Chapter 14 - The Dinner, And Parent’s Side.

-Clink

With a clink I opened the door of the dining room.

And in there, I saw a literal feast.

A feast, that I wouldn't be able to afford even with a month's salary.

All kinds of dishes were laid on the table, their looks captivated me as much as their smell, causing me to salivate crazily.

I don't know if this was a regular set up or today was more extravagant.

But being empty stomached didn't help me in keeping myself standing out either, so I walked in.

My arrival turned many heads, no, not because I was handsome…

…but because I was rare.

Yes, rare.

Even before old Rayne fell into coma, it was quite rare to see him anywhere except the training grounds, or his personal training lab.

But that will change from now.

These people, and even my family members will have to get used to it.

Thinking about my family, my eyes naturally gazed at them.

The Count, the Countess, and my little brother.

My new family.

All of them, even Reonald was flashing a comforting smile at me, though that comforting smile of his had more of happiness, and excitement(?) in it, it still worked.

Seeing them smile at me like that, felt weird.

I felt undeserving, and guilty.

If only that incident didn't happen, if only 'that' bastard didn't show up, if only I didn't have to kill 'his' soul, then wouldn't it be a perfect redo for me?

(A/N: That bastard=Kasivier, his=Rayne)

I thought as I got closer.

But I left the ifs as ifs and I focused on reality.

I greeted them, "Father, Mother, and little Reonald.",

With an awkward smile, but at least my speech was devoid of formalities.

Both the Count and the Countess smiled at me, as for my little brother, rather than simply smiling, he waved his hand in an 'over here' gesture as he excitedly invited me, "Come here, come here, sit next to me big brother!"

Having no reason to reject him, I was about to follow on that, but a melodious voice stopped both me and him.

"Reonald that isn't your big brother's seat, you know that right?"

The Countess said, before she turned towards me and gestured to another seat, a seat on the other side of the table.

"Don't mind him Rayne, go sit beside your father."

So it was, 'The heir needs to sit on the right side of the family Head' thingy.

And as much as I found this illogical, I didn't complain and just sat down quietly.

I settled down and found that both the Countess and Reonald were looking at the Earl, 'Why though?', I thought as I followed their gaze back to the Earl.

My eyes met his now golden ones, but they turned back to normal as he chuckled a bit,

"Someone looks quite eager, so let's just start eating."

He said that to the Countess, while giving me a side eyed look as he picked up his spoons.

'What was that? A regular check up perhaps.' I thought and didn't pay much thought to it.

Though I wanted to give him a stink eye for saying that, still I didn't do so and I just left him alone.

Why?

Because I had more important things to focus on.

Steaks!

My favorite steaks.

My beloved steaks.

For me Steaks = Best food.

No more explanation was needed after that.

So, I got to work.

I devoured one serving of steak after another, as I continued to ignore everyone else...

...Until, I heard a low snigger, while asking for my third serving.

Feeling something weird about the atmosphere, I lifted my head to looked around...

Only to see everyone, and I mean it when I say everyone, the maids, the guards, the butlers, and finally my family, all of them were just looking at me, with different expressions.

The maids, butlers, and guards mostly looked shocked, while a few like Mora had a smile on their faces, those people I remembered, for I think they wished me well.

While Count and the Countess wore an amused smile.

As for the source of the snigger, it was none other than my cute little brother, Reonald.

He looked like he was about to burst out laughing, but was somehow holding it in, like a dam on a river.

A dam, which broke as soon as I looked him, his sniggers turned into full blown laughter as he said between laughs, "Hahaha, big brother, haha, why are you eating, hehe, like you were starved or something?".

And I was speechless.

It was obviously my fault, I just didn't want to think about that 'family' thing nor could I actually start a conversation with my mind right now, so I focused on my food.

'Only on my food', and that led to consequences, I forgot my manners, manners which even Rayne didn't use and need much, as he mostly ate alone.

But before I could even think of saying anything, Reonald beat me to it, "Say, big brother the reason why you didn't eat with us, it wasn't due to your bad table manners, was it?"

Doesn't he talk too much for his age?

Umu, he surely does, I thought.

Before I coughed and resumed eating, as a steak fanatic I obviously knew to eat one properly which was what I did now, completely ignoring him, though for some reason my cheeks felt hot.

Of course, he was not done yet, but he could only stop when he got a look from the Countess.

The rest of the dinner was quite awkward, as I cut my steak and ate it perfectly.

But even then, they still had those damned smiles plastered on there faces.

Each time I glanced at the Count he would look the same, but with how his lips twitched on my every glance, he may as well directly laugh at me.

The Countess was even worse, she would directly meet my eyes and smile even more, showing her pearly whites, while her smile was giving off the, 'You were cute.' Or, 'Do that again.' feeling.

I shuddered each time I met her gaze.

At least Reonald was better, all he did was eat with his head down, though an occasional glance or suppressed snigger would leak out of him, it was still better.

But the worst had yet to come.

Just as I finished my serving and was going to wipe my mouth, Mora stepped forward, wearing a small but strange smile on her face she asked, "Do you want another serving of steak, Young Master?".

Seeing even the 'Serious Maid' smile like that, I couldn't help but think, 'Am I really that cute?'

I refused that thought along with her offer with a curt 'No', wiped my mouth and left quickly.

***

After literally escaping from the dining hall, I sighed in relief.

-Huuuuuuu

I really felt like I had too much smiles for the day.

At this rate I would become a diabetic patient for sure.

I thought, before shaking my head.

I wandered through the corridors as I asked myself, 'Where should I go?'

And got a lot of answers.

Actually, there were a lot of places I wanted to visit, places such as my lab, that clock tower, and the training grounds…etc.

The whole estate was my new home, and obviously I had to know my home well, right?

Or so I thought, as I chose to just stroll and look around much as I could.

***

[Back in the Dining Hall]

[Third POV]

"Say Husband, didn't we tease him too much?"

"What if he refuses to dine with us due to embarrassment?"

"What will you do then?"

"But Mom, weren't you the one teased big brother with your smiles the most?"

The Countess was going reply, but she noticed something odd, her husband who never ignores his family, was not listening to both of them…

This was odd.

This only happened when there was a very important issue he had to think about, and for now there only one person her husband could be thinking about, but what exactly about him?

That, she couldn't guess.

Her husband though simple at times, was in the end, a complex being, a Magus.

And she couldn't guess about something that bothered, even a Magus.

So, did the only thing she could, she quietened down and gave him his thinking time.

Her son Reonald was late to notice this, as he continued, "Still, I can't blame you Mom, big brother was so adorable with while eating, you know even his cheeks were blushing..."

And she must say he was only telling the truth, but still she gestured 'privacy' to him subtly.

Thankfully, he noticed this and quickly left the room along with most of the maids, guards and butlers.

His lunch just like her, was done anyways.

Now in silence, she gazed at her husband, his handsome face and majestic visage.

Inadvertently, she remembered what happened last night, that intense last night.

He was so passionate, so hot, and so lovable, that she fell for him even deeper.

It wasn't like he didn't take care of her.

Rather he always took care of her, he was always kind to her, and he always loved her.

But last night, he was so happy, so excited, so unrestrained that anyone who saw him could feel gratification ooze out of him.

Not like she had any plans to let anybody see her husband like that.

That view was only her privilege.

But there was a time when it wasn't only hers.

A lively time when she wasn't his only wife, a time when she had a big sister.

That time was, maybe, the best time of her life.

She would be lying if she said that she didn't feel a little jealous, but it was natural, her big sister was so mature, so kind, so beautiful, and even so strong.

Who wouldn't be?

While she?

At that time, she was nothing but a youngster.

A youngster that thought of pulling away her husband from that 'old vixen'.

'Oh gosh!' she groaned inwardly, as she remembered those embarrassing things she did at first.

But then, things improved she became mature, more levelheaded, and calm.

Soon both she and her big sister had a child, she still remembered how happy her husband was, when both Rayne and Reonald were born.

He smiled, he laughed and he shone like the sun itself.

But then something impossible happened…

...her big sister died.

She was shocked, and how she couldn't be, a person as strong as her sister died, of illness?

Was this a joke?

She wanted to but, she couldn't deny the truth.

So, when she saw him, her son, sleeping peacefully, maybe not even realizing what just happened, she swore, she treat him as her own child, she would cherish him and fill the gap left by her big sister…

...but she failed.

Let alone treating him as her child, she couldn't even talk to him.

Before she knew it, he had made a shell around himself, a shell that no one could break.

No-one, not her, not even his father.

She tried to break it, just like everyone else, and she failed, just like everyone else.

But unlike others she kept trying, as a strong person herself she found a common topic in them.

At first she just gave him tips, then she trained him.

But that was her limit, any more and he would get annoyed.

He didn't say so but she could feel him, getting annoyed, getting desperate, as if he had a deadline in front of him.

So, in the end she stopped, and just kept it professional.

At least she could look after him, at least she could see him, she thought.

But then, he too fell ill, just like her sister.

He slept, while she wept, thinking she should have done better.

As for her husband, he stopped smiling from then on.

Even her son, who didn't know him much got a lot quieter.

But what made her feel helpless was that, she didn't know what to do.

Just like him she too was getting desperate, but right when she was about to despair, right in the nick of time...

...he woke up!

Same as before, no, even better than before.

His shell was broken, no, not broken it was simply missing!

He was awkward, he was clumsy, but he was trying!

Trying to get along with us.

And most importantly he was adorable!

Ahem, she coughed inwardly as she got back to the topic.

With everything going so smoothly now, what was it that was bothering her husband, this much?

Just what?

She wondered as she prayed, for whatever it was it shouldn't be a bad news-

Her husband's movement broke her trance as she watched him sipping a bit of wine from his glass.

Now that he was done thinking, he would share it, she knew that, so she didn't ask.

And as expected, he did.

He snapped his fingers as 8 different silver flames lit up, each of them forming a group of two, and as such the eight flames formed 4 groups.

The flames weren't hot, for they weren't flames.

Rather than flames, they were just silver lights shaped like flames.

But those silver lights, reminded her of something, something that her husband showed her before.

So, she quickly asked, "Dear, is this…a representation of souls?"

"Yes it is. It's a diagram of Rayne's soul at different times, against a normal magic user's soul of same rank."

I thought so, she said inwardly as observed the flames while waiting for her husband's explanation.

The flames in the first group were identical.

In the second group, the flames were twice as weak and looked like they were skewered, when compared to the normal.

While in the third group, there was barely any comparison, the flames looked like they would burn out any second.

And finally in the last group, the flames looked the same, in fact they even looked a bit stronger than the normal ones.

Done with her observation, she looked at her husband and said, "Explain.", as he hadn't started till now.

Which he promptly did,

"The first diagram is before his mother's death; at that time his soul was normal.

The second one was after her death, just before he fell in comatose, his soul at that time was same as hers, but while hers disappeared his soul turned like this", The Earl said while pointing at the third diagram before moving to the fourth one, "And after he woke up his soul was once again normal just a bit stronger, but now;" he paused, dispelled all other flames and summoned another 2 new ones.

Ones on the normal side were the same as before, but the ones which represented Rayne's soul were… overwhelming, they were bigger, stronger and more intense than the normal ones, by not just one but by many magnitudes.

"His soul is like this," he said while pointing at the bigger soul, "rivaling the soul of an Archmage."

His soul rivals that of an Archmage, meaning his soul is stronger than her right now?

But how?

She thought, as a terrible possibility crossed her mind.

"Dear, what if Duke Etherfleihm did-"

"No, not possible, that can't happen, even his most perfect 'work' can be easily distinguished with my [Baldur's Eyes], and even if he somehow improved miraculously, such precision couldn't be obtained unless he was in direct contact with his 'work'."

"And with me being in this house, no matter what methods or artifacts he uses, that is impossible!"

He declared with firmly, as he denied that possibility.

"Also, that coward doesn't have the courage to enter my estate alone, let alone the possibility of him infiltrating it."

Yes, he is right there is no way someone can do anything to Rayne, she thought.

"Don't worry Latina, I have checked his Mana Signature, and even his Soul frequency, with the box I gave him.

If he wasn't Rayne then the all the Arrays in the house would be on locked on him in an instant, and I would probably be fighting with perpetrator right now."

Her husband reassuring helped her a bit.

It's good that it was an impossible possibility, but then again,

"So... what are the consequences?", she asked.

"Consequences, hmm, I can't be sure...

There are actually no methods to increase a soul's strength, it just increases with your Rank, even the Etherfleihm's are still trying to create such a method, so this is actually the first time I have seen something like a soul surpassing someone's rank.

So, its consequences are unknown, but if I had to guess.., I think there wouldn't be any bad consequences, rather if his soul continues to strengthen like it normally does on a rank up, then his xxxxxx will improve gradually…" he said seriously.

(A/N: That's a spoiler.)

"Dear, isn't this a good thing then, so why do you look gloomy..?" she asked, hoping to ease his mind.

"The cause, Latina, the cause, what caused this,

Will this happen again?,

How to prevent this?,

If this is inherent illness?,

If it was the illness which strengthened his soul, or it was just a consequence of something worse?,

If so then what had gone wrong with my wife?,

Such things, Latina, I have to think about them and find a way, a solution for this.

I don't want to see my son like that ever again."

He said with a determined look.

And she liked him this way, he appeared much more charming to her now.

So, she chided him for a bit, as she got up and walked towards him, "Now, now my husband, I too don't want to see him like that, and it is correct to think about such things.

But, please do so in your lab.

For now, do focus on your family, enjoy your time with them," and then finally whispered what was on her mind, "and most importantly focus on your wife, who needs your attention, right now..." In a seductive tone, as she left the hall, after giving him a 'follow me' gesture.

"Hah, Women…" the Earl said as he followed right after his giggling wife…