Chapter 53: Affiliated Symbols (2)
LAVINIA YERA ECKARDES
"Before I answer that, have you ever wondered if you deserve what you received until now?"
Those words… I was like being splashed with cold water. I never asked myself that…
"W-What do you mean by that?" Did she know anything? Did Mother spread rumors about me? No… that isn't possible, it'll ruin her and the family's reputation even if one unfavorable information about me escapes the mansion.
'But what is really the meaning behind this condition? As if Lady Tania has eyes inside the mansion to know my situation.'
"Pain can be masked, wounds can be hidden, smiles can be faked, so acting tough is a given." Lady Tania said as if reciting a poem but…
'Every words are a stab in my chest. How did she know everything?'
"Perhaps, by now you know what I'm referring to or rather to whom I'm referring to." She added. She has a small smile on her lips and her eyes are sympathetic
"Since when did you start to suspect?" I asked straightforwardly, there's no way our first meeting gave away everything.
I first met Lady Tania six years ago, during an academic party. We were both in the same class and because we were the same age, we were assigned to the same table. Lady Tania used to be quiet, and she didn't make any noise either, as if silently watching everything that her eyes landed on.
She's doing it from person to person, like reading a book. And then her eyes land on me. She stares at me for five minutes before staring at another person, and so that cycle went on. I don't know what her deal was back then, but when puberty hit her she became rowdy. But now, it was as if that kid version of Lady Tania is the Lady Tania that's in front of me right now, minus the disability.
But it's already 6 years ago and she only stared at me for 5 minutes back then, it is impossible to know someone in that span given that she was only 11 years old during that time. After that, we never cross paths again, though I sometimes see her chasing after the Second Prince from 3 years ago until she left the academy's premises this year, that's when we're in our early teens.
"To be honest… I know you even before you know me as me. It's a pity that you don't remember…" Lady Tania smiled bitterly and disappointed.
'I don't remember her? What? I met her before I even met her at the academic party?'
No matter how hard I try to rack my brain, no image of her came across my mind. This is stressful, more stressful than the exam given at the academy.
"Did we first meet at the academic party 6 years ago?" I asked restlessly
I saw her eyes widen a bit, it's like an expression of being hurt. I think… I got it wrong. But when did I first meet her?
"It really hurts to be forgotten, but anyway, do you remember the kid you first saved during the 3rd day of the First Grand War against Orcs?" Lady Tania asked, and I'm really taken aback when she mentioned that War.
'Our meeting wasn't 6 years ago but 10 years ago?!'
"W-wha…?! y-yo…?! No way, I remembered it was a silver-haired kid that… I… saved… during… that……" I didn't finish my sentence upon realization
Lady Tania's brother from a while ago was silver-haired too. Perhaps, it was him during that time? Then the other kid who went after the kid I saved is…
"Have you finally remembered everything?" Lady Tania's small smile turns to a wide grin
"During that time, Keaton was only 6 and he sneaked out to find the second prince at the palace to play. But who would have predicted that the Orcs will also break in using the underground with the help of other monsters? The carriage Keaton was using was tampered with by me. I put an alarm and stone barrier on it, so the moment a little bit of accident occurs the alarm will turn on and notify me and so the barrier will protect the passenger until reinforcements come.
Unfortunately, no available knights are around as my father sent them to assist in the war. I was the only one to dispatch but when I arrived, the barrier was already broken and Keaton was nowhere to be found. I searched for him until I reached the battlefield. Now that I think about it, I sacrificed too much for that idiot. Anyway, while I was wandering the battlefield, I was luckily unharmed and reached the camp where the wounded soldiers and knights were taken and treated. That's when I spotted you holding Keaton's hand and walking toward the shelter.
Do you remember refusing to give me my brother back because he kept on denying that he knew me and that I'm not his sister? You even ran away while dragging him just to get away from me. In the end, one of our knights recognized us and he proved my claims."
All through her story, all I did was wither away due to embarrassment. So that's what happened. How did I forget that crazy moment? The silver kid (Keaton) made me worried for years because he kept on denying he knew the red kid (Tania), and he was taken by force at that time too. Ha…ha-ha
"I'm sorry… I have nothing to refute." I said without strength to defend myself now that I learned the true story behind that mystery. "But… What does that have to do with you suspecting my family's treatment over me? No matter how I think of it, it does connect to our first meeting."
Lady Tania smiles softly which makes my heart thump, it's just a smile but I can feel her sincerity that I feel like crying… what is this feeling?
"It's because I saw it. How hard you try your best to treat the soldiers even though you obviously have no background in treating major wounds, but you never looked tired doing it. The time you apply first-aid to Marquess Eckardes, and the time he brought you back to his mansion. And how I saw you again after years passed by, looking hopeless and tired. I may look like this but that's how I observed you, Miss."
All this time, she was watching me? Is it really fine to trust Lady Cavelier? This is the first time we talk about something serious, plus she's a cunning Lady, I don't know what she wants by helping me. But at the same time, this is my only chance to free myself from Eckardes's chains… but if that really happens then I'll be alone again- I just want a family to love me and welcome me… warmly.
"Like I just said earlier, I won't force any of you, so just take your time to think about it. And this isn't the only day we'll meet in the future… you have plenty of time." Lady Tania uncrosses her arms and attempts to stand, but Lady Melancholy calls out for her.
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"Lady Cavelier… this, would you mind reviewing these three conditions?"
-*-
TANIA
That story was from my dream this morning… It's as if I am watching a movie about that scenario where I follow the kid Tania who was nervously and desperately searching for Keaton despite the battle going on around her. Well… thanks to that memory, I somehow learned about the 'real' first meeting of Lavinia and Tania. Plus the 'Authority' and 'History Synchronization' has increased to '60%' and '10%'
I shift my head over to Melancholy, and she shows me the paper. Ahh, so she didn't change anything on the first three, instead she just added her conditions.
"4. Party A needs to find Party B's half-sister on the mother's side at any cost. Party B will use the power of Saintess whenever Party A is in danger.
5. Party A has to sponsor Party B's half-sister until she finds a suitable job with benefits. In return, Party B will also work for Party A without asking for anything in return.
6. Party A must make Party B the Reginleif head after all 3 conditions are fulfilled. Party B will swear allegiance to the Caveliers, and will follow it until the end."
'Ha-Hahaha… what the fuck? She became ambitious in an instant, is she the same Melancholy who was trembling a moment ago?'
"Wow… you must love your half-sister very much. But I didn't know you have another sibling other than Sir Arkanse and Lady Alta." I look at her with wonder, it wasn't even mentioned in the novel either.
"Those two are from my father's side, but Melody is from my mother's side. Compared to me, she has a strong healing mana but I heard she was always taken advantage of by others because she's poor and young… She didn't even have a chance to heal her mother back then because she was forced to heal some nobleman's wife. In the end, Mother died and she blames herself for it."
Geez… why is their family so complicated compared to the royal family?
"You want to sign the contract now?" I asked. Well, her conditions are fine with me but I didn't expect her to be enthusiastic like this, I even told them to have their time to think about it.
"Yes. I don't want to delay it. I want to find my sister ASAP, so yeah, I'll be the Saintess if that's the only way." I see the determination in her eyes as she said that. How can I ignore those kinds of eyes?
"Alright then."
I wrote down my name and signature on both contract papers and passed it to her to do the same. And as the witness of this contractual agreement, Lavinia also signed with her name on it. That's not all, I stamped both papers with Gallahan's seal, it's from the temple, solely for the use of this so the papers won't be destroyed or burned. It's goddamn expensive and needs the Elder Templar's permission to borrow it. And I borrowed it for a month so it's a total of 50,000 gold coins which is equivalent to 10 billion USD in my world… on top of that, it's just rent for god's sake, and not to own.
The Cartania Kingdom's currency is:
1 gold coin = 100 silver coins
1 silver coin = 100 copper coins
10000 copper coins = 1 gold coin
1 copper coin = 20 USD
It's fine I have a lot of money anyway. I keep my copy and start to wrap everything up. I undo the soundproof barrier and unlock the door, once again, the noise came out from the outside like normal.
"Ahh, Lady Melancholy, now that we're in a contract we can call each other comfortably right?" I smile humbly and I snatch a quick glance at Lavinia's way before saying, "It's like I gained another family member."
I then offer my hand to Melancholy for a shakehand. Melancholy looks annoyed but she accepts my hand. In my peripheral view, I saw Lavinia bite her lower lip.
"I…I…" Lavinia hesitantly said, "Can I think about this more thoroughly?" It wasn't the response I'm expecting but I immediately hid my disappointment and gracefully turned to her with a cheerful smile.
"It's fine, Lady Lavinia, you have all the time to think it through. This is a very important matter after all." I point at the paper without changing my smiling face, "You can keep that until we meet again."
"…Yes." She rolled the paper and hid it away. "Please wait for my answer until then."
-*-
Since I intended to make a contract with these two, I pulled out two items from my new spatial ring that I got from the dungeon. These are tokens to give them, though after seeing Lavinia today, I had to change it last minute.
"Lady Melancholy, accept this item as a token, this won't help overcome the second ability but it'll strengthen your first ability. I will send a letter regarding how to overcome it later, I hope you will be patient until then." She holds out her palm and I place it on her hand.
♤Item Information♤
Name: Aklin
Type: Accessory
Form:
Classification: Rank A++ (Unique)
Attribute/s:
User:
⌸• Stats •⌸
Healing Cap. : 90% (A)
Durability : 100/100
Material : Iron and Allodium Mana Crystal
Detoxification : 90% (A)
Disease Detection : 100% (A)
Barrier : Indestructible (A)
Healing Speed : ½ day to 1 day (A)
Weight : 10 g
Defence : 90% (A)
Skills :
Disease Detection Lvl. 10, Heal Lvl. 9, Detoxification Lvl. 9, Indestructible Barrier Lvl. 9
This one is among the highest rank artifacts that I loot from the dungeon, it's not that I have a use for it, I'll just let her heal me after she can control the curse. It's an investment.
"And Lady Lavinia, take this and make use of this however you like, I hope you find your goal in life." I gave her the item… and it's used for assassination but whatever, I have no use for it, so it's better to give it away than leave it unused.
♤Item Information♤
Name: Mialka
Type: Trap weapon
Form:
Classification: Rank A++ (Unique)
Attribute/s:
User:
⌸• Stats •⌸
Attack. : 90% (A)
Durability : 100/100
Material : Allodium Mana Crystal
Defense : 90% (A)
Sharpness : 100% (A)
Poison : Belladonna (A), Tetrodotoxin (A), Thallium (A)
Flexibility : 100% (A)
Weight : 3 g
Stealth : 90% (A)
Skills :
Spider web Lvl. 10, Lethal death Lvl. 9, Brutal death Lvl. 9, One with the Nature Lvl. 9
"A string?" Lavinia was about to touch the string when told her its nature.
"I wouldn't want to touch that if I were you." I commented, "That is a weapon, or should I say an assassination weapon? Anyways, it is highly poisonous and incredibly sharp. Only a pro can handle that without killing himself."
Lavinia instantly stepped back and move away her hand with wide eyes.
"Why would you give me something like that if you know it's dangerous?!" She yelled. Now, now, this is the Lavinia I know from the book, though thank goodness she didn't swear at me.
"I didn't say you have to use it yourself, it's up to you what to do with it. Sell or whatever, it's yours. But before you do that, make sure to appraise it first to know more about it, especially its value." I huff and cross my arms. It'll be a waste if you don't train to use it, that was my goal… but it's now hers so I'll let her do whatever she wants with it.
"…Hayst, it'll be nice to have a goal in life but it's your decision that matters," I added. "So yeah, that concludes our business, let's end it today. I'll use the communication orb to contact you both or just feel free to contact me. Ahh, Lady Melancholy, I want to meet that servant girl you talked about earlier, please let me meet her."