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7. Since a prized lamb has appeared I have no use for a used wretch like you
🕑 Added 2022-01-09 00:03:59 +0000 UTCA man strolled into a basic-looking study with purpose and looked around.
“They really were poor bastards, why did they make things so difficult for me then?”
Two women flanked the sides of the slightly fat man and spoke in seductive voices.
“Husband, why do you chase this woman? Are we not good enough for you ~”
“Yes, what Victoria said is right, do we not pleasure you every night? Where would a third woman even sleep!”
The man ignored the two annoying women and walked over to a large desk at the end of the study.
“Steven hand me the key,” the man said in a commanding tone towards a butler. The butler bowed and handed the man a small silver key.
“My lord this key was recovered from Baron Karles pocket upon his death.”
The man ignored the comment and moved his heavy body to sit in the chair, putting the key into a keyhole and turning left, with a slight click he pulled the drawer open.
Inside was a single notebook. It was brown in colour and seemed heavily used.
“Leave me be” the man commanded and his two wives and butler reluctantly vacated the room.
“You thought you could escape me Fay Karles? Ever since that day I have had my eyes set on only you. Where did you run off too?” with a sinister chuckle he opened the notebook.
Inside the notebook there were random entries without titles or dates, it seemed that the Baron used this notebook as a way to vent out his frustrations.
***
The long war has finally ended, upon my return, his majesty saw in his infinite kindness to award me a border territory to rule over. I suspect he sees me as a threat and wants to keep me at arm's length, buried in paperwork managing this backwater fief.
***
I have been living here for the last 5 years and in my old age, my servants and people have become worried that I do not have an heir. Apparently, I am the nicest lord they have ever had and wish for my family line to continue ruling over them.
***
This beautiful woman called Angelica arrived in my town recently with her family and has been chasing me for the last few months. She seems rather ambitious which can be dangerous but I seem to have no other options, I'm getting old after all. Even though she is a merchant's daughter I might marry her.
***
We got married! I rather enjoyed the whole process, it was nice to invite all my old war buddies over and see them again.
***
Angelica is pregnant, I hope it's a male so I will finally have an heir to pass my knowledge onto. Angelica seems convinced it will be a boy and is already planning how he will take over my noble title and fief…
***
“It's a baby girl!” the midwife proclaimed but quickly shut up seeing our faces. I was a little disappointed and Angelica looked ready to kill the poor little thing.
***
We decided to name her Fay, although not a boy we have found a use for her. A Duke of our kingdom recently had a baby boy and is looking for arranged marriages. I suggested that the boy meet Fay via a letter to the Duke.
***
Since the age of 3, Fay has been rigorously trained to be the perfect wife by Angelica. She is a ruthless teacher and shows no sympathy. Fay often comes to me crying. I read and tell her stories. She especially loved ones involving a prince charming coming to save a damsel in distress, maybe she's hoping for her own prince charming to save her from her mother?
At the age of 10 she asked “Daddy can I learn magic too?” She seemed to love the stories about magic and adventures and used them as an escape from her daily routine.
“No,” I replied. She cried.
***
Fay is 12 years old and will be meeting the Duke's son Dylan Henson today.
The man, Dylan Henson who was reading the notebook sat up slightly at the mention of his name. This was a memorable day for him after all. He was completely encapsulated with Fay’s looks and temperament. The other girls he met were all meek and submissive, but this girl was feisty. She fought back against him and made it far more interesting.
Looking back at the notebook he continued reading with renewed interest.
***
The meeting did not go well. Despite all our training, she ran away from Dylan proclaiming that he was ugly. Although I agree with her, it's still rude to scream it in his face.
To my surprise, Dylan proclaimed that Fay would become his wife and then left.
***
Fay continues to refuse the idea of marriage, Angelica beats her daily and hurls insults. My wife has become crazier ever since the Duke took interest in Fay. I knew she was an ambitious woman but this is a little extreme. She seems set on being the mother of a Duke heir’s wife.
***
Due to Fay’s continued refusal to marry Dylan, it seems the Duke is taking the matter into his own hand. I have been sent a notice by Duke Henson to participate in a scouting mission into the vampire's stronghold in the mountains, basically a suicide mission. I assume he wants to kill me off to force Fay to marry Dylan in order to stay a noble. My title can only be passed onto a male heir after all.
Seeing how ruthless the Duke is I am having second thoughts on the marriage. If I am going to die and have no heir then I see no point in giving Fay a lifetime of suffering.
I quickly sell off my assets and order Angelica to move to the neighboring country of Kassinki. She is not happy and puts up a resistance. I threaten to divorce her before I leave meaning she will no longer be considered a Baroness and will be demoted to a commoner.
She screams at me and curses me to die but leaves with Fay and a few servants.
***
Today I leave for the suicide mission. If you ever read this Fay I hope you find happiness. I am sorry I failed as a father.
Goodbye.
***
Dylan Henson grinned, “What a foolish man, why write down your daughter's location for me? Finally, I have a clue to chase her.”
Fay POV
My door opens and a tired-looking maid walks in.
“Morning Jessica,” I say to the woman and she just gives me a tired nod “Morning milady, how shall I style your hair today?”
I get out of bed and sit at the dresser, in the mirror is a 19-year-old girl with long black hair and ocean blue eyes. I am rather short at only 160 cm but I have well-defined features.
“Straight but two small strands of braids to go over my ears.”
The maid just grunts in reply and begins the hour-long process of styling my hair, doing makeup, and choosing my outfit.
Finally ready I twirl in my white dress and admire my hair, ‘Yep it's perfect~”
At the table downstairs I am served eggs and bread for breakfast. Eggs are a local specialty of Kassinki.
Hearing the loud clink of heels on the stone floor I freeze up slightly ‘Mothers coming’.
“Fay you ungrateful bitch this is all because of you!”
I reply as calmly as I can “Mother I want to choose who to marry, Although Dylan is the heir to a Duke family he already has two other wives and is also ugly. If you force me to marry him I will kill myself first.”
Threatening suicide is the only tactic I have found to make my mother back off. If I die then her chances of ever climbing the noble hierarchy is gone. Father was sent on a suicide mission and is unlikely to return, without a husband she has no way to produce more children.
After finishing breakfast while under the hateful glare of my mother I leave the house and take the carriage into the city. We have almost no money so I can’t eat in any of these restaurants, instead, I spend the day in the library of the university.
I go straight to the magic section and continue trying to read Basic Principles of Mana Manipulation.
I was actually not allowed in the library but due to my noble clothes and aura, the guards assumed I attended the university and let me inside without question. Getting access to this many books would otherwise be impossible. My mother forbids me from learning magic and I have no money to pay a tutor or enroll in this university, so my only option is self-study.
Let's just say reading a magic book is like trying to understand advanced mathematics written in an ancient language. It's impossible. After two weeks of coming here every day I have only mastered a very basic skill, [Mana Manipulation] at the F grade.
In the library was a stone, when I placed my hand on it and injected some mana the stone would glow slightly and some information would appear on its surface:
[Fay Karles]
Skills:
Mana Manipulation [F]
The stone allows people to see their name and skills. An expert mage should have around five to ten different skills. But I only have one. Maybe the reason Dad refused to let me learn magic is that he already knew I was hopeless at it?
Feeling dejected, I decided to return home. It was early December so the inside of the carriage was cold, I could see my own breath.
Once I finally arrive home the door seems smashed in, as there's a large fist-sized hole where the doorknob used to be.
Did a monster break inside?
Barry the carriage driver steps in front of me and we cautiously approach the door. The smell of fresh blood hit us both and we looked at each other with pale faces.
Barry goes first through the door with cautious steps, trying to avoid bits of broken furniture on the hallway floor.
Sobbing could be heard from the room on our right. It sounded similar to mothers crying ever since we left our country Oshal.
Barry seems to recognize the sound and quickly enters the room, if his employer dies while he was in the building he will be executed for abandoning his master.
Right as he entered the room his head went flying. Literally. It impacted the door frame like a watermelon and exploded in a shower of brain matter. His now headless corpses stood still for a moment before falling backward onto me.
“AHHHHHHHHHH” I scream as Barry's headless corpse threatens to crush and cover me in blood.
While falling I see my mother tied to a chair and a piece of cloth has been rammed into her mouth. Snot and tears cover her face. I feel slightly happy to see her in such a miserable state. So many times she brought me to tears but never cared. On the floor I can see the corpses of the other four servants, including my personal maid, Jessica.
While I was distracted a tall man appeared next to my mother. His red eyes flashed with murderous intent.
“Since a prized lamb has appeared I have no use for a used wretch like you,” he says in a deep voice.
His black nails then elongate to the size of small daggers and he rams them straight through my mother's skull. She squeals like a pig before her head falls forwards with devoid eyes.
I feel immense happiness seeing my mother so brutally executed. She was my tormenter for my entire life. Never once has she been kind to me, only wanting to sell me to the highest bidder for her own personal gain. I give silent thanks to the man but then realize he is staring deeply into my eyes.
“I wonder how you will taste”
He moved over to me with phantom-like speed and sunk his fangs deeply into my neck. The world starts spinning,
“Delicious”
I hear the monster say before the world goes black.
