Standing in the same corner, I was staring at the blonde lady who called herself my mother.
"…this… this still doesn't change the fact that I'm a Jinx."
I tried to reason.
Even if I may have been perfectly reincarnated, it doesn't change the fact that I would bring calamity and hurt the ones around me.
Instead of giving me an answer, the lady began giggling.
She held my hand, interlocked her fingers with mine, and took me to a different section of the room where there were just walls.
She tapped on a particular wall and a cabinet opened up, revealing five rectangular cards with sharp corners.
They were all soft gray in color with blue accents and had various symbols etched on them. The most peculiar thing about them all was an eye in the middle of the card.
Picking one of the cards up with the tip of her index and middle fingers, as if they were chopsticks, she showed the back of the card to me.
"What is this?" She asked.
"Card?"
"Arcana Card."
"Oh."
So this was the Arcana Card. It sure looked unique and ominous.
"Your misfortune comes because of these. Previously, you had no way of protecting yourself because that world had no idea of the Tower and…"
I was given a long explanation on where exactly my misfortune stemmed from and how I could tackle it. No, it wasn't 'I', but 'we'.
This lady, she was giving me assurance and saying everything will be fine. Her confidence stemmed from the fact that my misfortune came from a card which had ways to be tackled.
She took me out of this room and went back to the bedroom. We both sat on the chairs again and she continued to explain about the cards.
The Arcana Cards had various categories and to solve my problem, we first had to identify which category my misfortune card belonged to.
"…you would know the details of your card after your awakening. It looks something like this…"
The lady swiped her hand in front and a blue system panel manifested in front. On it were letters written in white.
+
[General Stats]
Name: Eleanor Von Lichtenstein
Level: —
XP: —
Title: Duchess of the Kingdom of Silverose.
Trait: —
Affiliation: —
[Arcana Cards]
Inferno Wyrm (Rare); Glimmering Aegis (Rare); Azure Serpent (Rare)
[Attributes]
Health: —
Essence: —
Strength: —
Agility: —
Endurance: —
Intelligence: —
Charm: —
[Special Abilities]
—
[Items]
—
[Achievements]
—
+
Once again, I was truly taken aback.
I thought this place was a medieval aristocratic setting given how there were oil lamps and chandeliers, but the system panel made me rethink. This was more advanced than the world I hailed from.
The system panel had a lot of dashes, and perhaps this was there for anonymity.
The lady only showed me the important information, which were the cards.
"You'll have your card's name written like this. The category should be there as well." She said.
I nodded in understanding.
She raised her palm vertically and showed me the edge of her hand. Then, she turned it and a card appeared in between her index and middle fingers.
I was looking at the back of her smooth, unblemished hand, and at the card she held.
It had a deep blue color with gold accents on it.
"This is one of my cards." She handed it to me. "Revealing your cards is a big no-no, but this situation is an exception."
I took the card and had a look. The front of the card had information and many different things written on it. There was a blue serpent's image on it, and touching it felt very real, as if I was touching a real snake's mushy scaly body.
Turning it, the back had some changes. The eye was open and had a glowing core in it. It felt real and scary.
I handed the card back to the lady and contemplated my life from this point onwards.
The words of the lotus lady once again resounded in my ears.
"…focus on conquering the Tower and everything should slowly fall in place…"
"…live a little."
I do not understand how she was able to predict the emotional turmoil I would go through in the future, but I'm glad that someone understood me and was there to advice.
"So, what now?" I asked the lady. I had not the slightest idea on what I should be doing from here onwards.
"Nothing."
"What?"
"Yes." The lady said and got up.
She walked close to me and pulled me up, then held my face again and looked at me with an intimate gaze.
Shit… this is bad…
While I may be broken emotionally, this current body of mine was physically fit and exactly how a young boy's body should be.
It was raging with hormones and influencing my mind to think of all the weird stuff. Plus, the blood was starting to get sent to a place I didn't want it to!
My eyes helplessly looked at the lady.
I don't know what she was thinking, but she seemed to be smiling.
"You are my baby and nothing's changed. I am not letting you go anywhere, and as your mommy, it's my responsibility to look after you."
"…"
Curses.
Why was this lady speaking like that! Please keep a distance and speak normally!
I wanted to shout this, but my head was spinning. Everything felt fuzzy.
She shook her head and continued, "You do not know, my baby, how long I've waited for you to recover."
Okay!?
I get it! But why speak in such a tone and in such a way!? Anyone would, including me, think something wrong was going on here!
A flicker flashed in her clear blue eyes.
"You don't know how much I've missed you."
What's with this tone and words!?!
"Your sisters have missed you. And how much our hearts were in turmoil."
She sighed and patted my face.
"Anyway, all of that aside. Since you don't remember anything from your childhood or anything about mommy or your sisters, we're gonna have to recreate everything. We'll take it slowly, for your sake, okay?"
Kiss~
I felt something soft, wet, and warm on my forehead.
My body heated up and my head began spinning.
Soon, I passed out.
…..
I don't know how long has passed, but as I opened my eyes, I found myself staring at the same ceiling as before.
"Did you sleep well, baby?" I heard a familiar, gentle voice.
Turning my head to the side, my eyes widened in shock.
In front of me was a breathtaking view of the most alluring woman I've ever laid my eyes upon. The moonlight shone on her smooth, pristine skin, casting a soft glow, and highlighted her otherworldly beauty.
All of this was fine, but what bothered me the most was how she only wore a thin nightgown, unknowingly giving me a look of two heavenly peaks and a deep valley.
"W-w-what are you doing?" I stuttered and asked, covering my face and trying not to look.
Blood was starting to rush to my nose and it felt like I would bleed any minute now.
"Hm?" The lady tilted her head and wondered what was wrong. "Why are you covering your face, baby?"
Noooo! Don't talk to me like that!
The blood rushing towards the nose decided to change its course and moved down the body at the speed of light, making something rock hard.
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
This was the absolute worst!
"Are you alright, my dear? You seem to be having a fever…" She said and touched my forehead, making me tremble.
I distanced myself from her and turned around.
"W-w-why are you in my bed, lady? And what's with those clothes?"
"This?" She held the strap of her nightgown. "What's wrong with these?"
"So many things!"
She sighed and shook her head. "Understanding you sure is a challenge. But it's okay. We'll work things out."
After she said that, I felt a hand wrap around my abdomen.
"Hiiiii—!"
I was startled and shivered.
My first instinct was to run away, but the hold on me was firm and I couldn't budge even an inch.
I heard some rustling, and a second later, something soft pressed against my back.
A sharp thing landed on top of my head, and then I heard, "Mommy will help you sort your mess, so don't be afraid. It's night time, I've used a food card on you so you shouldn't be hungry. Go to sleep, good night."
The top of my head was kissed tenderly by her, and she slept while holding me tight, as if afraid that I would run away.
My heart was beating really fast. This was the most interaction I've had with someone of the opposite sex.
I honestly wouldn't have minded if it was someone else, but this person…
Wait, I haven't accepted our relationship yet.
I'll just pretend there's no connection between us for now and try to sleep.
"Hmm… by the way… tomorrow we will go to the Tower and have you awaken. You need a lot of energy so make sure to rest properly."
She was resting her chin on top of my head and spooning me. This was definitely not normal…
As everything was quiet and I was under a warm quilt, in the tender embrace of a beautiful lady… my eyelids soon felt heavy and droopy.
My breathing eventually evened out as I slowly sunk into the dreamland.