Magic Life in the Empire Chapter 50: Cat

After Cyril was done with his food, he sat still for a period of ti.

His father did the sa. The two of them were waiting for the other to start talking.

"I have a question." Finally, Cyril decided to ask what he was most curious about.

"What am I?" he said and observed his father's reaction.

Since Cyril was going to ask about this eventually, he thought he should do it sooner rather than later.

The only other person here was Ophelia, but he trusted her, so it was a good ti.

"What are you talking about?" Arthur said with a frown.

His face didn't show anything suspicious at this mont, but Cyril still believed he knew sothing.

"I am clearly not human," Cyril said with certainty.

Arthur's face darkened at his words.

"Why do you think so?" his voice beca lower.

Cyril raised his arm to do a demonstration.

Can you do sothing?"If you are sure..."

His hand rapidly changed shape in a grueso fashion.

After a mont it beca a harrowing crawl. Arthur stared at it in silence.

Soon it changed back, and Cyril crossed his arms. "Well? You can't deny this right?"

"It's a peculiar spell to be sure, but I don't see how it would make you anything other than my son," Arthur said with his head slightly lowered.

He got up from the chair and looked at the clock on the wall.

"It's already late. I will go get so rest. Thank you for visiting." Arthur said with a voice lacking any emotion.

With this he swiftly left the room while Cyril was still seated.

So that's it? He refuses to talk about it? He thought about what just happened.

"He practically escaped right now..."

Cyril sighed and got up as well.

He wanted to move back to his room, but Morpho weakly flapped her wings a few tis to garner attention. He quickly understood what that ant.

"Can you tell the cook to bring a plate of sugar water?" Cyril asked Ophelia nearby.

She bowed and silently disappeared into the kitchen.

Soon she was back with the food.

Morpho happily landed on the edge of the plate and started recovering her strength.

Ophelia observed this with curiosity before turning to look at Cyril.

"What?" Cyril couldn't handle her piercing stare for long.

"Master, are you being serious?" Asked Ophelia.

"Do you want to repeat that trick?" Cyril replied.

Ophelia shook her head. "I've seen a mage who can do sothing similar in the past. Is there sothing else that is different in you?" Her voice had a bit of anticipation and curiosity mixed in.

"You don't have to believe ; I don't mind," Cyril calmly said and started walking when Morpho returned to his shoulder, leaving Ophelia without an answer.

...

Before going to sleep, he decided to take a bath.

It was one of the things he missed from his ho; it was a good way to relax.

Sitting in the water, surrounded by vapor, he talked with Rhamn about various things. anwhile, Morpho played around.

"Do you want to question your father further tomorrow?" Rhamn sat not far from him. Cyril tried not to look in her direction too much.

Lately he found out that she can change the clothes on her body or remove them at will, which posed a problem sotis.

I don't think that will do anything... He looked pretty tight-lipped about it.

Cyril thought while looking at Morpho play in the water.

Honestly, I am fine with a bit of mystery in my life. I will find out when it's ti.

He no longer thought that finding out the reason for his abnormality was necessary. He was fine the way he was now.

"That's a good ntality," Rhamn said in approval.

At this mont soone knocked on the doors, and a voice rang out.

"Master, can I co in? I wanted to talk privately." It was Ophelia with an unusual request. "Say no!"

Still, Cyril was interested in what she wanted to talk about.

"Co in," he finally said.

Ophelia calmly and with no emotion on her face entered the room, ca to the edge of the bath and stared straight ahead.

"Allow to ask again, what else have you been experiencing lately?" She said in a whisper.

If Cyril's hearing wasn't enhanced, he might not have heard it.

She behaved rather sneakily, which was completely unlike her.

Cyril didn't answer for a ti, thinking about how to reply.

She has been with him for quite a few years, so it shouldn't be an issue to reveal more things. He always felt a sense of closeness to her.

But before he said anything, Ophelia opened her mouth first. "Is it possible that you can hear a certain... will?" Her voice was cautious.

Hearing this, Cyril snapped his head to look at her in surprise.

His reaction gave Ophelia all she needed to know: "I see."

"What do you know?" Cyril asked in a hurry.

Even though he said earlier that he didn't mind staying clueless, Cyril was more curious than he let on.

He quickly got up from the bath and got sothing to wear.

With Ophelia, they sat at a table not far from the bath.

Morpho and Rhamn sat by Cyril's side, all of them eager to hear what she has to say.

"I know that it is sothing to do with your mother." Finally Ophelia said after long deliberations.

Mother?

Cyril never t her. His father told him she had died long ago; he doesn't have a single mory of her.

"Your father t her while on a mission out of the city, and the two quickly fell in love," Ophelia stared off into the distance.

"Around this ti he also announced his retirent as a knight, choosing to stay in the village they've t in." Cyril has heard the short version of this story before.

Apparently it was a big deal at the ti. His father was a powerful knight, so a loss of such a force wasn't t with open arms.

Arthur Felling returned to the city after his wife's death. He told others she had died of an illness, but there were nurous speculations about her death among the nobles.

So said it was a murder committed by the Empire, while others claid she had simply abandoned Arthur.

"Your mother wasn't a normal person. I never heard of her being able to change her body at will, but she also had a voice telling her things," Ophelia said with a serious face.

"How do you know this?" Asked Cyril with skepticism. It was definitely not his father who shared this with her. The topic of his wife was a forbidden one.

"I know a friend of your mother." Ophelia paused and added, "Forgive ; I cannot say who it was; I've made a promise."

"A maid refusing an order from her master..." Rhamn said with dissatisfaction.

"And what else can you tell ?" Asked Cyril while staring at Rhamn.

"I am afraid not much at all. Her friend only told it would be best if your father were the one to tell you more," said Ophelia.

"But he is obviously not willing to tell ." Replied Cyril in a cold voice.

Ophelia made another pause before speaking. "Master, I think you should be a bit more forgiving towards your father. Maybe try talking to him more?"

Cyril stared at her with so helplessness. "I'll think about it."

"Is there nothing else?" Since she didn't know much else, he didn't see a reason to continue this conversation.

"No, Master," simply said Ophelia.

Cyril got up and left while thinking about what she said.

...

"Do what you want, Cyril. Plenty of people have a bad relationship with their parents, and they are fine."

We'll see... He did agree with her in the past here. He thought there would be no problem to live like that.

But his trip to Shamrock Village showed him how things could be, and Cyril would be lying if he said he wasn't jealous.

"ow." Suddenly a ow could be heard up ahead.

A cat was gracefully walking down the corridor in his direction.

It walked all the way to him and started rubbing itself on his leg while purring.

"How is there a cat here?" Asked Cyril with so surprise.

"Cornelius found it prowling on the periters; considering it was a rare find, I implored him to let take care of it," Ophelia quickly replied.

Cornelius was the most experienced butler of the mansion.

"And Father agreed to let it stay?" Cyril asked further.

"Yes, with a prerequisite that I won't let it interfere with my work," Ophelia replied with a slight smile.

Father wasn't so lenient in the past.

Cyril rembered wanting to have a pet when he was a kid, but Arthur vehently refused to let him have one back then.

"How could such a desire be denied!? We'll have to compensate for that, I say" Rhamn smiled with malicious intent.

"People change," added Ophelia.

Cyril silently picked up the cat in his arms. It didn't struggle, looking at him with its vertical pupils.

"Can you scan it?" Suddenly, said Rhamn with a curious voice.

Why? "We've read about cats before; I am just curious how they are on the inside."

Sothing about her words gave Cyril a bad feeling, but he still obliged.

He cast a usual healer's spell, and a wave of mana went through the cat's body, scaring it.

The animal left his hands in a fluster, but it still stayed close.

"It really likes you. Usually it's more wary around people," said Ophelia.

"I guess I am good with animals," replied Cyril with a barely visible smile.

How is it?"It's all clear in my head now. Thanks." After saying this, Rhamn giggled a little, which only fueled Cyril's concern.

Eventually they've reached Cyril's bedroom in the house.

"Good night, master." Ophelia bowed to him again and left, leaving the cat.

When Cyril opened the door, the cat quickly ran in.

"It wants to sleep with us. How cute!" Rhamn was fascinated by this creature.

Morpho fluttered her wings a few tis out of jealousy.