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Condemned To Death
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16th September, 1507
Seren's crimson eyes swept over Emma, his gaze analytical and detached. After a moment of scrutiny, he simply walked past her without a word, his snow-white hair catching the light as he moved to his seat. Susie followed close behind, her face beaming with excitement.
'Finally, after today I will be able to use my Sentry pendant,' Susie thought happily as she settled into her chair. Seren had promised her to help with hunting Law beasts so she could add them to her relic and also improve her financial situation.
Emma, still captivated by Seren's presence, tugged insistently at Lorien's sleeve. Her eyes remained fixed on Seren, who seemed to glow in the sunlight streaming through the classroom windows. "Brother, Brother," she whispered urgently, "Who's that handsome guy with the white hair?"
Lorien looked down at his sister, a hint of pain in his voice as he replied, "You only call me brother when you need something from me." He paused, then added with a note of caution. "His name is Seren, but you should stay away from him."
"Seren..."
Emma repeated softly, savoring the name. After a long moment of staring, she turned back to Lorien, curiosity evident in her voice.
"Why shouldn't I go near him? Is he a bad guy?"
Lorien knelt down, grasping Emma's shoulders gently. His eyes met hers, filled with genuine concern. "Listen," he said, his voice low and serious, "He looks charming on the outside, but he is a very cunning person. He likes to use everyone for his selfish benefits before throwing them away. You should absolutely stay away from him"
Emma turned to look at Seren once more. He was smiling serenely, engaged in conversation with Susie, whose face lit up with every word he spoke. The contrast between Seren's appearance and Lorien's warning created a conflict in Emma's young mind.
She looked back at her brother, searching his eyes to see if he was lying to her. But she found only sincere worry, Emma's usual frown returned. For the first time in a long while, she chose to listen to her brother's advice, remaining silent as she processed this new information.
As Lorien straightened up, a smug smile played across his lips. He cast a glance in Seren's direction, satisfied that he had managed to steer Emma away from his rival's influence.
...
“Why are you so ugly?”
Emma questioned Finn with a mischievous grin on her face, her eyes twinkling with playful malice.
“I’m not ugly,”
Finn retorted, trying to appear charming. He put a hand to his face, peeking at Emma through his fingers, and said in a mock-wise voice, “You are only a child, so you cannot fathom the beauty of someone like me.”
Lorien chuckled, unable to resist adding his own commentary. “No, if a child says you're ugly, then you're just ugly. You can’t come back from that.”
Finn was about to retort when he felt a firm hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Kai standing behind him, a subtle smile on his face.
“What are you guys up to?” Kai asked casually as he began to walk to his seat.
“Big brother Kai!”
Emma yelled excitedly, her face lighting up. She ran at full speed toward Kai and leaped into his arms. Kai, initially surprised, managed to catch her, and she hugged him tightly, snuggling her face into his chest.
“Oh, what’s Emma doing here?” Kai asked, his voice filled with delight and curiosity.
“I just wanted to learn about how Lexarchs learn at the academy,” she said innocently, looking up at him with sparkly eyes.
“Hmph, learn my ass,”
Lorien scoffed silently from the side. But Emma’s sharp ears caught his muttered words. Her voice instantly transformed into that of a villain as she glared at Lorien. “The hell did you say to me? I’m gonna tell grandmother if I hear you say anything bad about me again.”
Lorien felt a shiver run down his spine. He quickly apologized to Emma, who looked at him with a smug expression. Kai chuckled under his breath, amused by their odd brother-and-sister relationship.
Finn, unable to contain himself, said to Emma with a shocked look on his face, “Why are you greeting Kai like that when you never called me your big brother or even hugged me?”
Emma turned her gaze to Finn, an evil expression spreading across her child-like face.
“Piss off, your face looks like the yellow earwax I threw out yesterday,” she said with a grin.
Finn felt like he was about to cough up blood from the insult. He turned around and sat quietly in his seat, putting his head on the desk and covering his face with his arms. He then started making obvious fake crying noises in a bid to elicit sympathy from Emma.
Emma, however, didn’t seem to care. She ignored Finn completely.
Bonk!
“Owwww, brother Kai, why did you hit me?” Emma whined, grabbing her head where Kai had lightly tapped her.
Kai put Emma down, his voice slightly strict. “Emma, you can’t be mean to people who are older than you. Respect others like yourself.”
Emma was about to act stubborn, but Kai cut her off. “Now go and apologize to Finn,” he said firmly.
Emma pouted, wanting to retort, but Kai simply turned his head away from her, indicating he wouldn’t talk to her if she didn’t apologize to Finn.
After thinking for a bit, Emma reluctantly approached Finn, her steps slow and her expression unwilling. She stood next to him with her arms crossed and her face set in a stubborn pout. Finn peeked slightly from his arms, enjoying the sight of Emma’s stubborn act finally crumbling.
“I’m sorry for what I said earlier,” Emma mumbled unenthusiastically, her eyes fixed on the floor.
Finn lay motionless on his desk for a few seconds, savoring the moment.
“...Will you call me brother from now on?” he asked, deciding to take full advantage of the situation.
Emma’s eyes flashed with anger, and she was just about to curse Finn out again. But she held back, not wanting Kai to think poorly of her. With a heavy sigh, she agreed in defeat. “Fine, I’ll call you brother,” she muttered.
Finn finally lifted his head from the desk, a devious smile spreading across his face. He looked at Emma with a triumphant expression that said, ‘I always win in the end.’
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Emma clenched her fists, resisting the urge to punch that smug smile off his face. She turned and walked back to Kai, who was smiling, thinking Emma was finally improving her ways.
“Brother Kai, I wanted to ask you something,” Emma said bashfully, averting her gaze from Kai.
Kai was a bit confused by Emma’s unnatural reaction but decided to ignore it. “What is it?” he asked.
Emma pointed to Seren, who was sitting in the corner of the room talking with Susie. “Brother Lorien said he is a bad guy. Is that true?” she asked.
Kai looked over at Seren, recalling their arm wrestle match and the time Seren had scammed Lorien out of 50 soul stones. He was deep in thought for a moment before he looked back at Emma with a smile. “Depends on how you look at him. If you are his friend, then I think you have little to worry about. But I can’t say the same if you were to be petty with him or go against him.”
Finn looked at Lorien with a teasing expression.
“Are you saying I was acting petty with him?” Lorien asked, baffled.
“Wellll…” Finn trailed off, enjoying Lorien’s incredulous look. “You did try to screw him over at Realms Rite with that bet.”
Lorien justified himself, “That was because he was stealing from the people of the village. I just wanted to make him give back what he stole.”
Kai interrupted, “Seren has been an orphan his whole life and had no one else to rely on. Being homeless and powerless at a young age would make anyone resort to stealing if that was what it took to survive.”
Lorien wanted to retort, but he couldn’t think of a good argument. He looked down, and thought back to his past actions. Indeed, after reflecting for a bit, he realized he was being unreasonably petty with Seren without a viable cause. This made him feel a slight pang of guilt toward Seren.
Emma was just about to ask what bet they were talking about when she caught a sweet, fruity fragrance in the air. She turned to the side and saw a girl with long black hair, soft white skin, and cyan eyes that could enchant almost anyone walking by her.
Elise walked forward with a slight smile gracing her features, her movements graceful and purposeful. She sat on the desk beside Seren, her presence adding a touch of elegance to the classroom atmosphere. With a warm greeting, she acknowledged both Seren and Susie.
Emma stood a short distance away, her eyes wide with admiration.
'If such a beautiful girl is going to him of her own accord and talking happily with him, then...' Her young mind raced, quickly coming to a conclusion. 'He definitely isn't a bad guy!' she decided firmly, her earlier doubts about Seren beginning to fade.
...
"Did you get to do your practice yesterday?"
Elise asked Seren, her voice laced with curiosity.
Seren nodded, his expression thoughtful. "Yes, the Swift clock relic can be quite useful for defense if I have no way to protect myself in certain situations," he explained, his tone measured. "But it consumes way too much soul energy with each use and there is use limit of 5 per minute."
As he spoke, Seren focused on his Mind Core. A thin cloth, flickering in and out of existence, materialized in his hand. He handed the relic to Elise.
"I think I might buy it in the future," he added, his voice carrying a hint of consideration.
Elise felt a surge of relief, glad that her impulsive choice of the Swift cloak relic wasn't misplaced. Her gaze then fell on Susie, noticing the slight disappointment etched on her face.
"What's wrong?" Elise inquired gently.
Susie pouted, her voice tinged with complaint. "Seren didn't let me watch him practice with the Swift cloak relic."
Elise was about to scold Seren when she felt a gentle tug on her ruqun. Turning around, she found Emma standing there, an embarrassed expression painting her young face.
Initially confused by the child's presence in the academy, Elise chose not to make assumptions. Instead, she addressed Emma with a kind voice, "Oh, who is this cute lady?" Her warm smile and gentle tone, honed from experiences in her previous life, were perfectly tailored to put children at ease.
Emma fidgeted slightly, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush.
"Ua, H-hi, I'm Lorien's l-little sister Emma," she stammered, trying her best to appear as innocent as possible. "I-I just thought you looked really pretty, and there's this sweet fragrance coming from you."
Seren, overhearing the exchange, glanced towards Lorien's usual spot. He saw him standing there, eyes fixed on him with a piercing glare. Lorien's lips moved slowly, silently communicating a message.
Seren began deciphering the unspoken words: 'If...anything...happens...to...my...sister...you...are...dead.'
A soft chuckle escaped Seren's lips at Lorien's evident nervousness for his sister. He turned his gaze back to Elise and Emma, amusement dancing in his eyes.
Elise, oblivious to the silent exchange, focused her attention on Emma.
“Oh, thank you very much,” Elise replied with a smile to Emma. She then continued, “I was actually trying out a new perfume I found on the market. It gives your body a fragrance like sweet raspberries.”
Emma felt internally relieved, seeing that Elise was just as kind as she looked. She had wanted to go straight to Seren but thought it would be a bit awkward if a random child started talking to a stranger for no reason, so she decided to take a different approach and start with Seren’s friends who had something in common with Emma.
Emma's eyes widened with interest. "Perfume?" she exclaimed, her stutter fading away as she became more comfortable talking to Elise. "I've never tried perfume before. Can anyone wear it?"
Elise nodded, her smile widening. "Of course, perfume is for anyone who wants to smell nice," she explained. "There are so many different scents to choose from, so you can find one that suits you perfectly."
Emma made a contemplative look as she muttered her thoughts out loud, “I'll have to ask my grandmother if I can get some perfume.” She then asked Elise shyly, “Can we go shopping for it together? I don’t know much about perfumes.”
Elise's heart warmed at Emma's enthusiasm. "Sounds like a great idea," she said, her voice filled with genuine delight.
As Elise and Emma continued to talk, their conversation flowed naturally. Emma's initial shyness melted away, replaced by a growing sense of comfort and excitement. Elise shared stories about different perfumes and their unique scents, while Emma listened intently, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. Feeling more at ease, Emma even began to engage with Susie, slowly building her relationship with the both of them.
Lorien watched the unfolding scene with a stiff and nervous expression, his eyes never leaving Emma as she continued to get closer to Seren's group. His protective instincts were on high alert, warring with his desire to let Emma make her own choices.
Finn saw Lorien's reactions and a mischievous idea sparked in his mind. Seeking revenge for earlier, he sidled up to Lorien, placing a hand on his shoulder and leaning in close.
"Seren first took your 50 soul stones, and now he's even taking your sister," Finn whispered, his voice dripping with mock pity.
Lorien bristled at Finn's words, annoyed that he'd let his guard down enough for Finn to get the upper hand. But his irritation was overshadowed by his growing concern for Emma.
The atmosphere in the classroom immediately shifted when Aldric entered the room, his presence commanding immediate silence. Students hurried back to their seats, the rustle of movement filling the air. Aldric's keen eyes scanned the room when they suddenly paused briefly on Emma. For a moment, he was about to harshly scold the person who had brought a child to the academy, but then some recognition flickered in his eyes. He realized Emma's true identity from her similar facial features as Lorien. She was the daughter of the Ashbourne family head and the granddaughter of elders Luna and Darius. Immediately, he decided against taking any action regarding Emma as he proceeded with the lesson as usual.
Emma's eyes darted around nervously, realizing there were no empty seats left. Elise, noticing her distress, kindly offered her lap. But Emma, gathering her courage, shook her head and pointed timidly at Seren.
"I want to sit with big brother Seren," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Surprise flashed across Seren's face. Emma had largely avoided him during her conversations with Elise and Susie, leading him to assume she either disliked him or Lorien had told her to stay away from him. He hesitated a bit at first, about to refuse, when he caught the intimidating looks from both Elise and Susie as they glared at him to accept.
With an internal sigh, Seren plastered on a smile and reluctantly said, "Sure."
Emma's face lit up with joy as she bounded over to Seren, settling comfortably in his lap. Her small frame was warm against him as she looked up, her eyes wide with curiosity.
"Brother, why is your hair white? Are you old?" she asked, her voice a mix of innocence and shyness.
Seren's lips quirked in amusement. "I'm not sure," he replied honestly. "I was born this way."
"Hehe, it makes you look very charming," Emma said, her attempt at a compliment endearingly clumsy.
Seren thanked her, maintaining his smile even though he felt slightly uncomfortable. He wasn't accustomed to dealing with children. One wrong move, one accidental harm to Emma, and he didn’t want to think of what Lorien or the Ashbourne family would do to him.
As the class continued, Emma occasionally whispered questions or comments to Seren, her efforts to appeal to him both obvious and clumsy.
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Condemned To Death
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