บท 16: Waking Up And The Garden Of Violets

SOME TIME LATER.

My eyes suddenly reopened and immediately I felt incredibly cold.

"That was a strange dream…..why is it so cold?!"

A notification suddenly appeared.

[You don't belong to this realm, as an intruder, several restrictions will be placed on you.]

[Future system functions will be limited.]

[Skill Gains will require much hire requirements to be fulfilled from now on.]

[A latent curse has awakened within you!]

[The Reader's Curse] has shackled your body.]

[The curse will force you to change/prevent the parts of the ????? you ???? by inducing an obsession in your subconscious.]

[You are now subject to [Barrier Lock] which ????? you from changing certain ????? of the ????? by ???????? the ?????? ????? and rew?????? ???? until ??? do as ????? meant to.]

"What?! I lost a part of the system's features?!"

I was left speechless, unsure of how to react.

"*Sigh* let's just find father."

A SHORT WALK LATER.

I went into my father's office and found the redvein duke sitting at his desk

"Father?"

"Cassian?! You're finally up!"

"Oh, the heir has awakened? Maybe he can help me instead."

I took a seat across from the duke.

"With what?"

"You have guts I see. I'm here to remind you about the debt and to offer a different arrangement."

"What arrangement?"

"I'll take the estate and clear off the debt completely."

My father looked to be testing me as he paid close attention to my response.

"Hahaha! Why not?-"I said.

"Cassian, are you insa-"my father nearly shouted.

"I'll even throw in our heads!" I said.

"*Sigh* I thought you were smarter than your father but you're just as much of a joke. I'll take my leave then, the atmosphere around here is not fit for a noble." the redvein duke said.

As he stood up to leave I also stood and offered my hand for a handshake.

"Oh, a friendly handshake is it?"

He took my hand with confidence but that was a mistake. With his Aura covered hand he squeezed as hard as he could and exerted enough power to destroy an iron gate. That was his second mistake, I might not be able to beat him in a fight but brute strength was my domain.

"You're young so you don't know what the world is like ye-"

"Is that so? Well this young man has a better deal for you."

With my 999 Physical Stat and my hand covered in Mana and Aura, I clasped down so hard that a wave of wind was sent out causing the papers on my father's desk to flutter.

"Ughh!!" the duke grunted.

"My deal is that you never show your face in our region again and we'll deliver your gold to you personally within a month."

"m-my h…hand!"

"i'm sorry I just have a firm handshake."

I released him and after giving me a death stare he left in silence.

My father sat down and sighed.

"I haven't fully recovered yet, so I allowed him to ramble on. I'm so close to regaining at least 3 quarters of my strength. it's a good thing that you know the value of our family's estate but I don't know why you told him you'll have the gold in a month,"

"Return Item!"

I put my hand into my shirt, brought out the bag of gold, and placed it on the table.

"This should be 20 Thousand Gold, I raided a local gang and found it in their warehouse."

"What?! My son, you put yourself in danger! You should have just left it to me!"

I was berrated with nagging for a while until I managed to convince my father of my safety.

My dad placed the money into the safe with a strange expression. Though the money was crucial, it wasn't worth his children's safety.

"You've been out for a while. You should check on the others, they were worried sick." He reminded me as I left.

"I'll do that,"

I felt like I hadn't seen my eldest sister in a while, so I decided to pay her a visit.

"I'm guessing she's in the garden, it fits her well,"

The grandeur of the mansion faded into the background as I stepped through the back gates into the garden. It was as if I had entered another world altogether, a realm where time stopped and nature reigned supreme. The air was alive with the sweet perfume of violets and roses, their colors bursting forth in countless hues that stretched as far as the eye could see.

I followed the paved paths as sunlight filtered through the canopy above, casting dappled shadows on the lush greenery below.

"Truly beautiful," I couldn't help but exclaim.

Soon, I reached the heart of the garden—a majestic pagoda nestled amidst a grove of ancient trees. Its intricate architecture spoke of the era the founders lived in, its elegant curves, and delicate lattice work impeccable. I approached with a sense of reverence, my footsteps echoing softly on the cobblestone path.

As I entered the pagoda, I was greeted by the sight of a woman seated within, her hair a mesmerizing shade of purple that shimmered in the sunlight. She sat with perfect poise, a porcelain teacup cradled delicately in her hands. Beside her, a violin lay waiting, its strings whispering of untold melodies yet to be played.

"Oh, you've come to visit me, Cassian!" She motioned for me to sit.

"It felt like I hadn't seen you in ages, so I decided to visit,"

"You've got good timing, I'm leaving soon after all," She said as she poured me some tea.

"I heard. Are you sure about this, eldest sister..?"

"I'm as sure as one can be, yet love is something you can never really ascertain,"

"What does love mean, sister?" I was genuinely asking, I could never grasp the concept no matter how much I bought about it. The desire and willingness to sacrifice for someone else weren't things I felt in my first life.

"Love? If I had to describe it, it would be a…"

I watched as she reached for the violin and drew the bow across its strings. The notes that filled the air were like liquid gold, each one a beautiful poem. I felt myself transported to another realm entirely—a place where worries and cares melted away, leaving only the pure essence of the moment behind. The music swirled around me, wrapping me in its embrace as I surrendered to its spell. Hours seemed to pass in the blink of an eye, each one more enchanting than the last. And then it turned melancholic with traces of regret.

"A curse, that's what love is. A beautiful curse that you search for endlessly."

"A curse that you search for? That doesn't make any sense, why would search for a curse?" I asked.

"Sometimes only a curse can fill the void within you, give you purpose in a world devoid of purpose." Her violin finally went silent.

"A world devoid of purpose..?" I pondered her words.

"What do you want out of life, Cassian? Money? Strength? Status?" She suddenly asked.

I answered and she was filled with surprise.

….