BXBX NOVEL Chapter 1
Despite the boy’s shabby appearance, the elegance of his rare features could not be hidden. Clette almost mistook him for a girl at first glance. Indeed, the boy shared many similar features to his promiscuous father. Now, however, was not the time to be contemplating the child’s grace.
“Did you just say that you’re the son of… his majesty the emperor?”
Edmund, the older butler, was at first shocked, but quickly got over it and began focusing his attention on the child, who was nodding and extending a letter.
“Hah.”
A small sigh escaped Clette’s lips.
“We shall be on our way then, witch. Our job ends with you receiving the emperor’s order.”
The delegation escorting the little boy rushed to leave, the man at the forefront looked especially unwilling to spend any longer in this town. The crest engraved on his cape indicated his position as an imperial wizard. His eagerness to leave was apparent in his quick departure. In fact, he didn’t even request to warm up inside with a hot cup of tea or by the fireplace, despite having just undergone the frigid cold journey here. But, there was a reason for his behavior, as withstanding the amount of mana in the territory of Velos was a taxing matter. Normal people who could not sense mana were generally unaware of this detail, but wizards and witches often spoke of the crushing pressure the land emitted. Though this explained his rude attitude, it did not excuse it.
“Where are your manners! How could you not even kneel despite being in the presence of the empire’s one and only Grand Duchess! Even if you’re a delegation sent by his majesty the emperor, this kind of behavior is inexcusable.”
Clette lent an ear to the verbal war Edmund was warring on the delegation and gazed at the child who was still on her doorstep. She was at a loss, she just didn’t know how to accept this. The child was hunched over while the dispute between the old butler and the delegation grew increasingly tense. He had a fearful expression and his small hands were red from the freezing air outside.
“Enough of this, let’s go back inside Edmund.”
“But, your grace…!”
“The child must be feeling cold.”
The little boy who had been staring at the floor suddenly raised his head at her response, looking properly at Clette for the first time. Her face was reflected in his clear purple eyes. The expression on his face was wobbly.
What a fearless child.
Even amongst experienced warriors, few could look her in the eye as he did.
“It’s them who will suffer the consequences of their haste. Let’s pray for their safe departure.”
Only
Clette snorted and turned her gaze back towards the delegation. The wizard wasn’t exactly skilled, it didn’t take more than a glance to know that he won’t be able to withstand her territory’s ferocious mana. When they first passed into these lands, they were lucky enough to be protected by the child’s destiny. Such luck would not be following them anymore seeing as they completed their mission of delivering the child, and must now exit without his protection of fate. If fate was feeling generous, maybe half of them would survive.
What fools. Had they been polite, Clette would’ve given them her blessings to cross the land and they would have been safe.
Edmund and the little boy, hesitantly followed Clette. She glanced at the child behind her and let out a low sigh.
‘What should I do with you, little troublemaker?’
***
Her past life had been drawn to an abrupt end because of a car accident. And when she re-opened her eyes, she had already been in the body of the centuries-old witch, Clette, from the romance novel “The Tyrant’s Heart”. It was an absurd experience for her, someone who had been a 20 years old college student just seconds ago.
Clette.