The familiar brown-haired maid named Mia can be seen running around the mansion, desperately trying to find someone.
As she opens and closes the many doors of the mansion, she finally recalls the very place that the young-white haired boy always goes to.
She immediately runs across the halfway corridor before reaching the grand doors of the library, flinging the doors open, and hurriedly steps inside the room before looking around, out of breath.
As she continues to look around the room, she finds nothing more but an endless amount of bookshelves in both floors of the room, all perfectly aligned and organized with their respective genres and knowledge.
She runs along the red carpet before reaching the center of the room consisting of tables with red tablecloths on top of them and unlit candles. Comfortable chairs with paddings to help make the reading experience as relaxing as possible.
Mia looked around once more before finally seeing the two-year old white-haired boy. He sits on top of a pile of books to reach the table in front of him, reading a thick book titled: Medical Theories and Practices
The maid quickly walks towards him. "Young master!"
The white-haired boy flinched at the voice before slowly looking at Mia. The delicate features of his face emphasize his heterochromia. The left iris being light hazel, while his right iris being white.
Mia let out a sigh. She wipes off the sweat from her forehead before worriedly looking at the white-haired boy.
"Young master! You should've told me where you were! I'm under obligation to always watch over you and keep you safe!"
The white-haired boy looked away, feeling guilty as he awkwardly scratched his cheek. "I'm sorry... I just wanted to continue reading the books here..."
Mia let out a sigh before folding her arms and closing her eyes. After a few seconds, she slightly opens her eyes to peek at him. Seeing his saddened expression, she couldn't be mad anymore as she scratched her head. "It's fine. But make sure let me know, young master
The white-haired boy slowly nodded as he heard those words, still feeling guilty about the trouble he caused.
Mia let out a smirk before looking around the room one more time. "But still... I still can't believe how big this library is..."
Mia quickly turns to the white-haired boy, making him flinch. "I know how much you like to read, but please refrain from going deep into the library. It's easy to get lost. Also..."
Mia glances at the end of the room, and stares at the large library counter with all sorts of books lying on top of the counter and around it. Behind the counter, there lies a throne-like chair with an unusually pale-skin woman sitting down, reading a book.
Her long wavy blonde hair reached her thighs and tied up near the end. Her deep red eyes complemented the color of red lipstick. Wearing a dark red cape, with a red long sleeve button down, black pants and heels. She also wears a black glove with some metal parts on the knuckle and finger area.
Feeling Mia's gaze, she slowly turns her attention towards her. She lets out a small smirk before putting the book she was reading down and picking up another book near the counter.
She slowly walks towards Mia. Once she stood before her, she placed the book she was holding over her mouth, trying to cover her playful expression. "Mia, you don't have to worry. The young master is safe with me."
Mia glares at her for a long minute before letting out a defeated sigh. "I know that, but what if the young master gets lost?"
The woman lets out a chuckle, lowering the book down. "Like I said, you don't have to worry about such things when I'm here."
She then looks at the white-haired boy, smiling playfully once again. "Isn't that right, young master?"
The white-haired boy glances at her before slowly nodding. "Don't worry, Mia. She's been taking good care of me."
Mia lets out a worried look before sighing once more. "I see..."
The woman leaned towards me before handing me the book that she was carrying. "Here is the book that you requested earlier, young master. I apologize if I took a while... I got sidetracked."
The white-haired boy shakes his head. "Don't apologize. Thank you for bringing me this book."
The woman smiles warmly before fixing her stand. "You don't have to be so formal, young master. You can just call me Veda."
The white-haired boy slowly nodded before letting out a small blush. "Okay... Veda. Once again, thank you for bringing me this book."
Veda lets out a small chuckle before patting my head. "It's my pleasure, young master. I'll head back to my post. If you ever need help, you can always ask me."
I nodded at her response. Veda smiled once again before walking back to her seat.
I slowly looked at the book, gazing at the peculiar title: The Theory of Mana.
Mia glanced at the title. After reading what it said, her eyes widened before she stammered. "Y-Young Master! Everyone knows how smart you are, but... aren't you too young to learn this...?"
"Maybe... but it never hurts to learn the basic concept first, don't you agree?"
"True, but..." Mia scratches her cheek in dismay before a sudden thought crosses her mind. "That reminds me..." She looks at the pocket watch and checks the time. "It's almost time for your meal with her grace. Do you want me to carry you there?"
I flinched before shaking my head intently. "No, that's not necessary! I'll walk there by myself."
The white-haired boy holds the book tightly in his arm before jumping down from the stack of books. As he landed on the floor, he slowly lost his balance from the heavy book he was carrying.
Mia let out a small chuckle before slowly picking the white-haired book into her arms. The white-haired boy flinches before he starts squirming in her arms. Mia let out another chuckle after seeing the embarrassed boy squirming. "Awe... You don't have to feel shy, young master. Her grace is already waiting for us, so it's better if I take you there."
"I-I see." The white-haired boy slowly stopped squirming and relaxed into her arms, but continued to wear a troubled expression.
Mia quickly left the library with the white-haired boy in her arms and began walking down the corridor, and heading to where mother is. The white-haired boy looked out the window before seeing the bustling green trees lit up by the golden sun. As he continues to look at the scenery outside, he finally sees his own reflection from the window.
"... It's been two years."
The child slowly looks away from the window and stares at the book in front of him. He closes his eyes, and begins to recall the memories he had when he was still an infant, laying down in his crib and staring at the ceiling with all the decorations, with a peculiar flame next to him.
"Now... What questions do you have about the world, oh lost one?"
Questions... There are so many things that I want to ask about. But from the looks... I feel like I won't get the answers to them...
As I continued to contemplate what questions to ask the flame, a sudden thought popped into my head.
If this is truly the same world as the book I read before I died, does that mean I have to follow the same path as the original Lysander?
Do I have to be miserable once again?
"... Do I have to follow the same path as the original Lysander?"
The green flame slowly turned blue and shrunk at the mention of that question. They stood in silence for a moment, before suddenly growing bigger and returning to their original red color.
"... I've been informed that you know this world in a story-based knowledge where everything is the setting of a novel. How ironic... But to answer your question: No, you don't have to follow this "path" that you talk about."
"... I see. Then... is it possible for me to live a normal life then?"
"If that is what you wish to do, then yes. This world... This body... all of this was given to you by the pity of a God."
"A God...?"
"... I said too much. But still, know that this life is yours to shape."
"I see... But why do I still have the same mindset and memories as before? If I did reincarnate into a new body... Shouldn't I forget who I originally am...?
The flame lingers in the air once again. As if thinking on how to answer the question.
"... It is true that you're in a new body, but you're a special case. Your mental being is still the same, since we didn't want to forcefully meddle in someone's mind. So, though it's cruel, you still have the same mental state as before..."
The flame turns into a dark shade of blue.
"You will still be unable to feel any emotions you don't know, just like your previous life."
... What?
I still can't live normally even in a new world?
Why?
Why can't I just be normal just like my parents said? Can this even be called a new life?
Why do I continue to suffer?
The infant's eyes narrowed with anger. He clenched his tiny hands into a fist while his mind continued to jumble with so many cruel thoughts.
The flame stayed afloat in the air as they only watched the spectacle.
Soon, the infant calmed down. He slowly breathed in before regaining his train of thoughts.
"Are you done? It seems there are some clarifications to be done."
The flame turned green once again, floating closer to me. "I said any emotions you don't know. Not the ones you already know. I know this might be a... pain, but in this new body that you've been given... you can learn all the emotions that you were never able to experience and make them yours, without the facade."
My eyes slowly widened as I heard those words. "Are you telling the truth?!"
They let out a small chuckle. "For what other reason would I lie? Even if you can't believe it now, you'll soon realize that what I said is true."
The flame slowly began to dissipate, leaving behind a green trail. "Just remember: This life is yours to decide. If you have any major questions, you can always call me."
The flame disappeared, dispersing the green fragments all over me. I slowly reached out for the falling flames, trying to see if what I saw was real.
"This life is for me to decide..."
I slowly closed my eyes, and opened them once again before seeing my mother sitting down in a chair, drinking tea with a selection of dessert layed out in front of her. I looked around, seeing the familiar garden that mother always attends to when she's free.
Mia seated me in a chair, with a seat higher than most normal chairs, next to mother.
Her eyes glimmered with joy, slowly smiling before gently patting my head, making me slightly blush at the sudden warmth. Mia stood near us silently, while mother continued to pat my head with joy.
Seeing her smile at me... I can't help but feel this warm sensation called happiness... I like feeling happy...
I like how I finally have a mother who treats me so nice... and only looks at me with nothing but a smile on her face.
Mother slowly glanced at the book in my hand, slowly removing her hand from my head. "Were you in the library again, Lysander?"
I put the book down on the table before nodding. "Yes. I wanted to finish reading the books in the library."
She glanced at the title of the book before sighing bitterly. The same words that the mage told her about teaching magic to him echoed in her mind once again. "I see... Just make sure to not overexert yourself. You're still a child after all."
She patted my shoulder, still smiling despite the hint of bitterness covering her eyes. Still... I couldn't help but smile and blush at the warmth of this person's hand.
The warmth of someone I can call my mother.
I slowly shook my head, trying to reassure her. "Don't worry, mother. After this book... I'm probably going to stop reading for a while."
She tilted her head, confused as to what I meant by that. "But... don't you like reading books?"
I flinched, slowly looking at the book with a saddened expression while shaking my head. "... I only read to understand the world around me. It is not something I do for fun..."
I looked up at her and smiled at her, trying to get rid of this empty feeling that reading brings to me. "I prefer to be with you and father. I want to do things that any family and children would normally do."
She warmly smiled before booping my nose. "I see. You sound quite mature despite saying you want to act like a child."
She slowly leaned forward, smiling more beautifully than before. "I also want you to enjoy life, Lysander. I'll spoil you with anything you ask!"
She quickly began to tickle me, forcing me to laugh. Once I pleaded for her to stop, she let out a small chuckle before looking warmly at me once more. "No matter what anyone says, this is a life where you can make your own decisions."
Wiping the subtle tear from my eyes, I couldn't help but stare at her with awe.
After being born in this world, I thought to myself that trying to be someone else... will lead to the same situation I had with my sibling.
A relationship filled with nothing but guilt and emptiness.
So I decided to show my true self. A person who can't feel any sort of emotion. A person who only thinks about the logic behind every subject without taking any emotional approach.
That way... I don't have to worry about feeling guilty, even if they were to hate me like my previous parents.
But surprisingly... They didn't react negatively. They embraced me into their arms with nothing but pure warmth.
The flame told me that the only reason I could understand these people was because he translated their language into something I can understand but advised me to learn it in case any situation where the magic won't be available occurred.
I started walking and spoke my first words way earlier than a normal child can do, around the nine-month period.
When I was a year and a half, I learned how to speak the complete language of this world and learn how to read.
Not by myself... but with the help of my parents and the people of this world.
Even when the things I did were peculiar or strange, they showed no hostility. Even when I learned how to speak natively, they still treated me like a normal child.
And even now, when I'm reading such an advanced book, this person only cares about my wellbeing.
I couldn't help but slowly hug her when she said those warm words. "... Thank you, mother."
She smiled, gently patting my back, before we continued on with our session. Talking about so many things and our everyday life with utter peace and joy.
Mother slowly smiled, calling out to me. "Lysander... I think it's finally time you know."
Drinking the tea carefully in front of me, I slowly placed it down when she called my name before looking at her with curiosity.
She places both her hands on her heart, looking warmly at me. "I can't help but feel joyous about this."
I felt a sudden thump in my heart.
It can't be...
She beautifully smiles at me once more, holding her hands together over her heart. "You will soon have a little sister. Your father and I wanted to keep this a secret until today. We came up with so many names, and we decided to call her..."
A moment of pause to create suspense for the name of the baby became a moment of crisis for me.
How did I not recall this important detail from the book?!
She let out a small chuckle before finally speaking out the name. "Seraphina."
Why didn't I remember this? I forgot that this world has a different system of pregnancy.
I closed my eyes and tried to recall the exact texts of the book I once read in the library.
Page 78 in the book Human Anatomy and Physiology. Subtitle: Human Reproduction.
"Despite the old-fashioned way humans have reproduced in the past. A new method has arisen. A method that completely negates any fatalities during childbirth, decreases tensional pain, and shortens the time of pregnancy without any side-effects on both the caregiver's body and child. A method called Bond of Mana."
Bond of Mana decreases the overall pregnancy duration from nine months to two and allows any gender to bear the child not in their reproductive areas but in the ring of mana surrounding the heart. Giving birth via a mana method, you can't tell if someone is pregnant due to their outer appearance like you can with regular pregnancy.
In this world, there is a ring of mana surrounding one's heart. It is used to indicate the strength of magic or aura, from one ring to ten, leveling from weakest to strongest. Bond of mana is used to help a person bear a child in their heart without any negative side effects, but in return it drains a significant amount of mana during the pregnancy period.
What day is it today?
I tried to remember exactly.
Today is imperial year 764, the second month, the nineteenth day.
If I recall, Seraphina's birthday is the twenty-eight of the second month of the year.
That means that in nine days, Seraphina will be born.
Mother slowly flits my face up, looking worried. "Lysander, are you feeling unwell?"
Hearing speak without knowing about what will happen... I can't help but look at her sorrowfully
The day Seraphina is born is when the person in front of me dies.
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ .
I lay down on my bed, staring at the little decorations stuck on the ceilings meant for childrens. I stretch my hand up, trying to grab an answer for this dilemma.
I painfully breathed in before laying my hand down on the bed, slowly whispering out their name. "... Azar, are you there?"
The same flame I saw when I came to this world appeared once more as I called the name I gave them. "Is there something that worries you?"
I continued to stare emptily at the ceiling. "Mother is going to die in nine days, isn't she?"
The flame continued to float in the silence for a long moment before finally answering. "... So you know. Maybe because of this novel. But… answering your question: Yes. Her death is in the foreseeable future."
I gritted my teeth, feeling helpless at the confirmation. "... Can I somehow save her?"
The flame stayed silent for a bit, slowly turning blue. "It's… possible to save her."
I immediately stood up, looking at the flame with widened eyes. "Really?! Can I really save her?!"
The flame stood there without saying anything once again. After a while, he turned to his usual red color. "With your current power, you're unable to do something now. But if you can use magic, your chances of saving Isabella will increase. Of course, it depends on how far you master your understanding of magic that will reflect the increased chances of her survival."
I stroked my chin, contemplating on his words.
Magic is still a foreign knowledge that I barely started learning.
"... Can I learn how to cast magic during these nine days?"
"... Who knows. With your reading and comprehension speed, it might be possible."
"I see…"
The warmth that my new parents gave to me… I don't want to lose it. If mother were to die, it would undoubtedly make the plotline continue just like in the novel, where nothing but misery in store for me.
But I will make sure to change the storyline. I will make sure to save my mother. "I guess I'm going to be busy for a while then."
The flame let out a chuckle before responding back. "Well, no need to push yourself. Your presence has already changed the way fate will move. But I do hope for your everlasting happiness."
Azar soon disappeared, leaving me alone in the empty silence of my room with so many doubts.
But… I will make sure to learn all these concepts of magic.
I will make sure to save my mother.