes his hand and puts the paper down in his desk and stares at the ceiling before speaking.

"... I've tried to talk to him, but no matter how many times I stand before the door, he simply tells me that he's fine and wants to be alone at the moment."

The duke covers his face with his palm and looks at the desk with a sorrowful expression

"... Either way, I should bring him out of the room immediately. There's no telling what might happen if he stays at the room any longer-"

Immediately after the Duke was about to finish his sentence, a huge explosion can be heard in the mansion. The screams of many of the maids and residents can be heard from all over the mansion.

Shortly after, a butler with grey hair came up to the room from where the duke was and forcefully opened the door.

"Your Grace! The Young Master-"

Upon hearing those words, the duke immediately stood up. A familiar black aura surrounded the duke, and he dashes towards where the explosion occurred.

It only took a few seconds to go from where the office to where Lysander room, which was in the opposite side of the huge mansion.

Many maids and servants began to surround from where the explosion occurred, with black smoke spreading across the hallway corridors, all trying to see what happened.

The duke gently moved the people in front of him and reached the door that was still closed but stained black.

"... Everyone, move back for your own safety."

Upon hearing those words, all the people began to move far away from the duke. The duke pulled out his swords from his waist and it was quickly covered by the same black, blue fog that surrounded his body.

He quickly slashed the door with two diagonal strikes and sheathed his sword before the door crumbled in front of him.

He quickly expanded the fog that was around him and forcefully cleared out the smoke in the room.

As soon as the smoke cleared out from the room, his heart freezing at the scene that he saw before him.

His son lies there motionless on the floor, bathed in the soft glow of sunlight filtering through the window. The room is filled with a heavy silence, broken only by the father's frantic heartbeat as he rushes to his son's side.

Kneeling beside him, the duke's hands tremble as he reaches out to gently shake his son awake. But there's no response. Panic rises within him as he takes in the sight of his son's pale face, marred by a gash on his forehead and bruises marring his arms by the explosion.

Fear and anguish grip the father's heart as he gathers his son into his arms. Many of the servants who entered the room saw the sight, gasped, and began to panic.

The duke's voice trembled for a bit before yelling.

"Please get the Priest immediately!"

With each passing moment, the weight of uncertainty hangs heavy in the air, as he waits desperately for a sign of life from his beloved child.

✦ .  ⁺   . ✦ .  ⁺   . ✦

In the heart of lush forests, Nature's influence was evident as trees stretched towards the sky, their roots delving deep into the Earth's soil for sustenance. Water flowed through the land, nourishing all life, while Wind carried seeds on its currents, spreading the cycle of growth.

Amidst open plains, Fire's warmth encouraged new life to bloom, while Wind sculpted the land with its gentle caress. Earth provided the foundation upon which all life depended, its soil rich and fertile.

In an icy realm, Ice formed intricate patterns across the landscape, shaped by the relentless force of Wind. Darkness lingered in the shadowed groves, a necessary counterpart to Light, reminding of the balance between creation and decay. Lightning crackled in the sky, its energy mingling with the chill of Ice to create storms of unparalleled power.

Beneath the surface of the ocean, Water held sway, its currents shaping coastlines and sustaining a myriad of life forms. In the depths, the Earth's crust shifted, creating mountains and valleys, while Fire's heat warmed the ocean depths.

Above it all, Light cast its radiant glow, illuminating the world below and guiding the way forward. These elements were not separate entities but rather interconnected threads, each reliant on the others to maintain the delicate balance of the natural world.

In a realm where the natural world thrived, nine elemental forces intertwined seamlessly, each shaping the landscape in its own unique way and soon forming into the nine elemental attributes of magic: Fire, Water, Ice, Earth, Wind, Dark, Light, Nature, and Lightning.

Many people who wield magic first need to know which attributes they closely align with. Some may have a high attribute to an element, while others may not have any attribute at all. Using an element with a low affinity can lead to some disastrous occurrence.

The story fills my mind as I gain consciousness. I opened my eyes and saw an unfamiliar tile of the bed canopy before me.

I quickly got up and saw both my mother and father conversing with a priest near the doctor alongside some knights and maids.

I look at my hands and arms that I thought were gravely wounded but see no injuries at all.

I touch my face to see if there are any other injuries that I am not aware of but couldn't feel any at all.

Mia, who was standing right before Lysander, immediately spoke out loud the moment she saw him move around.

"Young Master! You're awake!"

Upon hearing those words, both the Duke and Duchess turned their heads and when they saw me awake, they hurriedly walked towards me alongside the other people that were with them.

The Duchess pets her palm on her forehead with a worried expression.

"Are you feeling well? The priest healed you with magic, but I'm worried that you might still be feeling unwell."

I looked through her worried eyes, and my body began to quiver for a bit before responding.

"I-I'm okay, I don't feel any pain at all..."

The duke stood before me in silence, only watching me with a cold gaze, but his eyes showed a mixture of worry and sorrow.

Looking at his eyes, I know I made him worried; he hates me now. All I could do was look away.

The Duchess saw what happened and tried to reach out her hand to comfort me, but the duke gently grabbed her hand and stopped it. She turns her gaze to him and understood what he was going to. She retracted her hand and moved a bit so the duke could be closer to me.

The duke walked and kneeled from where I looked away from, still having the same eyes that I saw before.

We stood in silence, before he took a breath and began to gently speak to me.

"... Do you know what you did"

"... Do you hate me for the mistake I did, Father?"

He flinched for a bit before gently reaching out for my hand.

"Of course not. There's no way that I could hate you because of this. But I was afraid. Afraid that I was going to lose you. Thinking how I failed as a father for not being able to save you."

Afraid... You're not the only one afraid. I was afraid that maybe because of this, the happy family that I finally found would shatter into pieces and leave me to suffer once more.

I began to cry just like a normal child would.

"I-I'm sorry. I just wanted to learn magic to be able to protect everyone."

My tears couldn't stop steaming down my face, both my mother and father began to comfort me. My mother hugged me with some tears in her eyes while still smiling, while my father gently caressed my head to try and calm me down.

The warmth of family that I've never experienced makes me want too greedily to have more of it.

"Is alright my child, your father and I would always be here to comfort you."

"Mother... Father... I'm sorry for making you worry..."

"Is alright Lysander, because you're here with us now."

I just want... to feel this moment...

✦ .  ⁺   . ✦ .  ⁺   . ✦

After the reconciliation, Lysander immediately went to sleep. Since his bedroom is damaged, the Duke and Duchess decided to let him sleep with them for the time being, to look after him more.

The child lying in the middle of the bed and separating the Duke and Duchess into two sides, the Duchess continues to look after him and caresses him during his sleep. The duke was lying on his side while watching them with a gentle smile.

She soon stopped caressing him and made a sad expression before looking at the duke.

"What made such a young child learn magic to the point of locking himself in isolation..."

Her mouths quivered with hesitation and fear.

"... Is it because of the Blessing of the Mana?"

The duke looked at her and gently placed his hand on her hair and gently stroked it to calm her down,

"Worry not, my dear, even if it's due to the Blessing of the Mana, I'll make sure to protect him with all my strength."

The Duchess looked him in the eyes and smiled when she heard those words. She closed her eyes and gently spoke out to not wake Lysander from his sleep.

"I'll also do what I can to protect him."

Uttering those words, she gently fell asleep, leaving only the duke awake.

He lay down in the bed. He closed his eyes and began to contemplate the turn of events that occurred today.

After finding Lysander injured in the floor, he immediately ran towards where the priest was to heal the child's injuries.

It took about an hour or two to completely heal the injuries that he sustained. From the look of it, his arms and hands were the most injured alongside the side of his face. The type of injuries he had were burns, alongside some cuts sustained from the explosion of some objects in the room.

The only explanation was Fire Magic.

Immediately after Lysander injuries were healed, he called out Leo to analyze his magic capacity.

The results were surprising. He had two rings around his heart.

Normally, children begin to learn magic by the age of ten when attending the academy in the Empire for four years. Usually, students in the sophomore or junior year would achieve two rings at that time and graduate with three or four rings.

But to think that he has already achieved two rings at the age of two.

The duke looked back at Lysander, who was still sleeping comfortably in the bed.

"... Lysander, I just hope you can tell us anything that worries you..."

The spring breeze that echoes throughout the night, howling outside the window of the room, creating a symphony of beautiful noise as the leaves rustle and tree wave.

The duke stands up from the bed, quickly changes attire and quietly leaves the room. Moments after he walks the hallway corridors towards his unknown destination, two people in black robes appear behind him and kneel towards the ground. Their stature implying being one a boy and one a girl.

The duke momentarily stops and looks behind him.

One of the people began to speak while still kneeling.

"Your Grace, a new report has been issued about the current movements of Count Avington. He is currently gathering troops alongside other nobles in the Noble Faction, all under the direct order of the current Emperor."

"I see... When are they planning to move?'

"It seems they are going to try and infiltrate the estate in two days' time."

The duke contemplates for a bit before speaking.

"Continue with your surveillance and notify me of any major changes in the plans that arise. Notify all the Knights and Mages in the estate and let them know to inmate the postponed plan into action."

"Yes, Your Grace!"

Both disappear into the shadow, leaving the duke standing in the hallway alone at night alongside the symphony.

He looks at the ceiling and then closes his eyes.

"... This time, I won't make the same mistake."

He opens his eyes and walks down the hallway corridor before swiftly disappearing into the shadow to prepare for the danger that will lurk once again in this estate.