298 Fulfill Your Duty

"You changed your surname? Who put you up to this?! Was it that woman?" Lyra questioned. 

Lycster wriggled his arm out of her grip, "I made my own decision. Vyrena is my sister."

Lyra gasped in shock. She turned to Count Cristo. "He's already missing an arm and she even brainwashed him? What else could she have done to my son!"

Lycster was about to rebut but he did not have a chance. 

"You're right. This woman has taken things too far. If the rumours about her sadistic nature are true, who knows what she could have subjected the boy to!"

"You know nothing about us! How can you say things like that?!" Lycster shouted in anger. 

Both the Count and Countess turned to look at the boy. For a boy of his age to talk so out of turn was ridiculous. It was an embarrassment to their family. 

"In any case, our first order of business would be to send you to a Boarding School. So that you can get some proper education and learn some manners! How can you speak to your elders in such a manner?" Count Cristo commented. 

He grabbed hold of Lycster by the arm and headed towards the door with Countess Lyra following closely behind. But the boy refused to follow them, he resisted their attempts to drag him out of the room. 

"Where are you taking me to?" he exclaimed as he struggled. 

"Have you not been listening, boy? We're taking you back to Winch Town. Then we'll send you off to a boarding school so that you can learn some manners!" Count Cristo said. 

Leave? No, Lycster could not leave! His sister was here, everyone he knows and love are here! He was not going anywhere with these people. Even if they were his family! But no matter how much he struggled, he could not get out of the Count's grip. 

Seeing as they were inching their way towards the door, Lycster took to his sky form immediately. Lyra screeched in shock, while the Count fell backwards in shock as Lycster transformed into an owl before their eyes. 

"Lycster Wickerhem! You better get back down here this instant!"Count Cristo barked. 

Lycster flew up to the chandeliers that hang from the ceiling. He perched up there and shook his head. 

"I told you, I will not go with you and you cannot make me!"

"Why you…" Cristo tightened his fist tightly. 

"Why are you so insistent on bringing the boy back with you?" a voice cut through the tension like butter. 

Everyone turned their attention to the source of the voice. A young dark-haired gentleman with glowing red eyes was seated on the sofa sipping the tea Vy had left behind. 

Aether never left the Drawing room. 

"Who… where… did you come from?" Lyra asked. 

Aether turned to her and looked her straight in the eye, all while taking a sip from his teacup. 

"It doesn't matter, does it? But the matter still stands. Why are you so relentlessly insistent on bringing Lycster Blackfire back with you?"

"I… well he's my son! And he's a Wickerhem! Shouldn't a child return home with his mother?!"

Aether placed the cup down on the table with its saucer, "But from the way things seem, you don't even know how your boy went missing. Apart from his name, what makes you so certain the boy, who shapeshifted into an owl, is indeed your son?"

Countess Lyra bit her lip. She wanted to defend herself but before she could do so, Aether began to speak again. 

"Something just doesn't add up. It's been a long time since he went missing and as a parent, I would assume that you would know when and how your son disappeared. But it seems like you don't."

"What do you know?" Count Cristo snapped back, "Things were complicated back then. It was a mess. But we're here now and we want to bring my grand-nephew home."

"That's it?" Aether probed as he stood up from his seat and walked over to the count. 

He got up close to the Count, they were barely inches apart. Lycster watched on in silence as he felt the temperature in the room drop a little. Aether had always been the silent serpent who was also his sister's Familiar. 

Lycster could see how he was trying to intimidate the Count. He seemed to be trying to probe him into spilling the beans. It never occurred to the boy that they might have an ulterior motive. But now that he saw it from a different point of view, things seemed suspicious. 

"You dare say that that was all you wanted to do? To bring your grand nephew home together with Countess Lyra?" Aether hissed. 

"That's… that's right, is there something wrong with that?" Count Cristo replied with feigned confidence. 

Aether had given the man a chance to speak the truth. But it seems like the Count needed a little more coaxing. The Familiar's eyes glowed red for a split second, as he glared deep into the Count's eyes. 

"Is that really all there is to it?" he hissed. 

"The boy is a Wickerhem. He needs to be back at the mansion to take his place."

"To take his place as the Young Master of the Wickerhem Family," Lyra added to Cristo's words as if she was trying to swiftly complete his sentence on his behalf. 

"The boy needs to fulfil his duty to his family and inherit the mission," Cristo divulged. 

His mouth and mind were no longer under his own control. They were speaking the word of truth. Lyra's expression seemingly revealed the truth in Cristo's words. She was twisted in fear. 

"Cristo! What are you saying?!" she gasped. 

Lycster, who listened from where he was perched, felt a jog in his memory. The words they spoke felt all too familiar. He could feel emotions erupting within him. Emotions he thought he had buried a long time ago. 

All he wanted to do was to get away from here. Without much thought, he flew out through the open window and up into the open sky. Seeing as Lycster decided to take off, Aether no longer cared about the Count and Countess. 

He released the Count and left the Drawing room to chase after the boy.