"ralda"
"Yes master?"
"Take care of them while I'm away….. Ana might wake up earlier than the others so just tell her that I've got an appointnt to make if she wonders why I'm gone"
"Ok" ralda affird with a yawn, her drowsiness palpable as she settled back into her couch.
'Seriously, this oh-so-great spirit of mine really loves her sleep'
'But considering all the things she did for , I guess she kinda deserves this much leniency'
With a final glance at the peacefully slumbering girls, Adrian turned to leave.
"Oh, and here," I said, my voice carrying a softness that matched the gesture, as I threw a green-looking stone toward ralda.
"Master, this is..." ralda began, her words trailing off as she grasped the significance of the stone in her hands. It was a spirit stone ticulously crafted for nature-type spirits like her. Possessing this stone ant that anyone could now form a proper contract with ralda, allowing her to bestow blessings or enact her will upon them.
I had been aning to give her this token for a while, a silent acknowledgnt of the bond that had evolved between us. Despite our initial clash, our relationship had grown, prompting to end the forced contract and grant her the freedom to choose another master.
Darkness swirled around my hands, and the ethereal chains binding her heart to shattered like fragile glass. Her eyes widened at the sudden severance of our connection, and it seed that the weight lifted from her brought a surge of happiness.
'Hehe, she must be quite happy right now'
"You can tell Louise to make a contract with you later. I'm sure she—"
"What are you talking about, Master!" ralda interrupted, her voice edged with a mix of anger and distress. Tears welled up in her eyes, adding an unexpected emotional depth to the mont. The abruptness of her reaction caught off guard, and I paused, unsure of the sentints that lay beneath her fervent outburst.
"L-like I said, you can make a contract—" I began, attempting to clarify my intentions.
"Why?" ralda interjected, her tear-streaked cheeks revealing a vulnerability that cut through the anger. "Do you not need anymore..." The spirit stone, once a symbol of potential freedom, now lay shattered on the ground, mirroring the fragnts of her emotions.
"After all this ti! After all the things we did, after all the things you made do, after all those things, are you trying to abandon , Master?" Her words, charged with anger and hurt, reverberated in the room.
"Calm down, ralda... I'm not trying to abandon you. I'm just giving you the chance to choose your own master, and even better, you can choose to not have one," I explained, attempting to soothe the storm of emotions that had erupted.
Unexpectedly, ralda moved closer, gripping my hands tightly. "I don't need it... I don't need a new one; you are enough, Master," she pleaded. A gentle green light enveloped both of our hands as she attempted to initiate a new contract, this ti one of her choosing. Her mana flowed towards , seeking to establish a connection.
As I observed her earnest expression, I sighed. Although I could accept the contract and forge a new connection with her, I refrained.
The fundantal truth lingered—I wouldn't risk her well-being by fostering a connection that could potentially harm her. Our natures, like opposite poles, posed a threat, and I couldn't allow her soul to be jeopardized due to a failed adaptation to my mana.
Forcefully letting go of our intertwined hands, ralda fixed her gaze on , her erald green eyes betraying a quiver of understanding. "Master?" she uttered, her expression shifting into one of sadness.
"I'm sorry, ralda, but being contracted with would only hurt you," I explained gently, my words sinking into the atmosphere like a bittersweet lody. As the truth settled, ralda's body trembled, and her once-tightly held composure faltered.
My authority, told of her ongoing ntal state, relayed the turmoil within her. System notifications kept popping up in my eyes.
Thoughts of abandonnt, of being deed useless, and an overall sense of confusion swirled in her mind. The abruptness of my revelation seed to have sent shockwaves through her, catching her off guard.
I reflected on the irony of the situation. Considering her nonchalant deanor in the past regarding our contract, I hadn't anticipated this intense reaction.
If anything, I assud she might welco the prospect of choosing her own destiny, as she had occasionally voiced dissatisfaction with our existing arrangent. Yet, the reality before painted a different picture
I gently wiped away the tears streaming down ralda's face and t her teary-eyed gaze.
"ralda, I know this might seem like I'm abandoning you or sothing, but it's really not that. Besides, Louise being your new master isn't such a bad thing either. You get to have pure mana that doesn't corrupt your soul, and as Louise would probably be with , that would also include you, okay?"
I spoke, attempting to reassure her, but her tears continued to flow unabated.
Sighing once more, I couldn't find a proper way to ease her distress, so I opted for a heartfelt gesture. I wrapped my arms around her in a comforting embrace, hoping that the physical closeness would offer solace and understanding.
"What are you doing, young master?" Analise inquired in a slightly tired voice. Judging from her slightly disheveled hair and sleepy eyes, it seed she had recently woken up. I was aware that servants woke up earlier than their masters, but I couldn't help but wonder if Analise always woke up this early to prepare for us. She looked at with eyes that held a hint of surprise, likely questioning why I was up so early.
Her gaze scanned from head to toe, and noticing my well-dressed appearance, she couldn't help but voice her concern. "Are you going sowhere, young master?" she asked, her voice lightly tinged with worry. I couldn't bla her for being concerned, considering the last ti I went out, I didn't return for a week.
"Y-yes, the principal told to et her quite early due to my recent absences. It seems she wanted to et early as she would be quite busy during the day," I explained, trying to find a suitable excuse. While it wasn't entirely false that I would be eting with the principal, I couldn't deny that I was strategically bending the truth to allay any suspicions.
As Analise couldn't perceive spirits, my attempt to comfort ralda might have seed peculiar to her, perhaps as if I were hugging thin air or even practicing my hugging techniques.
Her golden eyes bore into , wearing an amused expression, as if she found my actions rather ridiculous.
With a smile playing on her lips, she couldn't resist the opportunity to tease. Slowly closing the distance between us, she slipped into my arms, defying the invisible boundary spirits created for themselves.
This unexpected intrusion compelled to reciprocate and encircle her in a hug, her arms wrapping around in response.
"You could've just said you wanted a hug, master... I guess watching girls sleep wrapped around one another was too much for an adolescent man like you, huh?"
Analise remarked with a mischievous grin, completely misinterpreting the situation.
Glancing at ralda, who stood to the side, her eyes widened in response to the unintentional cody unfolding before her, the absurdity of the situation was too much for her stressed mind and heart right now.
….
In a luxurious room that rivaled, if not surpassed, Lilliana Vulter Tellus's chamber—the flower of the empire and daughter of the great Duke Tellus—a woman of exquisite beauty was seated, surrounded by opulence. Her hair, reminiscent of cherry blossoms, cascaded down her shoulders, and her erald green eyes sparkled like the hues of spring. She sipped delicately from a teacup, enjoying her morning ritual.
A voice disrupted her quietude, echoing through the room. The communication orb atop her table flickered to life, projecting the holographic image of a man with hair of the sa shade as hers but with a darker green hue in his eyes. He regarded her with concern, his paternal instincts evident.
"Are you doing well, Christine?" he inquired, his voice carrying a warmth that only a father could possess.
Christine turned her attention to the holographic image, a smile playing on her lips.
"Yes, I'm doing well, Your Majesty" she replied with a polite bow and a glint of affection in her erald eyes.
The middle-aged man sighed, his expression hinting at a blend of exasperation and amusent.
"Hah, I told you to call 'papa' when we're alone."
A gentle laugh escaped Christine's lips, and she shook her head with a fond smile.
"You know I can't do that, Your Majesty. Even if I am your daughter, your position deserves much respect. Familial bonds are no exception to respecting your grace and will, as you are the one and only emperor in this vast continent"
Hearing her words, the man slumped back in his seat, a sigh escaping him. The complexities of familial ties and royal duties weighed heavily on his shoulders.
"Fine" the emperor conceded, leaning back in his seat.
"But I heard there were so troubles going on in the academy quite recently. Even Duke Heiron was getting involved in the matter and visited the school himself. Would you be so kind as to enlighten this old man of yours regarding the situation there?"
Christine, with a knowing smile, understood the unspoken implications behind her father's seemingly benign request.
Despite being the emperor, doubts about the accuracy of information often crept into his mind.
The intricate web of courtly intrigue and politics made it challenging to discern the truth.
While information flowed through various channels, only the dukes and high-ranking ministers could reliably convey recent events directly to the emperor.
In essence, her father's request was a subtle plea for the unvarnished truth. He sought to bypass the potential manipulations and half-truths that could accompany information transmitted through official channels.
What he basically said behind those benevolent voice was = "I don't trust what the people here are telling , and the duke is quite the shady snake, please tell what exactly happened there"
With a composed deanor, Christine began to recount the events at the academy, providing a detailed account of the recent incidents. The emperor, in turn, cross-referenced this information with the reports he had received.
It beca apparent that many details were either distorted or omitted in the versions that had reached him.
Although he felt a twinge of annoyance at being kept in the dark, he couldn't ignore the possibility that Duke Heiron, known for his cunning and strategic mind, had purposefully withheld certain aspects to maintain a semblance of control and avoid embarrassnt.
Although it might seem a bit foolish for the emperor of an entire nation to place trust in his daughter's words over those of his most loyal allies and subordinates, ti and events had proven that, in this treacherous world, the only individuals he could completely rely on were himself, his wife, and his daughter.
"Thank you, Christine," the emperor expressed his gratitude.
"You're welco, Your Majesty," Christine replied with a respectful nod.
The emperor sighed, feeling a pang of sadness every ti his once-cute, lively daughter, who used to call him 'papa,' now addressed him with the formal 'Your Majesty.'
"Christine" he called out to her, shifting the conversation. "Regarding your fiancé, that Tellus kid—what are your thoughts on him?"
Christine hesitated for a mont before responding "Well... he's a piece of trash?"
Hearing his daughter's blunt assessnt, the emperor's expression turned more serious.
"Tell more" he demanded in a tone befitting an actual emperor.
The carefree air dissipated in the seemingly quiet room.
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