19 Chapter 19 - Is she Normal?
Gaia's radiant beams pierced the vast sky, finding their way into the dense mana atmosphere of Ardoros Continent.
Here, the mana was exceptionally concentrated, endowing its inhabitants with extraordinary strength, making it one of the most powerful continents on the Blue Star.
Amidst this convergence of mana, Gaia's rays illuminated a window in one of the grand estates belonging to one of the four major families.
Inside the room, a girl of approximately 12 years lay sleeping on a luxurious bed.
"Haa...haa..."
Suddenly, her eyes shot open as she gasped for breath, scanning the intricately designed decorations surrounding her. A sense of nostalgia washed over her as she recognized the room.
'Is this my room?'
The same bookshelf and furnishings that had faded from her memory now greeted her.
'Didn't he kill me?' she pondered, trying to come to terms with her inexplicable situation.
Swinging her legs over the bed, she made her way to a large mirror, revealing a girl with white hair and deep navy blue eyes.
{ A/n : Diana's present illustration }
It didn't take her long to realize she had regressed fourteen years. A smile of realization spread across her face as she contemplated the advantage of possessing knowledge of the future.
"He's probably around five by now,"
She murmured, her voice trembling. Staring at the floor, her eyes darted with almost frantic rhythm.
'He killed me'
Her teeth sank into her lower lip, and a cry escaped her, "Aaaahhh! He killed me!"
Her eyes darted to the mirror, and a twisted grin formed. Retreating a step back, she took a spin while wrapping her arms around her body," How romantic~~"
Her body trembled with excitement, recalling the memory of his deadly eyes. "Mmmmmmh~, those sharp eyes, as if they could devour me at any moment"
"Haa...haa..."
Breathing heavily, she leaned closer to the mirror, her hands trembling as they met the glass nearing her face. She rubbed her cheeks against it as her eyes became hazy, 'My Ryuk~'
Her hazy eyes fixated on the mirror, a manic gleam within,'You are mine~'
SWISH
Suddenly, she rose onto her toes, contorting into the Releve position with an eerie intensity.
Spinning with a twisted grace, her lips parted, "In our love's embrace, forever you're my ownđ¶"
Delicate fingers, now trembling, caressed her face as an unsettling shiver ran through her.
"Together as one, my heart, body, and soul, you have wonđ¶"
Her hands clasped in a sinister gesture, she abruptly descended into a seated position, a twisted grin stretching across her face.
"In my love's game, you're the king, others just pawnđ¶"
With a predatory leap, she twirled, her dress fluttering like the wings of a dark omen, embodying the horror of an obsession that knew no bounds,"Hehehehe~~~"
Suddenly, she abruptly interrupted her position as her anger rose, "Those whores!"
Yanking at her hair in frustration, she vividly remembered how those women has caused her demise by hands of her beloved ,"I will kill them!"
'Then, he will be mine...right?,'
Excitement coursed through her as her wrapped arm tightened, "Mmmmmmh!" biting her lips, she found herself lost in her beloved's memories.
Knock Knock
Being disturbed like that, she didn't find it pleasant but decided not to let others know about her true and pure love for her beloved.
"Phew~"
She exhaled as her usual demeanor hid her hidden desires, just as she had concealed them until now even from her love, 'This time, I need better plans.'
"Come in"
She calmly looked towards the door that opened revealing a maid.
"Young Miss, Lord is calling you,"
Maid showed no emotion on her face, adhering to the stoic demeanor expected of the Riantain Family.
The Riantains were one of the four most powerful families in Ardoros Continent, and their maids and servants were selected from the Riantain's branch family.
"You can leave,"
Diana firmly stated as the maid departed. She couldn't help but feel a sense of amusement about the upcoming situation.
Just like before, she would be tasked with taking care of Ryuk Devereux, the heir of the Devereux family and also her beloved, 'Sorry Love, but, you have to wait this time'
Leaving her room, Diana observed the servants and maids going about their work, showing no deference to her. It was an unwritten rule among the Riantains â never bow your head to anyone, not even the Gods.
Pride ran deep in their blood.
Her gaze shifted towards the entrance of the grand ballroom.
Creaaakkk~
With a sound, the gates swung open, revealing a floor of white marble with intricate designs and an ethereal glow caused by Gaia's rays, coming through the roof's glass.
High above, several figures occupied regal thrones, exuding an overwhelming presence.
âš I have a task for you, Diana,â©
Diana turned, drawn by a mysterious voice.
At the throne's apex, a man met her gaze, mirroring her eyes. Distorted waves of heat shimmered in the air around him, creating an ethereal scene.
"I already know everything about Ryuk Devereux,"
Hearing her words, the man's eyes narrowed, he doesn't care about the source of information, but waited pondered about the reason behind Diana's confidence.
âšHow much do you know?â©
Diana knew they weren't concerned about how she came by this knowledge; all that mattered was the result.
This was the essence of the Riantain Family â results were paramount, regardless of the methods used.
"Ryuk's mother, Alisia Devereaux, will die in 15 years,"
Diana calmly revealed, understanding the significance of the information she possessed.
She wished to share about Ryuk's future potential, which could pose a hurdle in their path, but it can be dangerous for her beloved if these people see him as a threat, making it impossible for her to use it as a bargaining chip
None of the figures on the thrones questioned the authenticity of her words, as Riantains never reached conclusions without substantial evidence.
âš How will that happen?â©
One of the women on the thrones inquired as she folded her legs and rested her chin on her hands, interested in the information about the death of Alisia Devereaux
As the woman spoke, a subtle smile graced Diana's lips, looking towards the woman who seemed confused with her such expression, she demanded.
"I want access to Aurora's Nest,"
"!?"
The woman's eyes widened before relaxing, feeling amused by the demand put forth by a mere eleven-year-old child.
âšGuess you're forgetting how things work here, Dianaâ©
Hearing the woman's words, one of the young women sitting on the thrones stood, jumped from the seat, landed on the floor beside Diana, and turned towards her with a slight smile,"Mother, let me help my sister remember how things woâ"
WHOOSH
'!?'
Suddenly, Clara's eyes widened as she looked toward Diana's hair, which started to turn blue along with her eyes.
With each passing moment, the shine of her eyes changed into a dark blue hue.
"So, what were you saying, Sister?"
Diana turned toward the young woman with widened eyes, a smirk forming on her face.
'I-Impossible,' Clara's eyes widened as she saw Diana's bloodline had already Awakened.
The Riantains have a special bloodline that grants them complete control over their bodies.
Some of their abilities include changing appearance, enhancing abilities, healing, shape-shifting, self-defense, extending lifespan, controlling physiology, psychological manipulation, and body art, making them one of the strongest families on the Ardoros Continent.
Normally, individuals Awaken their bloodline at the age of sixteen, while geniuses might do so at fourteen or even thirteen, the youngest age for an Awakening due to the properties of their bloodlines requiring a state achievable only at this age.
"You must have used some forbidden method!" Clara shouted in anger, "Let me check it", Her mind couldn't fathom the reason as she swiftly took Diana's hands and injected her mana into her veins to check her body's internal structure.
Children of the Riantain family were not treated as members but merely as tools to be useful to the family. If deemed useless, they were discarded.
Clara herself had Awakened at the age of 14 and rose to become one of the top children of her generation, navigating internal politics to reach the position of an elder member of the family by the age of 26.
Now, someone had appeared with an Awakening unlike any seen before in Riantain's history.
'Ugh!', Diana gritted her teeth, feeling the rush of raw mana coursing through her.
Clara's intense emotions sought to destroy this tool before it could fully develop, causing her to flow mana without restraint.
Diana began to guide that raw mana throughout her body, absorbing it and using her Bloodline to protect her veins from destruction.
"Sister, it should be enough for you to know, right?"
As Clara attempted to increase her mana, she noticed several gazes fixated on her, but using her Bloodline, she managed to control her emotions and calm her mind.
"Yes, it is legitimate. You didn't use any mana," Clara spoke calmly, turning towards the head of the seat.
The man sitting at the apex, closed his eyes briefly before the entire ballroom filled with an intense aura as his eyes snapped open.
SWISH
Looking intensely at Diana, his eyes started to become relax, as the pressure inside the place quickly subsided.
âšIndeed, it is true. You are eligible for Aurora's Nestâ©
A commanding voice resonated within the place, the man on the regal throne gazing intensely toward Diana with his piercing blue eyes.
Without getting intimidated, a small smile formed on Diana's face as she turned and exited the hall, leaving the top members staring at her disappearing back.
âšTell me, Clara, what now?â©
Clara heard the voice of a woman, her own mother. Turning towards her while pursing her lips, she clenched her dress, "I misjudged her"
Her anger surged, but it remained invisible on her face due to her bloodline's control. Losing control over her emotions at Diana's bloodline awakening had been her mistake.
Riantains were trained to stand firm even in the face of death, revealing how much she still lacked.
She turned and departed, adhering to their pride as none bowed even to their patriarch, knowing that position was temporary, with priority given to strength.
At that moment, the man in the highest seat held the strongest position among them all.
.
.
.
Diana moved through the hallway, unable to stop thinking about her dear sister, Clara Riantain, a woman who had always been jealous of her, even going so far as to exile her to a distant continent.
It was Clara who instigated the Council to send Diana to Heindal Continent to deal with Ryuk Devereaux.
She did everything to destroy him but eventually fell for him.
Suddenly halting in her path, Diana reminisced about her time with him, a sinister smile forming on her face as her delicate fingers caressed her cheek. Soft laughter echoed in the hallway.
"Hehe, Ryuk~, Ryuk~. My Ryuk, just wait. You will be mine. I will keep you all to myself. This time, I will kill those bitches"
She continued forward with a jump and a spin, her mind consumed by thoughts of her beloved.
To her, it was true love, at least in her perception.
Moving swiftly without eliciting any reaction from the maids and servants, she reached her bedroom.
Her hair turned white again, even though after having physical modification allowed by their bloodline that permitted them to change their hair color as they desired, she preferred her real ones.
Facing the mirror, she observed her reflection, remembering how she had underestimated her beloved.
Her plans were set in battle: orchestrating Ryuk's fake death and taking him somewhere safe where she could be with him without any external influences.
'It's ok though, As I have upperhand this time', She needed to get closer to Ryuk, even though she knew, there is a possibility that he might have his memories, but it didn't concern her much, given her knowledge surpassing his â she knew things that could be used as bargaining chip to get his attention and love.
"Wait for few more years, my love," She whispered as of right now, she needed to strengthen herself, especially after witnessing Ryuk's superior strength, that was variable in her full proof plans.
She never expected him to overpower all of them like that, it should have been Edward who claimed to be the genius and also the real heir of Abernathy to become victorious, but results were not what she expected.
But, right now, She had what he needed â Information about the things outside the small Heindal Continent, and he had what she needed â Him.
In her mind, obtaining his love, even at the cost of mutual cooperation, was worth it.
" Will definitely make you fall for me, Ryuk "
