Repulsions and decisions

"Well, if it isn't my beautiful fiance," Illan's voice, full of its usual vigor, pierced the mildly damp air of the room he just entered. Swiping the remnants of water from his hair, the young Breshnaw man smiled at Ophelia standing a few steps away. "Looking more stunning every time I see you, my lady."

His head bowed slightly, hiding most of his face from Ophelia's gaze. His eyes, however, were anything but closed, drinking whatever of the woman's figure they could.

"Thank you, Illan," the eldest Stormrider child responded. The luscious outline of her bust, as well as the cavernous cleavage, became increasingly prominent as she gave the man a welcoming gesture, but she appeared to not care. Or, perhaps, she was teasing him. Illan's heart throbbed at the prospect. "I hope your travel was pleasant."

"Most arduous, but all worth seeing you at the end," he replied. If someone from outside came to see the scene, they'd say Illan Breshnaw was a graceful and polite young man ecstatic to meet his fiance. Truth be told, that view wouldn't be far from the truth. It was merely the difference between how he acted toward Ophelia and almost everyone else. And all of that was guided by a calculative mindset.

His eyes wolfishly scanned Ophelia's body before she managed to look at him. He saw the strap of her black bra, which fit nicely with the dark blue color of her dress. With the eyes of his imagination, he already saw the woman partly undressed, only the dark underwear hiding her body. Oh, how he'd enjoy seeing her strut along like that, the material delightfully digging into her skin, showing just how sexually endowed she was. Every beat of his heart seemed stronger and filled with more anticipation than the last. He was already close to his target, he knew that. All it'd take was just a bit of patience. It was just half a year. He could last half a year.

His staring came to an abrupt end as Ophelia's blue eyes came into view, immediately scrutinizing him as well. While she did so, Illan's eyes shot to the maid by her side. Her wavy hair of a dark blonde shade struck his memory, but not nearly as much as the woman's figure. Her almost blazing eyes of a bright hazel shade met his before turning to the silver-haired woman.

"Imari," Ophelia said, turning partway to the housemaid. "Take care of Illan's belongings while we have our meeting."

"Yes, Lady Ophelia," the blonde gently bowed her head before stepping forth.

Illan felt a familiar pair of hands on his shoulders. Rita, who had come with him, was already undoing his coat.

"Rita, help Imari," he said.

"Of course, Master Illan," she responded, giving the man a warm smile.

Within seconds, he and Ophelia stepped outside the room, entering a corridor. The unrelenting rain started showing signs of slowly thinning out, the occasional thunder far rarer now. The bright glints of silver on the horizon seemed to signify that the current weather was bound to not last. It would clear in a few hours, just in time for sunset.

"How are you, Ophelia?" Illan asked, strutting right next to his fiance. Glancing at her, he was sure to memorize how her bust jiggled, but his staring was almost impossible to distinguish from a random glance.

"I've been alright. I hope as were you?"

"Yes, it's been fine for me as well."

The small talk continued as they strode down a corridor. Illan's eyes glanced around, noticing the grandeur of the place. To think all this would be his soon... the thought filled him with exhilaration, but not as much as the thought of Ophelia's luscious body, lying in his large bed, waiting and begging for his attention. He could barely contain his inner excitement.

However, his eyes snapped up front once he noticed a glint of movement. There, he noticed two faces he had never seen before. However, that did not mean he didn't recognize who they were.

"Are those the guests I've heard about?" he raised a brow, looking at the silver-haired woman.

Ophelia nodded, but her eyes remained poised at the green-haired woman and her blonde servant who approached.

Illan's attention was immediately brought to the Liveren Princess. Briefly ignoring his fiance, he analyzed her looks.

She was slightly taller than Ophelia, with a cute, pugnacious nose. Her fair skin contrasted with the faintly red pigment on her lustfully full lips. The silver dress cascading down her body was very light in nature, shimmering with every breath and minute movement she made. Illan, who was used to seeing clothing like this on Ester, had no difficulty scrutinizing the elf's full body with a covert gaze that suggested he looked at her face.

She was a slim, beautiful woman, with pert, medium-large breasts, and a gracefully toned waist that connected to easily the widest derriere Illan had ever seen. Below them, he saw just as delightful trunks of thighs. If Ophelia embodied abundance in the chest department, this woman did the same for the posterior.

He listened to a few words of exchange but stopped almost immediately. The blonde elf spoke with Ophelia while the green-haired woman remained silent. Her blue eyes looked at the Stormrider woman, a bit of an unknown feeling emanating from within. If Illan didn't know any better, he'd have said that the princess was repulsed. But then, she looked at him. Almost as though with a swipe of a hand, her expression softened, showing him a slightly curious look. Her brow was raised, and she turned to the blonde man. Her lips parted, a few words of unknown meaning flowing. The man immediately looked at her, responding in Mins as well. After a few seconds, he glanced at Illan briefly, and then at Ophelia.

"Lady Ophelia," the man (Lis'te, as Illan had caught the man's name before) started. "Princess is feeling well. She is, however, interested in who your companion is."

"This is my fiance, Illan," Ophelia responded, gesturing lightly to the man.

The young Breshnaw smiled internally as the elf explained his identity to the princess. Seizing the moment, he stepped in when she looked at him.

"Illan Breshnaw," he bowed his head deeply, a gentle smile on his face. Extending a hand, he felt the elf accept his gesture. Her hand felt soft, and as he gave it a tender kiss, he felt the unmistakable scent of perfumes, a flowery scent intermingling with her own. 'She's a real beauty.' he conceded in his thoughts. "It is an honor to meet you, Princess Seraphina."

As the contact subsided, he heard the elf's soft voice. Its meaning remained a mystery until her servant provided an explanation.

"Princess is also pleased to meet you, Count Illan," Lis'te nodded. Then, he cleared his throat as though to interrupt the situation. "Well, seeing that you are busy, we will not be disturbing you."

"It's alright, thank you."

As Ophelia's mouth closed, Lis'te spoke to the woman beside him shortly. She, however, immediately frowned while responding. Illan could not help but notice a faint glint of unease mixed with her curiosity, her blue eyes glancing at him.

His brow raised. A faint feeling of excitement surged in his chest. It was an edge of anticipation that somehow, subconsciously, tried to tell him that he had caught the elf's eye.

"Is something the matter?" he asked, reciprocating the stare briefly before turning his attention to the blonde elf.

"I apologize. Princess has stated that she had some time, so she wanted to speak with you. Both of you, actually," Lis'te said, his tone calm. However, his eyes glanced at Illan with a tinge of uncertainty. There seemed to be something just below the surface that he decided not to disclose.

Illan's mind suddenly flashed with a memory of his talk with his father. His brown eyes escaped to Ophelia, who appeared to think about the options before turning to him.

"I don't know about you, my lady, but that seems a fine proposal to me," he stated, searching his fiance's face for a reaction.

The silver-haired woman's gaze skittered to the Liveren Princess as if scrutinizing her. He could imagine that she wasn't that happy about it. They already had a meeting that needed to be canceled, so he knew Ophelia felt frustrated with the lack of her connection to him. However, he felt hopeful.

That hope came to fruition as his fiance nodded.

"If that's the case, I believe we can," she gave the Liveren Princess a gentle smile. "Shall we go to the library?"

Illan cared little for the small talk that ensued before the four of them moved through the corridor. Almost all his attention was on the graceful and alluring elf.

His mind surged with possibilities. He knew that she was only staying in this place for some time more - four or five days at best. However, that brief interaction with Seraphina sparked an idea within his head. If she showed interest in him, shouldn't he capitalize on it?

Meanwhile, Ophelia tried not to show her confusion. Her outward appearance - neutral and almost imposing, as usual - was a mere facade. However, she wasn't confounded by Illan's actions - those were well within her expectations. The thing that made her mind boggle with uncertainty was Seraphina Liveren's reactions. There appeared to be no apparent reason why she would inquire for a talk with her and Illan, especially after Ophelia received the regular look that tried to hide her disdain. That interest reminded her of... Lucas.

'...!' Ophelia almost flinched. The parallel was crystal clear to her. Seraphina appeared slightly curious about Illan, and she had spoken with Lucas of her own volition (at least, according to the man). But... why would it be just them?

Just halfway paying attention to the talk between Illan and Seraphina (through Lis'te), she tried to piece together what her fiance and brother had in common. However, she quickly found that she lacked a solid connection. The two were out of entirely different worlds.

Their appearances were wildly different. Illan's slightly bulky form contrasted with Lucas's tall and lean posture. Their faces were leagues apart, as were their eyes and hair. Illan was classed a Mage whereas Lucas was Classless... or was he?

'...no. Lucas can't control when he classes. Especially if he did class, he wouldn't just sit quietly about it.' Ophelia frowned briefly at the thought. There appeared to be another thought surging from within her subconscious mind. Her heart felt briefly tense like she just realized something awful. '...it really isn't fair.'

That ponder was swept away as she realized she had run out of things to compare the two. Anything else she could think of was habitual behaviors or tiny things that were not obvious at first or even a tenth glance. Unless...

'Is it because they're men?' the thought suddenly made Ophelia focus on Lis'te. Her mind diverged to Seraphina's retinue. There was not a single woman in there. Was the gender really the case? That seemed like the only explanation for her.

...then what was she to do? Seraphina wouldn't talk to her even with Lis'te around, but she did speak with Lucas. Was the number of people the matter to look for...?

...

Ophelia felt a pang of uncertainty down in her gullet. A new thought - a decision, almost - appeared in her mind, almost like a hand reaching to help her. She couldn't tell where it came from, but the idea felt too good to reject. After all, she could talk with her brother.

She looked at Illan, then at Seraphina and Lis'te. All four were already stepping into the library, the smell of parchments and ink hitting them almost like a gust of wind. No, she couldn't ponder forever. Mother expected results from her. And there was only one person she knew who could help her with this.

-Meanwhile-

Lucas scratched his ear. 'Why does it feel like I'm constantly on someone's mind lately...' he frowned lightly at the thought. The thought was immediately thrown out as he focused on the lean man scribbling something on paper.

"May I ask something of you, Floyd?"

"Of course, young master," the butler answered, turning to him.

The two stood in a rather large storage room, one of the few places where Lucas was sure he could find the man. Floyd had taken care of this room for as long as the young Stormrider could remember, along with its many pieces of equipment. Old furniture, stashes of covers, wardrobes filled to the brim with rarely-used clothing, and many, many more different items were sprawled on the display. However, despite the clutter, it was orderly and neatly organized. A faint memory of old surfaced at the sight, where Lucas would play hide and seek with Ophelia and Aveline. Sometimes, others would also come, although rarely.

However, Lucas shook his head, stopping his mulling. Instead, he focused on Floyd.

"There are a few books I wanted to get from the library. I would've asked Nimue since they're in Mins, but she isn't feeling well currently. Can you drop them by my room when you have the chance?"

"Of course, just write them down for me, please. I am just about finished here," Floyd nodded, giving the man the paper and scribing tool.

Lucas smiled inwardly, writing the titles down hastily. 'Seraphina should be pretty content with this.' he thought, saying his goodbyes and leaving the man alone. Walking down the corridor without any particular goal in mind, he continued his ponders.

From their talks, Lucas did figure that the Liveren princess had little to do besides sitting in her room. Talking with Ophelia, Ismeria, or Aveline was not something that struck her fancy, even if she was compelled not to show it. Therefore, throughout the day, the white-haired man thought about the collections of books in the family library. He had read all of them, some even more than once, and he was picking some titles that he could show to the Liveren princess. At the very least, she could pass her time with them, he figured.

He felt his mouth curve upward at the thought of the elf princess. It wasn't just the attraction to her alluring form - although he couldn't lie, that did play a part. The actual reason was simple. It was hard for him to find someone to talk with about the books he'd read. This discovery made him feel uplifted. Even if the meetings were surrounded by dangers and uncertainties, they were well worth it.

However, he felt tension arise in his heart, like strings tied around the organ. He screwed up once. He was fortunate enough that his mother was not at home, but that was a lucky break that would not repeat. The second time, it was with Nimue. He could still feel her angered gaze, fueled by her concern. If it were anyone else, he'd barely bat an eye, but her... he didn't want to see her like that. Simultaneously, he didn't want to turn Seraphina down. It was a tricky territory to navigate, and he inwardly wished he didn't have to do this.

'I don't have many options for proceeding like this. The only thing I can really do is to try to see if 5 points in Mental Power will grant me a new skill.' he made a decision, summoning his status.

[Lucas Stormrider (Age: 19)

Class: Hybrid Class (Dream Walker / ???)

Level: 2

HP: 488/488

MP: 1379/1379

WP: 428/428]

'This much will be enough. Now, since I'm close to the kitchen, there is something I wanted to test.'

His steps quickly brought him to the room. Exchanging a quick gaze with Ina, the white-haired man gave her a simple smile before going to the storage room.

"Do you need some help, Tessa?" he asked, closing the door behind himself.

The sleek-bodied woman smiled at him, her eyes glimmering faintly. "It's alright, young master, I'll handle this."

"Do you mind if we have a talk, then?" Lucas took a step closer. His heart beat with uncertainty as he noticed the maid shift in her position, making a spot for him right next to her. He swallowed nervously, his hand rising as Tessa turned slightly away. The presence in the back of his mind, however, appeared to bolster him to hurry.

"What did you want to talk about, young master?"

'Sorry.' Lucas gave the woman a silent apology. His hand raised as he commended his spirit. Almost like he expected it, his fingers became coated in a faint, violet aura as he made a swiping motion.

And then, there was silence.

Tessa's movements halted. Looking straight into her eyes, Lucas discerned that she was not focusing on anything in particular. Even if he only saw this state once before, he understood what it meant.

"Do you hear me, Tessa?" Lucas asked, taking a step back.

"Yes, young master," the woman answered. Her voice, usually so vivid and expressive, now appeared languid and emotionless.

Lucas felt his guts stir with an eerie feeling. However, he swallowed his worries. At least for now, he couldn't let them guide his actions. With a heavy exhale, he focused on the woman again.

"Tell me, can you be honest with me?"

"Yes, young master."

"Then... say it."

"I can be honest with you."

Lucas sent a slightly nervous look toward the door. If it were a different situation, he might've opted to repeat the command. But now, he had to work quickly.

"Tessa, who brings food upstairs?"

"...me, Imari, Lilia," the woman started counting. "Actually, it's everyone but Nimue."

'So, it's about what I expected.' Lucas formed a slightly bitter grimace. 'Then why...?'

"You share the room with Imari and Lilia, right? Are any of you classed?"

"No, young master," Tessa didn't hesitate to answer. In fact, her tone appeared to shift ever so slightly as though to show the credulousness of the man's question.

"What about others? Ina, Miri?"

"No..." the woman gave him a very slight frown. "Not to my knowledge."

Lucas hummed. Since Seraphina had told him that the food felt unclean to her, he kept the thought of asking around in the back of his mind. There had to be some reason for her sensations. He might've dismissed them since she felt that his mana was pure whereas his family's wasn't (which was rather strange), but not with what's been happening lately. Someone with senses that good couldn't be simply wrong. More than met his eyes was going on.

The presence in the back of his mind nodded at his thoughts. It appeared to agree with his cautiousness. Lucas's eyes darted sideways briefly before he sighed.

'...Now, I need a pair of eyes upstairs.' he nodded at the thought. He felt bittersweet about doing it this way, but at the same time, there was relief. For once, Lucas felt this class would be handy. He focused on Tessa's unmoving form. Some old memories of stories with characters in similar situations flashed. It felt a little wrong to admit it, but he had already considered what words to say.

"Listen to me, Tessa. I will tell you something important now."

"Yes, young master?" her brow raised. The dark gray of her irises glimmered, which contrasted with the blank stare of her pupils.

"You feel that there is something wrong with the food that's being served to our guests. You don't know what it is, but deep in your mind, it bothers you."

"It bothers me..."

"Yes. You will pay attention to what's happening to the food and try to find anything that doesn't fit."

"I will... pay attention..." Tessa uttered, slowly repeating his words. However, the man could tell she was having trouble following the instructions.

"You won't tell anyone that you think something is wrong. You don't want them to think you're paranoid."

"I don't want them to think I'm paranoid."

'It really feels wrong.' Lucas gritted his teeth at the ponder. 'Just because I can't show my mug around Seraphina and others, I need someone else to investigate in my stead. And at the same time, I can't let anyone know. It's infuriating. It feels like I'm walking on eggshells around something I don't even understand the nature of.'

However, the momentary groan was stifled in his throat. He had already considered all the pros and cons, and this was the best thing he could do other than just ignoring the issue, which he really didn't want.

However, he bolstered his spirit with a different thought. At the end of the day, this could only go two ways. One, Tessa would find out something - which would confirm Seraphina's worries. Two, she wouldn't - meaning that Seraphina was simply the one paranoid, which Lucas would honestly prefer over her being right.

Looking at Tessa again, he stopped his ponders. There was still something more he needed to do.

"Tessa, do you trust me?"

"Yes, young master," she gave him a reply almost immediately. Her tone shifted slightly to a more vivid one.

"Good. I will not think you're paranoid, no matter what you find out. That's why you know you can talk with me about what you find out. Do you understand?"

"...yes."

'Doesn't sound like it.' Lucas summoned his status. Confirming that his WP dropped by about a fourth, he sent a tense look toward the storage room's door. 'I should try to reinforce this a little.'

He felt the presence in his mind smiling, agreeing with his thoughts. He wasn't sure how or why, but he could imagine a pair of eyes watching him from somewhere, a faint violet smudge just beyond his vision.

Deciding to ignore its reaction, Lucas took a deep breath. Then, he gathered his thoughts quickly as he spoke to Tessa again.

...

As his time was approaching the end, Lucas decided that he'd done enough. His gaze fell on Tessa's entire form. Her eyes were poised at him, still with no sign of consciousness within.

"Tell me everything again."

Tessa fell silent for a few moments. Briefly, Lucas saw ponder cross her features as the woman seemingly subconsciously shifted in her position. Just when he thought she wouldn't give him an answer, her mouth parted.

"I will pay attention to what's happening to the food upstairs."

"Why?"

"Because something is wrong with it. I don't know what, but I know it is."

"And what will you do then? Who will you tell about it?"

"I... don't want others to think I'm paranoid... but you will understand, young master. I can talk with you about what I find out."

"Good. Very good," Lucas sighed, feeling as though a great weight was removed from his chest. He felt the presence almost chuckling, content with his results.

Tessa's body shifted slightly, her face showing him a half-made smile. Even when unaware of what was happening, she took his compliments to her heart.

'Now... Only about seventy WP left. I've done what I can. Let's not prolong this any further.' he decided, sensing a faint sensation akin to a headache spread in the back of his cranium.

With a simple mental command, he felt his connection to Tessa severed like he swung a knife to cut a rope. Immediately, the woman blinked once or twice, her eyes skittering sideways before focusing on his. Confusion was written on her face as she made a sound.

"Uhm... did something happen?" she asked, frowning.

"No, why do you ask?" Lucas answered immediately, sitting by Tessa.

"No, I just... oh, never mind, young master," Tessa waved a hand dismissively. "I think I got a little lost in thought for a second. What did you say you wanted to talk about?"

"Nothing much. I was wondering how you're holding up, now that there are guests to cater to upstairs."

Tessa glanced at him. A gentle smile spread on her delicate face as she chuckled. Her hands almost immediately resumed her work as she shrugged.

"I've been alright. I recently managed to stop Imari's snoring, so it's much easier to sleep."

"Really?"

"Yeah. All it took was covering her head with a pillow," the red-haired woman chuckled. Lucas wasn't entirely sure whether she was joking or speaking the truth. "The secret isn't even that it mutes her, but she just moves a little and stops snoring."

-A few minutes later-

Lucas's talk with Tessa, full of mundane everyday talk, finished quickly. Recognizing that staying around would not benefit anyone, he opted to say his goodbyes and leave.

As he went down the corridor to his room, he felt his mind surge with a multitude of thoughts. The most prominent one, however, was aimed at his status screen.

[Lucas Stormrider (Age: 19)

Class: Hybrid Class (Dream Walker / ???)

Level: 2

HP: 488/488

MP: 1379/1379

WP: 84/432

<Base stats>

<Special stats>

<1 new skill available!>]

His heart throbbed with uncertainty. His steps were barely not breaking into a run as he went to his room.

The click of the lock sounded, and instantly, Lucas strutted to his bed. Sitting on it in a comfortable position, he eyed the line of text with scrutiny. Deciding against waiting any further, he opened his status in full.

[Lucas Stormrider (Age: 19)

Class: Hybrid Class (Dream Walker / ???)

Level: 2

HP: 488/488

MP: 1379/1379

WP: 84/432

<Base stats>

<Special stats>]

[Skills: Magical Resistance (passive), Keen Senses, Pain Resistance (passive), Astral Projection, Subliminal Guidance, Dream Trance, Enter Dreamscape (New!)]

'Enter Dreamscape... I feel like I know what it'll do.'

[Enter Dreamscape

Related stat: Mental Power

Detach your astral form from your body and send it into the Dreamscape of the target. Within the Dreamscape, you will have access to the target's subconsciousness, as well as partial access to the target's memories and thoughts. The extent of your control is influenced by your Mental Power stat.

However, the flow of time within the Dreamscape is not consistent with the real world.

*To use the skill, the target must be under any form of trance, asleep, or ****. Additionally, they must be susceptible to your mental influence.

*This skill can be activated at will to enter your own Dreamscape when you fall asleep. When used on yourself, there is no upkeep cost.

Cost: 250 WP/hour]

...

'...yeah.' Lucas nodded. 'Just the name itself told me enough.'

He dismissed the panel, lying on the sheets. Staring at the ceiling, illuminated by the faint glow of the manalamp by the door, Lucas huffed at his hair. It felt annoying. The more he hoped for this class to be something he might one day present to others proudly, the less it presented itself as such.

...

A few memories from the past days came to his mind. In particular, the events that transpired when he classed sparked an idea within his mind.

---

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/meedrowh