44 The Young Man and The Noble Princess (2/2)
I know what I saw. I felt it. There's no way...
”Saw what, Ka'an? Something inside the mirror? You sound just like my grandfather...”
Reed ignored her as he gazed into the mirror and said, ”I did not see, so much as I felt something... I'd rather not talk about it. What is this mirror supposed to do, again?”
”It is a mirror, Ka'an. All it will ever do is reflect whatever stands in front of it. Nothing more.”
Lu'um eyes imperceptibly flickered as she slowly approached Reed like a predator in the wild. ”The mirror can help the lost find themselves, but at a cost. It can turn false things true. Regardless of whether those things are beneficial or detrimental to the viewer.”
”But you really shocked us all yesterday, Ka'an. I've never seen someone react so adversely to the mirror before. You even fainted; The maids, Itotia, and I had to carry you all the way to my bed...”
Her hands made their onto his chest and Reed coldly scoffed. ”An illusion, then? I will admit that it had me fooled until the very end. To think that I fell for a glorified parlor trick.”
That was what he said, but it couldn't have been further from the truth. He just didn't want to admit it. If he did, it would mean that he was anything but who he thought he was. It was akin to being told that he was the false one, and most importantly th—
”Isn't that just you? I can only see you as yourself and no one else; who else can define what it means to be you other than you?” She gestured at the mirror that reflected them and said, ”When I look at myself, I only see myself. When I look at you, I only see you.”
”...”
She coiled around him like a snake, uncomfortably close and tight. ”You're distorted; bent out of shape because you think the pieces don't match. I can assure you this, my beloved — they fit. I'm sure you know too, in your heart of hearts.”
A door creaked open and a familiar figure poked her head through, afraid of interrupting in on the pair's conversation. Itotia forced herself to speak and said, ”U-Um, am I intruding on something important? I can come back late—”
”It's fine; we weren't talking about anything in particular, right?” said Reed.
Lu'um wordlessly shrugged. She put her head on one of Reed's shoulders as if it belonged there and looked at Itotia with a gleam in her eye.
”Don't be so serious,” said Lu'um.
Itotia gazed at Lu'um with a smile that didn't look like a smile and said, ”Then why don't you two change out and come have breakfast with me? Grandfather Ulbo and the rest of the family are waiting for you two.”
The roundtable seemed like a gathering of the world's greatest figures. Tall, handsome men and elegant women keenly gazed at Reed with warm smiles. They all looked otherworldly in the sense that not a single one of them looked like a common man. There was such a thing as being too beautiful, to the point it'd become a curse rather than a gift.
In a more primitive era, they would have been considered idols of worship, akin to the children of the gods. Itotia and Lu'um took up the seats beside him, acting as human shields for his sake.
”... This is aunty Teramosa, and this is cousin Bianca, and this is...” Itotia prattled on and on with the introductions, but it was too much to handle. It was overwhelming being in a room filled with monsters, such as these. Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please clickfor visiting.
Reed noticed as soon as he walked in that they weren't normal in the slightest. The Anima that surrounded them was genuinely terrifying. The waves that leaked out of them were nauseating — it felt like his skull was being battered on the inside.
It was only after Lu'um secretly placed a discreet ward on him that he felt comfortable again.
A man with long, braided hair boisterously laughed and his howling laughter warped the Anima around the table like a tempest. Even with Lu'um's ward, the man's laugh felt like someone had him with a goddamned uppercut.
”So you've finally come home, little cousin! Excellent, excellent! But it seems like you've lost much, eh? You look thinner than a twig now... that's no good, cousin.”
”Mmm, he does look thinner now... Are you unwell, little cousin? Life must have been hard for you, I presume,” said a gorgeous woman who looked no older than twenty. Her glowing amber eyes swept over Reed in curiosity and an intrusive coldness touched Reed for an instant.
Lu'um swiftly blocked the woman's probing attempt and gazed at her with a frigid expression that lacked any semblance of warmth. It was a face that could freeze hell over; it almost looked like she was staring at something that was worth less than dirt.
”Ohh? Sister? Sorrry, about that~ I just couldn't help myself, you see... No hard feelings, right?” The young woman smiled sweetly like an angel and giggled as if it was nothing more than a mischevious prank.
”Now, now. Don't start up again, you two. How many times have we been over this?” said an older lady with a gentle smile on her face. Her tone sounded serene and loving, but beneath it, Reed felt the aura of an authoritative individual. It was a tone that had a disarming quality to it, but also some level of compulsion in it.
”Sorry, Mom.”
”Sorry, Mother.”
Neither of them dared delay in apologizing, fully aware of what would entail if they delayed for even a second. For if their mother asked, they would answer the call. Fear was something that had been taught early in their childhoods by their mother and obedience — filial piety — was a virtue in their household. Mother knew best.
Suddenly, the mother turned her gaze towards Reed and her expression changed in an instant. The sisters went mute and looked at each other in agreement, something that the mother noticed. A single look was enough for her to put her daughters in their place again.
It was a tender gaze filled with an endless love that none could ever emulate. It was real and overpowering, to the point that Reed could not meet the woman's eyes at all. He nervously chuckled as he squirmed in his seat like a kid and said, ”I-Is there something wrong, Ma'am?”
That was all it took. Five simple words. It set off fireworks, so to speak.
How could have Reed known? There was no way he could have guessed it would cause...