15 Ch. 15: New Life [1]
The morning sun cast a warm glow through the towering windows, illuminating a room adorned with luxury pieces of furniture. At the center of the room stood a full-length mirror framed in gold, reflecting the elegance of the surroundings.
In front of it, a white-haired boy stood while the maids moved around him, placing intricate garments onto his regal clothes. Adrian subconsciously ran his finger into his hair without removing his eyes from the mirror.
'White hair…'
He had dyed his hair in many colors in his previous life but had never tried white. It was said that white hair was the hallmark of the Leillucis bloodline; the Imperial Family. And because of it, Nathaniel was accused of being an illegitimate child. Since there were no accurate paternity tests in the Middle Ages, this made it somewhat difficult to prove to the public.
What was so wrong if Nathaniel took after his mother's genes instead of his father's? What Adrian meant was, that if Nathaniel was not the Emperor's child, how could he have a blessing from the founder of this Empire? Why would Chrono bless someone who was not his descendant? It did not make any sense.
But, whatever. It was none of his business anyway.
Nevertheless, he couldn't help but sigh upon noticing how puffy his eyes were and the last night's tragedy flooded his head. He only took a bite but the effect was far beyond imagination and thanks to it, he wept all night long! What a scary cookie, he should ban it from his life.
"Your Highness, it's all done." A maid informed him as they stepped back.
He nodded in acknowledgment. "Thank you."
Adrian took a better look at himself in the mirror. Wavy white hair combined with a pair of cerulean eyes. Tall nose with a sharp jawline, and flawless porcelain skin. The boy was quite tall for his age but the only flaw was he was too skinny.
But what could he say?
Adrian was unconscious for four months, so it was understandable, and getting more muscle was added to his new homework list. Overall, Adrian would doubtlessly become a celebrity if he was born in the modern age.
As a movement reflected on the mirror, he glanced to the side of the mirror and saw Marie stepping forward behind him and bowed. "Your Highness, His Grace is waiting for you."
Adrian turned around and nodded, "I understand."
Marie smiled and offered him a hand. "Shall we?"
Adrian stared at it for a brief moment before shaking his head. "Thank you, I'm fine."
Surprise etched on Marie's face and silence descended enveloping the room with uncomfortable tension. He could feel how many eyes were piercing him.
Brushing it off, Adrian broke the silence. "Could you show me the way?"
"Ah..." Marie withdrew her hand nervously. She straightened her back and forced out a smile. "Yes, please this way."
With that, they exited the room and marched toward the drawing room with several maids and butlers following closely behind them. The rhythmic cadence of boots and shoes reverberated against the stone walls.
As rich rosy fragrance pricked his nostrils, Adrian turned his head sideways. A vast garden lay before him, bathed in soft sunlight that filtered through emerald leaves and blooming flowers in dazzling colors. The air hummed with the harmonious buzz of pollinators and the distant melody of birdsong.
A riot of blooming flowers, resplendent in myriad hues, sprawled in a choreographed display that seemed almost surreal.
Adrian clicked his tongue in amazement, 'As expected of an imperial palace of a fantasy world, huh, everything seems surreal to me.'
When a thought kicked in, Adrian glanced toward Marie, "Can you tell me more about my grandfather?"
All he knew was that Graham Lancaster was a Duke, nothing more. But it never hurts to collect a piece or two of information, right?
Marie turned to him and smiled benignly. "His Grace is a Commander of the 3rd Corps, the Leader of the Egberg Region in the West, a Sword Master, and the Lancaster Family is known as the Shield of the Aeon Empire."
Ho, he had no idea if his grandfather would be that amazing. A Commander was the head of a Corps consisting of 20,000 to 45,000 soldiers or knights. If he remembered correctly, there was a forest called the Forest of Death which directly faced the Western Border.
The Forest of Death was a mysterious forest that continued to spawn monsters. It was written in the novel that many had tried to conquer this forest, but none had ever reached its center. There was a rumor circulating that a dragon lived in that place.
He had a hunch that the meaning of 'the Shield' must be referring to blocking the monster's route to the Aeon Empire.
Adrian nodded. "I see. Thank you, Nanny."
"It is my pleasure."
After walking for more than fifteen minutes, they arrived in front of a giant door and the guard announced his presence. "His Highness Prince Adrian is entering!"
The door swung open, revealing two old men inside it. An old man with grayish hair wearing a butler uniform bowed as soon as he saw him. The other had blonde hair with a pair of blue eyes, estimated to be around mid-fifties; he was Graham Lancaster, his grandfather.
Arriving in front of him, Adrian addressed him. "Good day, Duke Lancaster."
"..." Yet, Graham didn't say a word and just stared at him in silence.
Nevertheless, Graham couldn't help but feel unfamiliar after seeing those cold eyes. He thought that the boy before him looked nothing like his grandson. Because if it was his grandson, then he would call him 'Grandpa' in excitement and give him a warm hug.
Well, he had learned about Adrian's memory loss, but he never heard of how memory loss could change a person's personality. Although Adrian's eyes appeared indifferent, they weren't. If you look carefully, his eyes were calm–way too calm; resembling still waters.
Moreover, usually, his grandson would be flustered and avert his eyes if he gawked at him too long, yet, looked at him; the kid in front of him gazed back at him nonchalantly.
"Your Grace will burn a hole in His Highness' eyes if Duke Lancaster keeps staring at the Prince like that."
A voice snapped Graham from his reverie, he turned to the sound Marie was seen smiling at him. "Ah, Marie, it's been a long time."
"It has, Your Grace." Marie bowed to him before shifting her attention to Adrian. "Your Highness, please have a seat."
He did as she told and Graham followed suit. Shortly, maids entered the room. They placed an array of delectable foods and poured tea into the porcelain cups, infusing the air with the aroma of freshly baked sweet and brewed tea. Taking their time, they decided to enjoy their afternoon tea before delving into a conversation.
Graham fixated his sight on Adrian and upon noticing how puffy his eyelids were, he settled the teacup on the table. "What happened to your eyes?"
Adrian distanced the teacup from his lips and met Graham's eyes. "I had a nightmare."
A terrifying one–that fucking cookie.
The Duke just chuckled, 'Adrian will always be Adrian.' It seemed he was thinking useless thoughts. "You looked better than I thought."
"Thank you."
"Since I have another meeting to attend to, I'll get to the point." Graham signaled to the butler next to him.
The old man retrieved a rectangular box on the table before Adrian and opened it, revealing a longsword with its scabbard resting side by side.
"That is your birthday gift from your mother."
Graham's voice prompted Adrian to shift attention to him. Placing his teacup, Adrian asked, "May I try it?"
Graham shrugged nonchalantly, "It's yours anyway."
Adrian took it out and its weight was considered pretty light for a long sword. His cerulean eyes carefully examined the sword in his hand.
The sword's fuller was carved with an elegant white etching pattern. But the one that caught Adrian's attention was its blade. It had distinctive patterns of banding and mottling reminiscent of flowing water. It was doubtlessly Damascus steel.
The Damascus steels were not only visually stunning with their intricate patterns but also known for their sharpness. However, the recipe for creating them had been lost to history. If this sword were to be auctioned off in modern times, it would fetch a high price. After feeling satisfied, Adrian placed the sword back into the box and returned his attention to his grandfather.
Graham pointed to the butler standing next to him, "Also, this man will become your head butler starting today."
Adrian's gaze moved toward the man in question and the old man stepped forward, bowing respectfully. "Your Highness, my name is Fredinand. If you need any assistance, please feel free to call me."
That old man was none other than Fredinand; the one who had a body like a fighter which he saw back in the 'sights'.
Curious about his strength, Adrian peeked at his [STATUS WINDOW].
=====
[ Fredinand ]
« Overview »
Title: The Egberg's Flash
Race: Human
Age: 68 year-old
Gender: Male
Occupation: Assassin - Lv. 8
« Character Statistic »
»Physical:
STR: S+
PDF: S-
TLT: A+
AGI: S+
»Magical:
MAG: C-
MDF: C
»Ability:
INT: B+
MP: B-
« Elemental Affinity »
Water: -
Fire: E
Lightning: C
Earth: A
Wind: A
« Skills »
[ Throw ]
Description: Raise the accuracy of throwing weapons.
Rank: S
[ Swift Movement ]
Description: Raises the speed of spell-casting.
Rank: S+
[ Wind Blade ]
Description: Able to imbed Wind Elemental into a weapon.
Rank: S
=====
Adrian clucked his tongue. 'What a surprise.' Who would have thought the old man before him was a level 8 assassin with an average S-rank combat rating? Looking back at the assassins he had encountered before, they seemed to be nothing compared to Ferdinand.
Adrian glanced at Graham and asked. "Are you sure to leave him with me?"
"Why? Do you not like him because he's too old?"
Adrian shook his head, "No, it's not like that. I was just asking."
"Why would I mind if I was the one who assigned him to be your new head butler?"
So, in other words, Graham gifted one of his men to him? Truthfully, it was too much. But considering the rough path Adrian would walk in, maybe he could use Fredinand as insurance.
"If it's like that, then, thank you so much for the gifts, Your Grace."
"Tsk." Graham clicked his tongue in annoyance and spoke exasperatedly. "Could you stop calling me 'Your Grace'? I came here as your grandfather, not as Duke Lancaster."
"I understand."
Graham sighed and stood. "Come here."
Adrian did as instructed and soon, warmth wrapped around his body. Graham embraced Adrian tightly and whispered. "I'm just glad that you're safe. I promise I'll never let those Delacroix dogs hurt you again."
An indescribable feeling swirled inside. He knew the love people gave wasn't meant for him, but then again, he had become Adrian.
"Thank you… Grandpa." Adrian hugged Graham back.
Let's… live his new life.
